Navigating Virtual Learning Landscapes: Perspectives of Health Sciences Students in Saudi Arabia During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Introduction In December 2019, COVID-19 originated in Wuhan, China, triggering a global pandemic. However, the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Education ensured the safe continuation of teaching and learning activities. Amid the pandemic, health sciences students were exposed to diverse learning opportunities. Methods This study seeks to explore their experiences with online teaching. Conducted as a descriptive cross-sectional study, it involved 397 health sciences students from three universities in the Makkah province who had encountered both traditional and virtual teaching methods. Results Most participants were female (71.1%), predominantly from Jeddah city (76.5%). The highest agreement scores were observed for student comprehension during online sessions (61.1%). A significant proportion (74.4%) found paying attention during online lectures easier than traditional ones. Blackboard emerged as the preferred educational platform for online teaching. Notably, there were no significant variations in students' perceptions of online teaching based on location, gender, or specialisation. Approximately 54.7% of students preferred watching their instructors through a webcam during online lectures. Conclusion Medical educators can leverage these findings to develop standardised teaching protocols and enhance the effectiveness of online education systems. The study underscores the importance of instructors using webcams during online teaching sessions, as it allows students to visually connect with their instructors, potentially improving the learning experience.