Integrating Web-Based Technology to Assist and Enhance Instruction, Assessment,and Application of Problem-Based Learning for Manual Therapy Techniques Used in Athletic Training and Sports Medicine

As students of the 21st century enter into higher education, faculty's pedagogical styles and delivery methods must evolve to address the rapidly changing needs and skills of the students and society. One such method is through the use of web-based course management delivery systems and interactive software. Web-based interactive course management tools are relatively new educational phenomena. In the therapeutic and rehabilitative exercise curriculums this powerful new instrument may be utilized to enhance cognitive comprehension of basic theories, definitions, and applications. In addition, this web-based interactive tool may also function as a virtual assistant for the learning and mastery of various psychomotor skills necessary in the clinic. Incorporating and utilizing the various computer technologies, allows for the necessary foundational cognitive building outside the traditional classroom while creating a more inclusive environment inside the classroom for a deeper and richer problem-based learning exercise. In the rehabilitation settings it is not only important that the student understands the material but that they also develop the necessary critical thinking skills for appropriate application of the theoretical knowledge. It has been shown that incorporating problem-based learning into a curriculum is an effective way to improve an individual's critical thinking skills. In the model careful planning and implementation was needed to develop an interactive web-based instrument that serves all students in the class regardless of their learning style or rate of comprehension