Doctor of Physical Therapy Education in a Hybrid Learning Environment: Reimagining the Possibilities and Navigating a “New Normal”

Abstract

Professional physical therapist education has experienced a transformation over the last few decades, moving to a doctoring profession with more autonomy and a broader scope of practice. These changes have occurred in parallel with systemic and structural changes in health care and higher education, both of which have experienced challenges with improving access and controlling costs, and have become a centerpiece of legislative and political discourse. At the same time, advances in technology have introduced new possibilities in education, with the emergence of online, blended, and “flipped” learning models that supplement or replace face-to-face instruction with distance learning. Hybrid education is a type of blended learning, utilizing both face-to-face and online instructional strategies. In a hybrid learning environment, online content may be delivered synchronously or asynchronously, replacing traditional face-to-face instructional time and reducing “seat time” for students. Recent attention has been brought to online and hybrid/blended learning in physical therapist education in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, as programs have been required to abruptly move from face to face to remote instruction. Hybrid and other forms of blended learning strategies have been described at the physical therapist education course level. However, there is no literature describing hybrid learning implementation at the physical therapist education program level, and there has been limited discussion on best practices for delivering hybrid, blended, and online instruction in physical therapist education. This perspective provides an overview of hybrid education, describes theoretical frameworks that guide implementation of a hybrid education curriculum, and discusses future directions for hybrid physical therapist education and educational research.

Teaching Online during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Phenomenological Study of Physical Therapist Faculty in Brazil, Cyprus, and The United States

“…Before the pandemic, the delivery of PT education in the US was evolving to include online, blended, and hybrid learning experiences to minimize barriers to education. Deliberate curricular design, which leverages both online (synchronous and asynchronous) and face-to-face learning strategies to maximize learning in both environments, continues to gain traction in the health professions education, including PT [11][12][13]15]. However, despite the growing research, implementation of fully hybrid or blended PT programs that employ online instruction, followed by intensive onsite coaching in laboratory classes to solidify and assess motor skills, are still scarce within the US, and non-existent in Brazil and Cyprus.…”

Evaluation of a Novel e-Learning Program for Physiotherapists to Manage Knee Osteoarthritis via Telehealth: Qualitative Study Nested in the PEAK (Physiotherapy Exercise and Physical Activity for Knee Osteoarthritis) Randomized Controlled Trial

“…Advancing technologies allow education and training for medical and allied health students and professionals to overcome learning barriers such as distance and the limited availability of specialist training staff while also providing a standardized experience for learners [ 15 ]. e-Learning broadly relates to the delivery of educational material through information and communication technology (ICT) [ 16 , 17 ], using the internet to wholly or partially replace the need for a human instructor [ 18 , 19 ]. e-Learning can be synchronous (mediated in real time, eg, videoconference), asynchronous (self-directed, self-paced learning), or a combination of both.…”

Elementary Teachers’ Thoughts about Distance Education and Learning 21st-Century Skills during COVID Pandemic

“…The COVID-19 pandemic provided an opportunity to explore the subject of schooling in a new context. At present, attempts to contain the crisis encompass an adaptive response, which includes a transition to hybrid education (adopting a blend of both online and face-to-face learning strategies in both learning environments (Gagnon et al, 2020). There were concerns about whether such a new approach will strengthen learning and whether, or how, teaching will resume at the end of the de-escalation (Al-Roubaie & Alaali, 2020;Khatun & Saadat, 2020;Kovačević, 2020).…”

“…That is to say, any resultant school reconfiguration must respond and adapt to these complex times through approaches such as online or blended learning (Campa, 2020;Khatun & Saadat, 2020;Voskoglou, 2020). Gagnon et al (2020) defined blended learning as a synchronous online learning, which was used to enhance student learning between face-to-face sessions. Online instruction does NOT replace face-to-face time.…”