Evaluation of e‐learning outcomes: experience from an online psychotherapy education programme

Abstract

SEPTIMUS is a one‐year Europe‐wide postgraduate theoretical course for psychotherapists and counsellors provided entirely via the Internet. It may be used as part of a training course, with face‐to‐face elements provided locally, or for continuing professional development. The course was developed at the University of Sheffield in collaboration with psychotherapy training institute partners in seven other European countries. Two studies involving 167 SEPTIMUS students and 60 comparable face‐to‐face students were undertaken.

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Study 1. Drop‐out rates for the SEPTIMUS programme were found to be low, and comparison between those dropping out and those completing did not highlight any significant factors linked to distance learning. However, students cited finance, distance from training centre, lack of practical experience, family commitments and the intensity of their working weeks as having been barriers to taking face‐to‐face learning courses in the past.

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Study 2. SEPTIMUS students (e‐learners) were compared with students taking comparable attending (face‐to‐face) theoretical courses also being provided by partners in the project to psychotherapy trainees. Significant differences were found in distance from training institute and ability to visit training institute. SEPTIMUS students had higher levels of computer ownership, frequency of Internet use and IT skills than attenders; these factors when examined in Study 1 did not have an impact on the drop‐out rate of e‐learners.

e‐Learning can overcome barriers to traditional learning in psychotherapy, particularly distance from a training centre, without loss of student satisfaction or student performance. Factors sometimes thought to be obstacles to e‐learning, such as information technology skills, were not found to be significant barriers – although they may have affected recruitment. Certain aspects of e‐learning, such as the tendency to facilitate self‐disclosure, were found to be very beneficial, particularly in the context of psychotherapy programmes.

Keywords:

• e‐learning
• face‐to‐face learning
• drop‐out rate
• barriers to learning
• self‐disclosure

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the funding and support of the Leonardo da Vinci fund of the European Union for providing funding for the SEPTIMUS project. They would also like to thank all of the staff and students who participated in the SEPTIMUS programme. In particular, they would like to thank the following partners and tutors: Alfred Pritz and Elisabeth Vykoukal (Austria), Zbynek Vybiral and David Skorunka (Czech Republic), Ed McHale and Tessa Norman (Ireland), Riccardo Zerbetto and Antonio Iannazzo (Italy), Jerzy Aleksandrowicz (Poland), Telmo Mourinho Baptista and Joaoa Andrade (Portugal), and Ileana Botezat (Romania).

The authors would also like to acknowledge staff at the following training institutes: Austria, Österreichischer Arbeitskreis für Gruppentherapie und Gruppendynamik; Czech Republic, Prazska vysoka skola psychosocialnich studii, and Prazsky psychoterapeuticky institute; Ireland, Clanwilliam Institute, and Institute of Creative Counselling and Psychotherapy; Italy, Scuola di Psicoterapia Comparata‐SPC, Associazione per lo Sviluppo Psicologico dell’Individuo e della, Comunita‐ASPIC, and CSTG; Poland, Department of Psychotherapy of Jagiellonian University Medical College, and Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, Warsaw; Portugal, Associação Portuguesa de Terapias Comportamental e Cognitiva Lisboa, and Sociedade Portuguesa de Psicoterapia Centrada Lisboa; Romania, Romanian Federation of Psychotherapy, and Department of Psychology of the Babes‐Bolyai University; and the United Kingdom, University of Sheffield, and New School of Psychotherapy and Counselling, London.

Finally, the authors acknowledge the support and guidance of the Leonardo da Vinci fund for SEPTIMUS (project number UK/01/B/F/PP/129_387, 2000–2003), the SOCRATES ERASMUS programme for DEEP (project number 28686‐IC‐2002‐1‐UK‐ERASMUS‐PROGUC‐2) and also ECOTEC Research and Consulting, UK.