Impact of Online Learning on Achievement of Learning Objectives for Safety and Environmental Courses

The aim of the current study was to determine if there were significant differences between achievement of learning objectives for participants taking resident safety and environmental courses compared to online courses. Students of safety, occupational health, and environmental courses completed end-of-course surveys for 568 convenings from the years 2016–2024 and rated learning on a five-point Likert scale. There was no significant difference between the resident and online modality for five of the seven courses. Students reported a Likert score over four (agree “I now have the skills and knowledge to … ”) in nearly all cases, regardless of modality. The present investigation provides evidence that online education may be as effective as resident courses for occupational health, environmental protection, and safety training. These findings can be used to ensure successful and sustained integration of synchronous online occupational health, environmental protection, and safety training.