Massive Open Online Courses on Health and Medicine: Review

Abstract

BackgroundMassive open online courses (MOOCs) have become immensely popular in a short span of time. However, there is very little research exploring MOOCs in the discipline of health and medicine.ObjectiveWe aim to provide a review of MOOCs related to health and medicine offered by various MOOC platforms in 2013, by analyzing and comparing the various offerings, their target audience, typical length of course, and credentials offered. We also discuss opportunities and challenges presented by MOOCs in health and medicine.MethodsHealth and medicine–related MOOCs were gathered using several methods to ensure the richness and completeness of data. Identified MOOC platform websites were used to gather the lists of offerings. In parallel, these MOOC platforms were contacted to access official data on their offerings. Two MOOC aggregator sites (Class Central and MOOC List) were also consulted to gather data on MOOC offerings. Eligibility criteria were defined to concentrate on the courses that were offered in 2013 and primarily on the subject of health and medicine. All language translations in this paper were done using Google Translate.ResultsThe search identified 225 courses, of which 98 were eligible for the review. Over half (58%, 57/98) of the MOOCs considered were offered on the Coursera platform, and 94% (92/98) of all the MOOCs were offered in English. Universities offered 90 MOOCs, and the John Hopkins University offered the largest number of MOOCs (12/90). Only three MOOCs were offered by developing countries (China, West Indies, and Saudi Arabia). The duration of MOOCs varied from 3-20 weeks with an average length of 6.7 weeks. On average, MOOCs expected a participant to work on the material for 4.2 hours a week. Verified certificates were offered by 14 MOOCs, while three others offered other professional recognition.ConclusionsThe review presents evidence to suggest that MOOCs can be used as a way to provide continuous medical education. It also shows the potential of MOOCs as a means of increasing health literacy among the public.

Twelve tips for developing and delivering a massive open online course in medical education

“…Ideally, the topic should be focused on an area that you are deeply passionate about as this enthusiasm will come across in the resources you develop. However, you need to be realistic and carefully take into consideration your intended target audience and the MOOC (Liyanagunawardena & Williams 2014 administrator would be particularly helpful to coordinate the development of the course and ensure self-imposed, and platform provider, deadlines are kept.…”

An Anatomy Massive Open Online Course as a Continuing Professional Development Tool for Healthcare Professionals

“…Although MOOCs have been available for almost a decade, and courses continually becoming available on commercial platforms, there remains a paucity of empirical evidence to support their utilisation. Specifically, within medical education, numerous roles for MOOCs have been proposed for both on-and off-campus learning [7,22,24,26,27,29]; however, a clear rationale for their effective deployment is still nascent. This study focused on the use of a clinical anatomy MOOC by healthcare professionals building on previous research that analysed its use by undergraduate medical students [7].…”

“…Across undergraduate and postgraduate medical education, MOOCs have an emerging presence with evidence to support their use as part of blended curricula on campus-based medical course [7], suggestions they could be used as part of flipped classroom approaches [22][23][24], although research from other disciplines suggests this needs serious consideration [25]. Additionally, they have been suggested as an alternative platform for interprofessional education (IPE) [26] or as an online approach to continuing professional development (CPD) [6,[27][28][29][30][31][32].…”

Beginning the Dialogue on the e-Transformation: Behavior Analysis’ First Massive Open Online Course (MOOC)

“…Likewise, in 2014, the U.S. Department of Education endorsed four universities to deliver continuing education units for teachers through MOOCs, allowing school districts a convenient and low-cost way to enhance professional development (Duke Online Education Initiatives 2014). Finally, Liyanagaunawardena and Williams (2014) reported that MOOCs are being implemented more frequently in healthcare and medical fields to increase continuing education for healthcare professionals, provide supplemental courses for healthcare students, and increase health literacy and education for professionals, patients, and the general population. For behavior analysis, future MOOCs could provide supplemental training for school and agency personnel and continuing education units for board certified professionals.…”