The irreplaceable role of medical massive open online courses in China during the COVID-19 pandemic
Abstract Background Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have become innovative open-learning approach in medical education. This study aimed to evaluate the dynamic changes in the construction and application of medical MOOCs before and after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in China...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-05-01
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| Series: | BMC Medical Education |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-023-04315-z |
| _version_ | 1797827424055984128 |
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| author | Hui Zhu Jin Xu Penghao Wang Jia Bian Zhijia Zhao Hongyi Liu Lindan Ji |
| author_facet | Hui Zhu Jin Xu Penghao Wang Jia Bian Zhijia Zhao Hongyi Liu Lindan Ji |
| author_sort | Hui Zhu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have become innovative open-learning approach in medical education. This study aimed to evaluate the dynamic changes in the construction and application of medical MOOCs before and after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in China. Methods The dynamic changes of usages about medical MOOCs before and after 2020 were mainly searched on the Smart Education of China Higher Education platform, and the detailed learning profiles and outcome indicators were further analyzed using 40 national first-class medical MOOCs from ‘zhihuishu’ platform. Results A total of 2,405 medical MOOCs were exported from the Smart Education of China Higher Education platform, of which 1,313 (54.6%) were launched since 2020. The total and average numbers of participants of 141 national first-class medical MOOCs peaked during the initial spread of COVID-19 in 2020. We further analyzed the dynamic usage of MOOCs from 2018 to 2022 based on 40 national first-class medical MOOCs launched on the ‘Zhihuishu’ platform. The findings revealed that the number of registered learners (3,240 versus 2,654), questions and answers (27,005 versus 5,116) and students taking the final examination (2,782 versus 1,995) per semester were significantly higher since 2020 compared to these before 2020. Especially, the number of registered learners, registered schools, questions and answers, and students participating in online discussion, taking the unit quiz, taking final examinations and passing final examinations all peaked in the 2020 spring–summer semester. Pearson's correlation analysis found that the number of questions and answers and the number of learners who participated in online discussion were both positively correlated with the number of students who passed the final examination, and the correlation was especially strong since 2020. Moreover, the number of publications on medical MOOC research has soared since 2020 and has maintained a continuous upward trend. Conclusions High-quality medical MOOCs have been launched rapidly since the COVID-19 pandemic in China. The number of participants and online interactions of medical MOOCs peaked during the initial spread of COVID-19 in 2020. MOOCs are reliable and valid digital sources that facilitate medical higher education and play irreplaceable roles in emergency management. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T12:48:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1bf26c7c510d494f8c6236b14ded00a4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-6920 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T12:48:04Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Medical Education |
| spelling | doaj.art-1bf26c7c510d494f8c6236b14ded00a42023-05-14T11:20:08ZengBMCBMC Medical Education1472-69202023-05-0123111110.1186/s12909-023-04315-zThe irreplaceable role of medical massive open online courses in China during the COVID-19 pandemicHui Zhu0Jin Xu1Penghao Wang2Jia Bian3Zhijia Zhao4Hongyi Liu5Lindan Ji6Department of Internal Medicine, Health Science Center, Ningbo UniversitySchool of Public Health, Health Science Center, Ningbo UniversitySchool of Public Health, Health Science Center, Ningbo UniversityAffiliated People’s Hospital of Ningbo UniversitySchool of Public Health, Health Science Center, Ningbo UniversitySchool of Public Health, Health Science Center, Ningbo UniversityDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Health Science Center, Ningbo UniversityAbstract Background Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have become innovative open-learning approach in medical education. This study aimed to evaluate the dynamic changes in the construction and application of medical MOOCs before and after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in China. Methods The dynamic changes of usages about medical MOOCs before and after 2020 were mainly searched on the Smart Education of China Higher Education platform, and the detailed learning profiles and outcome indicators were further analyzed using 40 national first-class medical MOOCs from ‘zhihuishu’ platform. Results A total of 2,405 medical MOOCs were exported from the Smart Education of China Higher Education platform, of which 1,313 (54.6%) were launched since 2020. The total and average numbers of participants of 141 national first-class medical MOOCs peaked during the initial spread of COVID-19 in 2020. We further analyzed the dynamic usage of MOOCs from 2018 to 2022 based on 40 national first-class medical MOOCs launched on the ‘Zhihuishu’ platform. The findings revealed that the number of registered learners (3,240 versus 2,654), questions and answers (27,005 versus 5,116) and students taking the final examination (2,782 versus 1,995) per semester were significantly higher since 2020 compared to these before 2020. Especially, the number of registered learners, registered schools, questions and answers, and students participating in online discussion, taking the unit quiz, taking final examinations and passing final examinations all peaked in the 2020 spring–summer semester. Pearson's correlation analysis found that the number of questions and answers and the number of learners who participated in online discussion were both positively correlated with the number of students who passed the final examination, and the correlation was especially strong since 2020. Moreover, the number of publications on medical MOOC research has soared since 2020 and has maintained a continuous upward trend. Conclusions High-quality medical MOOCs have been launched rapidly since the COVID-19 pandemic in China. The number of participants and online interactions of medical MOOCs peaked during the initial spread of COVID-19 in 2020. MOOCs are reliable and valid digital sources that facilitate medical higher education and play irreplaceable roles in emergency management.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-023-04315-zMassive open online courseMedical educationCOVID-19 |
| spellingShingle | Hui Zhu Jin Xu Penghao Wang Jia Bian Zhijia Zhao Hongyi Liu Lindan Ji The irreplaceable role of medical massive open online courses in China during the COVID-19 pandemic BMC Medical Education Massive open online course Medical education COVID-19 |
| title | The irreplaceable role of medical massive open online courses in China during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full | The irreplaceable role of medical massive open online courses in China during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_fullStr | The irreplaceable role of medical massive open online courses in China during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | The irreplaceable role of medical massive open online courses in China during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_short | The irreplaceable role of medical massive open online courses in China during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_sort | irreplaceable role of medical massive open online courses in china during the covid 19 pandemic |
| topic | Massive open online course Medical education COVID-19 |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-023-04315-z |
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