|
Abstract:
|
At first blush, an introductory graduate biostatistics course seems like an "obvious" choice for conversion to a 100% online format. This delivery mode is ideal for public health and medical professionals who work full-time, and this audience is growing as fully online graduate degree programs aimed at working healthcare professionals are developed. An online format also can lead to a "modularization" of the course, allowing students to pick and choose which course materials best enable their learning. However, there are certainly challenges in the conversion to fully e-delivery. Some, such as the heterogeneity of student backgrounds, are not unique to the online format. Others, such as how to introduce peer-to-peer interaction in a large, fully asynchronous class, are format-specific. In this talk I will describe the design and implementation of the online course, including how the target audience of healthcare professionals influenced various decisions. I will also share what I consider the "successes" and "failures" from the first four times the course has been offered, with an eye towards the future as we begin converting our "second course" for fully online delivery.
|
