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E. Schenk1,2, J. Taeymans2, S. Rogan2
1Physio Zofingen, Elisabeth Schenk, Zofingen, Switzerland, 2Bern University of Applied Sciences, School of Health Professions, Division of Physiotherapy, Bern, Switzerland
Background: Literature describing the impact of guided self-study (G-SS) in knowledge changes and skills improvements in undergraduate first semester physiotherapy students is scarce.
Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of a G-SS program in a full-time Swiss undergraduate physiotherapy degree. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the G-SS was assessed on changes in knowledge and skills.
Methods: Throughout the academic year 2019-2020, fifty-three first-semester undergraduate physiotherapy students participated in this feasibility study. They were randomly divided into a G-SS group or control group (CG). Spread over the academic year, the G-SS group received six clinical cases and prepared each case during an eight-day cycle. On day 1, students received a clinical case and learning goals. Students hat the possible to arrange two online sessions with the tutor (retired physiotherapists) during days 2 to 7. Students have worked on the cases in groups of five to six and results was presented on the last day (day 8) with supervision from a retired physiotherapist. Duration of this session on day 8 was 90 min. The CG received self-study learning units of the original curriculum content. The feasibility outcome was the fidelity of implementation that include exposure dosage and students’ responsiveness, program differentiation and acceptability.
Criteria of success of feasibility were defined based on empirical experience for the primary outcome parameters
i) exposure (calculated as the number of 90-minute presentations that were conducted, and the content of cases and competences),
ii) responsiveness of students (with at least a 83% willingness to participate) and
iii) program differentiation (was evaluated during the course of the program conception.
Program-related and program-competing contents in the G-SS cases and the curriculum were searched). Acceptability of intervention from the undergraduate students’ perspective was evaluated by a questionnaire with open, semi-structured questions (post intervention).
Secondary outcome was knowledge changes and skills changes. The secondary outcomes were tested using a multiple-choice questionnaire and the objective structured clinical examination (OSCE). Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS.
Criteria of success of feasibility were defined based on empirical experience for the primary outcome parameters
i) exposure (calculated as the number of 90-minute presentations that were conducted, and the content of cases and competences),
ii) responsiveness of students (with at least a 83% willingness to participate) and
iii) program differentiation (was evaluated during the course of the program conception.
Program-related and program-competing contents in the G-SS cases and the curriculum were searched). Acceptability of intervention from the undergraduate students’ perspective was evaluated by a questionnaire with open, semi-structured questions (post intervention).
Secondary outcome was knowledge changes and skills changes. The secondary outcomes were tested using a multiple-choice questionnaire and the objective structured clinical examination (OSCE). Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS.
Results: Students’ responsiveness expressed as willingness to attend in the G-SS program was 64.1%. This was below the a priori set 83%. No differences in program differentiation were found. Acceptability revealed the following findings: the time frame for the preparation of the clinical cases seemed not optimally embedded in the academic timetable. G-SS was scheduled into the timetable, where the student’s workload was very high. OSCE grade was significantly higher in the G-SS vs CG (p = 0.003).
Conclusions: The G-SS program in its current form was not feasible regarding students’ responsiveness and acceptability. Therefore, a slight modification of the study protocol (e.g. better time planning in the academic calendar) is needed to improve students’ willingness to attend in the G-SS program. Adaptation of the school timetable should allow undergraduate physiotherapy students to prepare the clinical cases under conditions of lower workload. G-SS as compared to CG is superior in knowledge change and skills improvement
Implications: The assignment of retired physiotherapist in curriculum support knowledge changes and skills improvements in undergraduate physiotherapy students during their self-study phase.
Funding acknowledgements: This feasibility study was funded by the Fondation Sana and Gesundheitsförderung Schweiz.
Keywords:
higher education
learning success
self-study
higher education
learning success
self-study
Topics:
Education
Education: methods of teaching & learning
Education
Education: methods of teaching & learning
Did this work require ethics approval? Yes
Institution: Berner Fachhochschule, Switzerland
Committee: Ethics Committee of the Canton of Bern
Ethics number: No. 2018-01683
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
