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ERIC Number: ED648492
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2022
Pages: 372
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-8417-9656-5
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Program Evaluation of Digital Clinical Experiences Used for Occupational Therapy Level I Fieldwork
Sheri Lee Montgomery
ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, The University of West Florida
Shifts in the healthcare environment, particularly the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, have resulted in the cancelation of most Level I experiential learning opportunities for occupational therapy students limiting required hands-on learning experiences and impacting the required academic content for graduation for occupational therapy students. The decline in Level I fieldwork placements occurred before COVID-19 because of changes to legislative and licensure regulations, increased demand, and reimbursement criteria (Harvison, 2020). The decline in Level I fieldwork sites demands that the profession explore strategies to provide innovative experiential learning opportunities to address the occupational therapy educational needs set by the 2018 Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) Standards (American Occupational Therapy Association [AOTA], 2019). This program evaluation aimed to assess Digital Clinical Experiences (DCE) effectiveness as an alternative to traditional Level I fieldwork at a private mid-Atlantic health sciences college. The study determined the efficacy of the DCE product by comparing the outcomes reflected in students' performance on the Level I Fieldwork Competency Evaluation for OT and OTA Students. Scores of students who participated in Level I fieldwork using DCE were compared to scores of students who participated in traditional Level I fieldwork. The comparison of scores indicated that there is no significant difference. The context, input, process, and product (CIPP) model guided this evaluation. The product evaluation component addressed the purpose of this program evaluation (Stufflebeam & Zhang, 2017; Young Lee et al., 2019). The product evaluation component measured and analyzed the findings during and after the learning experience (Young Lee et al., 2019). Additionally, the product evaluation assessed the overall efficacy of the DCE product (Young Lee et al., 2019) and presented outcomes from multiple viewpoints: the individual, the cohort, and the aggregate members (Stufflebeam & Zhang, 2017). Thirty-two students participated in this program evaluation. Quantitative data included DCE student index performance scores in four areas of interest: documentation, communication skills, performance skills, and clinical reasoning. Quantitative data obtained from the Level I Fieldwork Competency Evaluation for OT and OTA Students and the Simulation Effectiveness Tool- Modified (SET-M) support the use of the DCE product for Level I fieldwork. Qualitative data using thematic analysis and axial coding determined themes from reflective journals that support the overall findings and indicate that students found the DCE learning experience engaging, meaningful, and a positive learning experience. Results from the Level I Fieldwork Competency Evaluation for OT and OTA Students suggest comparative learning outcomes where performance scores showed no significant differences compared to scores from students who participated in traditional Level I fieldwork experiences. The student's qualitative feedback supported this program evaluation's positive and negative findings. The limitations of the evaluated DCE program include only one area of practice, the use of one cohort of students for data collection, the target population (nursing students) of the DCE product, and the educators' time commitment. The results of this program evaluation inform educators of the effectiveness of the DCE product for Level I fieldwork and increase access to Level I fieldwork learning experiences when access is limited. These program evaluation outcomes were presented through multiple formats to include presentations to occupational therapy educators, presentations to Shadow Health, the publication of the findings in peer-reviewed occupational therapy journals, and dynamic discussions on the AOTA "CommunOT" discussion pages. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway, P.O. Box 1346, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. Tel: 800-521-0600; Web site: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml
Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A