MOOCs and Medical Education: Hope or Hype?

Abstract

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. The use of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) in medical education is evolving and the potential of these learning and teaching resources has not yet been fully explored. Having previously integrated MOOCs within our medical undergraduate curriculum in a variety of contexts, in this study we focused on the attitudes of staff and students to the perceived utility of MOOCs in both undergraduate and postgraduate medical education. The results of an online survey demonstrate an openness to, yet in many cases, an unfamiliarity with, this technology in both educators and students. Further exploration of the data reveals a desire for greater levels of guidance in this ever expanding field, and specific curricular areas were highlighted where potential for the use of MOOCs seems particularly enticing. These insights may be helpful in the ongoing debate as to the direction of the field as educators seek to maximise the effectiveness of a blended approach to medical education.