Telegram Messenger as a Learning Tool for Medical Students During Corona Virus Pandemic in the University of Benghazi

Globally, the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic reached all sides of life, and education was greatly affected. Medical education in Libya has constantly depended on the traditional classroom teaching method. These intense and impulsive changes in the education system may affect students and their prospective toward online classrooms. Hence, we aimed to study the advantages and disadvantages of online learning. Classes online with the use of the Telegram app were Studied. 299 participants (220 females and 79 males) from the first and second years of the Medical Faculty, University of Benghazi, contributed to the current study. The investigators employed data collection through a questionnaire during the study period from March to April of 2022. The outcomes of the present study showed that the applicants displayed highly positive attitudes toward using online learning during the COVID-19 period. On the other hand, the biggest difficulties that challenged students during online learning were the weakness of the internet connection and technical problems. In conclusion, learning online with both live classes and recorded videos can be included as a part of the curriculum for medical education, although it can never replace interactive face-to-face classroom learning or practical sessions.