Measuring the value of a digital supplemental resource.

Yvonne M Baptiste,Cherylea J Browne,Samuel Abramovich

doi:10.1152/advan.00080.2021

Abstract

Supplemental resources in science education are made available to students based on the belief that they will improve course-based student learning. This belief is ubiquitous, with supplemental resources being a traditional component of physiology education. In addition, the recent large-scale transition to remote learning caused by the Covid-19 pandemic suggests an increased relevance and necessity of digital versions of supplemental resources. However, the use of a supplemental resource is entirely dependent on whether students view it as beneficial. If students in a specific course do not perceive a supplemental resource as useful, there is little reason to believe the resources will be used and are worthy of investment. Consequently, measurement of student perception regarding the effectiveness of any digital learning tool is essential for educators and institutions in order to prioritize resources and make meaningful recommendations to students. In this study, a survey was used to determine student perceptions of a digital, supplemental resource. Quantitative methods, including exploratory factor analysis, were performed on data collected from the survey to examine the dimensionality and functionality of this survey. The findings from this study were used to devise an improved, standardized (i.e., reliable and valid) survey that can be used and adapted by physi3ology researchers and educators to determine student perception of a digital supplemental resource. The survey, with known construct validity and internal reliability, can provide useful information for administrators, instructors, and designers of digital supplemental resources.

Highlights

Physiology courses can pose challenges to students for many reasons including the extensive amount of detailed information that is expected to be learned [1,2,3]
These technologies have fueled an increased availability of supplemental resources, there is relatively little research that examines if these newer, digital supplemental resources are effective learning tools [13, 14]
This is a relevant issue since the Covid-19 pandemic has caused a major shift in pedagogy to remote learning that relies on digital resources [15, 16]

Summary

Introduction

Physiology courses can pose challenges to students for many reasons including the extensive amount of detailed information that is expected to be learned [1,2,3]. Digital simulations, augmented and virtual reality, and animation are common among the supplemental resources designed to augment a physiology student’s work in science, allied health, and related medical disciplines [11, 12]. These technologies have fueled an increased availability of supplemental resources, there is relatively little research that examines if these newer, digital supplemental resources are effective learning tools [13, 14]. This is a relevant issue since the Covid-19 pandemic has caused a major shift in pedagogy to remote learning that relies on digital resources [15, 16]

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