The MA Medical Education, delivered by IHSE, was one of the first courses co-created with the Digital Education Studio as part of the CARE Agenda. Designed with busy medical professionals in mind, it offers flexible, asynchronous learning over a three-year period.
While student feedback has been positive, the team wanted a deeper understanding of what was working well and what could be improved. To support this evaluation, they successfully applied for £5,000 in research funding from the University of London’s Centre for Online and Distance Education (CODE) through the Teaching and Research Awards 2024.
With this funding, they were able to employ a research assistant who ran an online survey (n=25) and follow-up interviews (n=6). While they are still in the process of evaluating their results, they were able to share four themes that emerged during their thematic analysis of the data:
- Instructional content - The programme offered a strong mix of educational theory and personal development, with an emphasis on critical reflection linking academic content to clinical teaching goals. It balanced independent study with collaborative discussions that deepened engagement. Students noted that while the content was sometimes too theoretical, practical elements prepared them well for teaching roles and improved their own approaches.
- Online participation in activities - Discussion forums and webinars encouraged open, social learning by reducing hierarchy and fostering idea exchange. Peer interaction inspired new perspectives, while facilitators supported inclusive participation. Despite these benefits, some felt isolated. Suggestions included adding group projects to promote real-time collaboration and stronger connections.
- User interface - Participants found QMplus hard to navigate, especially with assignment submission limits. Some preferred consolidating tools onto one platform for clarity. While discussion forums supported learning, engagement declined in the second year. PebblePad was valued for allowing edits before deadlines, though some found it challenging to use.
- Pre-course expectations - Students appreciated the course’s flexibility, which supported work–life balance. Many joined to improve teaching skills, valuing receiving early orientation and guidance. Effective time management was seen as crucial for starting the course effectively.
There is a lot to celebrate coming through in these themes. Students have, overall, found the course social, supportive, intellectually stimulating and relevant to their goals. The areas where there is room for improvement are some of the trickiest elements of learning design. For example, wayfinding (how students navigate around a digital space) requires a contextualised and critical approach. This can be particularly difficult for new courses where you don’t have existing students to provide their experience of an online environment. Bringing student perspectives in via this evaluative process will help us provide better experiences for future cohorts.
Informed by these themes, the team has started to develop some preliminary recommendations for online programmes.
Recommendations
- Make theoretical content more relevant by adding practical scenarios for students to apply their learning.
- Introduce group projects to allow real-time collaboration while maintaining flexibility for learners. It is hoped that this will help students who have feelings of isolation and promote stronger engagement.
- Explore varied discussion formats to avoid monotony, while recognising that some students prefer using a single platform.
- Improve platform orientation with clearer guidance, enhancing existing intro videos with planned Kaltura recordings to better show students how to navigate the modules.
Final thoughts
This evaluation underscores the team’s commitment to delivering an outstanding learning experience for medical educators. While the final report won’t be finalised until August, work is already underway to implement what they have learned for students arriving in September.