Online Discussions Improve Student Perceptions of Instructor Efforts to Relate Faith to Learning in Graduate Occupational Therapy Courses

ABSTRACT

This article presents the results of a retrospective controlled study conducted in a graduate occupational therapy program. The study examined the effect that an online discussion targeting integration of faith and learning had on student perceptions of instructor effectiveness in relating faith to learning. This study addresses the following question: Does the addition of a single online discussion targeting integration of faith and learning in graduate occupational therapy courses significantly increase student ratings on a course evaluation question addressing faith–learning integration? This study also asked two secondary questions:

1. Do online students and face-to-face students both respond favorably to the addition of an online discussion targeting faith–learning integration?

2. Do students in three different courses all respond favorably to the addition of an online discussion targeting the integration of faith and learning?

Data were collected from three different courses taught by the same professor between Fall 2009 and Fall 2013 (four sections of each course; N = 138). The ordinal data were analyzed using nonparametric tests to determine significant differences and effect sizes. The results indicated that the addition of a single online discussion addressing faith–learning integration can significantly increase student perceptions of instructor effectiveness in such integration within graduate occupational therapy coursework, both in face-to-face and online learning environments. These findings provide support for the use of online discussions to challenge students to integrate Christian faith beliefs with what they are learning in their area of study.

Notes

¹ E.g., Colossians 1:15–17, John 1:1–3.

² The university has an explicitly Christian mission and vision, with Christian instructors. There is no requirement that students identify as Christian.

³ Some course evaluation surveys included the word Christian, while others did not; see Table 2 footnotes.

⁴ The four themes are listed in the introduction, paragraph 5.