Online Learning and Engagement in the Foundational Sciences During the COVID19 Era: Perceptions and Experiences of Graduate Students

ABSTRACT

Colleges and universities across the globe were challenged by the necessity of abruptly transitioning their courses to online or hybrid models to adhere to COVID-19 social distancing guidelines. Second year, Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students were surveyed regarding their learning experiences during an online Foundational Sciences course that included a mix of anatomy, physiology, pathology and pharmacology instruction. The purpose was to gain perceptions into best strategies for online instruction for those content areas that promoted course objective competency with an emphasis on learner engagement. Fifty-four DPT students were surveyed following the completion of an 8-week summer semester Foundational Sciences course at the University of the Incarnate Word, School of Physical Therapy, DPT program. The 7-question anonymous survey addressed content delivered both synchronously (live) and asynchronously (prerecorded or self-regulated) with regard to time, synchronous class size and format (large group vs. breakout room), use of asynchronous voiceovers and video tutorials, and rating of specific activities promoting engagement. Open feedback questions addressed virtual course elements that students identified as most and least supportive of content mastery. Fifty responses were collected (93% response rate). Findings from the survey indicated a preference for synchronous sessions of 1.5 hr (94%) in length with the combination of both large and small group (breakout room) sessions (90%). Sixty percent of respondents preferred having a mix of synchronous classes with the entire cohort of 54 learners and smaller synchronous sessions with half the cohort. While 50% indicated a preference for more asynchronous PowerPoint voiceovers, 46% indicated that they preferred not having asynchronous voiceovers that aligned with every synchronous class. Activities promoting engagement received mixed ratings overall using a 5-point Likert scale ranging from poor to excellent. Activities that received majority satisfactory ratings included Poll Everywhere (44%), Zoom annotation tool (40%), Zoom breakout room activities (44%) and StudyMate flashcards (56%). Activities with roughly equivalent ratings for satisfactory, very good and excellent included asynchronous voiceovers (28-36%) and Kahoot quizzes (26-38%). The inclusion of guest speakers was least favorable (32% combined poor and fair responses) out of all the activities utilized to enhance engagement. Respondent open feedback indicated that accessibility to recorded synchronous sessions and asynchronous voiceovers were most valuable to their learning. Question interruptions during synchronous sessions and discussion-based breakout room sessions with less structure was least helpful to their learning. Respondents consistently identified optimal duration and format of online instructional delivery but varied in their responses related to activities promoting learner engagement. This finding could be attributed to variations in learning styles and merits further study. Knowledge derived from educators' experience during the rapidly evolving and adaptive teaching environment of 2020 can be utilized to transform educational approaches in a post COVID-19 era.