A Comparison of Online versus On-site Training in Health Research Methodology: A Randomized Study

BMC Medical Education

Research Article

Nikhil Gupte¹  Holly Taylor²  Jane McKenzie-White²  John McGready²  Nancy Kass²  Joseph Ali²  Sukon Kanchanaraksa²  Stephen D Sisson²  Robert C Bollinger²  Paolo Miotti³  Anant Bhan⁴  Amita Aggarwal⁵  Rakesh Aggarwal⁵ 

[1] BJ Medical College Clinical Trials Unit, Pune, India;Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA;Office of AIDS Research, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA;Researcher, Bioethics and Global Health, Pune, India;Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, 226014, Lucknow, India;

关键词: Knowledge Score;    Knowledge Gain;    Interactive Session;    Online Training;    Faculty Expert;   

DOI  :  10.1186/1472-6920-11-37

 received in 2010-11-26, accepted in 2011-06-17,  发布年份 2011

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundDistance learning may be useful for building health research capacity. However, evidence that it can improve knowledge and skills in health research, particularly in resource-poor settings, is limited. We compared the impact and acceptability of teaching two distinct content areas, Biostatistics and Research Ethics, through either on-line distance learning format or traditional on-site training, in a randomized study in India. Our objective was to determine whether on-line courses in Biostatistics and Research Ethics could achieve similar improvements in knowledge, as traditional on-site, classroom-based courses.MethodsSubjects: Volunteer Indian scientists were randomly assigned to one of two arms.Intervention: Students in Arm 1 attended a 3.5-day on-site course in Biostatistics and completed a 3.5-week on-line course in Research Ethics. Students in Arm 2 attended a 3.5-week on-line course in Biostatistics and 3.5-day on-site course in Research Ethics. For the two course formats, learning objectives, course contents and knowledge tests were identical.Main Outcome Measures: Improvement in knowledge immediately and 3-months after course completion, compared to baseline.ResultsBaseline characteristics were similar in both arms (n = 29 each). Median knowledge score for Biostatistics increased from a baseline of 49% to 64% (p < 0.001) 3 months after the on-site course, and from 48% to 63% (p = 0.009) after the on-line course. For the on-site Research Ethics course, median score increased from 69% to 83% (p = 0.005), and for the on-line Research Ethics course from 62% to 80% (p < 0.001). Three months after the course, median gains in knowledge scores remained similar for the on-site and on-line platforms for both Biostatistics (16% vs. 12%; p = 0.59) and Research Ethics (17% vs. 13%; p = 0.14).ConclusionOn-line and on-site training formats led to marked and similar improvements of knowledge in Biostatistics and Research Ethics. This, combined with logistical and cost advantages of on-line training, may make on-line courses particularly useful for expanding health research capacity in resource-limited settings.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Aggarwal et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2011