Learning activities without patient interactions can achieve pediatric curricular objectives for adult learners.

Background: The literature is lacking in studies about what specific types of learning activities are most effective for adult learners.

Purpose: To examine the effectiveness of a learning activity with patient interactions as compared to a learning activity without patient interactions.

Methods: A convenience sample of third year Doctor of Physical Therapy students participated in this retrospective cross-sectional study (n = 47). Data were a clinical reasoning assignment, the Andragogy in Practice Inventory (API) and Intent to Use Scale, and the Behavioral Engagement Related to Instruction (BERI) protocol. Data analysis included descriptive frequencies, paired t-tests, Wilcoxon Signed Rank Tests and Multivariate Analysis of Variance.

Results: Significant differences were noted between the learning activity with and the learning activity without patient interaction on several API subscales: prepare the learner, climate setting, setting of objectives and learning activities as well as in the conceptual reasoning area of the clinical reasoning assignment (p = .005, p = .036, p = .002, p = .047, and p = .038, respectively). No other significant differences were noted in other outcome variables. No significant influence of age or gender was found.

Conclusion: This study demonstrated that, overall, both the with and without patient interaction learning activities were compatible with the preferences of the adult learner.