Abstract
BackgroundLearners often utilize online resources to supplement formalized curricula, and to appropriately support learning, these resources should be of high quality. Thus, the objectives of this study are to develop and provide validity evidence supporting an assessment tool designed to assess the quality of educational websites in Otolaryngology- Head & Neck Surgery (ORL-HNS), and identify those that could support effective web-based learning.MethodsAfter a literature review, the Modified Education in Otolaryngology Website (MEOW) assessment tool was designed by a panel of experts based on a previously validated website assessment tool. A search strategy using a Google-based search engine was used subsequently to identify websites. Those that were free of charge and in English were included. Websites were coded for whether their content targeted medical students or residents. Using the MEOW assessment tool, two independent raters scored the websites. Inter-rater and intra-rater reliability were evaluated, and scores were compared to recommendations from a content expert.ResultsThe MEOW assessment tool included a total of 20 items divided in 8 categories related to authorship, frequency of revision, content accuracy, interactivity, visual presentation, navigability, speed and recommended hyperlinks. A total of 43 out of 334 websites identified by the search met inclusion criteria. The scores generated by our tool appeared to differentiate higher quality websites from lower quality ones: websites that the expert “would recommend” scored 38.4 (out of 56; CI [34.4–42.4]) and “would not recommend” 27.0 (CI [23.2–30.9]). Inter-rater and intra-rater intraclass correlation coefficient were greater than 0.7.ConclusionsUsing the MEOW assessment tool, high quality ORL-HNS educational websites were identified.
Highlights
Learners often utilize online resources to supplement formalized curricula, and to appropriately support learning, these resources should be of high quality
In order to identify high quality educational websites in Otolaryngology- Head & Neck Surgery (ORL-HNS), we engaged in a multi-stage development process: 1. Identifying and modifying a medical education website assessment tool
Tool modification After eliminating and modifying more than 23 out of the 43 items from the previously existing assessment tool in the field of pathology, a total of 20 items blueprinted to 8 categories were included in our final assessment tool: the Medical Education in Otolaryngology Website (MEOW) assessment tool [7]
Summary
Learners often utilize online resources to supplement formalized curricula, and to appropriately support learning, these resources should be of high quality. Yang et al Journal of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery (2017) 46:42 medical students and residents, who are simultaneously acquiring medical knowledge and learning appraisal skills. Despite such potential challenges, learners across the medical education continuum are likely to seek and appraise online resources in order to fit their learning needs and complement their formal curricula. Learners across the medical education continuum are likely to seek and appraise online resources in order to fit their learning needs and complement their formal curricula This may be true for specialties such as Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (ORLHNS), where learning objectives and content vary significantly among medical schools [4]. Few specialties have described educational websites available to complement formal undergraduate medical education or residency training, and a paucity of data exists in the realm of ORL-HNS
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