Twelve tips for fostering the next generation of medical teachers.

Medical professionals with a special interest in and focus on education are essential to provide good quality education. Despite high numbers of students expressing an interest in teaching, concerns are rising regarding the supply of medical teachers, with few junior educators on the career ladder. To date, only some medical schools offer in-depth courses to students wanting to explore or aspire a career as a specialised medical teacher. We propose twelve tips for an elective course to foster the next generation of medical teachers. This course aims to enhance theoretical foundations and educational practices to cultivate the next generation of medical teachers.

Didactical characteristics of Dutch websites about kidney transplantation targeted for kidney patients and living donors: An exploratory study.

Objective: The aim was to explore the origin, content topics, teaching modes (instruction, interaction, and assessment), and corresponding social-epistemological dimensions (choices in knowledge transfer vs. knowledge building, and individual vs. group learning) of web-based information on kidney transplantation targeted for patients and living donors. Methods: Dutch websites on kidney transplantation were retrieved using the search engine Google.nl. From 24 websites, 250 webpages were examined on origin, content topics, teaching modes, and corresponding social-epistemological dimensions. Results: The majority of the websites had a professional organization as origin (20/24). The number and distribution of content topics varied among the websites. Of the 16 different teaching modes found, 11 were instructional, 4 were interactional, and 1 assessment mode was found. The websites offered almost exclusively teaching modes on individual and passive learning, whereas group learning and interactive knowledge building was hardly encountered. Conclusion: The diversity in teaching modes and social-epistemological dimensions of Dutch websites on kidney transplantation targeted for patients and living donors is limited. The websites only provided a partial view on kidney transplantation; information regarding contact with others, e.g. support, was limited. A more balanced availability of teaching approaches and content topics is desirable to fit with the didactical goals to make well-considered health decisions.

Development and application of a massive open online course to deliver innovative transplant education.

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) offer an entirely new course concept for delivering content and engaging learners. This method of teaching has huge potential for the field of transplant education. In this study we describe the development and implementation of the MOOC "Clinical Kidney, Pancreas and Islet Transplantation". Three and a half years after the introduction of the course, the learning demographics have been analyzed. The majority of learners were from Europe, North America and Asia. The course has been offered at several different stages of education at Leiden University Medical Center from undergraduate to continuous medical education. The level of engagement with the content was associated with the background and motivations of the learners. 74% had a bachelor's degree or higher. 48% of the undergraduate students participated in other content than instructed. Learners reported having liked the design of the course. Personal growth was the main motivation for 93% of worldwide learners. 69% considered the content of the MOOC to be relevant to their job. In general student's intentions focused more on reasons of personal growth, general interest, and relevance to school or degree program. Overall the integration of the MOOC in different settings of formal transplant education offered an added value to the on-campus program.

Uncovering motivation and self-regulated learning skills in integrated medical MOOC learning: a mixed methods research protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are informal learning environments. Since a few years, MOOCs are being reused and integrated in formal medical education. However, what constitutes optimal integration is still unclear. In this mixed methods study protocol we describe how we will investigate three MOOC integration designs using the same MOOC. THIS STUDY HOLDS MULTIPLE OBJECTIVES: (1) Describe motivation profiles in medical students that learn in integrated MOOCs, and discern if motivation profiles are associated with specific MOOC integration designs; (2) investigate how psychological needs of medical students are satisfied or frustrated in different MOOC integration designs; (3) investigate the relationship between autonomous motivation to learn in an integrated MOOC and use of self-regulated learning skills in that MOOC; (4) uncover processes that are involved in goal acceptance or rejection of medical students in integrated medical MOOC designs with assigned learning goals; and (5) identify obstacles medical students encounter when learning with assigned learning goals in integrated medical MOOCs. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Objectives 1 and 2 will be pursued with a cross-sectional study design, objective 3 with an observational cohort study design and objectives 4 and 5 with a qualitative interview study design. All medical students in one of three MOOC integration designs at Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) will be invited to participate. Primary endpoints for objectives 1 and 2 are motivation profiles, and variety in need satisfaction and frustration. For objective 3 the primary endpoints are autonomous motivation and self-regulated online learning. For objectives 4 and 5 primary endpoints are process themes regarding goal acceptance or rejection, and perceived obstacles when working with assigned online learning goals. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study has been approved by the Educational Research Review Board of the LUMC. Planned dissemination of findings include three presentations at (inter)national conferences and three research articles.

Topics, Delivery Modes, and Social-Epistemological Dimensions of Web-Based Information for Patients Undergoing Renal Transplant and Living Donors During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Content Analysis.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has markedly affected renal transplant care. During this time of social distancing, limited in-person visits, and uncertainty, patients and donors are relying more than ever on telemedicine and web-based information. Several factors can influence patients' understanding of web-based information, such as delivery modes (instruction, interaction, and assessment) and social-epistemological dimensions (choices in interactive knowledge building). OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to systemically evaluate the content, delivery modes, and social-epistemological dimensions of web-based information on COVID-19 and renal transplantation at time of the pandemic. METHODS: Multiple keyword combinations were used to retrieve websites on COVID-19 and renal transplantation using the search engines Google.com and Google.nl. From 14 different websites, 30 webpages were examined to determine their organizational sources, topics, delivery modes, and social-epistemological dimensions. RESULTS: The variety of topics and delivery modes was limited. A total of 13 different delivery modes were encountered, of which 8 (62%) were instructional and 5 (38%) were interactional; no assessment delivery modes were observed. No website offered all available delivery modes. The majority of delivery modes (8/13, 62%) focused on individual and passive learning, whereas group learning and active construction of knowledge were rarely encountered. CONCLUSIONS: By taking interactive knowledge transfer into account, the educational quality of eHealth for transplant care could increase, especially in times of crisis when rapid knowledge transfer is needed.

Instructional design quality in medical Massive Open Online Courses for integration into campus education.

Purpose: Medical Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are of interest for campus education. With growing interest in integrating medical MOOCs, their quality must be ensured. This however, has not been studied. We investigated if medical MOOCs meet the instructional design principles: problem-centeredness, activation, demonstration, application, integration, collective knowledge, collaboration, differentiation, authentic resources, feedback, and goal-setting.Methods: An overview of medical MOOCs and inclusion criteria were developed. Out of 410 MOOCs, 33 were selected. A data collection tool was compiled and calibrated. Investigators enrolled in selected MOOCs and coded presence of instructional design principles after examination of all course pages.Results: Application, authentic resources, problem-centeredness, and goal-setting were found to be present in many of the courses. Activation, collective knowledge, differentiation, and demonstration were present in less than half of the courses. Finally, integration, collaboration, and expert feedback were present in less than 15% of the courses.Conclusions: Medical MOOCs meet these principles in varying degree. Certain principles might be scarcely present due to a problematic fit with the MOOC concept or a need for further development in online settings. Assessment of instructional design quality is desired before integrating so that MOOC quality can be considered in relation to the quality of existing campus education.

Twelve tips for integrating massive open online course content into classroom teaching.

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are a novel and emerging mode of online learning. They offer the advantages of online learning and provide content including short video lectures, digital readings, interactive assignments, discussion fora, and quizzes. Besides stand-alone use, universities are also trying to integrate MOOC content into the regular curriculum creating blended learning programs. In this 12 tips article, we aim to provide guidelines for readers to integrate MOOC content from their own or from other institutions into regular classroom teaching based on the literature and our own experiences. We provide advice on how to select the right content, how to assess its quality and usefulness, and how to actually create a blend within your existing course.

Conceptualising spaced learning in health professions education: A scoping review.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the definitions and applications of 'spaced learning' and to propose future directions for advancing its study and practice in health professions education. METHOD: The authors searched five online databases for articles published on spaced learning in health professions education prior to February 2018. Two researchers independently screened articles for eligibility with set inclusion criteria. They extracted and analysed key data using both quantitative and qualitative methods. RESULTS: Of the 2972 records retrieved, 120 articles were included in the review. More than 90% of these articles were published in the last 10 years. The definition of spaced learning varied widely and was often not theoretically grounded. Spaced learning was applied in distinct contexts, including online learning, simulation training and classroom settings. There was a large variety of spacing formats, ranging from dispersion of information or practice on a single day, to intervals lasting several months. Generally, spaced learning was implemented in practice or testing phases and rarely during teaching. CONCLUSIONS: Spaced learning is infrequently and poorly defined in the health professions education literature. We propose a comprehensive definition of spaced learning and emphasise that detailed descriptions of spacing formats are needed in future research to facilitate the operationalisation of spaced learning research and practice in health professions education.

Teaching modes and social-epistemological dimensions in medical Massive Open Online Courses: Lessons for integration in campus education.

Purpose: Medical Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have been integrated into formal campus teaching by several universities. However, teaching attributes of medical MOOCs have not been systematically investigated. Additionally, guidelines are needed to inform integration practices. This study systematically investigated the available teaching modes and social-epistemological dimensions of medical MOOCs. Methods: An overview of MOOCs on a medical topic was compiled and inclusion criteria were developed. A data collection tool was composed and calibrated. For data collection, out of 410 MOOCs 33 were selected based on these criteria. Investigators enrolled in selected MOOCs and analyzed teaching modes after examination of all course pages. Teaching modes were categorized in social-epistemological dimensions according to the Teaching Approach Framework. Results: Twenty-nine different teaching modes were found, showing wide distributions. Analysis of social-epistemological dimensions showed medical MOOCs focus on constructivist and individual teaching modes as opposed to objectivist and group modes. Conclusions: Medical MOOCs do not have a universal teaching mode profile. They contain a rich variety of teaching modes for integration in campus education of which videos, discussion boards, and multiple choice questions are used regularly. Constructivist teaching modes are readily available in medical MOOCs and can support educational innovation of formal campus teaching when integrated.