Online master of physical therapy degree

Background and Purpose. The most significant driving force behind distance education in the physical therapy curriculum may he the ability to overcome harriers of distance and costs. In 1994, the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center physical therapy program expanded to a 3-campus system, opening quasidistance education at campuses inAmarillo and Odessa, Tex. Expansion occurred in order to meet the needs and desires as the primary provider of health care within the geographically vast West Texas region. The campuses of Amarillo and Odessa are linked into the (main) Lubbock campus by an interactive 2-way video called HealthNet. HealthNet is a synchronous learning environment, which allows all 3 campuses to interact through video and audio technology. Regional faculty were hired not only to teach to other campuses by virtue of HealthNet, hut also to provide laboratory education and facilitate interaction in conjunction with the didactic format. Subjects. This study investigated the grade point averages (GPAs) and dropout rates of master's-levelphysical therapist students between the Lubbock and regional campuses in 5 successive graduation years (1998-2002). Methods. For the GPA differences, an unpaired t test was selected and a M-square analysis was done to determine whether a difference in dropout rates existed between the Lubbock and regional campuses. Results. The study showed no statistically significant differences in GPAs (P

Key Words: Distance education, HealthNet, Physical therapy.

INTRODUCTION

The proliferation of distance learning enrollment, sparked by technological improvements, has outpaced traditional university enrollment within the last 4 years.1 Enrollment is projected to increase annually by nearly 33% per year, and expectations are that by 2002 nearly 2.2 million students will take advantage of this flexible learning medium.2

The number of higher education institutions offering distance-learning programs is also expected to increase dramatically to respond to student demand and to meet the market-driven applications for this medium. Burger et al2 estimated that by 2002, 85% of all 2-year colleges will offer a distance-learning course, representing an increase of 31%, and 84% of all 4-year colleges will offer distance-learning courses. This would represent an increase 22% from 1998.2 By 2002, the number of students who will be enrolled in distance education courses will represent 15% of the total population of students enrolled in higher education.2

The business community shares some responsibility for the proliferation of distance education because of the desire to provide advanced skills for its workforce at a reasonable, effective price.3 The ability to reduce travel, time, and engineering costs, typically identified as cost savings components of students enrolling in distance programs, has carried over to the educational market.

While industry may be partially responsible for the initial growth in distance learning, the needs and desires of the individual learner have also created an overwhelming demand for educational institutions to meet the lifestyle needs of the lifelong learner. Perhaps the most dominant need of students is related to the time benefits associated with geographic flexibility.4'5 The inability to attend a traditional university due to restricted geographic access may be one of the most prevalent reasons why individuals in the past have not pursued higher education degrees.

Distance Learning in Physical Therapy Schools

The most significant driving force behind distance education in the physical therapy curriculum may he the ability to overcome barriers of distance and costs. The University of Kentucky initiated a distance learning format in response to the rural health initiative of 1991, allowing individuals who live in a rural areas to pursue a degree based on continuing education.6,7 Several allied health care programs, including programs at Rocky Mountain University, Simmons College, Creighton University, Finch University of Health Sciences, and Temple University, have implemented distance-based physical therapy postprofessional doctorates or transitional doctorates of physical therapy studies in rehabilitation.8

Many students in distance-learning programs are older and do not reflect the typical student matrix of past years.9'10 Adults over the age of 22 years now make up over 50% of the traditional university student population and account for the majority of individuals enrolled in distance-learning programs.10 In a study by Ancrum-Smalls et al,11 results of licensure examination, perceptions of the overall program, faculty concern for student welfare, and distance of the program from home were identified as considerations for application to a physical therapy program. Students who were older, married, and had prior careers were the ones who identified distance from home to be the most significant factor.11 Growth in physical therapy programs may partially reflect the previously unmet demand for high-quality education for working adults.

Online Versus In-Class Learning

As online education proliferates, the question of quality of education will be paramount. In recent years, some studies have measured the differences of each learning format in an attempt to determine a comparison between online and in-class learning 9,12,13 Many of the studies have looked at variables such as learning type, similarity of course work, and specification of the material being taught.9,12,13

Standardized achievement scores were 5% to 10% higher among online graduates from the University of Phoenix when compared with students from 3 major universities in Arizona.14 Similar results were found with students graduating from a University of Michigan computer-based program when compared with fellow University of Michigan graduates.15 Neither of these studies compared the online experience of the graduates against others within the same class who took the course work traditionally, which eliminates the ability to compare subject to subject in these cases.

Schulman and Sims12 measured the pretest and posttest results of students in 5 different online management and sociological courses against students who learned via the traditional format of attending the classes in person. The same instructor taught all of the classes, and the same textbooks were used for each class. The results showed that the online students scored higher than the traditional students in posttest scores, yet the results were not statistically significant.

Results of learning styles and results of course work comparisons between traditional learners and online-based learners showed that the distancebased education led to higher independent learning style scores and lower dependent style scores.13 The scores were statistically significant. This suggests that certain "types" of learners may excel in different formats of education.

Neil16 assessed the attrition (dropout) rate of MBA students at West Texas A&M University and found that certain types of classes, such as accounting, business statistics, and finance, may be less conducive to an online-based format than others, such as computer-based classes and management. This particular question in reference to physical therapy course work is also questioned. To date, little research has been performed on the success rate of a distance-learning format in allied health care programs such as physical therapy. Due to the hands-on educational requirements in a traditional physical therapy program, a quasi-distance program may be more applicable if past studies are examined for learning style and course content.

Texas Tech University's Physical Therapy Program

In 1994, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center's physical therapy program inade a significant move and expanded to a 3-campus system. Accredited in 1984 by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center had a stable, respected bachelor's-level physical therapy program based in Lubbock, Tex. In 1994, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center expanded its allied health care programs to campuses in Amarillo and Odessa. The physical therapy program also converted the curriculum to a master's degree. This was done in order to meet the needs and desires as the primary provider of health care within the West Texas region.