Zoom and health sciences education: medium or message?

Abstract

Introduction: The 2020 pandemic has been the most disruptive force in health sciences education in history. The public health measures of confinement and social distancing forced the transfer of teaching activities to the online modality, universities and hospitals had to interact by means of digital tools, including videoconferences. The most frequently used platform for this purpose is Zoom, which makes it necessary to analyze its strengths and limitations in health sciences education.
Objective: To provide an update and critical reflection on the use of Zoom in health professions education.
Method: Narrative review of the literature and critical essay. The analysis was structured in the following manner: use of videoconferences during the pandemic; a description of Zoom, its advantages and disadvantages; educational principles and tips to improve its use; conclusions.
Discussion: The technological advances of the last decades created a scenario that allowed the massive use of real-time videoconferences during the pandemic, which wouldn’t have been possible at the beginning of the century. The Zoom platform has been one of the most frequently used due to its ease of use and intuitive interface. As with any use of technology in education, it is fundamental to utilize this platform following sound educational principles grounded in evidence, instead of just transferring the traditional face-to-face conference from the physical classroom to the virtual. It is imperative to transit beyond “remote emergency education” to well-planned, designed and implemented online teaching, including multiple tools for synchronous and asynchronous communication as elements of an integrated educational system, as well as to perform research about its efficacy and adverse effects.
Conclusions: The pandemic has created profound changes in health professions education, including the massive use of real-time videoconferences. It is necessary to document these experiences and substantiate them with quality research.