Massive open online courses for professional certificate programs? Perspectives on professional learners’ longitudinal participation patterns

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have been integrated into higher education systems as an option for delivering online professional degree and certificate programs; however, concerns about whether employed professionals actively participate in MOOCs remain unresolved. Some researchers have described learners’ employment as the major cause of attrition from MOOCs, but research has not addressed how employed learners interact with MOOCs over time. Understanding employed professionals’ trajectory of participation patterns across course time is thus essential to improving the effectiveness of MOOCs. This study investigated the log data of learner participation to explore how attrition occurs in a professional MOOC, focusing on whether students’ employment status was associated with learner participation. The results revealed learners’ longitudinal participation patterns and confirmed the impact of sustained engagement on course performance. The study also found that employed learners were more likely than their peers without jobs to become cramming learners with initially infrequent engagement in a course but investing intensive time at the end for certificates. We discuss practical implications for designing and facilitating large-scale professional degree and certificate programs in higher education institutions. Implications for practice or policy: Educators can apply MOOCs with a lower weekly workload and a slower pace to support employees’ professional development. Educators should develop professional learners’ interests in the course topic to avoid only cramming for the course certificates. Educators may consider longitudinal patterns of learner participation when assessing learner performance.

A feedback journey: employing a constructivist approach to the development of feedback literacy among health professional learners

Background Feedback, if effectively provided by the teacher and utilised by the learner, enables improvement in academic performance. It is clear from current literature that the provision of feedback by teachers is not sufficient on its own to guarantee improvements as early university entrants may not be sufficiently equipped to effectively engage with feedback. Nonetheless, it is critical for health professional students to develop feedback literacy early, in order to prepare them for a professional career of lifelong learning and critical thinking. The overarching aim of this study was to identify a feasible, sustainable approach to improve feedback literacy among students on pre-qualifying health professional programmes. Methods The study was divided into two phases. A mixed-methods approach grounded in constructivism was employed. Participants included teachers and learners from the School of Allied Health at X University, and two internationally acclaimed educationalists. In phase 1, first year students were encouraged to use an established online platform to upload modular feedback and develop personal learning action plans aimed at improving academic performance. A follow-up survey highlighted poor engagement with this method. Thus, the second phase focused on the co-construction of a suite of modules to develop these skills, supported by academic staff. Interviews were conducted with participants to review and refine this initiative. Results Learners’ engagement with the first phase of the study was poor. Thus, the second phase provided all stakeholders with the opportunity to feed into the development of a suite of modules, designed to encourage teachers and learners to work in partnership to nurture these skills. All stakeholder groups reported short- and long-term benefits with this approach, but also highlighted challenges towards its implementation. Conclusion The development of feedback literacy among health professional learners is essential. The transferability of such skills has been highlighted in the literature and by all stakeholder groups involved in this study. Finding a balance between introducing these skills at a time early enough to highlight their importance among university entrants is challenging. Further balance must be achieved between the workload required to achieve these skills and current programme demands for both teachers and learners.

The association of standardized patient educators (ASPE) gynecological teaching associate (GTA) and male urogenital teaching associate (MUTA) standards of best practice

Gynecological Teaching Associates (GTAs) and Male Urogenital Teaching Associates (MUTAs) instruct healthcare professional learners to perform accurate and respectful breast, speculum, bimanual vaginal, rectal, urogenital, and prostate examinations. During such sessions, the GTA/MUTA uses their own body to instruct while providing real-time feedback. While GTAs/MUTAs fall under the broader umbrella of Standardized Patient methodology, the specificity of their role indicates need for establishment of Standards of Best Practice (SOBP) for GTA/MUTA programs. On behalf of the Association of Standardized Patient Educators (ASPE), the Delphi process was utilized to reach international consensus identifying the Practices that comprise the ASPE GTA/MUTA SOBP. The original ASPE SOBP was used as the foundation for the iterative series of three surveys. Results were presented at the ASPE 2019 conference for additional feedback. Fifteen participants from four countries completed the Delphi process. Four of the original ASPE SOBP Domains were validated for GTA/MUTA programs: Safe Work Environment, Instructional Session Development, Training GTAs/MUTAs, and Program Management. Principles and Practices were shaped, and in some instances created, to best fit the distinct needs of GTA/MUTA programs. The ASPE GTA/MUTA SOBP apply to programs that engage GTAs/MUTAs in formative instructional sessions with learners. Programs that incorporate GTAs/MUTAs in simulation roles or in summative assessment are encouraged to reference the ASPE SOBP in conjunction with this document. The SOBP are aspirational and should be used to shape Practices within the program’s local context. The ASPE GTA/MUTA SOBP will continue to evolve as our knowledge-base and practice develop.

Implementation and utilization of gynecological teaching associate and male urogenital teaching associate programs: a scoping review

Background Gynecological Teaching Associates (GTAs) and Male Urogenital Teaching Associates (MUTAs) are individuals trained to instruct health professional learners with their own body to conduct accurate, patient-centered breast, pelvic, urogenital, rectal, and/or prostate examinations. Evidence indicates that this results in improvements in technical competence and communication skills, but there is wide variability to how such programs are implemented and engaged within the curriculum. In this scoping review, we mapped evidence regarding (1) how GTA/MUTA programs are utilized with health professional learners, (2) how GTA/MUTA programs are implemented using the Association of Standardized Patient Educators (ASPE) Standards of Best Practice (SOBP) as a framework, and (3) what broad outcomes are addressed in publications. Methods PubMed, ERIC, PsychINFO, CINAHL, and Sociological Abstracts were searched for all publications addressing instruction of physical examinations with a GTA/MUTA and/or administration of GTA/MUTA programs. Studies were charted in tandem until consensus was identified and then charted individually, using an iterative process. The scoping review protocol was registered prospectively. Results One hundred and one articles were identified, and nearly all highlighted positive results regarding GTA/MUTA programs. Most studies addressed medical students within the USA and Europe. During instructional sessions, three (SD=1.4) learners worked with each GTA/MUTA and an average of 32 min (SD=17) was allocated per learner. GTAs/MUTA instructed both independently (n=33) and in pairs (n=51). Thirty-eight articles provided detailed information consistent with one or more of the Domains of the ASPE SOBP, with six providing specific information regarding safe work environments. Conclusions While studies demonstrate consistently positive outcomes for learners, there is wide variability in implementation patterns. This variability may impact learning outcomes and impact both physical and psychological safety for GTAs/MUTAs and learners. Terminology used to refer to GTAs/MUTAs is inconsistent and may obscure relevant publications. Additional research is indicated to explore the pedagogical variables that result in positive learning outcomes and examine methods to ensure physical and psychological safety of GTAs/MUTAs and learners. Trial registration https://osf.io/x9w2u/.

Digital Learning in Speech-Language Pathology, Phoniatrics and Otolaryngology: An Interdisciplinary, Exploratory Analysis of Content, Organizing Structures, and Formats (Preprint)

BACKGROUND The digital revolution is vastly transforming healthcare and clinical teaching and learning. Relative to other medical fields, the interdisciplinary fields of speech-language pathology (SLP), phoniatrics, and otolaryngology have been slower on the uptake of digital tools and resources for therapeutic, teaching, and learning purposes – a process recently expedited by the COVID-19 pandemic. While many current teaching and learning tools appear to have restricted or institution-only access, there are many openly accessible tools that have gone largely unexplored. To find, use, and evaluate such resources, it is important to first be familiar with structures, concepts, and formats of existing digital tools. OBJECTIVE The aim of this descriptive study was to investigate current digital learning tools and resources in SLP, phoniatrics, and otolaryngology. Differences in content, learning goals, and digital formats between academic-level-learners and clinical-professional-learners were explored. METHODS A systematic search of generic and academic search engines (e.g., Google, PubMed), the App Store, Google Play, and websites of established SLP, phoniatrics, and otolaryngology organizations was conducted. Using specific search terms and detailed inclusion and exclusion criteria, relevant digital teaching and learning resources were identified. These were organized and analyzed by learner group, content matter, learning goals and architectures, and digital formats. RESULTS A total of 125 digital resources were identified. Within- and between-learner-group differences were investigated. Content-wise, the largest proportion of tools for academic-level-learners pertained to anatomy and physiology (28%) and for clinical-professional-learners, to diagnostic evaluation (25.4%). Between groups, the largest differences were observed for anatomy and physiology (69.9% academic-level-learners vs. 30.2% clinical-professional-learners) and professional issues (28.6% vs. 71.4%). Regarding learning goals, most tools for academic-level-learners targeted performance of a procedural skill (51%) and for clinical-professional-learners, receptive information acquisition (84.6%). Academic-level-learners had more tools supporting higher level learning goals in comparison to clinical-professional-learners, specifically for performing procedural skills (76% vs. 24%) and strategic skills (80% vs. 20%). Visual formats (e.g., pictures/diagrams) dominated across both learner groups. For academic-level-learners, this was followed by interactive formats, especially dynamic apps (22%). For clinical-professional-learners, verbal formats comprised the second largest proportion of tools, particularly text-based resources (24.2%). The greatest between-group differences were observed for interactive formats (68.2% vs. 31.8%). CONCLUSIONS This investigation provides initial insight into openly accessible tools across SLP, phoniatrics, and otolaryngology and their organizing structures. Digital tools in these fields addressed ranging content, though tools for academic-level-learners tend to be greater in number, target higher-level learning goals, and have more interactive formats. Crucial next steps include investigating actual use of such tools in practice and student and professional attitudes to better understand how such resources can be improved or incorporated into current and future learning milieus.