Educational environment perception and cognitive load among physical therapy students during e-learning

Mehmood, Zahid; Ahmad, Zubair; Ullah, Asad; Aftab, Anam; Akram, Junaid; Bhutta, Abdul Haseeb; Wahab, Abdul · 2023 · DOAJ

DOI: 10.52567/trj.v7i02.224

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Summary

This study investigates the perceptions of the educational environment and cognitive load among physical therapy students during e-learning, specifically comparing undergraduate Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students with postgraduate Master in Science of Physical Therapy (MSPT) students. The research was motivated by the rapid expansion of online education and the need to understand how different levels of student experience influence their engagement with digital learning platforms. While previous studies have evaluated educational environments in medical and nursing fields, there was a lack of data specific to physical therapy students in Pakistan. The authors aimed to determine if prior experience and professional maturity affected how students perceived their learning climate and the mental effort required for online coursework. The researchers conducted a comparative cross-sectional study involving 274 participants (225 DPT students and 49 MSPT students) from various institutions in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Participants were selected via non-probability convenient sampling and were required to have at least one semester of online learning experience. Data collection utilized two validated instruments: the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) to assess educational environment perception across five domains (learning, teaching, academic self-perception, atmosphere, and social self-perception), and the Rating Scale of Mental Effort (RSME) to measure cognitive load. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 28, employing independent sample t-tests to compare the two groups. The results indicated a significant difference in educational environment perception between the two groups. MSPT students reported significantly more positive perceptions than DPT students across the overall DREEM score and all five subscales, including learning, teaching, academic self-perception, atmosphere, and social self-perception. These differences were statistically significant (p<0.001 for most domains) with large to moderate effect sizes. For instance, MSPT students scored higher on learning perception (mean 30.22 vs. 26.25) and atmosphere perception (mean 28.81 vs. 24.29). Conversely, there was no significant difference in cognitive load between the two groups (p=0.114), with both reporting similar levels of mental effort. The authors conclude that postgraduate students possess a more favorable perception of the e-learning environment compared to undergraduates, likely due to greater professional experience, familiarity with technology, and established cognitive management strategies. However, the lack of difference in cognitive load suggests that both groups face similar mental demands regardless of their academic level. The findings imply that while online learning imposes comparable cognitive burdens on all students, the perceived quality of the educational environment is heavily influenced by student maturity and prior experience. This highlights the need for tailored support mechanisms for undergraduate students to enhance their perception of the online learning climate.

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• mental demand