‘Learning in and out of lockdown’: A comparison of two groups of undergraduate occupational therapy students' engagement in online‐only and blended education approaches during the COVID‐19 pandemic

Abstract

Introduction In many countries, the COVID‐19 pandemic resulted in sudden changes to the delivery of health professions education in response to local and national lockdowns. Within occupational therapy, university education programs traditionally delivered in face‐to‐face classroom, and clinical settings, the transition to online learning presented unique issues and challenges for faculty and students. This study compared the experiences and perceptions of learning in two groups of occupational therapy students during the pandemic: one group converted to online learning only and the other had a blended approach that combined face‐to‐face on‐campus learning with some online lecture content delivery. Methods Two hundred and eight ( n = 208) undergraduate occupational therapy students from three Australian universities completed an online self‐report demographic questionnaire and two standardised instruments: the Student Engagement in the e‐Learning Environment Scale and the Distance Education Learning Environment Scale . An independent‐samples t test with bootstrapping was completed to examine differences in students' scores. Results Statistically significant differences were observed between the online and blended learning groups across a range of the SELES and DELES subscales. The strongest findings related to psychological motivation ( p = 0.001), personal relevance ( p = 0.001), interactions with instructors ( p = 0.002), instructor support ( p = 0.001), student interaction & collaboration ( p = 0.001), and cognitive problem solving ( p = 0.001). Conclusion Occupational therapy students who transitioned to online‐only learning experienced higher levels of motivation, interactions with instructors and peers, and self‐directed learning than students who experienced a blended education delivery approach of face‐to‐face and online learning. The findings extend educators' understanding of the matrix of factors that have impacted students' education during COVID‐19 and support the development of contemporary and pedagogically sound online and traditional modes of occupational therapy instruction. The results provide evidence of the importance of well‐structured programs that facilitate active and flexible learning, provide meaningful and positive experiences, and promote initiatives safeguarding social and personal well‐being. Further research in this area is recommended.

A look at student performance during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…This is consistent with students reporting that the switch to online/remote learning during the pandemic improved their academic performance both by aiding in the development of digital competencies and by helping them to better organize daily time and activities (Mamutovic, 2021). Students also reported that they received more individual support from instructors when taking online courses during the pandemic (Brown et al , 2022). Performance improvements from online instruction also mimic what has happened in the private sector.…”

Tutorías virtuales postpandemia: implicancias en los aprendizajes de estudiantes de terapia ocupacional que cursan sus prácticas profesionales

“…Los hallazgos de este estudio, al igual que los presentados por Klug & Peralta (2019) y Mayor Paredes (2020), indican que las tutorías virtuales sincrónicas aportan de manera integral en la formación profesional, ya que colaboran en la articulación de aspectos teóricos-prácticos y fomentan el desarrolle de habilidades actitudinales de los/as estudiantes. En concordancia con lo planteado por Castellanos Ramírez & Niño Carrasco (2020) y Brown et al (2022), los hallazgos expuestos relevan que las tutorías virtuales sincrónicas favorecen el aprendizaje, al ser un espacio participativo que permite compartir las experiencias, favorecer el apoyo mutuo entre docentes y estudiantes, y a manejar los aspectos emocionales involucrados en la práctica. Para algunos/as participantes, las tutorías virtuales promueven valores como la solidaridad y la empatía entre compañeros/as (Valderrama Núñez et al, 2021), y permiten el reconocimiento de sí mismos/as como seres sociales e interdependientes en su proceso formativo (Valderrama Núñez, 2020).…”

“Burnout felt inevitable”: Experiences of university staff in educating the nursing and allied health workforce during the first COVID-19 waves

“…Much of the literature published to date focuses on the impact on students of the sudden switch to COVID-safe teaching arrangements, which were generally of limited duration (6,(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20) or focused on specific responses to eLearning (21,22) with medicine most represented. Very little of the literature has been empirical in nature (17).…”

“…Blended approaches to teaching and learning (e.g., online lectures with practical in-class teaching), have been common in health professional education in the previous decade ( 6 ). The COVID-19 interruptions, however, required virtual delivery of all teaching, including practical skill-based content, simulations, and fieldwork placements.…”