Villemin R., Dagenais C., and Ridde V. (2024) Evaluative study of a MOOC on knowledge translation in five French-speaking countries. PLoS ONE 19(4): e0299923. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0299923
Abstract
Over the past few years, the RENARD research team has observed a sharp increase in the need for knowledge translation (KT) training. Given the high demand, it has been nearly impossible for the team to provide training entirely in person, and so a massive open online course (MOOC) was developed. Its aim is to promote the use and appropriation of the KT process by practitioners, decision-makers, and others in the public sphere. The goal of this study was to evaluate the MOOC by collecting users’ opinions, reactions, appropriation, and practice changes. A qualitative research design was used. Data were collected through semi-structured individual interviews (n = 16) with professionals from Canada, France, and three West African countries (Burkina Faso, Mali, and Senegal) who had taken the MOOC. All interviews were subjected to thematic content analysis. The MOOC content was generally appreciated and reused by the respondents. The results revealed one main motive for completing the course: the immediate opportunity to apply their learning in their practice environments. However, most respondents deplored the lack of interaction among learners and expressed the need for coaching with an instructor to deepen the topics covered during the course. The results also revealed connection and accessibility issues linked to the Internet network and unstable access to electricity in West African countries. The study highlights the potential of MOOCs for the acquisition of knowledge and competencies by KT professionals. Several recommendations and avenues of exploration were formulated to optimize and improve future designs of MOOCs on KT.
If you have ever taken an online course, then this will be of interest. If you deliver an online course, then this will be highly relevant. I am reading this with the Research Impact Canada course, MobilizeU, in mind. And this is from Equipe RENARD, a very well-established and regarded KT research and practice unit.
First off, there are different flavours of MOOCs. xMOOCs feature “expert-to-learner” models where knowledge is transmitted to students. cMOOCs focus on participation and interaction among the learners. hMOOCs are hybrid versions. The Equipe RENARD MOOC is an xMOOC. The article is about the evaluation of their MOOC1 which is an Introduction to KT. There are no time limits to taking the MOOC and you can register for the MOOC on a rolling basis and take it at your own pace.
The evaluation uncovered user-perceived effectiveness and ineffectiveness, which is key to the continuous improvement of the online course. It also identified various motivations for learners and their opinions about the technical platform. The authors summarize the results of the evaluation better than I can, but I have bolded some key observations:
“The results showed that this MOOC was generally appreciated by respondents. They appreciated its flexibility, with no set schedule or pace, its relatively short duration, the wide range of activities available, the fact that certification was free, the quality of the content presented, the accessibility of knowledge without having to travel, the possibility of stopping and returning later to continue the course, and the fact that the content could be reconsulted at any time, even after the course had ended. Nevertheless, the most cited areas for improvement were the lack of interaction, of concrete examples outside the healthcare field, of presentation of the KT process for other types of evidence, and of effective publicity.”
I suspect these enablers and barriers could be generalized across online courses, not just KT MOOCs.
Questions for Brokers:
- Do you offer online training? If so, have you ever asked your participants about their perceptions of what is and isn’t working for them?
- Have you taken an online course? Do these barriers and enablers resonate with your experience?
- cMOOC, xMOOC, hMOOC: what are the pros and cons for each?
Research Impact Canada is producing this journal club series to make evidence on KMb more accessible to knowledge brokers and to create online discussion about research on knowledge mobilization. It is designed for knowledge brokers and other people interested in knowledge mobilization. Read this open-access article. Then come back to this post and join the journal club by posting your comments.