Online or on-campus? Analysing the effects of financial education on student knowledge gain.

This paper describes the results of an experiment conducted in a technical university in Italy in 2019, involving the implementation and evaluation of an innovative short course on financial education. The programme applied a novel approach based on online learning and its effectiveness is compared against the effects of a traditional on-campus lecture, within an experimental setting. The findings indicate that the programme is effective: one week after taking the course, the students improved their pre-course test scores by about 4 points out of 10. No statistically significant difference in gains is found between students assigned to the online vs the on-campus mode of learning, suggesting a potential positive role of digital learning in this specific setting. An exploratory analysis of factors associated with the outcome reveal that the course has been particularly beneficial for those students initially less interested in finance.

Designing and implementing equity-based pandemic preparedness and response learning modules: lessons from a multi-country short-course.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has had disproportionate impacts across race, social class, and geography. Insufficient attention has been paid to addressing the massive inequities worsened by COVID-19. In July 2020, Partners In Health (PIH) and the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE) delivered a four-module short course, 'An Equity Approach to Pandemic Preparedness and Response: Emerging Insights from COVID-19 Global Response Leaders.' OBJECTIVE: We describe the design and use of a case-based, short-course education model to transfer knowledge and skills in equity approaches to pandemic preparedness and response. METHODS: This course used case studies of Massachusetts and Navajo Nation in the US, and Rwanda to highlight examples of equity-centered pandemic response. Course participants completed a post-session assessment survey after each of the four modules. A mixed-method analysis was conducted to elucidate knowledge acquisition on key topics and assess participants' experience and satisfaction with the course. RESULTS: Forty-four percent of participants identified, 'Immediate need for skills and information to address COVID-19' as their primary reason for attending the course. Participants reported that they are very likely (4.75 out of 5) to use the information, tools, or skills from the course in their work. The average score for content-related questions answered correctly was 82-88% for each session. Participants (~70-90%) said their understanding was Excellent or Very Good for each session. Participants expressed a deepened understanding of the importance of prioritizing vulnerable communities and built global solidarity. CONCLUSION: The training contributed to a new level of understanding of the social determinants of health and equity issues surrounding pandemic preparedness and response. This course elucidated the intersection of racism and wealth inequality; the role of the social determinants of health in pandemic preparedness and response; and the impacts of neocolonialism on pandemic response in low- and middle-income countries.

Massive open online course adoption amongst newly graduated health care providers.

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are flexible offerings that deliver content to a large audience in a virtual platform. MOOCs are increasingly accessed by health professionals to support their own professional development. Despite the agreed usefulness of MOOCs, the rates of adoption are still extremely low. This study sought to understand the personal and social factors associated with MOOC adoption. Participants were newly graduated occupational therapists who registered for a leadership skills development MOOC. Qualitative interviews were conducted to understand unique perspectives of participants who did and did not complete the MOOC. Data were analyzed using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) framework. Participants reported they found the MOOC content beneficial in providing a foundational framework on which to develop their leadership skills. Even though MOOC content was organized into multiple small components, participants shared that they would engage with the material once a week for up to two hours. Participants reported a high level of comfort accessing the technology to complete the MOOC, however they reported that they would have preferred more interactive or synchronous learning opportunities. MOOCs are an efficient way to offer a wide variety of educational offerings to health professionals. Despite their asynchronous nature, MOOC developers should consider maximizing opportunities for learner interaction and content application learning opportunities within MOOCs to increase their overall adoption.

MOOC Learning Assessment in Clinical Settings: Analysis from Quality Dimensions.

Online learning is becoming a fundamental modality of learning in medical education, and can be of great help during global crisis like the current COVID-19 pandemic. The MOOC (massive open online course) mode of e-learning is increasing its penetration worldwide, as a valid teaching approach to reach large populations. A major challenge in clinical education is the assessment of medical students and residents in clinical settings, and there is substantial evidence that the current situation requires improvement. The goal of this study was to evaluate the quality dimensions of a MOOC titled "Learning assessment in clinical settings," developed by three Mexican universities in the Coursera platform. A mixed-method study design was used to assess the quality dimensions of the MOOC in two phases: pilot and implementation. The best-rated aspects were learning resources and pedagogical perspective, and those with opportunity for improvement were collaboration and time management. Assessment might be learned through a MOOC format, especially for participants willing to engage with educational technology and self-direction.

Development and Assessment of a Brazilian Pilot Massive Open Online Course in Planetary Health Education: An Innovative Model for Primary Care Professionals and Community Training.

Introduction: Planetary health (PH) has emerged as a leading field for raising awareness, debating, and finding solutions for the health impacts of human-caused disruptions to Earth's natural systems. PH education addresses essential questions of how humanity inhabits Earth, and how humans affect, and are affected by, natural systems. A pilot massive open online course (MOOC) in PH was created in Brazil in 2020. This MOOC capitalized on the global online pivot, to make the course accessible to a broader audience. This study describes the process of course creation and development and assesses the impact evaluation data and student outcomes of the PH MOOC. Methods: The PH MOOC pilot was launched in Brazilian Portuguese, using the TelessaúdeRS-UFRGS platform on 4/27/2020 and concluded on 7/19/2020 with a total load of 80 h. It was composed of 8 content modules, pre and post-test, 10 topics in a forum discussion, and an optional action plan. This study analyzes the course database, profile of participants, answers to questionnaires, forum interaction, and action plans submitted. Results: Two thousand seven hundred seventy-seven participants enrolled in the course, of which 1,237 (44.54%) gave informed consent for this study. Of the 1,237 participants who agreed to participate in the research, 614 (49.8%) completed the course, and 569 (92.67%) were accredited by TelessaúdeRS-UFRGS. The majority of the participants were concerned with climate change, trained in the health area, and worked in primary health care in places that lacked ongoing sustainability programs. Two hundred forty-one action plans were submitted, major topics identified were food and nutrition, infectious diseases, and garbage and recycling. Discussion: The use of the PH lens and open perspective of the course centered the need to communicate planetary health topics to individuals. The local plans reflected the motto of "think global and act local." Brazil presents a context of an unprecedented social, political, and environmental crisis, with massive deforestation, extensive fires, and biomass burning altering the biomes, on top of an ongoing necropolitical infodemic and COVID-19 pandemic. In the face of these multiple challenges, this MOOC offers a timely resource for health professionals and communities, encouraging them to address planetary challenges as fundamental health determinants.

Student assessment of online tools to foster engagement during the COVID-19 quarantine.

As a result of the installation of the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 19) pandemic, online education has become an important teaching alternative, and new challenges about how to teach were found. Here we report our experience in offering an online course to review Human Physiology. We proposed synchronous and asynchronous activities using different online tools to address topics considered key to understanding the different systems of human physiology. The students considered important the use of this type of methodology, which uses different online tools to help understand the Human Physiology contents. The students highlighted the use of the Lt platform, Zoom, Mentimeter, and YouTube as the preferred online tools to use in physiology learning.

The RAMP package for MSD risk management in manual handling - A freely accessible tool, with website and training courses.

In this paper the RAMP Package is presented with the objective to facilitate the application of the RAMP tool to systematically manage MSD risks. The package consists of the RAMP tool (Risk Assessment and Management tool for manual handling Proactively), the RAMP website, and free, globally available online, training courses (MOOCs). An Action module used for managing identified MSD risks is introduced. The tool, encompassing a wide range of risks, is applicable to the whole risk management process. Furthermore, RAMP is openly available for download, and free to use. The RAMP tool and training materials were developed using a participative iterative methodology including researchers and practitioners. RAMP was downloaded in 86 countries in the first 26 months since its' launch and over 2400 learners from high-, middle- and low-income countries have joined the MOOCs. The RAMP Package meets organisations' needs for an accessible, comprehensive risk assessment and management tool.

Epilepsy for primary health care: a cost-effective Latin American E-learning initiative.

A lack of neurologists in Latin America forces primary health care providers to manage epilepsy. With the main goal of improving diagnostic and therapeutic management of patients with epilepsy through training of physicians in the primary health care level, the International League Against Epilepsy Education Commission (2013-2017) created a low-cost, regional, virtual course. The course, set-up in Moodle platform, was structured in eight modules, each lasting for a week. Teaching was based on written didactic material, videos, and interactive discussions, both in Spanish and Portuguese. Topics included epidemiology, diagnosis, classification, treatment, prognosis, social issues, and epilepsy policies. Each course was limited to 50 participants and priority was given to general practitioners. Certification was given to those approving the final examination. Since 2015, five courses have been developed, involving 143 participants from 17 countries and 21 tutors. Of the participants, 61% worked in primary health care services. A total of 129 participants (90%) completed the course, and 110 submitted the final examination with an approval rate of 95%. From 85 participants completing the course evaluation, 98% would recommend the course to other colleagues, and 99% showed interest in taking other similar courses. High self-confidence for the management of patients with epilepsy increased from 21% at baseline to 73% after the course. The online course on epilepsy for primary care physicians in Latin America was shown to be a cost-effective course, with good retention and excellent approval rates. Our current challenges include periodic updating, complete self-sustainability, and exploring different strategies to reach our target audience more effectively.

Massive Open Online Courses in Dental Education: Two Viewpoints: Viewpoint 1: Massive Open Online Courses Offer Transformative Technology for Dental Education and Viewpoint 2: Massive Open Online Courses Are Not Ready for Primetime.

This point/counterpoint article discusses the strengths and weaknesses of incorporating Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) into dental education, focusing on whether this relatively new educational modality could impact traditional dental curricula. Viewpoint 1 asserts that MOOCs can be useful in dental education because they offer an opportunity for students to learn through content and assessment that is delivered online. While specific research on MOOCs is limited, some evidence shows that online courses may produce similar learning outcomes to those in face-to-face courses. Given that MOOCs are intended to be open source, there could be opportunities for dental schools with faculty shortages and financial constraints to incorporate these courses into their curricula. In addition to saving money, dental schools could use MOOCs as revenue sources in areas such as continuing education. Viewpoint 2 argues that the hype over MOOCs is subsiding due in part to weaker than expected evidence about their value. Because direct contact between students, instructors, and patients is essential to the dental curriculum, MOOCs have yet to demonstrate their usefulness in replacing more than a subset of didactic courses. Additionally, learning professionalism, a key component of health professions education, is best supported by mentorship that provides significant interpersonal interaction. In spite of the potential of early MOOC ideology, MOOCs in their current form require either further development or altered expectations to significantly impact dental education.