Changes in residents' attitudes and achievement after distance learning via two-way interactive video.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Training family practice residents in communities remote from academic medical centers has been difficult because of the lack of available local subspecialists and the concomitant need for subspecialists to travel to each of the remote training sites. To alleviate these problems, the Area Health Education Centers Program at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences sought to deliver high-quality presentations to family practice residents at remote locations, using two-way interactive video. The study 1) assessed the differences in attitudes of residents before and after a series of presentations and 2) evaluated the differences in achievement of residents based on who received the information by two-way interactive video or with the instructor on-site.

METHODS

Four conferences were broadcast to five remote residency programs, and two local programs received identical conferences on-site.

RESULTS

There was no difference in achievement between the two groups, but attitudes toward learning by interactive video declined.

CONCLUSIONS

Interactive video is a viable instruction method for achievement. The negative attitude shift toward interactive video may have been because it was a new experience, or the preparation of the faculty was inadequate.