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A continuing education program for rural communities: evaluating cognitive and behavioral change
The American Journal of Medical Technology
|April 1, 1983
Summary
Continuing education for laboratory professionals improved skills, with workshops showing the most impact. Specific topics like quality assurance and microbiology drove significant behavioral changes in participants.
Area of Science:
- Medical Laboratory Science
- Continuing Professional Development
Background:
- Effective continuing education is crucial for laboratory professionals to maintain and enhance skills.
- Evaluating the impact of diverse educational methods on cognitive and behavioral changes is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the effectiveness of the Laboratory Education for North Dakota (LEND) program.
- To analyze the influence of institutional size, participant education, topic, and participation type on learning outcomes.
Main Methods:
- 133 laboratory workers from 60 institutions participated in the LEND program.
- The program incorporated self-instructional programs (SIPs), telelectures, and workshops.
- Cognitive and behavioral changes were measured to evaluate program effectiveness.
Main Results:
- Institutional size did not significantly impact cognitive change but influenced behavioral change.
- Participant educational level affected pretest scores but not significantly post-test scores.
- Quality assurance and microbiology topics yielded more behavioral changes; wet workshops correlated with increased behavioral changes.
Conclusions:
- The LEND program demonstrated effectiveness in enhancing laboratory professionals' skills.
- Hands-on workshops and specific topics significantly influenced behavioral outcomes.
- Cognitive and behavioral changes did not always align, highlighting the complexity of educational impact evaluation.