This evaluation describes this unique rural training program using distributed learning technology and its effectiveness in promoting work in rural communities.
We surveyed physical therapy students from both campuses for the first three years (2012-2015) following the implementation of the rural satellite program (n=280) and conducted six focus groups to gather insights about their experiences, satisfaction, and engagement with the program. We collected data on job locations where graduates from 2012 to 2019 accepted their first jobs as well as their current employment locations.
Survey findings demonstrated that students from both campuses had similar levels of satisfaction and engagement. Focus group discussions indicated that students adapted well to the technology used for distributed learning, enjoyed their local campuses, and felt connected to their instructors and peers. A higher percentage of graduates from the rural campus planned to work in small urban or rural regions upon completion of their physical therapy program compared to those students on the main campus (rural 68.4% vs. main 24.7%). The majority of students graduating from the rural campus from 2012 to 2019 (73.5%) reported securing their first physical therapy position in a rural location upon graduation. Similarly, more students graduating from the rural campus reported working in rural or small urban (38.1%) areas for their current jobs as compared to the broader physical therapy workforce (~20%).
Students from both campuses were satisfied and engaged in the entry-level physical therapy program. A greater number of physiotherapists who trained at the rural campus worked in rural areas after graduation. This distributed learning model successfully trained physiotherapists, and this teaching approach may be beneficial for other healthcare training programs to encourage engagement and recruitment in rural health.
This evaluation demonstrated the feasibility of delivering an entry-to-practice physical therapy program in a rural satellite campus. The distributed learning technology was effective, and students in the rural satellite were satisfied and engaged with their learning. Distributed learning enabled the education of students rurally by utilizing the expertise and resources of the main campus, while technology facilitated the extension of the program to a distant location. The lessons learned in the delivery of this physical therapy program using distributed learning, one of the first of its kind, may be useful to other post-secondary healthcare professional programs to help address the shortage of rural healthcare professionals.
rural health
distributed learning
