Remote, asynchronous training and feedback enables development of neurodynamic skills in physiotherapy students

Abstract

Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, face-to-face teaching and learning of physiotherapy practical skills was limited. Asynchronous, remote training has been effective in development of clinical skills in some health professions. This study aimed to determine the effect of remote, asynchronous training and feedback on development of neurodynamic skills in physiotherapy students. Methods Longitudinal repeated measurements study, across four training sessions. Participants engaged in a remote training program for development of upper limb neurodynamic techniques. In this sequential training, participants viewed the online tutorial, practiced independently, and uploaded a video of their performance for formative assessment and feedback from a trained instructor via a checklist and rubric. Results Intra-subject analyses of 60 third-year physiotherapy students showed that the target standard of performance, with no further significant change in scores, was attained following session 2 for the checklist and session 3 for the rubric. This shows that two sessions are required to learn the procedures, and three sessions yield further improvements in performance quality. Conclusion The remote, asynchronous training and feedback model proved to be an effective strategy for students’ development of neurodynamic testing skills and forms a viable alternative to in-person training. This study contributes to the future of acquiring physiotherapy clinical competencies when distance or hybrid practice is required.

Students’ feedback about the course, “Physical Therapy of Orthopedic Diseases” with full- time online teaching during the last stage of the pandemic

“…In a study of remote asynchronous training to develop the neurodynamic skills of PT students, it was found that 2-3 sessions could achieve the target standard [31]. It is very similar to the nature of our study course and also focuses on the development of practical skills, but they still achieved the teaching goal, which is somewhat incongruent with our study.…”

“…In addition, it was reported that students may feel that this type of teaching would negatively affect their practical performance, which seems to be an important indicator of their satisfaction levels [31]. One student (Interview 5) commented: "If it's the theory, I can understand online classes, but for hands-on practical training, I really can't do it because it is really unacceptable", highlighting a common low satisfaction.…”

“…This nding showed that communication and feedback between teachers and students can effectively stimulate students' new ideas and clarify uncertain issues after discussion. Online communication between teachers and students can lead to improvements ib the acquisition of knowledge and skills because remote feedback allows them to continue learning at home, thereby acquiring practical skills and improving through practice and feedback [31]. As is known, one of the negative points of online learning is less interaction between students and teachers [15].…”

“…Instead, teachers gave more detailed guidance and feedback when students uploaded videos or asked questions after class. During the interviews, students also emphasized that online practical exercises need more communication and feedback from the teacher so as to promote their (students') practical skills [31,47]. An essential component of learning is receiving feedback on one's progress in acquiring practical skills because it can facilitate the transfer of knowledge and abilities through practical application and serve as the necessary basis for proper clinical practice.…”

Inteligencia artificial en simulación médica: estado actual y proyecciones futuras

“…5 Como respuesta a esta necesidad, se comenzaron a dictar cursos en modalidad en línea, bajo el concepto de entrenamiento remoto, en el cual el instructor y el alumno se comunicaban de manera asincrónica. 6 El Centro de Simulación de la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile instauró una plataforma digital llamada C1DO1 "see one, do one", la cual permite dictar cursos de manera remota y asincrónica, donde el alumno revisa un video tutorial, practica la habilidad, graba un intento y posteriormente un docente experto corrige el video anteriormente cargado en esta plataforma. 6 Dentro de los cursos que se han aplicado exitosamente están los de suturas básicas, laparoscopia básica y laparoscopia avanzada, los que han demostrado adquisición y retención de habilidades.…”