Supporting Healthcare Integration of Refugees Exploiting Reusable Learning Objects: The ASPIRE Framework

The significant increase of refugees’ migration has demonstrated an overwhelming need for their access and integration to healthcare systems. E-learning, especially in the form of experiential digital learning, has been highlighted as an important ally in supporting refugees’ health needs. This paper aims to discuss the design and development process of Reusable Learning Objects (RLOs) to enhance digital health applications for refugees and integrate them to healthcare systems. The participatory approach based on the “ASPIRE” framework was followed. Using the “ASPIRE” process, 9 stakeholders were involved in the first phase of the development process, where a co-creation storyboarding workshop was held in Greece by the Medical Physics Laboratory of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Essential qualitative and quantitative feedback was collected from stakeholders through an online questionnaire administered in Google Forms. Overall, enlightening ideas were expressed and all stakeholders commented positively on the value and efficacy of the workshop.

Generation of reusable learning objects from digital medical collections: An analysis based on the MASMDOA framework

Learning Objects represent a widespread approach to structuring instructional materials in a large variety of educational contexts. The main aim of this work consists of analyzing the process of generating reusable learning objects followed by Clavy, a tool that can be used to retrieve data from multiple medical knowledge sources and reconfigure such sources in diverse multimedia-based structures and organizations. From these organizations, Clavy is able to generate learning objects that can be adapted to various instructional healthcare scenarios with several types of user profiles and distinct learning requirements. Moreover, Clavy provides the capability of exporting these learning objects through standard educational specifications, which improves their reusability features. The analysis proposed is conducted following criteria defined by the MASMDOA framework for comparing and selecting learning object generation methodologies. The analysis insights highlight the importance of having a tool to transfer knowledge from the available digital medical collections to learning objects that can be easily accessed by medical students and healthcare practitioners through the most popular e-learning platforms.

Meaning Equivalence Reusable Learning Objects (MERLO) Access to Knowledge in Early Digital Era and Development of Pedagogy for Conceptual Thinking

This chapter describes the effects of availability of digital knowledge on teaching, learning, and assessment, and the emergence of pedagogy for conceptual thinking with meaning equivalence in different knowledge domains in early digital era. It includes three proof-of-concept implementations of meaning equivalent reusable learning objects (MERLO) in three different contexts: 1) Course ‘Risk management in the Supply Chain' at Material and Manufacturing Ontario (MMO) Centre of Excellence, in 2002, to evaluate the potential of MERLO to assess and improve learning outcomes in workplace workshops to be offered jointly by MMO and University of Toronto Innovation Foundation; 2) in 2004, secondary school courses in mathematics, physics, and chemistry at Russian Academy of Sciences, Ioffe Physical-Technical Institute, Lycee ‘Physical-Technical High School' at St. Petersburg, to train teachers in administering MERLO formative assessments and evaluate learning outcomes in STEM courses (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics); 3) in 2006, implementing MERLO pedagogy, including development of MERLO databases for grades 9 – 12 mathematics courses at Independent Learning Center (ILC) of TVOntario.