scholarly journals Health effects of climate change: An online survey study of participants of three massive open online courses (MOOCs) (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Barteit ◽  
Anneliese Depoux ◽  
Ali Sié ◽  
Maurice Yé ◽  
Valérie R. Louis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Massive Open Online Courses ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Massive Open Online ◽  
Learner Interaction ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Climate Change And Health

BACKGROUND The impact of climate change on health, adaptation measures and health co-benefits of mitigation have not been taught as topics in conventional face-to-face courses, such as in stand-alone, accredited short courses or as modules in Masters or PhD-level courses. Educational technologies such as massive open online courses (MOOCs) have high potential to substantially accelerate the dissemination of knowledge on the nexus of climate change and health. We developed three MOOCs teaching on the link between climate change and health. OBJECTIVE We conducted an online survey study to evaluate instructor-to-learner interaction (ITI), instructor support (IS), instructor feedback (IF), learner-to-learner interaction (LLI), course content (CC), course structure (CS), information delivery technology (IDT), perceived effectiveness (PE), learner retention (LR), as well as self-reported learner retention (SRLR). What did participants learn? Who and how many registered from the global North and South? What was the completion rate and how does it compare to average completion rates of MOOCs? What is the impact of knowledge acquired? METHODS Participants of all three MOOCs were invited to a post online survey study or the three climate change and health MOOCs. The survey consisted mainly out of no/yes/other and free text questions, as well as five five-point Likert items. We collected demographic information about education, age, gender, country of origin and current place of living. RESULTS In total, the MOOCs had a reach of almost 7000 students worldwide. 188 students took part in the online survey, with the highest percentage of MOOC-survey participants from low-income countries. The MOOCs were seen as useful, especially with regards to their professional impact, their coverage of content and their up-to-dateness in the topic area of climate change and health. The francophone MOOC was found to have an extraordinarily high number of participants from lower-income- and low-and-middle-income countries. The primary motivation to join the MOOC was to gain knowledge and skills on the topic of climate change and health. CONCLUSIONS Health is a top priority for citizens worldwide, and our results show that (i) globally there is great interest in the topic of climate change and health and (ii) that the three MOOCs were adequate to teach a global and diverse audience in this topic, reaching even participants from resource-low countries. Therefore, MOOCs should be included in the discussion on how to disseminate knowledge and methodological expertise globally, as they are an effective mean to explain and teach about the complex links and dynamics between climate change and health.

scholarly journals Experiences of nurses caring for respiratory patients during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: an online survey study

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. e000987
Author(s):  
Nicola J Roberts ◽  
Carol A Kelly ◽  
Kate A Lippiett ◽  
Emma Ray ◽  
Lindsay Welch
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Geographical Location ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
British Thoracic Society ◽  
Healthcare Team ◽  
Free Text ◽  
The Impact

BackgroundNurses have been at the forefront of the pandemic response, involved in extensive coordination of services, screening, vaccination and front-line work in respiratory, emergency and intensive care environments. The nature of this work is often intense and stress-provoking with an inevitable psychological impact on nurses and all healthcare workers. This study focused on nurses working in respiratory areas with the aim of identifying and characterising the self-reported issues that exacerbated or alleviated their concerns during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsAn online survey was developed consisting of 90 questions using a mixture of open-ended and closed questions. Participant demographic data were also collected (age, gender, ethnicity, number of years qualified, details of long-term health conditions, geographical location, nursing background/role and home life). The online survey was disseminated via social media and professional respiratory societies (British Thoracic Society, Primary Care Respiratory Society, Association of Respiratory Nurse Specialists) over a 3-week period in May 2020 and the survey closed on 1 June 2020.ResultsThe study highlights the experiences of nurses caring for respiratory patients during the first wave of the pandemic in early 2020. Concerns were expressed over the working environment, the supply and availability of adequate protective personal equipment, the quality of care individuals were able to deliver, and the impact on mental health to nurses and their families. A high number provided free-text comments around their worries and concerns about the impact on their household; these included bringing the virus home, the effect on family members worrying about them, mental health and the impact of changing working patterns, and managing with children. Although both formal and informal support were available, there were inconsistencies in provision, highlighting the importance of nursing leadership and management in ensuring equity of access to services.ConclusionsSupport for staff is essential both throughout the pandemic and afterwards, and it is important that preparation of individuals regarding building resilience is recognised. It is also clear that psychological support and services for nurses and the wider healthcare team need to be available and quickly convened in the event of similar major incidents, either global or local.

The Future of Tourism, Hospitality and Events Teaching and Training

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clare Lade ◽  
Paul Strickland ◽  
Elspeth Frew ◽  
Paul Willard ◽  
Sandra Cherro Osorio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Online Education ◽  
Potential Application ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Massive Open Online Courses ◽  
Massive Open Online ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
The World ◽  
The Impact ◽  
And Training

This chapter examines the ways in which teaching and training in tourism, hospitality and events have evolved and adapted to the contemporary demands of academia and industry. It explores the development of education in tourism, hospitality and events, the contemporary factors which influence teaching and learning, and discusses the rise of Massive Open Online Courses with a particular focus on their potential application within tourism, hospitality and events curriculum. The chapter concludes by providing an overview of Open Badges and their importance in education. At the time of writing, the world has been confronted by the Covid-19 global pandemic which has caused great disruption at all levels. The impact of Covid-19 is briefly addressed in this chapter as the enforcement of social distancing measures has led to a significant increase globally in online education.

scholarly journals Factors Associated with Student Enrollment, Completion, and Dropout of Massive Open Online Courses in the Sultanate of Oman

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (11) ◽  
pp. 154-169
Author(s):  
Vinu Sherimon ◽  
P. C Sherimon ◽  
Leena Francis ◽  
Disha Devassy ◽  
Teresa K George
Keyword(s):  
Professional Growth ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Course Delivery ◽  
Massive Open Online Courses ◽  
Student Enrollment ◽  
Success Rates ◽  
Massive Open Online ◽  
Vast Number ◽  
Course Content

This research aims to investigate the elements that influence learners' enrollment in, completion of and dropout from Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). MOOCs attract a vast number of participants, with enrollments growing at an unprecedented rate; however, only a small number of students who enroll, complete their study. In this research, data were collected from 79 participants using an online survey. Professional growth, flexible time, free of charge, and the opportunity to obtain certification were recognized as the four main factors that directly influenced student enrollment in MOOCs. The motivational variables revealed in this study that led to the effective completion of MOOCs included good-quality course videos, straightforward and clear tutor instructions, good course delivery, and useful instructor feedback, among others. The most prevalent reasons for dropout included failure to fulfil the deadline, the instructor's vocabulary, challenging assignments, and difficulty in grasping the course content. The findings of this study can provide educators and decision-makers with the information they need to better understand the factors that influence MOOC student enrollment, completion, and dropout rates, as well as relevant actions to improve the success rates of MOOC.

scholarly journals Measuring the Post-Impact of Programming MOOCs: Development and Validation of an Instrument

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 811
Author(s):  
Merilin Säde ◽  
Reelika Suviste ◽  
Piret Luik
Keyword(s):  
Online Courses ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Massive Open Online Courses ◽  
Massive Open Online ◽  
Learning Skills ◽  
Final Model ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
Post Impact ◽  
Development And Validation ◽  
The Impact

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) can potentially affect the lives of millions of people, but there is little research on how a programming MOOC could affect participants’ lives after participation. In Estonia, we have organised several programming MOOCs over the years, attended by over 14,000 people. This inspired us to develop and validate a scale for measuring the impact of programming MOOC on participants’ lives. We analysed data from 1261 MOOC participants who had completed at least one of our programming MOOCs. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to validate the developed scale. The final model fitted quite well to the data. We found that the factors that influence learners’ lives after a MOOC include acquired learning skills, interest in continuing computer science related studies, learning experience gained from the MOOC, the MOOC’s impact on work and personal life, and new contacts that are established with other participants and organisers. We also compared the means of the factors. The highest-rated factor was related to the learning experience from the MOOC and the lowest-rated was related to finding new contacts through the MOOC.

scholarly journals Using Learning Analytics to Improve MOOC Instructional Design

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (24) ◽  
pp. 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nurbiha A Shukor ◽  
Zaleha Abdullah
Keyword(s):  
Instructional Design ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Learning Analytics ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Public University ◽  
Massive Open Online Courses ◽  
Massive Open Online ◽  
Learning Retention ◽  
The Impact

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) allows teaching and learning for everyone. This means that people from any learning background can join any of the courses offered through MOOC platforms. Although learning materials are offered for free, learning retention and learning engagement were found to be consistently low alt-hough some MOOC are offered by well-known instructors. Many recent studies tried to understand the suitable instructional design in MOOC to improve learning en-gagement and retention. This study is an exploratory study to evaluate the potential of using learning analytics to improve instructional design in MOOC. Data were col-lected from a MOOC offered for two consequent years in a public university in Ma-laysia. The impact of learning analytics on MOOC instructional design was also dis-cussed.

scholarly journals Compliance and Creativity: Dilemmas for University Governance

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (S1) ◽  
pp. S35-S47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Scott
Keyword(s):  
Performance Management ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Massive Open Online Courses ◽  
The Other ◽  
University Governance ◽  
Massive Open Online ◽  
Self Directed Learning ◽  
Research Systems ◽  
Directed Learning ◽  
The Impact

The contemporary university is subject to two, apparently contradictory, forces. The first is the drive towards the modernisation of its governance and management, often in ways that reflect corporate structures more familiar in the private sector (and other parts of the reformed public sector). This drive has been accompanied by the growth of performance management, both of institutions and individual teachers and researchers; the more prescriptive identification of goals and targets (at the expense, perhaps, of traditional notions of autonomy and academic freedom); and more explicit – and intrusive? – forms of audit, accountability and evaluation. The other force is the development of new modes of learning, a more open curriculum and more distributed patterns of research. Examples include the popularity of (technology-enhanced) self-directed learning, the growth of massive open online courses (MOOCs), the spread of open-source publication and greater emphasis on the impact and application of research. Both forces reflect deep-rooted changes in the nature of modern higher education and research systems, and it would be misleading to see them as always or inevitably in conflict. However, they do pose new dilemmas about how to maintain an appropriate balance between the necessary management of the large, complex and heterogeneous organisations that modern universities have become and their capacity for innovation and creativity.

scholarly journals Massive open online courses for professional certificate programs? Perspectives on professional learners’ longitudinal participation patterns

2021 ◽  
pp. 136-147
Author(s):  
Hengtao Tang ◽  
Wanli Xing
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Massive Open Online Courses ◽  
Massive Open Online ◽  
Certificate Programs ◽  
Learner Participation ◽  
Professional Degree ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Professional Learners

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have been integrated into higher education systems as an option for delivering online professional degree and certificate programs; however, concerns about whether employed professionals actively participate in MOOCs remain unresolved. Some researchers have described learners’ employment as the major cause of attrition from MOOCs, but research has not addressed how employed learners interact with MOOCs over time. Understanding employed professionals’ trajectory of participation patterns across course time is thus essential to improving the effectiveness of MOOCs. This study investigated the log data of learner participation to explore how attrition occurs in a professional MOOC, focusing on whether students’ employment status was associated with learner participation. The results revealed learners’ longitudinal participation patterns and confirmed the impact of sustained engagement on course performance. The study also found that employed learners were more likely than their peers without jobs to become cramming learners with initially infrequent engagement in a course but investing intensive time at the end for certificates. We discuss practical implications for designing and facilitating large-scale professional degree and certificate programs in higher education institutions. Implications for practice or policy: Educators can apply MOOCs with a lower weekly workload and a slower pace to support employees’ professional development. Educators should develop professional learners’ interests in the course topic to avoid only cramming for the course certificates. Educators may consider longitudinal patterns of learner participation when assessing learner performance.

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