Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Education

Document Type

Dissertation

Abstract

The purpose of this mixed method study was to explore the transition to an online educational platform for future health professional students at a southern health sciences system due to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) virus. The majority of health professional students received their education via face-to-face prior to the pandemic. The pandemic altered their traditional pedagogical method of face-to-face to online instruction. The health professional school faculty offer the best instruction in a lecture hall not on a computer screen using Zoom. This study was designed to analyze how the faculty adapted in moving to an online instructional method, the support offered by administration, and what method carried over to the spring semester. The research study participants consisted of faculty members from six health profession schools/programs within one health sciences system. A survey consisting of a Likert-scale, multiple choice, and open-ended short answer questions was emailed to all faculty members. Following the survey, one-on-one, face-to-face interviews with six of the faculty members were conducted to gain insight and understanding of their experiences transitioning to an online platform. The results of this study suggest that the transition to an online instructional environment, created within the health sciences system due to the pandemic, was not as seamless as it could have been. The faculty described their experience as one without administrative support, technology training, or guidance. The transition to online instruction caused a disconnect and inability to mentor the healthcare professional students. The faculty were, however, optimistic about the online transition and plan to incorporate this method into future courses in a hybrid method. Pre-pandemic, the United States healthcare professional schools were moving at a snail’s pace with regard to the progression of an online educational method. The pandemic thrust the healthcare professional schools/program into using online pedagogical instruction. The COVID-19 virus has changed the educational approach for future healthcare student training. Only time will tell what affect this will have on global education.

Date

7-13-2021

Committee Chair

Blanchard, Pamela

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_dissertations.5606

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