An Evaluation of an Online Postgraduate Dementia Studies Program

Abstract

Education is key to addressing the challenges of providing high-quality care to the ever growing number of people with dementia. Although dementia education is required for multiple professions and disciplines working with people with dementia and their families and friends, there is a gap in knowledge of students' views about university-level online dementia education. This article reports on an evaluation, via an online questionnaire, of student views of the delivery modes and learning impact for the first online postgraduate program in Dementia Studies worldwide. The majority of our respondents (65%) reported their participation in the Dementia Studies program as broadening their thinking, with 61% reporting that it broadened their practice. Students also reported on the utility of initial face-to-face teaching and the extent to which they are able to apply their learning to practice. The article concludes by suggesting that a blended learning approach, comprising online and face-to-face teaching with an emphasis on reflexivity has the potential to meet the global demand for skilled dementia care practitioners and to create leaders in the dementia care field.

Keywords:

• online learning
• dementia studies
• student views

Acknowledgments

The authors thank their students for their enthusiasm to learn and for the time they took to share their views on the program.