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Teaching And Learning In A Digital Age: Using
Technology To Enhance Physical Therapy
Education
The Flipped and Blended Classroom
Eric Robertson, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT
Regis University, Denver, CO
Objectives
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•
•
•
•

Define “Blended Learning”
Identify and discussed the 6 primary blended learning models.
Describe characteristics of successful on-line learners & teachers.
Describe the flipped classroom model.
Identify key technical & pedagogical components required to
successfully implement the flipped classroom model in DPT
education.
• Discuss the benefits, risks, and challenges of this model.
http://www.knewton.com/blended-learning/
Blended Learning: Defined
Not “It’s coming soon”…..It’s here!
The Blended Learning Matrix
Blended?

A

No

Home Schooling without online
delivery

C

Maybe

Purely virtual school

D

Yes

Theoretical, online delivery in a
supervised brick-and-mortar
setting

Yes!

Mix of online/offline, supervised
and remote

C

A
Offline

Traditional brick-and-mortar
school

B

D

Content Delivery

Online

No

B
Geographic Location

Brick-and-mortar

Remote
http://www.knewton.com/flipped-classroom/
Simplify, simplify, simplify…….
Job (in)Security?
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2CrIx9/www.good.is/post/will-a-harvard-professor-s-new-technology-make-college-lectures-a-thing-of-the-past/
Promising Results
Lecture Capture Helps Med Students Improve Grades

http://www.centerdigitaled.com/classtech/Lecture-Capture-Helps-Medical-Students-Improve-Grades.html
Online education: a reality in our
time (but can it work for PT?!)
Is a Blended Learning Model for a hands-on
profession like PT REALLY Possible?!
•Internet vs non-instruction & Internet vs Traditional
Instruction (study n=201)
•Outcomes assessed
•Knowledge
•Skills acquisition
•Behaviors in clinic/effect on patients
•Learner Satisfaction

•Result:
•Internet-based superior to non-instruction (Large + effects)
• Internet-based vs traditional instruction= similarly effective
Flipping Technologies & Approaches
Considerations for Flipping
To Flip or Not to Flip: Points of Consideration
Curricular

How does your agenda fit the greater overall curriculum?

Personal
Technology

Do you you have the skills to develop this content?
Time cost?

System
Technology

What resources can you leverage from campus/facility?

Course
Considerations

Time relief for flipped lecture hours?
How does this help achieve your educational objectives?

Debriefing
Strategy

How do you integrate flipped content into your in-class time?
Considerations for Flipping
Curricular
How many classes incorporate flipped content?
Is there consistency in the approach?
Student time burden? Per day/week/class?
Is their consistency in the debriefing strategy?
Considerations for Flipping
Personal Technology
What’s your comfort with a given technology?
Time cost for development? (Recouped later)
Integrative plan?
Development of support materials
Considerations for Flipping
System Technology
University resources can lower costs
Video servers?
Internet connection consistency
Instructional Technology support for faculty
Considerations for Flipping
Course-level considerations
Contact hours issue
In what way does blending/flipping help?
Support materials
Ratio of in-class to online/recorded content?
Considerations for Flipping
Debriefing Strategy
In-class review?
Student driven vs. faculty facilitated?
What do you do with the extra time?
Establish Expectations
Photo courtesy white-balance via flickr

Choosing the right medium, so that it disappears

THE TOOLS OF THE FLIP
VIDEO CREATION
VIDEO HOSTING
LMS PLATFORMS
Why Do We Do This?
DEVICE AGNOSTIC
EXAMPLE
Streaming Video & Lectures
Moodle Anywhere
Course Number and Title:
Cohort Code and Semester:

PT 734 Musculoskeletal Physical Therapy 1
DPT 3 Semester 3
EMBEDDED WITHIN ONLINE CURRICULUM
I believe another problem is that we still don't understand the true
mechanism of many cases of LBP. As was mentioned in one of the video
lectures, even society's favorite "go-to" to find answers (diagnostic
imaging) will likely be inconclusive, as degeneration is a normal part of
the aging process. Even an image with a positive "deformity" finding
might not be the true cause of the pain. So not only is over-treatment
an issue, but I would argue that "over-diagnosing” is as well.
Questions:
Describe the Regional Interdependence (RI) concept
Define and describe the 2-Joint Rule
Discuss examples from the literature representing a variety of
reports types (RCT, case-series, correlational work, etc.) that
support the concept of RI
Faculty Benefits
Flipper Confessions
“Flipping” Texas State University’s
Entry-level Physical Therapist
Musculoskeletal Curriculum and
Implementation of a Hybrid Learning
Model
Boucher BB, Robertson R, Wainner RS, Sanders B.
(In Press)
Challenges
• Applied profession: skills mastery as well as
knowledge acquisition
• Limited resources: faculty, up-to-date
information, time
• Students: expectations, learning style
variability, location, competing demands
“Flipping” it from 2009 – Present
• Out-of-Class
–
–
–
–

On-line lectures
Lecture “Prep” sheets and handouts
Selected primary readings
Skills practical in clinic with clinician examiners

• In Class
– Interactive discussion, problem solving and casebased clinical reasoning and decision making
– Formative mini-lab exams (FMLE)
– Evidence-based practice (EBP) assignments
Technology
• Pre-class preparation
– Screen capture
– Researched topic and Scripted audio (in-house and
later collaborative)
– Uploading to central server
– LMS formatting and preparation
– Mobile devices in mind

• In-class Execution
– “Smart” classroom station
– Ceiling mounted projection camera (lab)
Recorded Lecture Use
Survey Outcomes
Academic Outcomes
Course grade averages
(practical & written) remained relatively unchanged
No practical failures 1st year of fully implementation*
*Clinician examiners
Selected Student Comments
Selected Student Comments
Selected Student Comments
Benefits
• Customize learning to the specific needs of
the individual
• Provide immediate feedback
• Create a constructive learning environment
• Motivate students to perform beyond
externally imposed requirements
• Build enduring conceptual structures
Forearm J. 5 ideal learning standard. Next-generation educational technology versus the
lecture. ) EDUCAUSE -Review. 2003;July/August:12–22
How I develop blended learning experiences.

ERIC’S PROCESS
Constructing the Base

• I develop a
PowerPoint Presentation
Slide Design

• Font.
Currently, there are over 80,000 ACL injuries in the U.S.
each year. Over 90% of those will be surgically repaired.
Cochrane SR, 2005, Benjaminse, 2006

It’s a paradigm
DPTMWG
Pros and Cons of Slide-by-Slide Audio
Takes more time
Can feel disjointed

Requires logistics planning
Can update slides later

Can move slides around
Time investment stays up front
On scripts…
Play the PowerPoint – Screen capture
Things I do when recording:
• Set Up Slideshow: Present from window
• Camtasia:
• Custom screen size
• System Audio plugin active
• May or may not use timings to advance
slides
Work Area in Camtasia
Getting Fancy!
Getting Fancy!
Making a Movie
• Advanced Export as an MP4 file
• Upload file to Vimeo Pro Account
– Can control access to source video file
– Mobile ready
– I pay for this personally, just FYI. Worth it to me.
Insert into Learning Platform
Apply
• Student-lead discussions
• Group work sheets
• Quizzes

• Lab Activities
DISCUSSION TIME