Free Online Courses Research Articles

Training talk: ACTIVEAGENT

Glen Russell has overcome the impact of lockdown's physical limitations on his children with a free online course from the Open University. By Gabriella Jozwiak

Developing a Framework to Support the Delivery of Effective Pain Management for Children: An Exploratory Qualitative Study.

Two million children are admitted to hospital every year in the UK and between 59% and 94% will experience pain, with 27–40% of them experiencing moderate to severe pain. Currently, there are a number of well-researched guidelines on children's pain available, yet pain prevalence is high. Despite the guidelines, there is a lack of an overall framework that includes the necessary components to deliver effective pain management. This study was built on previous work about key elements that support children's pain management, by exploring their relevance and practical application with 43 healthcare practitioners. We carried out focus groups with band 5 nurses (n = 6) and advanced nurse practitioners (n = 11) and semistructured interviews with pain nurses (n = 16) and consultants (n = 10). We also presented and discussed our findings with an advisory group. Findings demonstrated that the following elements were considered to be important: delivering pain management with confidence, supporting colleagues with protocols and guidance, empowering parents to be involved in pain management, and adopting an individual approach to a child and family. These elements formed the basis of a framework for children's pain management. Some practitioners indicated that pain management required education and more resources, and that the culture of an area could influence pain management practice. The framework brings together elements that have the potential to improve the management of children's pain through its use as an education tool. Each interrelated element of the framework plays an important part in the overall management of children's pain. The need now is to make the dissemination of the findings accessible to health care practitioners, parents, and educators. Next steps include the development of infographic posters, an animation, and a free online course, which will incorporate the use of Bloom's taxonomy.

Design and Prospective Assessment of a Free Online Course on Radiological Anatomy for Target Volume Delineation

Radiological anatomy is extremely relevant to target delineation in modern radiation oncology, but is not integrated with the curriculum in most countries. We created a free online course on radiological anatomy for radiation oncology trainees and prospectively tested the effect of the learning on understanding of anatomy and target delineation skills. The teaching material for radiological anatomy was divided into 5 courses, with a total of 107 teaching modules including text, images and 3-dimensional visualizations. Twelve delineated real-life cases with more than 300 anatomical structures and anatomy-based target volumes were made available for viewing as reference contours through a third-party online portal. Three modes of assessment were used. A pre-planned pilot evaluation amongst 28 trainees in India, Nepal and the US was carried out. Students completed pre- and post-course target delineation exercises on 27 structures over different parts of the body on an online platform. The delineation accuracy was measured using area domain accuracy tests (DICE similarity), Jaccard Index and line domain accuracy tests. Compulsory student feedback was collected, and quality assessment was made using the QOCI rubric based on feedback from three expert faculty members. Twenty-one students completed all assessments. Mean scores of the pre-course quiz showed a baseline score of 21.1/35 (60.2%) which increased to 54.5 /69 (78.9%) in the combined post-course evaluations (p < 0.001, paired T test). Of the 27 structures, the DICE similarity coefficient improved by more than 5% in 21 structures and more than 10% in 17 structures. The Jaccard Index improved by more than 10% in 18 structures. The line domain errors reduced in all but one structure. The course content was rated highly (excellent or good) by more than 85% participants. The course images and media were rated highly by more than 80% participants. The course met expectations on most criteria on the QOCI rubric except for group-work and combined audio-video teaching. The course was released in late 2018 with free unrestricted access. This free online course resulted in an improvement in understanding of anatomy relevant to radiation oncology and target delineation skills. The online medium can be explored further for teaching of complex skills relevant to this field to enable greater access across the world.

An evaluation matrix for self-instructional courses of Continuing and Online Education in Health

Abstract Background In 2003, the National Policy for Continuing Education in Health (PNEPS) was created as a strategy to train and update workers of the Unified Health System. To be effectively instituted, the Open University of the Brazilian Unified Public Health System was conceived to offer free online courses. But, it was observed that the online educational modules developed were not structural and pedagogically homogeneous. Objective Propose a matrix of criteria and guidelines to support the improvement of the design of instructional modules, investigating three main areas: ergonomics, education and health. Methodology Anasynthesis was the approach to build the evaluation matrix. Results The matrix consists of 29 criteria (Accessibility, Progression Activities, Updating Practices, Self-Analysis and Self-Management, Assessment, Cognitive Load, Student-Centered, Collaboration, Compatibility and Interoperability, Consistency, Knowledge Building, Student Control, Documentation and Help, Aesthetics, Feedback, Flexibility, Error Management, Interactivity, Maintenance, Clear Instructional Goals and Objectives, Motivation, Personalization, Problem Practicing, Critical Reflection, Relevance, Renewable, Safety, Use of Different Paths, Valorization of Knowledge) with 132 guidelines that allows to check if the online self-instructional module meets minimum quality criteria. Five courses produced by the UNA-SUS system were tested and compared with the perception of users of these courses, obtained by the polls for opening and closing the courses. There was an approximation between the evaluations using the matrix and the responses of the surveys of the courses, answered by the users. Results from these surveys were transferred to a user matrix. The Interactivity and Collaboration criteria were considered non-mandatory for self-instructional courses without tutors. Conclusions The matrix is an adequate evaluation tool for self-instructional courses developed for Continuing Education. Key messages The evaluation matrix is adequate to evaluate online self-instructional courses developed for Health professionals qualification. Self-instructed courses could be a good tool for Continuing Education in health, according to students’ perceptions.

Improving global access to medical ethics education: a free self-paced online course on the Peoples-uni website.

In an attempt to increase global access to education about medical ethics, a free fully online course was developed on the Peoples-uni Open Online Courses site. Students came from 60 countries and were more likely to be medical practitioners, have come from the global North, and to have heard about the course through the web than other students enrolled in the Peoples-uni Open Online Courses site. Students scored high marks on the five quizzes. A third of the students gained a certificate of completion. Course feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Students stated that they learned the most from the lesson on professionalism, while other topics such as patient rights and autonomy, legal issues, and healthcare organisation and public health were also frequently mentioned. The course is an example of how open online courses can play a role in increasing awareness of medical ethics. Based on its analysis, the study identifies a need to attract interest in this area from low- and middle-income countries.

Increasing engagement in pharmacology and pharmacogenetics education using games and online resources: The PharmacoloGenius mobile app.

Mobile applications represent useful instruments to convey information and engage the users even during traveling, thanks to the wide diffusion of smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and similar devices. As such, they have high potential as learning tools that can act complementary to traditional teaching approaches. In the field of pharmacology, mobile applications are increasingly being used to improve adherence of patients or to help them report suspect adverse drug reactions. However, they have been scarcely applied to pharmacology education. In this article, we present PharmacoloGenius, a free Android mobile application integrating resources useful for students as well as healthcare professionals or researchers to expand knowledge on pharmacological topics. We gave particular emphasis to pharmacogenetics, as it is a fundamental tool to achieve personalized treatment. The application offers original games such as pharmacological trivia based on textbooks or special "journal club" trivia based on research articles conveying the state of the art on specific topics. Additionally, the app offers a curated list of online resources to study pharmacology and pharmacogenetics (e.g., free online courses, videos, and databases) as well as updated news on conferences, grants, and opportunities for pharmacologists. In conclusion, PharmacoloGenius aims to be a useful instrument for people interested in expanding their knowledge on pharmacology in an engaging way.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CONCEPT OF U-LEARNING» BY MEANS OF MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES

The purpose of the article is to explore the concept of mobile learning m-learning which actively evolves into the concept of ubiquitous learning, a continuous self-improvement process using a variety of information devices from a computer to a smartphone or tablet. The use of mobile information and communication technologies as an effective means of providing access to educational content has been analyzed. The use of mobile applications of promising and effective means of access to educational resources in the process ofself-education is explored in detail. The methodology of the research is to apply a set of general scientific methods: analysis, synthesis, logical method, method of visualization of research results. These methods made it possible to study the essence of the subject under study and to argue the author's opinion on the problem outlined. The scientific novelty of the work is to expand ideas about the possibilities of mobile technologies inthe process of self-education. The use of mobile applications remains relevant in the process of self-education, as an important factor in obtaining and replenishing knowledge, self-improvement in the professional and non-professional spheres. Conclusions. Through the analysis of mobile educational applications, statistics and feedback on their use, the popularity of educational mobile applications that provide access to free online courses by leading scholars, think tanks, and universities in the world have proven to be popular. Theimportance of interactivity as a factor of the integrated approach to providing educational process, creation of information products at the intersection of science, art, and virtual reality, is introduced, introducing into the educational process of game technologies and technologies of the complementary reality.Key words: mobile apps, innovative mobile technologies, internet, a society of knowledge, self-education, Ukraine.

Championing innovation for a resilient food system

Championing innovation for a resilient food system

Implementation of basic life support training for school children: Online education for potential instructors? Results of a cluster randomised, controlled, non-inferiority trial

Aim of the studyComprehensive training of the population in basic life support (BLS) increases the chance of survival in cardiac arrest. To implement BLS trainings at schools a high number of instructors will be needed. This non-inferiority study investigated, if online education is effective to prepare instructors to teach BLS compared to face-to-face education. MethodsA cluster randomised, controlled, single blinded study was performed in 2018 in Hamburg, Germany. A mixed group of potential instructors were allocated alternately to either the intervention or control group and participated in a four-hour instructor training. The instructor training of the control group was realised by trained educators. The intervention group participated in a self-regulated online training with hands-on training supported by peers. Instructors provided BLS training for high school students. The primary endpoint was a mean score in the BLS skills assessment of the students. The secondary endpoint was teaching effectiveness of the instructors. ResultsBLS assessments of 808 students of 46 classes, who were taught by 74 instructors could be analysed. The students trained by interventional instructors achieved 0.14 points less (95% CI: −0.27 to 0.56) compared to students trained by control instructors (9.34 vs. 9.48). The non-inferiority could not be confirmed. The teaching performance in the intervention group was better in some aspects compared to the control group. ConclusionIntegrating all results of this study, online education may be an effective alternative to prepare potential BLS instructors. Using free online courses, motivated persons can independently acquire necessary skills to become instructors and autonomously realise low cost BLS trainings at schools.

Impact, Strategies, and Opportunities for Early and Midcareer Cardiovascular Researchers During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Impact, Strategies, and Opportunities for Early and Midcareer Cardiovascular Researchers During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Integrating an Online Statistics Course With a Graduate Nursing Research Course for Enhanced Learning.

Exploration for innovative pedagogical techniques to teach statistics led to examination of the Open and Free Courses offered through the Carnegie Mellon University Online Learning Initiative (CMU OLI). This study examined the impact of the CMU OLI statistics course on graduate nursing students' course grades and course evaluations. This retrospective study of a hybrid course compared three teaching modalities for statistics: 1) face-to-face workshop, 2) CMU OLI course, and 3) CMU OLI course plus online discussions. Mean grade point averages increased sequentially and significantly. Individual students' grades improved and student evaluations of instruction mean scores for critical thinking, teaching effectiveness, overall course rating, and overall learning increased significantly (p < .01). Future studies are needed that build knowledge of how open and free online courses can be used in nursing education to facilitate retention of content, allay statistics anxiety, and increase student motivation toward research. [J Nurs Educ. 2020;59(4):227-230.].

OpenSAP: Why Are Enterprise MOOCs Working?

openSAP is one of the first and leading companies offering free online courses. After more than five years of offering openSAP.com this paper at hand takes a look at insight gained during this time and aims to identify &lt;br /&gt; success factors for enterprise MOOC providers.

DON'T JUST SAY THANK YOU: EXPLORATION OF TYPES OF POSTS INSPIRING AND HINDERING DEEP CONVERSATIONS ONLINE

In an open online discussion forum, where there is no fixed structure or a facilitator like a course forum without any assigned themes, every participant is a facilitator shaping the direction and depth of a conversation. How can we as designers then make sure it leads to an engaging learning community that learners keep coming back to beyond the given course period? This paper reports on sequential analysis of 172 posts in 32 threads and close reading of two threads from an open online discussion forum in a free open online course, specifically looking at the impact of participant actions as facilitative moves, to gain better understanding of the types of actions that lead to deeper and sustained engagement with the ideas of interest. Sequential analysis is an approach that estimates which types of sequences of posts or interactions are most likely to occur in a threaded discussion. The results showed that sharing personal experiences attracted most responses, implying that it is important to encourage participants to share questions or cases connected to their personal experiences. In addition, somewhat paradoxically, we found that posts acknowledging responses tend to conclude and close down the conversation while posts that ask diverging questions tend to attract more discussion.

Impacts of Educational Technologies on Learning Engagement – A Case of Latvian and Thai's Learners

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have changed the traditional approach to the teaching process in higher education, so it is important to observe how learning takes place in that technology-rich environment. Cognitive, social, and emotional engagement as part of the MOOCs learning context is a basic principle that prescribes the relationships and interactions between the teacher, student, and learning setting. Each of these components has multiple features and is related to the complex nature of learning and teaching. The qualitative exploratory research design as a case study was conducted with educators and students from two countries – Latvia and Thailand. They were involved in learning within a free massive open online course supported by the UK MOOCs platform – FutureLearn. The qualitative data processing program AQUAD was used for processing data. Results show that there are some differences and similarities in comprehension of the MOOCs impact on learning engagement between learners of Latvia and Thailand.

ПІДВИЩЕННЯ ЕФЕКТИВНОСТІ ДИСТАНЦІЙНОЇ ОСВІТИ СТУДЕНТІВ: МІЖНАРОДНИЙ I ВІТЧИЗНЯНИЙ ДОСВІД

Досліджено теоретичні та практичні аспекти дистанційного навчання в Україні та у світі. Проаналізовано переваги і недоліки дистанційного навчання і масових відкритих онлайн курсів. Визначено певні ресурси для підвищення ефективності навчання студентів економічних спеціальностей. Надано інформацію про онлайн ресурси для дистанційного навчання, де студенти економічних спеціальностей можуть підвищити рівень своїх професійних знань.

Can massive open online courses fill African evaluation capacity gaps?

Background: Theory of Change for Development is a free online course developed at an African institution to strengthen evaluation capacity in the region. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) provide a platform for building skills at scale in the region. Scholars of evaluation have long pointed to a gap between supply and demand that frustrates both evaluation practitioners and commissioners. This article explores the possibilities and limitations of MOOCs to bridge this gap. Objectives: This article seeks to explore the role open online training can play in evaluation capacity development. It considers the implications of one course’s experience of evaluation-sector-blended learning and instructional design in Africa for strengthening regional communities of practice, and for evaluation capacity development. Method: This article draws on current theories on online learning, specific course data from the Theory of Change course as well as experiential learning from two processes of revision and delivery of the MOOC to explore open online learning as an approach to evaluation capacity development. Results: This study has found that MOOCs can play important roles in evaluation capacity development. They can raise awareness of methods and tools that are not part of traditional monitoring and evaluation curriculum, their reach for evaluation practitioners is wide and they build much needed networks in the sector. However, their role in skills development has limits, particularly if they are delivered in isolation of other accessible contact learning options. Conclusion: Massive Open Online Courses should be one part of an evaluation capacity development strategy. They support blended learning, expand access to certain core practical skills and link evaluation practitioners to other real outlets of learning and exchange.

Improve your statistical inferences with this one neat trick: A brief review of the Improving your statistical inferences MOOC

This article is a brief review of an excellent free Massive Open Online Course that guides students through the various ways that they can improve research questions and make more informed choices about their choices of statistical tests. The MOOC includes an introduction to simulation and data-analysis using the R programming language, meta-science, open practices, and alternative statistical frameworks (e.g. Likelihood Principal, Bayes Theorem). Although it is predominantly aimed at those using quantitative methodology, it has useful modules on philosophy of science and theory building which may be interesting for qualitative researchers.

CopyrightX [Course Review

Review of the free online course CopyrightX.

Design recommendations for online cybersecurity courses

Nowadays, a significant amount of free online cybersecurity training courses are offered. When preparing further courses, the designer has to decide what to teach and how to do it. In this paper, we provide with a set of recommendations for both issues. Concerning topic selection, 35 free online courses are analysed using NIST’s NICE reference framework. Thus, several training gaps are discovered. Concerning the way of preparing the course (or refining it after the first edition), a set of good practices is proposed based on students’ performance and commitment in a cybersecurity MOOC with +2,000 initially active students. To foster further research in this area, an open-source framework is released to enable the analysis of students’ performance in EdX MOOCs.

Understanding Student Engagement in Large-Scale Open Online Courses: A Machine Learning Facilitated Analysis of Student’s Reflections in 18 Highly Rated MOOCs

Although massive open online courses (MOOCs) have attracted much worldwide attention, scholars still understand little about the specific elements that students find engaging in these large open courses. This study offers a new original contribution by using a machine learning classifier to analyze 24,612 reflective sentences posted by 5,884 students, who participated in one or more of 18 highly rated MOOCs. Highly rated MOOCs were sampled because they exemplify good practices or teaching strategies. We selected highly rated MOOCs from Coursetalk, an open user-driven aggregator and discovery website that allows students to search and review various MOOCs. We defined a highly rated MOOC as a free online course that received an overall five-star course quality rating, and received at least 50 reviews from different learners within a specific subject area. We described six specific themes found across the entire data corpus: (a) structure and pace, (b) video, (c) instructor, (d) content and resources, (e) interaction and support, and (f) assignment and assessment. The findings of this study provide valuable insight into factors that students find engaging in large-scale open online courses.