Ten Simple Rules for Developing a MOOC

Utilising massive open online courses to enhance global learning dissemination in cleft lip and palate: a case report of penta helix collaboration

BACKGROUND

Educating and raising awareness in cleft lip and palate future generations is one vital effort to ensure the improvement of cleft care and research in the future. This study reported the overview in organising and evaluating the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) in Cleft Lip and Palate as the alternative way for students' capacity building outside their study program whilst also earning credits towards their studies.

METHODS

Smile Train cleft charity generously donated recorded lectures from cleft experts around the world in which each of the experts agreed to provide one-hour live discussion sessions. The learning activities ranging from lectures, pre- and post-course evaluation, forum, live discussion sessions, virtual visits to Indonesian Cleft Centre, self-reflection assignments and final project. A survey was released to the participants to collect their feedback.

RESULTS

The course mainly attracted dental students, and several allied health professional students. In total, 414 out of 717 participants registered for this MOOC managed to finish the course and received a certificate of completion which was run between August-October 2021. In general, participants positively received the course.

CONCLUSIONS

The MOOC model and its objective of disseminating widespread information across geographical boundaries to enhance learning about cleft lip and palate treatment was achieved. This report serves as an example for other educational institutions and stakeholders who plan to use online educational engagement platforms to provide high-quality education and capacity building to participants in lower-middle income countries.

Assessing the Effectiveness of a Massive Open Online Course for Caregivers Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: Methodological Study

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented significant challenges to health care systems, particularly impacting the older population due to their vulnerability and increased susceptibility to severe complications. Many of the most vulnerable individuals rely on informal caregivers, who play a vital role in enabling them to continue living in their homes. However, social isolation and limited access to health services during the pandemic have made caregiving more difficult. In response, massive open online courses (MOOCs) have emerged as a training and support solution for caregivers. This study focuses on a MOOC developed to assist caregivers during the pandemic, aiming to enhance their knowledge of COVID-19 and prevention measures and promote effective self-care practices.

OBJECTIVE

The study's aim is to develop and validate a MOOC integrating personal and housing hygiene measures to be adopted in self-care-related activities, surveillance, and monitoring by caregivers of the most vulnerable home-dwelling-dependent people, to provide safe care and prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection.

METHODS

A methodological study was developed. The content of the MOOC was developed based on scientific evidence and a Delphi study. The course was organized into 9 modules, addressing aspects related to safe self-care assistance and minimizing the risk of contagion. A convenience sample of 33 informal caregivers was recruited through a caregivers' association to verify the adequacy of the course. Knowledge questionnaires were administered before and after the course to assess the impact on caregivers' knowledge. The Family Caregiving Factors Inventory was used to evaluate caregiver resources, knowledge, expectations, and difficulties. Additionally, the technology acceptance model was applied to assess participants' satisfaction with the MOOC.

RESULTS

Prior to attending the MOOC, participants demonstrated an average knowledge level score of mean 14.94 (SD 2.72). After completing the course, this score significantly increased to mean 16.52 (SD 2.28), indicating an improvement in knowledge. Caregivers found the course accessible, valuable, and applicable to their caregiving roles. Feedback regarding the MOOC's structure, illustrative videos, and language was overwhelmingly positive. Participants perceived the course as a valuable resource for decision-making in care delivery, leading to enhanced self-esteem and confidence.

CONCLUSIONS

The MOOC has proven to be an effective tool for increasing caregivers' knowledge and empowering them in their roles. Remarkably, even low-literacy caregivers found the course valuable for its clear and understandable information. The MOOC demonstrated its adaptability to challenges faced during the pandemic, ensuring access to relevant information. This empowering strategy for caregivers has yielded positive outcomes. The MOOC represents a tool to support and empower informal caregivers, enabling them to provide optimal care during difficult times.

Critical Self-Appraisal Towards the Better Use of a Webinar Series as an Online Tool for Postgraduate Teaching

Introduction: The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic adversely affected the conventional teaching mode, resulting in an exponential rise in online modalities such as webinars. Simultaneously, the lockdown provided substantial time to pursue potential academic content on the web. It is known that newly admitted postgraduate students of Physiology require a structured program that can guide them to conduct research for the completion of the course.

Methods: Gauging the opportunity, a webinar series was conducted on basic research methodology and thesis writing in Physiology. The series comprised hourly lectures delivered between 4:00 and 5:00 pm for seven consecutive days. Suggestions for future topics for webinars were sought through open-ended questions. Additionally, feedback for increment in students' knowledge at the end of the webinar was also inquired on a Likert scale. Open-ended answers were pooled into fields, and Likert scale scores were evaluated.

Results: There were 364 (35.8%) postgraduate students who registered for the webinar. The remaining were faculty (51.6%), research scholars (8.8%), and senior residents (3.8%). Among the postgraduate students who submitted the feedback, a majority (98.4%) of them agreed that their knowledge was enhanced at the end of the series. Most of the postgraduate students (31%) chose Biostatistics for future webinars.

Conclusion: Webinars are a useful tool for postgraduate teaching. They should be constructed with engaging infrastructure and relevant examples. The availability of recorded content on the online forum is beneficial for asynchronous learners. Having an idea about students’ choice for essential topics helps in the advanced planning of a demanding webinar.

Digital Tools in Behavior Change Support Education in Health and Other Students: A Systematic Review

Due to the increased prevalence of chronic diseases, behavior changes are integral to self-management. Healthcare and other professionals are expected to support these behavior changes, and therefore, undergraduate students should receive up-to-date and evidence-based training in this respect. Our work aims to review the outcomes of digital tools in behavior change support education. A secondary aim was to examine existing instruments to assess the effectiveness of these tools. A PIO (population/problem, intervention, outcome) research question led our literature search. The population was limited to students in nursing, sports sciences, and pharmacy; the interventions were limited to digital teaching tools; and the outcomes consisted of knowledge, motivation, and competencies. A systematic literature review was performed in the PubMed, CINAHL, MEDLINE, Web of Science, SAGE, Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases and by backward citation searching. We used PRISMA guidelines 2020 to depict the search process for relevant literature. Two authors evaluated included studies using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) independently. Using inclusion and exclusion criteria, we included 15 studies in the final analysis: six quantitative descriptive studies, two randomized studies, six mixed methods studies, and one qualitative study. According to the MMAT, all studies were suitable for further analysis in terms of quality. The studies resorted to various digital tools to improve students’ knowledge of behavior change techniques in individuals with chronic disease, leading to greater self-confidence, better cooperation, and practical experience and skills. The most common limitations that have been perceived for using these tools are time and space constraints.

Utility of a webinar to educate trainees on UK core surgical training (CST) selection - A cross sectional study and future implications amidst the COVID-19 pandemic

Background

The application process for Core Surgical Training (CST) in the United Kingdom (UK) is competitive and hence, careful preparation is required for trainees to obtain their posts of choice. There are multiple resources for preparation for selection including face-to-face courses and online question banks, however there is a paucity of webinars to educate trainees. With the cancellation of such courses due to social distancing restrictions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, this cross-sectional study aims to evaluate the usefulness of a webinar to educate trainees on CST selection in the UK.

Materials and methods

A free online webinar was held on a single day by a second year core surgical trainee and was attended by 111 junior doctors. Beforehand, all attendees were invited to complete a survey on Google Forms (Google, USA) to ascertain their level of experience with webinars, obtain demographic information and elicit their level of knowledge about CST selection using a 1–5 Likert scale.

Results

Most attendees were in Foundation Year 2 (38.7%) and many had not previously attended a webinar as part of CST application preparation (93.7%). Over half of respondents (55.0%) preferred a webinar over a face-to-face tutorial, appreciating the flexibility, convenience and zero financial cost associated. Many candidates received minimal advice on CST application by their Foundation School (47.7%) and 50.5% of respondents rated their confidence on the application process at ‘3 out of 5.‘

Conclusion

Our study suggests webinars have been underused in preparation for CST applications. Traditional courses and advice from colleagues are more popular ways in which applicants prepare for selection. However, given the degree of uncertainty surrounding the return of face-to-face courses due to the Covid-19 pandemic, preparation for CST application may become increasingly reliant on online materials, which may result in an increased demand for high quality, engaging and informative webinars.

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Core Surgical Training (CST) is the first step of a surgical career in the United Kingdom (UK).

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Entry to the 24 month programme is competitive and there are numerous resources available to help prepare.

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Webinars are currently underused in medical education but are becoming more popular during the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Prospective applicants favour the flexibility with which they can attend a webinar to prepare for CST applications.

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Webinars should be used regularly in preparation for CST applications, if face-to-face courses remain cancelled.

Real-world evidence for postgraduate students and professionals in healthcare: protocol for the design of a blended massive open online course

INTRODUCTION

There is an increased need for improving data science skills of healthcare professionals. Massive open online courses (MOOCs) provide the opportunity to train professionals in a sustainable and cost-effective way. We present a protocol for the design and development of a blended MOOC on real-world evidence (RWE) aimed at improving RWE data science skills. The primary objective is to provide the opportunity to understand the fundamentals of RWE data science and to implement methods for analysing RWD. The blended format of MOOC will combine the expertise of healthcare professionals joining the course online with the on-campus students. We expect learners to take skills taught in MOOC and use them to seek new employment or to explore entpreneurship activities in these domains.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The proposed MOOC will be developed through a blended format using the Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation and Evaluation instructional design model and following the connectivist-heutagogical learning theories (as a hybrid MOOC). The target learners will include postgraduate students and professionals working in the health-related roles with interest in data science. An evaluation of MOOC will be performed to assess MOOCs success in meeting its intended outcomes and to improve future iterations of the course.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The education course design protocol was approved by EIT Health (grant 18654) as part of the EIT Health CAMPUS Deferred Call for Innovative Education 2018. Results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.