TY - JOUR
T1 - Introduction to reproduction
T2 - Online education for the millennial learner
AU - Castle, Megan
AU - Kick, Laura
AU - Haseley, Heather
AU - Wallach, Harlan
AU - Woodruff, Teresa K.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 by the Society for the Study of Reproduction, Inc.
PY - 2016/7
Y1 - 2016/7
N2 - Despite staggering rates of sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancies, reproductive health education is not yet standardized across secondary or postsecondary curricula. The Women's Health Research Institute and Northwestern University Information Technology created Introduction to Reproduction, a massive open online course to encourage global students to learn the biological foundations of reproductive health. This digital education experience appeals to the Millennial learner and offers unique opportunities to explore topics in reproductive biology via lectures, animations, and three-dimensional anatomical illustrations. Data were collected anonymously from deidentified learners who elected to self-report on their experiences while completing the course as well as through Coursera datasets. Northwestern University's Institutional Review Board classified this research project as an exempt status due to the deidentified nature of the collected data. Participants from 47 countries report on reproductive health content knowledge, past reproductive health education, and level of engagement with the topic. These data indicate that the Introduction to Reproduction course has a meaningful impact on its participants and presents the information in a concise and accessible format. Distribution of this course to a wider audience is the goal for the program and important to the field of reproductive health.
AB - Despite staggering rates of sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancies, reproductive health education is not yet standardized across secondary or postsecondary curricula. The Women's Health Research Institute and Northwestern University Information Technology created Introduction to Reproduction, a massive open online course to encourage global students to learn the biological foundations of reproductive health. This digital education experience appeals to the Millennial learner and offers unique opportunities to explore topics in reproductive biology via lectures, animations, and three-dimensional anatomical illustrations. Data were collected anonymously from deidentified learners who elected to self-report on their experiences while completing the course as well as through Coursera datasets. Northwestern University's Institutional Review Board classified this research project as an exempt status due to the deidentified nature of the collected data. Participants from 47 countries report on reproductive health content knowledge, past reproductive health education, and level of engagement with the topic. These data indicate that the Introduction to Reproduction course has a meaningful impact on its participants and presents the information in a concise and accessible format. Distribution of this course to a wider audience is the goal for the program and important to the field of reproductive health.
KW - Introduction to reproduction
KW - MOOC
KW - Massive open online course
KW - Reproduction
KW - Reproduction courses
KW - Reproductive education
KW - Reproductive health
KW - Reproductive online courses
KW - Women's health research institute
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84982960867&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84982960867&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1095/biolreprod.116.140004
DO - 10.1095/biolreprod.116.140004
M3 - Article
C2 - 27335073
AN - SCOPUS:84982960867
VL - 95
JO - Biology of Reproduction
JF - Biology of Reproduction
SN - 0006-3363
IS - 1
M1 - 29
ER -