Front-loading of anatomy content has no effect on long-term anatomy knowledge retention among physical therapy students: a prospective cohort study

Abstract Background Information learned over a longer period of time has been shown to result in better long-term knowledge retention than information learned over a shorter period of time. In order to address multiple curricular goals, the timing and spacing of anatomy content within the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program at our institution recently changed from a very spaced to a very compressed format. The purpose of the present study was to assess differences in anatomy knowledge retention that might have been impacted by this change. The research hypothesis was that students receiving spaced instruction would have significantly better anatomy knowledge retention than students receiving massed instruction. Methods Participants consisted of two cohorts of DPT students that both received 45 contact hours of anatomy lecture and 90 contact hours of anatomy lab. The LONG cohort experienced anatomy through a lecture and lab taught over a 30-week, 2 semester period as separate courses. In contrast, the SHORT cohort took their anatomy lecture and lab concurrently over one 10-week semester. A pre-test was administered on the first day of their anatomy lecture course, and a post-test was administered to each cohort 18 months after completion of their last anatomy exam. Results After controlling for age-related differences in the two groups, no significant differences in mean pre-test, post-test, or percentage improvement were found between cohorts (p = 0.516; 0.203; and 0.152, respectively). Conclusion These findings refute the hypothesis and show that both spaced and massed instruction in these cohorts resulted in the same level of long-term anatomy knowledge retention.

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Using live tissue laboratories to promote clinical reasoning in doctor of physical therapy students

AJP Advances in Physiology Education ◽

10.1152/advan.00059.2009 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 34 (2) ◽

pp. 54-58 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

W. Allen Moore ◽

Ann Cassidy Noonan

Keyword(s):

Physical Therapy ◽

Physical Therapists ◽

Faculty Members ◽

Physical Therapy Students ◽

Doctor Of Physical Therapy ◽

Functional Relationships ◽

Course Work ◽

Study Participants ◽

Medical Programs

Recently, the use of animal laboratories has decreased in medical and basic science programs due to lack of trained faculty members, student concerns about animal welfare, and the increased availability of inexpensive alternatives such as computer simulations and videos. Animal laboratories, however, have several advantages over alternative forms of instruction, including an increased sense of learner responsibility, long-term psychomotor competency, and improved ability to examine functional relationships. While the use of animal laboratories has been studied in medical programs, it has not been examined in physical therapy or other allied health programs. The purposes of this study were to examine the attitudes of student physical therapists toward clinically relevant animal laboratories and to determine if student physical therapists felt that the laboratory modules prepared them for future course work and clinical internships. Written surveys completed by the study participants indicated that most students enjoyed the labs and believed that they helped prepare them for course examinations. Additionally, the majority of students believed that the laboratory modules helped them prepare for future course work and clinical internships.

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Depression, Anxiety, and Stress in Doctor of Physical Therapy Students

Journal of Physical Therapy Education ◽

10.1097/jte.0000000000000185 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol Publish Ahead of Print ◽

Author(s):

Jennifer M. Bogardus ◽

Mary Blackinton ◽

Bini Litwin ◽

Terri Morrow Nelson ◽

Katy Mitchell

Keyword(s):

Physical Therapy ◽

Physical Therapy Students ◽

Doctor Of Physical Therapy

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Grit and Academic Performance in Doctor of Physical Therapy Students

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice ◽

10.46743/1540-580x/2020.1976 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Scott Richardson ◽

Michael Scotto ◽

MayAnne Belcina ◽

Richa Patel ◽

Kevin Wiener

Keyword(s):

Physical Therapy ◽

Grade Point Average ◽

Graduate School ◽

Preliminary Evidence ◽

Physical Therapy Students ◽

School Grade ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

Grade Point ◽

Doctor Of Physical Therapy ◽

Therapy Program

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether a physical therapy student’s level of grit positively correlates to graduate school grade point average. Methods: Participants were a convenience sample recruited from the class of 2021 in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Franklin Pierce University in Goodyear, Arizona. Subjects completed the Short Grit Scale (Grit-S) as a measure of grit. These scores were compared with participants’ graduate school grade point average using a Spearman Rho statistical test with data analysis completed using SPSS software. Results: 27 participants (15 males, 12 females) with mean grit score of 3.76 ± 0.48 and mean grade point average 3.72 ± 0.18. Spearman Rho correlation was .463 (p < .05). Conclusion: A significant moderate positive correlation between grit and graduate school grade point average in physical therapy students was found. These findings indicate preliminary evidence that may be useful for admissions considerations for DPT programs.

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Physical therapy students’ perceptions of the educational environment at physical therapy institutes in Pakistan

Journal of Educational Evaluation for Health Professions ◽

10.3352/jeehp.2020.17.7 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 ◽

pp. 7

Author(s):

Muhammad Adeel ◽

Asad Chaudhry

Keyword(s):

Physical Therapy ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Educational Environment ◽

Physical Therapy Students ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Public And Private ◽

Student Centered ◽

Doctor Of Physical Therapy ◽

The Mean ◽

Convenience Sampling

This study assessed doctor of physical therapy (DPT) students’ perceptions of the educational environment at public and private physical therapy institutes in Pakistan. This cross-sectional study was conducted at 6 physical therapy institutions in Punjab, Pakistan from April 2018 to December 2019. In total, 500 Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM) questionnaires were distributed among DPT students identified through convenience sampling (response rate, 86.4%). The correlations between each item of the DREEM score were analyzed. The mean overall DREEM score was 128±19.63 for all 5 subscales (range, 33 to 166; standard error of the mean, 0.954). The correlations of atmosphere, learning, and self-perception with the overall educational environment were r=0.896, r=0.853, and r=0.846, respectively. Student-centered approaches were found to be more effective than teacher-centered approaches for promoting a positive educational environment.

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