A Web- and Case-based Learning Program for Postgraduate Students in Occupational Medicine

Abstract

Many Belgian postgraduate students in occupational medicine already work in the field although they have had little training or experience. To direct their learning in line with professional needs, an interactive web-based program was developed and evaluated. On-line multiple-choice questions and real-life cases were used as an add-on to the master course in occupational medicine. Students' perceptions were obtained by questionnaire. Trainees felt that the multiple-choice questions with immediate feedback and automatic scoring increased their factual knowledge. The case studies were well received because they were realistic and of appropriate difficulty level. Students preferred the combination of face-to-face teaching and e-learning to a whole course online and were in favor of more active communication between teachers and users. These findings may inform further collaborative developments in educational technology in occupational health.