Learning from a massive open online COVID-19 vaccination training experience (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shoshanna Goldin ◽  
So Yeon Joyce Kong ◽  
Anna Tokar ◽  
Heini Utunen ◽  
Ngouille Ndiaye ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Workers ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Online Training ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Average Score ◽  
Massive Open Online ◽  
Training Experience ◽  
Learning Platform ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND To prepare key stakeholders in countries for COVID-19 vaccination rollout, WHO and partners have developed online vaccination training packages. The online course launched in December 2020 on the OpenWHO learning platform. OBJECTIVE This paper presents findings of an evaluation conducted on these training packages. The evaluation was done to provide insights into user experiences and challenges, measure the impact of the course in terms of knowledge gained, and anticipate potential interest in future online vaccination courses. METHODS The primary source of data was the anonymised information on course participants, enrollment, completion, and scores from the OpenWHO platform’s statistical data and metric reporting system. Data from the OpenWHO platform was analyzed from the opening of the courses in mid-December 2020 to mid-April 2021. In addition, a learner feedback survey was sent by email to all course participants to complete within a three-week period (03/19/2021 – 04/09/2021). The survey was designed to determine the perceived strengths and weaknesses of the training packages and to understand barriers to access. RESULTS During the study period, 53,593 learners enrolled in the course. Of them, 56% completed the course, which is substantially higher than the industry benchmark of 5-10% for a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). Overall, learners averaged 75% on the pre-quiz compared to 92% on the post-quiz, resulting in an increase in average score of 17%. 2,019 learners from the health workers course participated in the survey. Nearly 98% of respondents fully or somewhat agreed that they had more confidence in their ability to support COVID-19 vaccination following completion of this course. CONCLUSIONS The online vaccine training was well received by the target audience with a measurable impact on knowledge gained. The key benefits of online training were convenience, self-paced nature, the access to downloadable material, ability to replay material and increased ability to concentrate. Online training was identified as a timely, cost-effective way of delivering essential training to a large number of people to prepare for the COVID-19 vaccination rollout.

Review of the impact Covid-19 has on the Psychosocial factors affecting Well-Being

2021 ◽  
pp. 3404-3408
Author(s):  
Sheila Menon FBSCH ◽  
Vidya Bhagat
Keyword(s):  
Psychosocial Factors ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Security Measures ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
The Impact

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the psychosocial factors that effect people globally. Particularly affected are children, students and health workers and the common symptoms identified are stress, anxiety disorders, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. In addition, the various security measures implemented to ensure public safety have adversely affected relationships between people. This study directs public awareness to the value of psychotherapeutic support. Tele-therapy can be offered easily to people both at home or in the workplace, providing both cost effective and time sensitive solutions during times of crisis. The current review article provides an overview of the importance of maintaining psychological well-being during a pandemic and the identifies the role that empathetic communication has on wellbeing. The literature review was completed using electronic databases such as PubMed, Medline, and Scopus databases using the keywords covid-19, affected groups, affected relationships, psychology and its technological interventions, negative effects of pandemic so on.

scholarly journals Psychological impact of 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak in health workers in China

2020 ◽  
Vol 148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dandan Sun ◽  
Dongliang Yang ◽  
Yafen Li ◽  
Jie Zhou ◽  
Wenqing Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Workers ◽  
Psychological Status ◽  
Psychological State ◽  
Average Score ◽  
Median Score ◽  
Impact Of Event Scale ◽  
Event Scale ◽  
High Arousal ◽  
First Case ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The first case of 2019-nCoV pneumonia infection occurred in Wuhan, Hubei Province, South China Seafood Market in December 2019. As a group with a high probability of infection, health workers are faced with a certain degree of psychological challenges in the process of facing the epidemic. This study attempts to evaluate the impact of 2019-nCoV outbreak on the psychological state of Chinese health workers and to explore the influencing factors. During the period from 31 January 2020 to 4 February 2020, the ‘Questionnaire Star’ electronic questionnaire system was used to collect data. The 2019-nCoV impact questionnaire and The Impact of Event Scale (IES) were used to check the psychological status of health workers in China. A total of 442 valid data were collected in this study. Seventy-four (16.7%) male and 368 (83.3%) female individuals participated in this study. The average score of high arousal dimension was 5.15 (s.d. = 4.71), and the median score was 4.0 (IQR 2.0, 7.0). The average score of IES was 15.26 (s.d. = 11.23), and the median score was 13.5 (IQR 7.0, 21.0). Multiple regression analysis showed that there were critical statistical differences in high arousal scores among different gender groups (male 3.0 vs. female 5.0, P = 0.075). Whether being quarantined had significant statistical differences of IES scores (being quarantined 16.0 vs. not being quarantined 13.0, P = 0.021). The overall impact of the 2019-nCoV outbreak on health workers is at a mild level. Chinese health workers have good psychological coping ability in the face of public health emergencies.

Action Confidence as an Indicator of Transformative Change

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 68-86
Author(s):  
Eva Pomeroy ◽  
Keira Oliver
Keyword(s):  
Adult Learners ◽  
Transformative Learning ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Transformative Change ◽  
Massive Open Online ◽  
Massive Open Online Course ◽  
Systemic Learning ◽  
Taking Action ◽  
The Impact

This article reports on the findings from an interview-based, qualitative study of adult learners in Scotland participating in the MITx u.lab massive open online course in 2015 and 2016. It focuses on interviewees’ accounts of the impact of participating in u.lab on their work and lives. Using grounded theory as an analytical guide, we explore participants’ perceptions of the impact of their engagement in the learning process, which reflects intrapersonal, relational, and systemic learning. Through these accounts, we became particularly interested in participants’ relationship to taking action and the way this changed over the course of their participation in the learning process. We conclude that an embodied change in one’s perception of the nature and purpose of action—something we call “action confidence”—is reflective of transformative learning as it indicates a significant epistemological change for participants.

scholarly journals 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

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mayara Floss ◽  
Carlos Augusto Vieira Ilgenfritz ◽  
Ylana Elias Rodrigues ◽  
Anna Cláudia Dilda ◽  
Ana Paula Borngräber Corrêa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Action Plan ◽  
Environmental Crisis ◽  
Health Determinants ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Action Plans ◽  
Massive Open Online ◽  
Planetary Health ◽  
Natural Systems ◽  
Massive Open Online Course ◽  
The Impact

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.

Evaluation of a massive open online course for just-in-time training in resource-limited settings: evidence from a COVID-19 course for healthcare workers (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Charles Strehlow ◽  
Kelly Zhang Aluri ◽  
Jamie Sewan Johnston ◽  
Charles G Prober ◽  
Peter Corrigan Acker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Course Completion ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Massive Open Online ◽  
Final Exam ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Massive Open Online Course ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic created an urgent global need for healthcare worker (HCW) training. Initial COVID-19-related online courses focused primarily on training public health workers and physicians caring for patients in intensive care units (ICUs). However, in resource-constrained settings, nurses and general practitioners are responsible for providing most COVID-19 patient medical care, typically lacking the training and equipment necessary to manage complex, critically ill patients. In these environments, early recognition and interventions to prevent patient deterioration are essential to optimizing outcomes. We developed a massive open online course (MOOC) for HCWs in resource-constrained settings aimed at training bedside providers caring for patients with COVID-19. OBJECTIVE This study evaluates the impact of this MOOC by assessing HCW course engagement, knowledge, confidence in caring for COVID-19 patients, and user experience. METHODS From May thru June of 2020, the course was rapidly developed by a team of physicians, educators, medical illustrators, and education technology staff, and was subsequently launched on two online platforms in July 2020. The approximately 4-hour course comprises 6 video-based modules with accompanying handouts. Student knowledge was assessed using pre- and post-module quizzes and a final exam, while demographics and user experience were evaluated by pre- and post-course surveys and data collected through the platforms. RESULTS From July 17th to September 24th, 30,859 students enrolled, 18,818 started, and 7,101 completed the course. Most participants worked in healthcare (86%) and resided in lower middle- (36%) or upper middle- (21%) income countries. Higher course completion rates were observed among learners who were from upper middle-income (aOR 1.152 [95% CI 1.019-1.303]) and lower middle-income countries (aOR 1.229 [95% CI 1.104-1.368]). Significant knowledge gains were observed from pre-module (mean 56% [SD 17%]) to post-module quizzes (80% [SD 15%], P<.001), and from pre-module quizzes to the final exam (78% [SD 17%], P<.001). After course completion, participants reported increased self-efficacy regarding the course objectives, with a 0.63 mean increase on a 4-point scale (95% CI [0.60,0.66]). Overall, there was high satisfaction with the course experience, with 93% of participants reporting they would recommend the course to others. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates the potential of MOOCs to rapidly provide access to emerging medical knowledge during a public health crisis, particularly for HCWs in high- and middle-income countries. Further research is required to understand the impact of such online courses on patient care and how to better reach learners in low-income countries.

scholarly journals Can Exposure to Online Conversations About Death and Dying Influence Death Competence? An Exploratory Study Within an Australian Massive Open Online Course

2018 ◽  
Vol 81 (2) ◽  
pp. 242-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren Miller-Lewis ◽  
Jennifer Tieman ◽  
Deb Rawlings ◽  
Deborah Parker ◽  
Christine Sanderson
Keyword(s):  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Death And Dying ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Massive Open Online ◽  
Large Effect Size ◽  
Massive Open Online Course ◽  
Learning Platform ◽  
Online Conversations

A Massive Open Online Course, Dying2Learn, was designed to foster community death conversations and strengthen community awareness of palliative care and death as a normal process. This exploratory study used a pre–post prospective design to determine if participation in Dying2Learn and exposure to online conversations about death and dying resulted in any significant influence on death competence in 134 participants who completed the Coping-with-Death-Scale both at the beginning and end of the course in 2016. Death competence refers to a range of attitudes and capabilities people have for dealing with death. Results at the end of the course indicated that engagement in Dying2Learn led to significant improvements in death competence scores over time (medium-to-large effect size). The positive impact was greater for those who completed more of the course, and effectiveness did not depend on sociodemographic characteristics. In conclusion, this study found that an online learning platform in the form of a Massive Open Online Course could engage community members in meaningful social discussion about death and dying, and that exposure to these conversations was beneficial for all participants regardless of previous exposure to death. Further exploration is required to determine whether this change in death competence will have an impact on participant’s behavior in the community regarding death conversations and preparedness.

scholarly journals Teaching asthma first aid to pharmacy students: A comparative study between an online course and simulation by role-play

2021 ◽  
pp. 92-104
Author(s):  
Dalia Bajis ◽  
Betty Chaar ◽  
Iman Basheti ◽  
Rebekah Moles
Keyword(s):  
Group Discussion ◽  
Role Play ◽  
Online Training ◽  
First Aid ◽  
Pharmacy Students ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Simulation Based ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Methods Of Learning ◽  
The Impact

Objective: To assess the impact of a bimodal workshop on pharmacy students’ ability to perform asthma first aid (AFA) and their preferred method of learning. Method: Pharmacy students from the Applied Science University (ASU) in Amman, Jordan were invited to participate in an AFA training workshop, comprised of an online training course and simulation by role-play. Students were randomly allocated to one of two groups to start with either a simulation-based session or an interactive online course. After completion of the first session, groups were switched. Student ability to perform AFA was assessed by role-play using an AFA checklist. Students’ preferences on methods of learning were investigated by evaluation forms and focus group discussion using a semi-structured survey. Results: Fifty students enrolled in the study, 35 (70%) completed the evaluation forms on self-perceived confidence and overall satisfaction with the workshop. Performance in the role-played scenarios was not significantly correlated to whether students received the online training prior to assessment. Students (n=35, 97%) agreed the AFA workshop increased their knowledge and confidence in managing a patient experiencing asthma exacerbation. When asked about their preferred method of learning, 77% stated a combination of online coursework and role-play. Conclusion: Students valued the novelty of combining learning methods, and hands-on training was perceived as necessary to consolidate knowledge into practice. Thus, blended learning was preferred by pharmacy students attending ASU in Jordan for learning how to perform AFA, and their performance was not affected by the mode of learning in this study.

scholarly journals Correction format has a limited role when debunking misinformation

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Briony Swire-Thompson ◽  
John Cook ◽  
Lucy H. Butler ◽  
Jasmyne A. Sanderson ◽  
Stephan Lewandowsky ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
University Student ◽  
Amazon Mechanical Turk ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Inferential Reasoning ◽  
Massive Open Online ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Massive Open Online Course ◽  
Online Panel ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Corrective Information

AbstractGiven that being misinformed can have negative ramifications, finding optimal corrective techniques has become a key focus of research. In recent years, several divergent correction formats have been proposed as superior based on distinct theoretical frameworks. However, these correction formats have not been compared in controlled settings, so the suggested superiority of each format remains speculative. Across four experiments, the current paper investigated how altering the format of corrections influences people’s subsequent reliance on misinformation. We examined whether myth-first, fact-first, fact-only, or myth-only correction formats were most effective, using a range of different materials and participant pools. Experiments 1 and 2 focused on climate change misconceptions; participants were Qualtrics online panel members and students taking part in a massive open online course, respectively. Experiments 3 and 4 used misconceptions from a diverse set of topics, with Amazon Mechanical Turk crowdworkers and university student participants. We found that the impact of a correction on beliefs and inferential reasoning was largely independent of the specific format used. The clearest evidence for any potential relative superiority emerged in Experiment 4, which found that the myth-first format was more effective at myth correction than the fact-first format after a delayed retention interval. However, in general it appeared that as long as the key ingredients of a correction were presented, format did not make a considerable difference. This suggests that simply providing corrective information, regardless of format, is far more important than how the correction is presented.

scholarly journals Could a massive open online course be part of the solution to sport-related concussion? Participation and impact among 8368 registrants

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. e000700
Author(s):  
Pierre Fremont ◽  
Kathryn Schneider ◽  
Anne Laroche ◽  
Carolyn Emery ◽  
Keith Yeates
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
French Language ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Massive Open Online ◽  
Public Health Burden ◽  
The Public ◽  
Massive Open Online Course ◽  
The Impact

ObjectivesA massive open online course (MOOC) has the potential to help address the public health burden of concussion across all levels of sport and leisure activities. The main objectives of this study were to document the volume of participation and to estimate the impact of a MOOC on concussion protocol implementation.MethodsBetween April 2016 and October 2018, four editions of a French-language MOOC on concussion were presented. Each of the six modules contains a section presenting the main learning content and a section proposing a reflective process to support the implementation of a concussion protocol in the participant’s environment. The proportion of registrants who achieved successful completion of the course was the main outcome. Surveys were also used to document the types of participants and their intent to implement or update a protocol.ResultsThirty per cent of 8368 registrants successfully completed the course. Of the 3061 participants who completed a survey about their background, 58.8% were healthcare professionals, 16.3% were sport or school stakeholders, and 10.1% were parents or persons who sustained a concussion. Of the 1471 participants who completed a survey about their intent to implement or update a concussion protocol in their environment, 39.4% answered positively.ConclusionThis study describes the first use of a MOOC to address the issue of concussion. The experience of a French-language MOOC shows promising results supporting the use of this innovative educational strategy as part of the solution to the public health issue of concussion.

scholarly journals Design and implementation of a massive open online course on enhancing the recruitment of minorities in clinical trials – Faster Together

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheila V. Kusnoor ◽  
Victoria Villalta-Gil ◽  
Margo Michaels ◽  
Yvonne Joosten ◽  
Tiffany L. Israel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Community Advisory Board ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Minority Recruitment ◽  
Massive Open Online ◽  
Massive Open Online Course ◽  
Learning Platform ◽  
Recruitment Practices ◽  
Post Test

Abstract Background Racial and ethnic minorities are often underrepresented in clinical trials, threatening the generalizability of trial results. Several factors may contribute to underrepresentation of minorities in clinical trials, including lack of training for researchers and staff on the importance of diversity in clinical trials and effective strategies for recruiting and retaining minority populations. Methods Applying community engaged research principles, we developed a massive open online course (MOOC) to help research team members develop knowledge and skills to enhance the recruitment of minorities in clinical trials. A transdisciplinary working group, consisting of clinical researchers, community engagement specialists, minority clinical trial recruitment and retention educators and specialists, and knowledge management information scientists, was formed to develop an evidence-based curriculum. Feedback from the Recruitment Innovation Center Community Advisory Board was incorporated to help finalize the curriculum. The course was implemented in Coursera, an online learning platform offering MOOCs. A bootstrap paired sample t-test was used to compare pre- and post-assessments of knowledge, attitudes, and intentions as it relates to minority recruitment. Results The final course, entitled Faster Together, was divided into eight 1-h modules. Each module included video presentations, reading assignments, and quizzes. After 10 months, 382 individuals enrolled in the course, 105 participants completed the pre-test, and 14 participants completed the post-test. Participants’ knowledge scores were higher with an increase in the mean number of correct answers from 15.4 (95% CI:12.1–18.7) on the pre-test to 18.7 (95% CI:17.42–20.2) on the post-test. All post-test respondents (n = 14) indicated that the course improved their professional knowledge, and 71.4% of respondents indicated that they were very likely to make changes to their recruitment practices. Conclusions Faster Together, a massive open online course, is an acceptable, accessible approach to educating research teams on minority recruitment in clinical trials. Preliminary evidence indicates the course increased knowledge on how to recruit minorities into clinical trials and could promote change in their recruitment practices.

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