Moving toward online courses

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to learn if educators in radiography programs throughout the United States of America consider an online format appropriate for distribution of their curriculum.MethodsThis study was conducted with the use of an online questionnaire and telephone interviews to gather radiographic educators' opinions on teaching their curriculum online.ResultsThe results of the study were consistent with literary conclusions on this topic [White R. Learning science. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers; 1988. p. 158–79. Hartman H, Glasgow N. Tips for the science teacher. Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press, Inc.; 2002. p. 1–55. Gunderman R, Kang Y, Fraley R, Williamson K. Instructional technology and radiologic education. Perspectives 1997;221:1–4. Newman F, Secada W, Wehlage, G. A guide to authentic instruction and assessment: vision, standards, and scoring. Wisconsin: Wisconsin Center for Education Research; 1995. p. 7–29.]. The radiographic educators did consider some didactic course material appropriate for an online format; however, these educators did not consider scientific material requiring hands-on laboratory experience entirely appropriate for an online format.ConclusionsThe conclusion of this study is such that laboratory and clinical experience cannot be eliminated from the requirements of a radiography program. Thus, some radiography courses have been successfully moved to an online environment, but the hands-on experience must still be accomplished either in a campus laboratory or a clinical setting [White R. Learning science. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers; 1988. p. 158–79. Hartman H, Glasgow N. Tips for the science teacher. Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press, Inc; 2002. p. 1–55. Gunderman R, Kang Y, Fraley R, Williamson K. Instructional technology and radiologic education. Perspectives 1997;221:1–4. Newman F, Secada W, Wehlage, G. A guide to authentic instruction and assessment: vision, standards, and scoring. Wisconsin: Wisconsin Center for Education Research; 1995. p. 7–29.].