Comparison of Knowledge and Knowledge Application Confidence in Physical Therapist Students Completing a Traditional Versus Blended Learning Professional Issues Course

Abstract

Background and Purpose. The explosion of information technologies has brought computer-assisted learning and webbased learning to the forefront, creating new opportunities for students to engage with each other and course content within and outside traditional academic and classroom settings. This method/ model paper describes an instructional evaluation project that examined the effects of blended learning, as compared to traditional classroom-based learning, on knowledge and knowledge application confidence in physical therapist students enrolled in an entry-level physical therapy Professional Issues course.Method/Model Description and Evaluation. Four units of content of a Professional Issues course were converted to modules that were delivered through an online course platform. The modules included a variety of learning experiences, including: asynchronous discussions with other students in small groups; review of video-recorded vignettes; opportunities for exploration of professional issues topics; individual and group assignments; reflections on future practice; and critical thinking and clinical application exercises.Outcomes. Both groups of students completed a 7-item confidence questionnaire pre and post intervention, and the blended learning group also completed a 36item questionnaire related to the online learning experience.Discussion and Conclusion. Confidence levels in internet and computer skills affected student satisfaction and perceptions of the blended learning experience. Blended learning did not negatively affect knowledge confidence compared to traditional classroom-based learning, and it was found to be beneficial from students' perspectives.Key Words: Physical therapy, Blended learning, Education, Professional issues, Ethics.BACKGROUND AND PURPOSEThe physical therapy profession has changed dramatically over the past 20 years. As autonomous practitioners, physical therapists (PTs) are responsible for professional judgement and their actions.1 This independent and self-determined authority over and accountability for decision making has resulted in increased professional complexities in the current practice environment. As PTs continue to assume a more autonomous role in health care, ethics will continue to be integral to daily clinical decision making.2 How physical therapist educators can best prepare graduates to address the increasingly complex and challenging professional and ethical issues that are inherent in clinical practice has been the source of much dialogue. Although most instruction in ethics education incorporates case analysis and identification of ethical issues in the case,35 the teaching of ethics in physical therapist education programs varies greatly with regards to teaching methodology, content, and course organization. For example, some programs incorporate aspects of ethics content into one or more courses, while other programs devote entire courses to the teaching of ethics.68 No single teaching strategy has been determined to best facilitate learning about professional issues and ethics. Although role playing, simulations, and interactions with standardized clients have been described in the physical therapy literature,911 Jensen and Richert11 propose that development of students' reflective capacity is important and learning experiences that facilitate emotional reflection are critical in ethics education.12The explosion of information technologies has brought computer-assisted learning and web-based learning to the forefront, creating new opportunities for students to engage with other students and course content within and outside traditional academic and classroom settings. In fact, 74% of publicly funded higher education institutions report that online learning is a critical component of their long-term strategies.13 The extent to which technologies may be incorporated into classroom learning can be considered along a continuum. …