Self-paced Online Course Research Articles

Beyond 'spray on' professional development: Enhancing supervision in a tertiary teaching hospital.

Short 'programmes' of professional development can have limited impact on clinical supervisors' practices. This paper reports on an innovative programme of professional development, implemented in a tertiary teaching hospital, that was designed to build clinical supervision capacity, improve the educational practice of frontline clinical supervisors and cultivate future educational leaders. The programme was a partnership venture between St. Vincent's Hospital Melbourne and the University of Melbourne. It has a three-tiered tapered design: a foundational self-paced online course; online, interprofessional learning communities; and a Graduate Certificate in Clinical Education. Participants progressed from one tier to the next, with the largest number of employees participating in the primary tier (N = 112). We adopted a utilisation-focused approach to evaluation, collecting multiple data sets across the tiers. Participants reported greater consciousness of their teaching practices, made changes to their practice, and the interprofessional learning communities allowed better integration of practical knowledge with the formal knowledge from the foundational course. Systemic outcomes included the creation of informal educator networks and the diffusion of ideas and practices within the hospital. Managers and clinical education leaders at the hospital concluded that funding this programme of professional development provided significant benefits, with a high return on investment, which may be transferable to other health care settings that place value on clinical education. For the outcomes to be sustainable, an ongoing programme of professional development needs to be built into the institution's fabric so that the resultant supervisory practices become strongly embedded in the organisational culture.

Impact of a Professional Development Course for Doctoral Nurses and Students on Genomic Conceptual Knowledge and Competencies.

Universally, nurses' limited educational opportunities to expand their genomic literacy may have implications on patient care management, research, and training. To evaluate the impact of a self-paced online course on genomic knowledge and competency acquisition in a sample of nurses possessing a doctoral degree and doctoral students. Pre- and postcourse data were collected using the "Genomic Nursing Concept Inventory" (GNCI) (N=129) and a self-report survey based on the Essential Genetic and Genomic Competencies for Nurses with Graduate Degrees (N=131). GNCI scores in all 4 topical categories and in 9 of the 16 domains significantly improved. All Genetic Competency scores significantly improved. Significant correlations were observed between Genetic Competency self-ratings and GNCI scores precourse and change of scores. The positive outcomes should encourage the development of more accessible educational opportunities for nurses and other healthcare professionals to improve genomic literacy and competency.

Online Employment Services for Immigrant Professionals: An Environmental Scan

This environmental scan assesses the current landscape of online employment services for immigrant professionals in Canada. The data collection method involved web scanning of twelve urban centers and two rural census areas with high per capita immigrant populations. The study analyzed 80 online services for immigrants in Canada based on geographical variation, the type of digital modality, clientele, and needs addressed. The findings reveal disparities in access to online employment programs tailored for skilled immigrants across different geographic locations. In addition, e-learning and self-paced online courses were identified as the most prevalent digital modalities. In terms of targeted clientele, findings show that the services primarily targeted immigrants as a homogenous group, with a notable emphasis on supporting skilled immigrants in high-demand fields such as IT and healthcare. Finally, access to job search resources emerged as the highest priority among the needs addressed, while areas such as financial assistance have the potential for further growth.

What Multi-Level Solutions Can Enhance the Financial Literacy of Healthcare Professionals in Kenya?

Financial literacy is a crucial asset within the human capital pool, whether individuals are working within or outside the hospital setting. Professionals in various fields benefit from financial literacy, and the main recipients include individuals, the broader economy, businesses, and the overall financial system. In the context of medical professionals, the expectation is often that they make informed business decisions and effectively manage healthcare facilities. However, a notable challenge is the potential lack of essential skills in financial literacy among these professionals. In Kenya, a considerable number of healthcare professionals face a deficiency in financial literacy skills, hindering their ability to proficiently handle even small businesses in private practices and oversee financial matters in hospital departments, both in public and private healthcare facilities. Consequently, the objective of this study is to present healthcare professionals with a roadmap to identify and address gaps to enhance their financial literacy. A survey was conducted from June to July 2023, involving 339 doctors, including medical doctors, dentists, and pharmacists. The findings were interesting concerning gender performance and global comparisons. Unlike previous studies, female doctors demonstrated a higher financial knowledge, behavior, and attitude, suggesting a well-rounded financial proficiency compared to their male counterparts. At the global level, the descriptive analysis revealed strong financial knowledge, positive attitudes, and prudent financial behaviors among the Kenyan participating doctors compared to the OECD global averages. For example, unlike the OECD global average of 52.5% in financial knowledge and literacy, the findings for the Kenyan counterparts stood at 77%; while the OECD global average for financial attitude was 70%, that of the Kenyan counterparts was at 75%; and compared to the OECD global average of prudent financial behavior of 59%, that of the Kenyan counterparts was 69%. It seems that socio-demographic factors, coupled with financial knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, intricately influence the financial literacy of healthcare professionals. The findings highlight the importance of implementing multi-level solutions to enhance overall financial literacy among healthcare professionals. These solutions include tailored financial programs, self-paced online courses with interactive elements, and the integration of financial literacy into medical undergraduate and postgraduate training curricula. Keywords: healthcare professionals, financial literacy, Kenya, multi-level solutions

Role of Self-Directed Learning in Pedagogy – Current Scenario of Competency-Based Medical Education

Abstract Self-directed learning (SDL) is a learning procedure among participants where they understand their learning goals, formulate them, and identify resources for learning. There are four key steps of SDL. SDL allows learners to be more effective learners and social beings through peer group discussions. Hence, it helps develop innovative ideas and valuable insights. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a significant paradigm shift in teaching–learning methods. The self-paced online courses are appeared to be a crucial part in learning during the pandemic. Those courses are somehow interlinked with the principles of SDL, thus SDL can be a boon in the current scenario with the COVID-19 pandemic. However, lack of independence and self-motivation forms a major barrier to SDL learning. The lack of a healthy relationship between the teachers/instructors and students and adequate technology might also affect the adoption of SDL. SDL will attain a massive success with the availability of adequate resources and technology and their effective utilization.

A Semantic Enhanced Course Recommender System via Knowledge Graphs for Limited User Information Scenarios

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “everyone has the right to education” and it must be “equally accessible to all”. Aligned with these principles are online learning platforms that offer free online courses that require no or minimal information from their students to democratize learning. Despite the benefits, the lack of user information challenges traditional recommendation systems and, when applied to education, impacts student experiences. This paper addresses the problem of limited student information in course recommendation systems. We tackle the problem by generating a semantically enriched vector-based representation of course content using an Open Knowledge Graph (DBpedia) and Topic Modeling methods, such as LDA and LSA and by collecting tracking events from log systems (Google Analytics) to create a hybrid recommendation system using content-based and collaborative filtering strategies for low-information scenarios. Our experiments use GCFGlobal.org, an online learning platform offering free self-paced online courses to 100 million people, to validate our approach. Results indicate that the proposed approach outperforms the previous works in the field contributing to the creation of fairer recommendation systems.

Embracing partnerships – human and AI – in digital course on career readiness

Research on PhD graduates from universities in New Zealand and the United States has revealed a lack of career preparedness during doctoral study (Spronken-Smith, et al. 2023). The research found that PhD graduates had very limited knowledge of their skills sets and attributes, as well as a lack of awareness of career pathways beyond academia. This is a major concern as only 40-50% of PhD graduates typically can enter academia following graduation, with the remainder entering a range of careers, especially in the western world. Consequently, the first author set about generating a digital course on career readiness and career preparedness for doctoral candidates as well as postdoctoral fellows (those in either teaching or research roles). The development of the course is a team effort involving academic developers, careers advisers, a digital developer, graduate research candidates and artificial intelligence (AI). We hope to launch the course in 2024. The course comprises elements of social constructivism and reflective practice and weaves in cultural aspects throughout. Two main platforms are used to deliver the self-paced online course: Microsoft Teams Classroom and an EdX platform. Central to the course is a koru diagram which maps out a pathway for career readiness, starting with self-discovery, followed by discovery of career options, then considering practical strategies for career readiness, and finally developing an action plan. The learners enter the course through the Microsoft Teams environment, where we encourage introductions and connections with classmates. Learners can then progress at their own pace through 12 main modules, with touchpoints occurring on a few occasions where they are asked to share ideas with the class. Reflective practice is embedded throughout, with learners keeping a journal and creating items for their digital portfolio – the assessment item for the course. In two places we have built in AI, using ChatGPT as a tutor to give feedback on learner’s articulation of their skills sets, and again towards the end of the course, where learners can input their skills, values and job preferences and ChatGPT suggests some possible career options. Developing the course is a great example of the benefit of taking a partnership approach in course design and implementation. It was the research of Rachel Spronken-Smith, an academic developer, who inspired the course, but to make it happen she needed support. Most importantly, she needed the expert input from Yvonne Gaut, a careers adviser, and Russell Butson, an educational technology academic. Between them they were able to design the course and draw on appropriate technology. However, they also needed a digital developer (Matt Fernandes) who could infuse appropriate design elements throughout the course, as well as videographers to capture media clips (Alba Suarez Garcia and Jodie Evans). They also enlisted two graduate research candidates (Patrick Mazzocco and Jodie Evans, the former of whom was also a past careers adviser), to test the course design and provide feedback on each module – an essential aspect to ensure relevance and engagement. By the time of this Pecha Kucha presentation we hope the course is ready to launch!

Self-paced online learning to improve knowledge competencies for hypertension among medical students in Uganda: A pre-post study.

The growing burden of hypertension (HT) is projected to reach 1.56 billion globally by 2025 and is an increasing public health concern, even for low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) like Uganda, where the prevalence of HT is 31.5%. The objective of this study was to test the effectiveness of a freely available HT online course on knowledge competencies for medical students in Uganda. The online course was developed by a multidisciplinary team at Johns Hopkins University to address HT control in resource-constrained healthcare settings. Students in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th years of medical school were randomly selected to participate in the online course. Pre and post knowledge tests were administered using an online survey system. Of the 201 invited students, 121 (60.2%) completed the study. Significant improvements in mean knowledge scores were evident following the online course completion for Module 1, Fundamentals of HT (21.9±2.5 to 23.7±2.5, p<0.001), and Module 2, Basics of HT Management (14.9±3.3 to 18.5±4.3, p<0.001). No statistically significant differences were evident by gender or school year. Students who took a shorter duration to complete the course had significantly higher mean score improvement between pre- and post-test (mean score improvement 7.0 if <4 weeks, 3.6 if 4-8 weeks, and 3.7 if >8 weeks, p<0.003). Students recognized information on blood pressure measurement (32.2%) and HT management (22.3%) as the most important concept addressed in the course. A self-paced online course, complementing medical school training, improved knowledge on HT burden and management in Uganda.

Digital learning experience design and research of a self-paced online course for risk-based inspection of food imports

The growth in trade of food across international borders requires authorities to be trained to promote food safety and risk-based inspection. Online training for risk-based food import controls is a promising approach. In this study, we focused on the development and refinement of a self-paced online course to teach risk-based inspection of food imports, in short RIFI. We applied educational design research and research to improve methodology along with heuristics evaluations, a user experience study, and a learner experience study with statistically significant pre/posttests and a total of 56 participants, mostly from the United States. The result indicates that the course is useable and shows learning efficacy. The majority of the participants (94%) gained knowledge after taking the course. However, looking deeper into the data, only 35% of participants met the targeted postscore based on the learning growth scale. This denotes the needs for refining the course. There is room for improvement in layout, terminology, data entry, comprehensiveness, and feedback. Our study suggests that the emerging field of learning experience design combines multiple literacies as it expands on instructional design, user experience as well as teaching and learning skills. In the future, further development of content and activities, including another module, is planned.

Development of a simple and effective online training for health workers: results from a pilot in Nigeria

BackgroundHealth workers (HWs) in Africa face challenges accessing and learning from existing online training opportunities. To address these challenges, we developed a modular, self-paced, mobile-ready and work-relevant online course covering foundational infection prevention and control (IPC) concepts. Here, we evaluate the first pilot of this course, conducted with HWs in Nigeria.MethodsWe used a learner-centered design and prototyping process to create a new approach to delivering online training for HWs. The resulting course comprised 10 self-paced modules optimized for use on mobile devices. Modules presented IPC vignettes in which learning was driven by short assessment questions with feedback. Learners were recruited by distributing a link to the training through Nigeria-based email lists, WhatsApp groups and similar networks of HWs, managers and allied professionals. The course was open to learners for 8 weeks. We tracked question responses and time on task with platform analytics and assessed learning gains with pre- and post-testing. Significance was evaluated with the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and effect size was calculated using Cohen’s d.ResultsThree hundred seventy-two learners, with roles across the health system, enrolled in the training; 59% completed all 10 modules and earned a certificate. Baseline knowledge of foundational IPC concepts was low, as measured by pre-test scores (29%). Post-test scores were significantly higher at 54% (effect size 1.22, 95% confidence interval 1.00-1.44). Learning gains were significant both among learners with low pre-test scores and among those who scored higher on the pre-test. We used the Net Promoter Score (NPS), a common user experience metric, to evaluate the training. The NPS was + 62, which is slightly higher than published scores of other self-paced online learning experiences.ConclusionsHigh completion rates, significant learning gains and positive feedback indicate that self-paced, mobile-ready training that emphasizes short, low-stakes assessment questions can be an effective, scalable way to train HWs who choose to enroll. Low pre-test scores suggest that there are gaps in IPC knowledge among this learner population.

To Opt in or to Opt Out? Predicting Student Preference for Learning Analytics-Based Formative Feedback

Teachers’ work is increasingly augmented with intelligent tools that extend their pedagogical abilities. While these tools may have positive effects, they require use of students’ personal data, and more research into student preferences regarding these tools is needed. In this study, we investigated how learning strategies and study engagement are related to students’ willingness to share data with learning analytics (LA) applications and whether these factors predict students’ opt-in for LA-based formative feedback. Students (N=158) on a self-paced online course set their personal completion goals for the course and chose to opt in for or opt out of personalized feedback based on their progress toward their goal. We collected self-reported measures regarding learning strategies, study engagement, and willingness to share data for learning analytics through a survey (N=73). Using a regularized partial correlation network, we found that although willingness to share data was weakly connected to different aspects of learning strategies and study engagement, students with lower self-efficacy were more hesitant to share data about their performance. Furthermore, we could not sufficiently predict students’ opt-in decisions based on their learning strategies, study engagement, or willingness to share data using logistic regression. Our findings underline the privacy paradox in online privacy behavior: theoretical unwillingness to share personal data does not necessarily lead to opting out of interventions that require the disclosure of personal data. Future research should look into why students opt in for or opt out of learning analytics interventions.

P6 The Seed to Supper Online Program and Its Effect on Motivation to Consume Fruit and Vegetables Among Beginning Gardeners in New Mexico

<h3>Objective</h3> To assess whether Seed to Supper Online, an online, self-paced, beginning vegetable gardening program designed for adults gardening on a budget, impacts participants' motivation to consume more fruits and vegetables. <h3>Use of Theory or Research</h3> The Social Cognitive Theory guides the Seed to Supper Online program. Additionally, Seed to Supper Online was developed following the Quality Matters Standards. <h3>Target Audience</h3> Thirty-three adults who participated in Seed to Supper Online, a self-paced online course offered statewide in New Mexico. <h3>Program Description</h3> Using the Canvas course management system, Seed to Supper, traditionally a face-to-face program, was adapted and converted to an online self-paced program. The course consists of 7 modules that include lecture videos, hands on activities, quizzes, and self-reflection. Participants can optionally join a private Facebook group and bi-monthly live virtual Q&A sessions. Topics covered include planning, soil, planting, garden care, and harvesting. <h3>Evaluation Methods</h3> Participants completed an electronic pre and post intervention survey. The surveys collected information on participants' gardening experience, learning goals, and motivations regarding fruit and vegetable consumption. <h3>Results</h3> The survey showed positive results, with 90% of participants reporting they had more motivation to eat more fruits and vegetables after completing the Seed to Supper Online course. <h3>Conclusion</h3> The findings from this test suggest participating in the Seed to Supper Online course increases participants' motivation to eat fruits and vegetables, which may lead to increased fruit and vegetable consumption among adults.

Including Learning Analytics in the Loop of Self-Paced Online Course Learning Design

Online education is growing because of its benefits and advantages that students enjoy. Educational technologies (e.g., learning analytics, student modelling, and intelligent tutoring systems) bring great potential to online education. Many online courses, particularly in self-paced online learning (SPOL), face some inherent barriers such as learning awareness and academic intervention. These barriers can affect the academic performance of online learners. Recently, learning analytics has been shown to have great potential in removing these barriers. However, it is challenging to achieve the full potential of learning analytics with the traditional online course learning design model. Thus, focusing on SPOL, this study proposes that learning analytics should be included in the course learning design loop to ensure data collection and pedagogical connection. We propose a novel learning design-analytics model in which course learning design and learning analytics can support each other to increase learning success. Based on the proposed model, a set of online course design strategies are recommended for online educators who wish to use learning analytics to mitigate the learning barriers in SPOL. These strategies and technologies are inspired by Jim Greer’s work on student modelling. By following these recommended design strategies, a computer science course is used as an example to show our initial practices of including learning analytics in the course learning design loop. Finally, future work on how to develop and evaluate learning analytics enabled learning systems is outlined.

Development, implementation and evaluation of an online course on evidence-based healthcare for consumers

BackgroundEvidence-based healthcare (EBHC) principles are essential knowledge for patient and consumer (“consumer”) engagement as research and research implementation stakeholders. The aim of this study was to assess whether participation in a free, self-paced online course affects confidence in explaining EBHC topics. The course comprises six modules and evaluations which together take about 6 h to complete.MethodsConsumers United for Evidence-based Healthcare (CUE) designed, tested and implemented a free, online course for consumers, Understanding Evidence-based Healthcare: A Foundation for Action (“Understanding EBHC”). The course is offered through the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Participants rated their confidence in explaining EBHC topics on a scale of 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest), using an online evaluation provided before accessing the course (“Before”) and after (“After”) completing all six course modules. We analyzed data from those who registered for the course from May 31, 2007 to December 31, 2018 (n = 15,606), and among those persons, the 11,522 who completed the “Before” evaluation and 4899 who completed the “After” evaluation. Our primary outcome was the overall mean of within-person change (“overall mean change”) in self-reported confidence levels on EBHC-related topics between “Before” and “After” evaluations among course completers. Our secondary outcomes were the mean within-person change for each of the 11 topics (mean change by topic).ResultsFrom May 31, 2007 to December 31, 2018, 15,606 individuals registered for the course: 11,522 completed the “Before” evaluation, and 4899 of these completed the “After” evaluation (i.e., completed the course). The overall mean change in self-reported confidence levels (ranging from 1 to 5) from the “Before” to “After” evaluation was 1.27 (95% CI, 1.24–1.30). The mean change by topic ranged from 1.00 (95% CI, 0.96–1.03) to 1.90 (95% CI, 1.87–1.94).ConclusionThose who seek to involve consumer stakeholders can offer Understanding EBHC as a step toward meaningful consumer engagement. Future research should focus on long-term impact assessment of online course such as ours to understand whether confidence is retained post-course and applied appropriately.

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.

Modelling and Using Response Times in Online Courses

Each time a learner in a self-paced online course seeks to answer an assessment question, it takes some time for the student to read the question and arrive at an answer to submit. If multiple attempts are allowed, and the first answer is incorrect, it takes some time to provide a second answer. Here we study the distribution of such “response times.” We find that the log-normal statistical model for such times, previously suggested in the literature, holds for online courses. Users who, according to this model, tend to take longer on submits are more likely to complete the course, have a higher level of engagement, and achieve a higher grade. This finding can be the basis for designing interventions in online courses, such as MOOCs, which would encourage “fast” users to slow down.

Timing Matters: Approaches for Measuring and Visualizing Behaviours of Timing and Spacing of Work in Self-Paced Online Teacher Professional Development Courses

One feature of self-paced online courses is greater learner control over the timing of their work in a course. However, the greater timing flexibility that learners enjoy in such environments may play a different role in the learning process than has been previously observed in formal online or face-to-face courses. As such, the study of work timing merits further investigation. Toward this goal, this study forwards two measures that represent the timing of coursework: 1) the timing index, or the degree to which a participant completes 50% of their work, and 2) the spacing count, the frequency of work performed across the course timeframe. In this study, the authors demonstrate the use of these measures from a data set of 42 U.S. middle-school teachers who participated in a self-paced, online professional development course to support teacher implementation of a new blended-learning curriculum. Using the two measures, the authors identify timing behaviours of participants and examine the effects that timing has on teacher self-efficacy after completing the course. The two measures and visualizations demonstrated in this paper yield useful individual-level variables for course timing that can be used for further study on the effects on learning outcomes.

Digital resources for faculty development in e-learning: a self-paced approach for professional learning

Since a growing number of universities have adopted e-learning or blended solutions, faculty development is increasingly seen as a crucial strategy to prepare faculty members for innovative teaching practices. However, a number of barriers prevent faculty from attending training programmes, including scheduling and logistic constraints. Offering a flexible online format for training should provide opportunities to fit user needs better. In this regard, while literature exists on on-site interventions, studies on self-paced online courses are still limited. This paper presents a self-paced online programme for faculty development on e-learning, and explores its correspondence with users’ needs. The contribution starts with an examination of the literature and an explanation of the design strategies adopted for the programme. It then presents the methods used and analyses the main findings. The results show that, depending on their levels of experience and motivation, users demonstrated diverse patterns of use with regard to the contents and activities selected. From this point of view, the results confirm the importance of adopting design approaches based on self-paced principles.

Learning Preferences of Next Generation Hispanic/Latino Specialty Crop Growers

A bicultural team of Penn State Extension professionals assessed educational method and learning style preferences of Hispanic/Latino stakeholders who aspire to be next generation specialty crop growers and specialized horticultural managers. During 2014–16, team members conducted and evaluated bilingual programs in various formats, including in-depth workshops, model demonstration plots, on-farm trainings and tours, fact sheets and field guides, and videos. Postprogram surveys indicated formats that provided opportunities for active learning of research-based information applicable to participant operations were most successful. Purposive surveys and interviews identified further ways to adapt extension outreach and education for next generation growers. The top-rated methods of learning for Hispanic/Latino growers were on-farm demonstrations and study circles, tours of other growers’ farms, self-paced on-line courses and videos, and interactive workshops. Factors Hispanic/Latino grower survey respondents felt limited them from participating in educational activities or using extension resources were timing of program, cost, and location. Survey participants suggested extension might improve education and engagement with Hispanic/Latino growers by increasing the use of social media in Spanish, holding educational programs specifically for Latino farmers to increase networking opportunities, and holding educational events at the farms of Latino growers.

Learning by doing, High Performance Computing education in the MOOC era

The High Performance Computing (HPC) community has spent decades developing tools that teach practitioners to harness the power of parallel and distributed computing. To create scalable and flexible educational experiences for practitioners in all phases of a career, we turn to Massively Open Online Courses (MOOCs). We detail the design of a unique self-paced online course that incorporates a focus on parallel solutions, personalization, and hands-on practice to familiarize student–users with their target system. Course material is presented through the lens of common HPC use cases and the strategies for parallelizing them. Using personalized paths, we teach researchers how to recognize the alignment between scientific applications and traditional HPC use cases, so they can focus on learning the parallelization strategies key to their workplace success. At the conclusion of their learning path, students should be capable of achieving performance gains on their HPC system.