Evaluating Effectiveness of Online Learning Modules in Pediatric Environmental Health Education

Abstract

Objective Content and training about pediatric environmental health are lacking in healthcare professionals' education. In an initiative to improve pediatric environmental health education, the Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU) program offers free, interactive, web-based ("eLearning") modules on environmental health topics. The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of PEHSU eLearning modules in increasing knowledge about pediatric and reproductive environmental health. Methods This is a retrospective analysis of 994 users who had completed at least one of the 12 PEHSU eLearning modules and its associated pre-test and post-test scores between March 2016 and November 2018. Users who completed modules between March 2016 and April 2018 received a 6-month follow-up survey to assess the impact of the knowledge gained on their clinical practice. Results A wide range of clinical professionals and nonclinical professionals utilized and completed the PEHSU eLearning modules. For all users, post-test scores were significantly higher than pre-test scores, with an increase of 30.55% ± 22.37 (paired t-test, p < 0.0001), after completion of eLearning modules. Conclusion PEHSU eLearning modules are effective at increasing environmental health knowledge of clinical and nonclinical professionals. Further studies are needed to determine long-term knowledge retention and clinical impact.

Turning A Crisis into Opportunity, E-Learning During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…A study about e-learning in palliative care showed that 96% of students used e-learning as a preparation tool for their exams (27). Another survey for evaluating the effectiveness of an online teaching module in the pediatric department showed that e-learning is effective at increasing environmental health knowledge of clinical and non-clinical professionals, assessed by a pre-test and a post-test for the clinical expertise acquired from the online modules (28). Others have shown that educational technologies for respiratory care have an important role and that online learning for baccalaureate and higher degrees in respiratory care is promising.…”

E-Learning during COVID-19 Pandemic: Turning a Crisis into Opportunity

“…Since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, all areas of distant communication and learning were accelerated, this change being permanent in many ways. 14 Although it may be feasible for e-learning to replace classroom setting education in some elds entirely, medical education is heavily reliant on student-patient interaction, bed-side learning, and in-person attendance of surgical procedures and teaching rounds. This could pose a challenge to the incorporation of elearning into medical teaching.…”

Alice im digitalen Wunderland: pädiatrische Lehre in der COVID-19-Pandemie

“…Digitale Formate werden bereits seit vie-lenJahrenfürdasMedizinstudiumentwickelt, wobei dies jedoch häufig für spezielle Fragestellungen erfolgte, wie die Verschreibung von Medikamenten, das Erlernen pädiatrischer Reanimationstechniken, die Bearbeitung umweltmedizinischer Fragen oder spezielle dermatologische oder physiologische Lehrinhalte [1][2][3][4][5][6] Studierenden mit digitalen Lehrformaten beeinflussen, sind die Leistungsansprüche der Studierenden an sich selbst sowie das Lernklima. Gleichzeitig sind digitale Lehrformate nach bisherigen wissenschaftlichen Analysen zeit-, kostenund arbeitsintensiv und weniger geeignet für die Vermittlung praktischer Fähigkeiten [7][8][9].…”

“…Digitale Formate werden bereits seit vielen Jahren für das Medizinstudium entwickelt, wobei dies jedoch häufig für spezielle Fragestellungen erfolgte, wie die Verschreibung von Medikamenten, das Erlernen pädiatrischer Reanimationstechniken, die Bearbeitung umweltmedizinischer Fragen oder spezielle dermatologische oder physiologische Lehrinhalte [ 1 – 6 ]. Mit dem Auftreten der SARS-CoV-2-Pandemie wurde es jedoch erforderlich, Online-Unterricht nicht nur für einzelne, sondern für alle und sehr verschiedene Lehrveranstaltungen anzubieten, wobei Lehre, die traditionell der Interaktion mit Patientinnen oder Patienten bedarf, eine besondere Herausforderung an Lehrende und Studierende darstellt.…”

“…Sinnvoll ist es, Interaktionsmöglichkeiten innerhalb der Anwendungen (z. B. Quiz) oder mit den Dozierenden während oder nach dem Angebot des elektronischen Lehrmediums vorzusehen [ 1 , 5 , 6 , 9 ].…”