TY - JOUR
T1 - Improving understanding of disease control implementation research through a mooc with participants from low-and middle-income countries
T2 - Evaluating participant reactions and learning
AU - Nwameme, Adanna
AU - Dako-Gyeke, Phyllis
AU - Asampong, Emmanuel
AU - Allotey, Pascale
AU - Reidpath, Daniel D.
AU - Certain, Edith
AU - Vahedi, Mahnaz
AU - Ross, Bella
AU - Maher, Dermot
AU - Launois, Pascal
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Nwameme et al.
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - The Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases developed a massive open online course (MOOC) on implementation research with a focus on infectious diseases of poverty (IDPs) to reinforce the explanation of implementation research concepts through real case studies. The target MOOC participant group included public health offi-cers, researchers and students. By reshaping institutions and building resilience in commu-nities and systems, implementation research will allow progress towards universal health coverage and sustainable development goals. This study evaluates learners’ knowledge in implementation research after completing the MOOC using anonymous exit survey responses. Of the almost 4000 enrolled in the two sessions of the MOOC in 2018, about 30% completed all five modules and the assessments, and were awarded certificates. The majority of the participants were early to mid-career professionals, under the age of 40, and from low-and middle-income countries. They were slightly more likely to be men (56%) with a Bachelor or a Master’s degree. Participants were public health researchers (45%), public health officers (11%) or students (11%). On completion of the course, an exit survey revealed that 80.9% of respondents indicated significant improvement to strong and very strong implementation research knowledge. This evaluation clearly shows the usefulness of the MOOC on implementation research for reaching out to field researchers and public health practitioners who are facing problems in the implementation of control programmes in low-and middle-income countries.
AB - The Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases developed a massive open online course (MOOC) on implementation research with a focus on infectious diseases of poverty (IDPs) to reinforce the explanation of implementation research concepts through real case studies. The target MOOC participant group included public health offi-cers, researchers and students. By reshaping institutions and building resilience in commu-nities and systems, implementation research will allow progress towards universal health coverage and sustainable development goals. This study evaluates learners’ knowledge in implementation research after completing the MOOC using anonymous exit survey responses. Of the almost 4000 enrolled in the two sessions of the MOOC in 2018, about 30% completed all five modules and the assessments, and were awarded certificates. The majority of the participants were early to mid-career professionals, under the age of 40, and from low-and middle-income countries. They were slightly more likely to be men (56%) with a Bachelor or a Master’s degree. Participants were public health researchers (45%), public health officers (11%) or students (11%). On completion of the course, an exit survey revealed that 80.9% of respondents indicated significant improvement to strong and very strong implementation research knowledge. This evaluation clearly shows the usefulness of the MOOC on implementation research for reaching out to field researchers and public health practitioners who are facing problems in the implementation of control programmes in low-and middle-income countries.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85151529098&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011139
DO - 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011139
M3 - Article
C2 - 36961830
AN - SCOPUS:85151529098
SN - 1935-2727
VL - 17
JO - PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
JF - PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
IS - 3
M1 - e0011139
ER -