Augmenting the clinical clerkship curriculum of a physician assistant training program with distance education technology: Educational outcomes and student perceptions

This ex post facto study analyzed the effects of the augmentation of the clinical clerkship phase of a physician assistant training program with distance education technology upon educational outcomes. The research also evaluated student perceptions of the intervention. The independent variable was student participation in an online asynchronous discussion component while attending clinical clerkships. The dependent variables included student performance on multiple-choice, discipline specific End-of-Rotation examinations and the multiple-choice summative Physician Assistant Clinical Rating Assessment Tool (PACKRAT) examination. Asynchronous online discussions were mandated of clinical phase students attending the Physician Assistant Program at York College of the City University of New York in the fall semester of 2007. This cohort's performance on the selected examinations while receiving the treatment was compared to the preceding cohort's performance (pretreatment group) which did not participate in any online component. Independent samples t-tests and ANCOVA were used to analyze the data. It was hypothesized that the treatment group would have a statistically significant increase on both written examinations. The ninety-five percent confidence level (P The pretreatment group had a mean PACKRAT score of 62.0%, while the treatment group had a mean PACKRAT score of 66.2%. There is a statistically significant difference, t = 1.944, p = .0305 for a one-tailed independent samples t test. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was calculated to control for differences in didactic year GPA. There is a statistically significant difference, F-test = 25.2, p Improvement in written examination scores after the augmentation of clinical fieldwork experiences with asynchronous discussions is a positive indicator for continued use and further investigation of this technology. Students expressed satisfaction with the augmentation of rotations with the learning management system. They reported that the component was worthwhile and helped improve preparation and subsequent performance on examinations