Department of Physiotherapy, Oslo Metropolitan University, Post Box 4. St. Olavsplass, 0130, Oslo, Norway.
Department of Nursing and Health Promotion, Oslo Metropolitan University, Post Box 4. St. Olavsplass, 0130, Oslo, Norway.
BMC Med Educ. 2021 Jan 13;21(1):48. doi: 10.1186/s12909-020-02483-w.
Digital learning designs have the potential to support teaching and learning within higher education. However, the research on digital learning designs within physiotherapy education is limited. This study aims to identify and investigate the effectiveness of digital learning designs in physiotherapy education.
The study was designed as a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized and non-randomized trials. A search of eight databases on digital learning designs and technology was conducted. Study selection, methodology and quality assessment were performed independently by three reviewers. The included studies were mapped according to the types of digital interventions and studies. For similar interventions, the learning effects were calculated using meta-analyses.
Altogether, 22 studies were included in the review (17 randomized controlled trials and five cohort studies). A blended learning design was used in 21 studies, a flipped classroom model in five and a distance learning design in one. Altogether, 10 of the 22 articles were included in meta-analyses, which showed statistically significant effects for flipped classrooms on knowledge acquisition (standardized mean difference [SMD]: 0.41; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.20, 0.62), for interactive websites or applications (apps) on practical skills (SMD: 1.07; 95% CI: 0.71,1.43) and for students self-produced videos on a practical skill in a cervical spine scenario (SMD: 0.49; 95% CI: 0.06, 0.93). Overall, the effects indicated that blended learning designs are equally as or more effective than traditional classroom teaching to achieve learning outcomes. Distance learning showed no significant differences compared to traditional classroom teaching.
The current findings from physiotherapy education indicate that digital learning designs in the form of blended learning and distance learning were equally or more effective compared to traditional teaching. The meta-analyses revealed significant effects on student learning in favour of the interventions using flipped classrooms, interactive websites/apps and students self-produced videos. However, these results must be confirmed in larger controlled trials. Further, research should investigate how digital learning designs can facilitate students' learning of practical skills and behaviour, learning retention and approaches to studying as well as references for teaching and learning in digital learning environments.
数字学习设计有可能支持高等教育中的教学。然而，物理治疗教育中的数字学习设计研究有限。本研究旨在确定和调查数字学习设计在物理治疗教育中的有效性。
该研究设计为对随机和非随机试验进行系统评价和荟萃分析。对八种数字学习设计和技术数据库进行了搜索。三名评审员独立进行了研究选择、方法和质量评估。根据数字干预和研究的类型对纳入的研究进行了映射。对于类似的干预措施，使用荟萃分析计算学习效果。
共有 22 项研究纳入综述（17 项随机对照试验和 5 项队列研究）。21 项研究采用混合学习设计，5 项研究采用翻转课堂模式，1 项采用远程学习设计。共有 22 篇文章中的 10 篇纳入荟萃分析，其中翻转课堂在知识获取方面的效果具有统计学意义（标准化均数差 [SMD]：0.41；95%置信区间 [CI]：0.20，0.62），互动网站或应用程序（apps）在实践技能方面的效果具有统计学意义（SMD：1.07；95% CI：0.71，1.43），学生自行制作的关于颈椎场景的实践技能视频效果具有统计学意义（SMD：0.49；95% CI：0.06，0.93）。总体而言，这些效果表明混合学习设计与传统课堂教学一样有效或更有效，可以实现学习成果。与传统课堂教学相比，远程学习没有显示出显著差异。
来自物理治疗教育的当前研究结果表明，混合学习和远程学习形式的数字学习设计与传统教学相比同样有效或更有效。荟萃分析显示，翻转课堂、互动网站/应用程序和学生自行制作的视频等干预措施对学生学习有显著影响。然而，这些结果必须在更大的对照试验中得到证实。此外，研究还应调查数字学习设计如何促进学生对实践技能和行为的学习、学习保留以及学习方法，以及数字学习环境中的教学参考。
