Evaluation of Interactive Television Continuing Education Programs for Health-Care Professionals

Abstract

Although many reports have evaluated interactive technology in distance learning, there is a lack of reports focused on utilizing interactive television to meet adult continuing education needs of professionals. This study describes the evaluation of live two-way interactive television (ITV) continuing education programs for health-care professionals. The programs were evaluated using adult learning characteristics as the evaluative framework. Data collection consisted of surveys, interviews, and participant observation. Results indicate that these continuing education programs delivered through interactive television technology met the adult learning requirements of the healthcare professionals who participated. The overwhelming majority of those in the sample indicated the interactivity of the system enhanced their learning and they would be likely to attend future professional education programs offered via ITV.