Utilization and perception of live-blogging coverage of an international manual physical therapy conference

ABSTRACT

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the utilization and perception of live blogged sessions of a physical therapy (PT) conference.

Methods: Sessions at an international PT conference were covered in real time using a live-blogging platform. Session coverage could be viewed remotely using computers and mobile devices. Viewers could interact with the content by clicking on links and using the comment feature. Sessions could also be replayed following their conclusion. An online survey of user perceptions was made available the week following the conference.

Results: Twenty-four sessions were live blogged with an average session length of 67 min (range: 27–120). On average, live sessions received 27 views (range: 2–65), 18 clicks (range: 2–36), and 2 comments (range: 0–10). The average time spent viewing a live session was 28 min (32% of viewers <1 min; 68% >1 min). Following the conference, session replays totaled 7206 views and 2910 clicks. The average survey respondent (n = 17) watched five live sessions (range: 1–17) and found the updates easy to read (4.5 on a scale of 5.0). When asked if they learned something from the coverage, 94% of respondents said yes and 94% said they would view if available for an upcoming conference.

Discussion: Live blogging extended the viewing audience and facilitated viewer engagement. Survey respondents found the coverage educational, of high quality, and would participate again in the future.

KEYWORDS:

• Live blogging
• distance learning
• continuing education
• social media
• international conference
• physical therapy
• manual therapy
• online survey

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the IFOMPT 2012 organizing committee and presenters for their support for the live-blogging coverage during the conference.

Disclosure statement

No financial interest or benefit has arisen from the application of this research.

Additional information

Funding

None to report.

Notes on contributors

Michael A. Pascoe

Michael A. Pascoe, PhD, is an assistant professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Dr. Pascoe directs the anatomy curricula in the physical therapy and physician assistant programs and is a co-instructor in the medicine and modern human anatomy graduate curricula. His scholarly efforts center around the investigation of constructivist approaches in technology-enabled learning environments to improve learning outcomes in anatomy courses. Dr. Pascoe also provides oversight of the Colorado State Anatomical Board. He is a strong advocate of the use of social media for professional networking.

Eric K. Robertson

Eric K. Robertson, DPT, is an associate professor of Clinical Physical Therapy in the Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy at the University of Southern California. He is also the Director for Kaiser Permanente Northern California Graduate PT Education. His expertise includes the use of technology for teaching and learning, hybrid educational models, and evidence-based practice. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists and has been featured in many national media outlets.