Important Factors in Remote Experiential Education.

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Healthcare Professional Training
• Experiential Learning

Background:

• Traditional onsite experiential education is vital for healthcare professional readiness.
• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the integration of remote educational delivery models.
• Healthcare disciplines are adapting and innovating experiential learning methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the comparability of remote versus traditional onsite experiential education.
• To identify key factors influencing student experiences in remote rotations.
• To support continuous quality improvement and accreditation standards for virtual experiential education.

Main Methods:

• A survey was administered using Qualtrics® to assess remote rotation delivery.
• Factors examined included technology, time zone, and preceptor responsiveness.
• Statistical analyses included Chi-Square tests, t-tests for proportions, and odds ratios.

Main Results:

• Students experiencing technology concerns were over twice as likely to rate virtual experiences negatively (p = 0.01).
• Preceptor responsiveness significantly impacted student perceptions of educational quality (p < 0.05).
• Most students found remote experiential education comparable to onsite experiences.

Conclusions:

• Continuous quality improvement is essential for remote experiential education in pharmacy and other health sciences.
• Addressing technology barriers and ensuring preceptor responsiveness are key to enhancing virtual learning.
• Findings offer insights for optimizing remote experiential learning across health science disciplines.