Examining Physical Therapy Students' Subjective Mastery of Simulated Clinical Practice Using Smart Glasses to Share Teacher's Visual Field Information

Abstract

Objectives: Physical therapy education depends on hands-on training. However, the COVID-19 pandemic limited face-to-face demonstrations. This study considers the use of smart glasses, devices that allow real-time information sharing from remote locations. We investigated the efficacy of teachers' use of smart glasses during a class on students' subjective mastery of applying neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES).

Methods: 119 second-grade students from the physical therapy department were randomly divided into three groups: smart glasses demonstration combined with video watching (smart glasses, n = 40), face-to-face demonstration combined with video watching (face-to-face, n = 40), and video watching only (video only, n = 39). All groups watched a 10-minute video on NMES guidance. The smart glasses group practiced NMES while viewing a shared demonstration via smart glasses worn by the teacher. The face-to-face group received a demonstration from the teacher before practicing NMES. All groups completed a questionnaire on their mastery of NMES.

Results: In terms of NMES mastery, 85% of students in the smart glasses group scored the highest, followed by 82% in the face-to-face group and 64% in the video only group. The smart glasses group found it significantly easier to view the device's operating screen during the demonstration than the face-to-face group. Conversely, concentration, and ease of asking questions were significantly higher in the face-to-face group than the smart glasses group.

Conclusions: NMES education using smart glasses could be as effective as face-to-face demonstrations in promoting students' subjective mastery, but further actions are needed to compensate for the shortcomings.

Keywords: education; electrical stimulation; electrophysiological agents; physical therapy; smart glasses.

Figure 1

Demonstration using smart glasses A. The teacher put on smart glasses and projected his field of view on a large screen monitor as he operated the device and attached electrodes to a student's forearm. B. The 40 students practiced operating the stimulator and applying it to another student while watching the teacher's field of view on a large screen monitor. Three large screen monitors were set up for every 40 students, who could see the monitors from their seats.

Figure 2

Shema of demonstration in the smart glasses group The 40 students practiced operating the stimulator and applying it to their partner while watching the teacher's field of view on the monitor. To ensure that all students had a good view of the monitors, the same images were played on two sub-monitors in addition to the main monitor. Students were paired as a patient and a therapist and used one electrical stimulator.

Figure 3

A statistical comparison between the face-to face and smart glasses groups in terms of the percentage of reasons chosen for the following questions: ‘please only answer if you selected “I understood it well after the video watching and demonstration” in Q2. Why did you choose this option? (You can select multiple reasons)’ Students in smart glasses demonstration combined with video watching (smart glasses group) and face-to-face demonstration combined with video watching (face-to-face group) who indicated that they liked that there was a demonstration as well as a video were asked why. The four options were as follows: 1) The technique was easy to see, 2) The operation screen of the device was easy to see, 3) I felt a sense of realism and maintained my concentration, and 4) It was easy to ask question if there was something I did not understand while operating the device. The shaded bars indicate the smart glasses group and the white bars indicate the face-to-face group. ** indicates p < .01 with Mann-Whitney U test. The percentage of those who responded “The operation screen of the device was easy to see” was significantly higher (p = .004) in the smart glasses group (87%) compared to the face-to-face group (50%). Conversely, the percentages of respondents who chose the reasons “I felt a sense of realism and maintained my concentration.” (p = .004) and “it was easy to ask questions if there was something I did not understand while operating the device.” (p < .001) were significantly higher in the face-to-face group than in the smart glasses group.