Kimber Catullo
IngMar Medical Products
PURPOSE: Measurement of learner satisfaction is important for institutions in order to help them pinpoint their strengths and identify areas for improvement. E-learning tools might be especially useful in in the teaching of mechanical ventilation using simulation. The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate an interactive teaching module (ITM) for the subject of mechanical ventilation, as an alternative to the WBL used by IngMar Medical. The new module was designed to improve the online training experience and to accommodate the busy schedules of educators who need to complete the Lung Solution Training. The primary goal of the study was to examine the differences in learner satisfaction scores when the same information and learning objectives are presented in a WBL compared to an ITM. The primary hypothesis was that learner satisfaction scores will be higher for the ITM than for WBL.
METHODS: The ITM constructed for this study used the Media Richness Theory (MRT). The ITM was built using Adobe Captivate and was delivered via email attachment to participants. Users accessed the module content over the web through any browser. The ITM included a simulated version of the LLEAP Lung Solution software and has been in use since 2017. The WBL was a lecture-based course delivered vis Zoom. The learning objectives for both courses were the same and focused on teaching the same content.
STUDY DESIGN: The investigation was set up as a prospective randomized control study. The subjects of this study were anyone who had access to the SimMan, the Lung Solution, and were required training on their combined functionality. The participants were assigned to either the WBL or the ITM as a group by institution. The webinar-based lecture was delivered in one, two-hour session that incorporated a lecture with PowerPoint via a Zoom session that was taught by a clinical educator at IngMar Medical. The ITM test group was sent the link via email to the Adobe Captivate interactive teaching module. The participant then completed the ITM on her own time and at her own pace. Immediately after the training was completed by either method, a link to an online learner satisfaction survey was provided to the participants. The 17-question survey used a five-point Likert scale and contained questions on learner satisfaction and if the training objectives were met.
RESULTS: A Mann-Whitney Rank Sum Test was used to compare the median values of the survey scores of the WBL and ITM groups. A P-value of < 0.05 was used to indicate a significant difference. Twenty-three participants were enrolled and completed the study over one month. Eleven of the participants were placed into the ITM group, and 12 participants were placed into the WBL group. None of the survey questions showed a statistically significant difference in customer satisfaction when the WBL and ITM groups were compared. Questions 2 and 10 did show a difference in median values.
IMPLICATIONS: Further refining of the interactive teaching module is needed before the study can be repeated. The results of the study are promising, and customer satisfaction may improve in the future with an ITM if more development of the module is done. At this time, either the ITM or the WBL can be offered to customers because they have equally successful customer satisfaction outcomes.
