Perceptions of medical undergraduates toward online anatomy learning during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, almost all offline lectures and academic meetings were canceled, the 2020 spring semester was delayed, and students remained at home. Online education was widely employed in Chinese universities. Methods An online questionnaire was distributed to medical undergraduates. The questionnaire consists of 63 questions and involved students’ basic information, tools for online learning and students’ opinions about online learning and face-to-face learning. Results Until the end of this survey, none of our respondents were infected by COVID-19. The average score indicating respondents' preference for online courses was lower than face-to-face classes (6.24 vs. 8.12, p < 0.001). A total of 52.7% of respondents thought that online learning could reduce economic costs. Most of respondents (73.8%) agreed that online learning saved commuting time. Conclusion Online learning reduces the commuting time and economic costs. In online learning, lectures can be easily recorded and replayed. The most significant shortcomings include inability to refer to physical specimens, difficulty interacting with equipment or network failures, and a poor atmosphere. The COVID-19 pandemic has provided experience and lessons for online learning.