Evaluating the efficacy of mobile app to enhance teaching and learning in physiotherapy

The advent in the field of Information and Communication technology, especially the mobile technology, has also impacted the Physiotherapy education immensely. The delivery of education and learning pace has a significant influence, but its effectiveness is yet to be established among physiotherapy students. The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of student learning using the modified GAIT Mobile App on Kinesiology of the Gait. Student participants (n=128) from different Physiotherapy institutions of Delhi were recruited as volunteers and were randomly assigned to form the control group and the intervention group. The control group received instructions in a blended format (online + offline); while the experimental group, in addition was given the GAIT mobile App. Students in both groups received the teaching intervention for 8 hours of theory and 4 hours of practical. All students were tested following a 2-week period of self-study using self-developed and validated theory and practical MCQ achievement test, as well as the level of satisfaction. The use of the GAIT App significantly improved the test scores of students compared with students who did not use the App in both theory and practical. There was a significant main effect for group for theory, F 1,139 =35.63, P =0.000, and main effect for question difficulty (2, 278) =113.20, P =0.000. These main effects were qualified by a Question Difficulty x Group interaction, F 2,278 ​​​​​​=15.86, P =0.000. There was a significant main effect for group for the practical test, F 1,139 ​​​​​ =38.18, P =0.000, and a main effect for question difficulty (2, 278) =52.05, P =0.000. These main effects were qualified by a Question Difficulty x Group interaction, F 2, 278 =24.10, P =0.000. The results of this study suggest that the mobile App was a powerful facilitator in augmenting learning along 2 dimensions of Bloom taxonomy, along with the 4-star rating on level of satisfaction, thus proving that mobile Apps can assist instructors in incorporating novel m-learning technologies into their pedagogy.