Massive open online courses for educating physiotherapists about spinal cord injuries: a descriptive study

Spinal Cord Series and Cases, 2017 · DOI: 10.1038/scsandc.2017.5 · Published: February 16, 2017

Spinal Cord Injury Education Rehabilitation

Simple Explanation

This study describes two online courses (MOOCs) designed to educate physiotherapy students and physiotherapists on managing spinal cord injuries. The courses used materials from www.elearnSCI.org and aimed to increase participants' knowledge and engagement with online learning. The study found that the MOOCs increased both knowledge and usage of the online resources.

Study Duration

Not specified

Participants

3500 in 2014 and 10000 in 2016 physiotherapists and physiotherapy students

Evidence Level

Descriptive study

Key Findings

1
The MOOCs attracted 3523 participants in 2014 and 9986 participants in 2016, indicating significant interest in online education for spinal cord injury management.
2
Participants' knowledge increased by a median of 15% in both the 2014 and 2016 MOOCs, suggesting the effectiveness of the online format for knowledge transfer.
3
The number of times lessons were accessed on www.elearnSCI.org significantly increased during the MOOCs, demonstrating enhanced engagement with the online resource.

Research Summary

This descriptive study evaluated two MOOCs focused on physiotherapy management of spinal cord injuries, based on the elearnSCI.org platform. The MOOCs saw substantial participation and improved participant knowledge, as measured by pre- and post-course assessments. The study also found a marked increase in the usage of elearnSCI.org during the MOOCs, suggesting increased engagement with the resource.

Practical Implications

Scalable Education

MOOCs offer a cost-effective method for delivering education on specialized topics like spinal cord injury management to a large global audience.

Resource Promotion

MOOCs can be used to drive traffic and engagement with existing online educational resources, maximizing their impact.

Curriculum Enhancement

The MOOC model provides a structured learning experience that can supplement or enhance traditional face-to-face physiotherapy education.

Study Limitations

1
The study design is descriptive, limiting the ability to establish cause-and-effect relationships between the MOOCs and increased usage of elearnSCI.org.
2
Completion rates were estimated based on post-MOOC assessment completion, which may not accurately reflect the number of participants who engaged with the content.
3
The study did not assess the impact of the MOOCs on participants' clinical skills or patient outcomes.

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