Evaluation of Distance Education Delivery Methods for a Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Program

Abstract

This article reports the results of an evaluation of a blend of educational delivery methods used over a two-year period in a one-year Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (PCNP) program in Ontario, Canada. The first of its kind in the province, this practice-based program was administered by a complex consortium of 10 universities that combined and shared resources to offer the program in English and French to students in all regions of the province using multiple delivery methods. Students, professors, and tutors responded to a questionnaire designed to assess their perceptions of and satisfaction with the delivery methods. Students also participated in focus group interviews. Participants were satisfied with all delivery methods and developed new technological skill sets that were perceived as transferable to other teaching, learning, and practice situations. They expressed greatest satisfaction with face-to-face delivery, an approach with which they were familiar. The most dramatic increase in comfort over time was with computer conferencing, although it was the least familiar technology at the beginning of the program. Ongoing technical support was emphasized as an important need. The findings will be of interest to those planning program delivery using multiple educational delivery methods. Le present article rend compte d’une evaluation portant sur l’utilisation, pendant deux annees, de diverses methodes de diffusion d’un programme annuel en soins infirmiers de premiere instance (PCNP). Ce programme axe sur la pratique, offert pour la premiere fois en Ontario (Canada), etait sous la direction d’un regroupement complexe de dix universites. Celles-ci ont mis en commun et partage leurs ressources afin d’offrir ce programme, en francais et en anglais, a des etudiants repartis dans toute la province, en s’appuyant sur un large eventail de moyens de diffusion. Un questionnaire adresse aux etudiants, aux professeurs et aux moniteurs visait a evaluer leurs perceptions et leur satisfaction quant a ces divers moyens. Certains etudiants ont egalement participe a des groupes de discussion dirigee. Les etudiants se sont dits satisfaits de toutes les methodes de diffusion et ont affirme avoir acquis de nouvelles competences technologiques, qu’ils estiment applicables a d’autres situations d’enseignement, d’apprentissage ou de pratique. Ils ont accorde leur preference a l’enseignement face a face, qui leur etait le plus familier. En debut de programme, les etudiants etaient moins familiers avec le forum electronique et celui-ci leur deplaisait; toutefois, leur niveau d’aisance face a ce moyen a augmente de maniere significative en cours de route. Ils ont clairement souligne l’importance d’un soutien technologique continu. Les resultats de cette enquete interesseront les concepteurs de programmes qui souhaitent utiliser des modalites et des technologies multiples de diffusion.