Publication date: Oct 23, 2024

Hybrid e-learning offered flexibility for students who could not attend in-person classes during the COVID-19 pandemic, but its effectiveness in teaching chest physiotherapy remains to be determined. This retrospective case-control study assessed physiotherapy students’ academic performance and satisfaction with a hybrid classroom approach adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic for teaching airway clearance techniques. Physiotherapy students participated in a ‘Critical area and airway clearance techniques’ seminar in person or remotely. The evaluation included a multiple-choice quiz (0-20 points) for theoretical knowledge, a checklist (0-10 points) for practical skills, and a total score (0-30 points). Satisfaction was measured using a 5-point Likert scale. Quartile regression tests calculated median differences, 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and Cohen’s d effect sizes for each assessment component. The analysis included 41 students (54% men, mean age: 23 +/- 2. 1). The face-to-face group outperformed the remote group in total scores (median difference: 6 [95% CI 2. 89; 9. 10], effect size: 1. 48 [0. 72; 2. 23]) and practical skills (median difference: 4 [2. 31; 5. 68], effect size: 2. 05 [1. 35; 2. 76]). However, there was no conclusive difference in theoretical knowledge (median difference: 2 [-0. 24; 4. 24], effect size: 0. 61 [-0. 07; 1. 29]). Student satisfaction was similar. Physiotherapy students attending the ‘Critical area and airway clearance techniques’ seminar remotely achieved lower scores than their in-person counterparts, highlighting the potential limitations of hybrid teaching for this subject. The mean scores indicated that this method allowed students to acquire the necessary knowledge during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Semantics

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