Running head: CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Chapter Three: Research Methodology

Kathy Reilly
Drexel University

CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Introduction
The problem I would like to research is, ultimately, how to successfully
implement a virtual practicum for the online Health Information Technology program that
I coordinate. Currently, two 80-hour practicums must be done by the students before they
can graduate the program, and many students have difficulty completing both of these in
a timely manner, partly because we have difficulty placing as many students as we need
to in on-site health care facilities, and partly because students are often also working fulltime or have other obligations during the day, which is when the practicums usually must
be done.
The Research Problem
Practicum experiences have been credited with many benefits to learners, some of
which are increased course satisfaction and general professional skills, improved learning
outcomes, and overall professional development (Sprague & Hu, 2015). The problem is
at least two-fold; first, there often are not enough facilities to take the number of students
requiring practicums, and second, many students also work full-time, and cannot take
time off to do the practicums. Both of these problems can result in delays in getting
students through the program and graduated, despite all best efforts.
The purpose of this action research study is to explore students experiences with
the current on-site practicums and the barriers to completion in order to better inform the
creation of a virtual practicum that will meet both the needs of the student as well as the
curriculum requirements of this accredited program. Ideally, the information gathered in
this study would help determine best practices for a virtual practicum, one that will give
the student valuable experience that is as close as possible, or perhaps better in some
ways, to an on-site experience.

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Purpose of the Research

The purpose of this action research study is to explore students
experiences with the current on-site practicums and the barriers to completion in order to
better inform the creation of a virtual practicum that will meet both the needs of the
student as well as the curriculum requirements of this accredited program. Ideally, the
information gathered in this study would help determine best practices for a virtual
practicum, one that will give the student valuable experience that is as close as possible,
or perhaps better in some ways, to an on-site experience.
Methods to be used
The research methods I will be using will be mixed, although probably mostly
qualitative, through the use of surveys and questionnaires. In the interest of not
reinventing the wheel, I already have examples of surveys and questionnaires that
currently go out to all of our students and also the employers where they have done their
practicums; these surveys already ask many of the questions I will need the answers to,
especially the employers survey. They already contain some Likert scale questions,
multiple choice questions, demographic questions and a couple of open-ended questions.
I am debating at this point whether it would be useful to go through previous years
surveys, in order to take information (in aggregate) from them concerning issues of
problems/challenges, areas that students didnt feel prepared for, areas that employers felt
the students needed to be more prepared for, and so forth. The quantitative information
that I have, at least from previous students, are the results of their credentialing exams,
which even list how each student did in each of the areas/domains, so that we can see if
there are areas that our students are consistently weak in.
Constituents

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The participants in this study will be former and current students, as well as
employers who have hosted students for their practicums. The rationale for including former
students is because we already have quantitative data in the form of their credentialing exams to
work with, especially since this information usually lags behind the test-taking by several
months. The rationale for including employers is to obtain their perceptions on what our
students may need to learn more deeply, or what new skills and understanding they may need in
the near future.
Survey Instruments
The main two survey instruments that I plan on using will be an evaluation survey
students complete after each practicum, and an evaluation survey of the student that employers
complete after each practicum. The student evaluation of the facility (Appendix A) asks many
yes/no questions concerning how well they were oriented to the department, what
procedures/processes they were able to observe or perform, and whether or not they felt
adequately prepared for their practicum. The most important questions for this study are most
likely the last two questions, which are open-ended questions that ask about the strongest and
weakest aspects of the internship. The employer survey (Appendix B) uses mostly Likert scaletype questions relating to how well the student performed during their practicum, but most
importantly leaves open-ended areas for comments in which the employer can voice concerns or
praise.
Timeline for Research
Goal One:
Research and determine the problems and challenges that past and current
students face when attempting to complete their on-site practicums (4 6 weeks, midSeptember to the end of October).
Objectives:

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1.

Develop short surveys for students, in order to collect data on their

past/present experiences; use current evaluation surveys, perhaps slightly modified.

2.
Develop a list/graphic of the problems and challenges, highlighting the
most common themes encountered.
Goal Two:
Determine which domains/areas of study students need more experience with
to better prepare them for their future careers (4 6 weeks, November to early
December).
Objectives:
1.
Gather data from previous RHIT exam takers for my program, which
includes information on test scores in each of several domains.
2.
Obtain feedback from students and employers through short surveys to
determine what each group perceives as areas that need more learning.
Ethical Considerations
I believe this action research study should involve minimal risk to all concerned;
in most cases, data used in aggregate will be from previous students and employers. Any data
collected from current students and employers can easily be de-identified, and comments will
only be used to list general areas of learning that need improvement.
Conclusion
In summary, while there is a fair amount of evidence that on-site practicums are very
valuable experiences for students, and there have been various forms of practicums created that
have virtual elements, I have not yet found evidence of a practicum that is totally online. It
appears from the literature review that there is either simply a lack of published information
concerning the creation of totally online practicums, or there are not many, if any, that really
meet this criterion. Therefore, I will need to look to incorporate ideas from the literature that do
utilize online components, and also create some new elements using whatever learning

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technology is available to me, in order to create a virtual practicum that will give the student
valuable experience that is as close as possible, or perhaps better in some ways, to an on-site
experience.

References
Sprague, M., & Hu, O. (2015). Assessing the Value to Client Organizations of Student
Practicum Projects. Journal of Public Affairs Education, 263-280.

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Appendix A
PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE EXPERIENCE I
STUDENT EVALUATION OF PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE INTERNSHIP
FACILITY: __________________________________________________
CLINICAL SUPERVISOR: _____________________________________
DATES OF INTERNSHIP: _____________ THROUGH _____________
Answer each question listed below. Record any comments in the space between questions.
1.
2.
3.

4.

Did you receive a tour and general

orientation to the department?

__yes

__no

Did you receive a general orientation

to the hospital?

__yes

__no

Did you receive adequate orientation

to each procedure that you performed?
(i.e., clear instructions, explanation
of job purpose, location of needed
tools, etc.)

__yes

__no

Was your performance in each procedure

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5.

6.

7.
8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

monitored? How?

__yes

__no

Did you feel comfortable asking for

assistance from your supervisor and
other employees?

__yes

__no

When you asked questions or requested

assistance, did you receive the help
you needed?

__yes

__no

Did you feel accepted by department

personnel?

__yes

__no

Are there any areas of the department

you did not receive exposure to?
What were they?

__yes

__no

A. Did you ask to spend time in any

areas other than the ones your
supervisor had scheduled for you?

__yes

__no

B. If so, was your request granted?

__yes

__no

A. Did your classroom instruction

adequately prepare you for internship?

__yes

__no

B. If not, in what areas did you feel

unprepared?

__yes

__no

A. Did the internship manual provide

you with sufficient information for
internship preparation?

__yes

__no

B. If not, what additional information

would have been useful?

__yes

__no

What were the strongest aspects of the internship experience?

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

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13.

What were its weakest points?

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

STUDENT SIGNATURE: __________________________________________

A copy of this evaluation will be sent to your Clinical Supervisor.

Appendix B

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE EXPERIENCE I

FACILITY EVALUATION OF STUDENT
FACILITY: _________________________________________________________________
CLINICAL SUPERVISOR: ____________________________________________________
STUDENTS NAME: _________________________________________________________
DATES OF INTERNSHIP: ________________ THROUGH _________________________
Please circle the most appropriate response to the following questions. Your input is
greatly appreciated.
While at your facility, the student
1. Was dressed in proper attire in accordance with the
facilitys dress code.
Comments:

(1) N/A (1) Needs improvement (2) Fair

(3) Good (4) Well Done (5) Excellent
0

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2. Was prompt in their arrival to the facility.

10
0

Comments:
3. Displayed ethical and professional behavior at all times.
Comments:
4. Expressed an eagerness to learn the aspects of health
information management.
Comments:
5. Asked questions and completed their assignments in a
timely manner.
Comments:
6. Demonstrated a good understanding of health
information.

Comments:
7. Was able to accept constructive criticism.
Comments:
8. Interacted with HIM staff and hospital personnel in a
professional manner.
Comments:
9. Displayed initiative and flexibility.
Comments:

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10. Displayed good communication skills.

11
0

Comments:
11. Was able to locate and file medical records according to
the numbering system with minimal error.
Comments:
12. Analyzed records according to the facilitys policies and
procedures.
Comments:
13. Assembled all medical records according to hospital
format.
Comments:
16. Released health information to authorized persons in
accordance with hospital policies and procedures.
Comments:

Comments:

Please provide any additional information or comments that you feel would be valuable:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________
CLINICAL SUPERVISORS SIGNATURE:
_______________________________________________
A copy of this evaluation will be sent to the student.