Ownership and attitudes towards technology use in physiotherapy students from seven countries

Abstract

PURPOSE: To assess differences in prerequisites to blended learning such as technology use and Internet access in an international sample of physiotherapy students from Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Luxembourg, Sudan, Switzerland and South Africa. RESULTS: Students' digital technology experiences were generally low. They primarily used a smartphone and a laptop to connect to the Internet. However, there was a significant difference between institutions in owning a laptop and access to Internet. Most students preferred learning in environments that included some online components but had never used Twitter or written a blog post and wanted less social media in their learning environments. CONCLUSION: Physiotherapy students would prefer an increase in the use of digital tools in their learning. However, differences in technology use and access highlight the challenges inherent to offering international online courses. Therefore decisions around online and blended course design in health professions education must be made with caution.