Lecture recording, microlearning, video conferences and LT-platform - medical education during COVID-19 crisis at the Medical University of Graz.

Objective: In the course of the COVID-19 crisis it became necessary to convert the majority of classroom teaching to e-learning. This should be done in a uniform and transparent way for the study programs of the Medical University of Graz. Methodology: We built on the Virtual Medical Campus, which has existed since 2003. For the summer semester 2020, we focused on an expansion of the automatic lecture recording system, microlearning and the implementation of video conferences as well as the learning platform LT. Results: The number of lecture recordings increased from 170 to more than 700, weekly accesses reached more than 80,000, with nearly 4,200 students. In the Microlearning system, an average of 82,516+-12,071 SEM learning steps per week were completed, which represented a highly significant increase compared to the same period of the previous year (15,101+-4,278 SEM; t-test: t=5,2638, p<0,0001). Video conferencing via WebEx was a newly introduced tool that was used extensively for interactive seminars, but also for oral exams. The LT platform from AdInstruments was successfully used as a replacement for practical training, especially in physiology. Conclusions: Based on sufficient preparatory work, a rapid expansion of e-learning ensured that teaching could be continued in the form of home learning despite the exceptional situation caused by COVID-19. Success factors were the provision of selected technical tools, consistent communication of the university management and technical and content support for teachers and students by a central staff unit.

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) for long-distance education in geriatric medicine across Europe : A pilot project launched by the consortium of the project "Screening for Chronic Kidney Disease among Older People": SCOPE project.

PURPOSE: To cover the increasing need for professional knowledge, skills and competences in the care of older people, new learning techniques have been developed. Using the Internet to provide educational material has come into focus of many academic institutions as the learning content can easily be transferred to a larger audience. Since the first launch of a "massive open online course" (MOOC) in 2008, this educational format has raised increasing interest among education experts. The current publication provides insight into the new format of MOOCs in general and specifically describes a MOOC developed by a Pan-European Consortium "Screening for Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) among Older People across Europe" (SCOPE), a project funded by the European Commission under the umbrella of the Horizon 2020 program. METHODS: Technical background, learning theories and content of the MOOC of the SCOPE project are presented in this overview. RESULTS: The MOOC of the SCOPE project is provided on the MOOC ICT platform iMoox. The courses are built up of video clips, textual descriptions, graphics, animations and audio designed with a clear structure and learning goals. The concise video clips with a maximum length of 15-20 min are equipped with additional learning material such as documents, links and asynchronous communication opportunities. CONCLUSION: MOOCs are recognized as a contemporary approach to transfer required knowledge and skills not only in general but also in geriatric medicine, as the health and social care environment is ever-changing and becoming more complex.

Wikipedia--challenges and new horizons in enhancing medical education.

BACKGROUND: Wikipedia gains growing attention as a provider of health information. This study aimed to investigate the use, relevance and challenges of Wikipedia among medical students. METHODS: An online questionnaire was made accessible to students at five medical universities in Germany, Austria, and Norway. Besides demographical data, the questions covered the role of Wikipedia in the academic life of medical students. The questionnaire investigated if the students had ever found erroneous medical entries and whether they corrected these. RESULTS: A frequent use of Wikipedia in general is statistically significant correlated with a frequent use in medical studies (p < 0.001). Information retrieved from Wikipedia is predominantly critically appraised either by comparing it to profound knowledge (79%) and/or to specific literature (75%). Despite most (97%) respondents disclosed that they already had found false information in Wikipedia, recognized errors were seldomly corrected (~20%). CONCLUSIONS: The information retrieved from Wikipedia is critically appraised. However, we found shortcomings in handling erroneous entries. We argue for professional responsibility among medical students in dealing with this dynamic resource. Moreover, we encourage medical schools to supplement information to Wikipedia to further benefit from the vast possibilities of this platform.