Teaching has always relied on pedagogical methods that have evolved over the centuries, making use of various materials and processes such as cuneiform writing, papyrus, slate, books, slides and, since the last century and at a rapid pace, new information and communication technologies (ICT), including LCD screens, DVDs, computers and the internet. These therefore presuppose distance learning. However, education continues to rely on the teacher/trainer–learner/trainee pedagogical paradigm.
eLearning is a learning methodology that combines ICT-based teaching with distance learning. One of the most contentious issues is the debate between face-to-face teaching, where the teacher or trainer delivers the prescribed material, even when using multimedia resources (videos, PowerPoint presentations, etc.), and e-learning.
The evolution of e-learning has gone through various phases – from initial enthusiasm to disappointment – but this is not the time, nor do I have the expertise, to discuss them. What is essential is the presence on e-learning platforms of educational content (including audio and video) with which students/trainees will interact, developed by multidisciplinary teams comprising educators, web designers and programmers. We are moving away from the passive acquisition of information centred on the teacher/trainer (the old-fashioned “lectures”) to the acquisition of skills through technology-based systems, using games and problems, with varying degrees of participation and interaction from learners, their organisation into groups that communicate online, and the use of tutoring. Thinking of e-learning as a method whereby recordings of teachers’ presentations are simply passed on – the equivalent of the old workbooks many of us studied from – adds no real value to the learning process.
Not all students learn at the same pace. Their own aptitudes, motivation, self-control and empathy – in other words, their emotional intelligence – all play a part in this. It is also essential to assess each student’s learning styles. It is therefore essential to introduce a pedagogical model, such as the one we use in our Functional Exploration Course for University Entrance Exams, the SAFEM-D (System
(Open Distance Learning Centre for Multimedia Training and Education), which aims to increase the speed and effectiveness of learning, whilst reducing the duration of the learning process and the associated costs.
In our e-learning course (F. Vaz Garcia, José Tavares, AA Fernandes et al.), based on the pedagogical model and platform of DLC (Distance Learning Consulting), following a diagnostic test which provides an initial assessment of each student’s prior knowledge of the subject, the course begins. It consists of virtual theoretical and practical lessons and a parallel system (teamwork using engaging models created by teaching specialists, psychologists and web designers). It offers great flexibility: students learn at their own pace, in their own environment, whenever they wish, through small modules (which are more effective). Students are assessed on the various modules, which correspond to different chapters of otoneurology; this provides them with feedback on areas of the content requiring further improvement or development. The tests are therefore a learning tool and not merely assessment mechanisms; students use them, along with the quizzes, as interactive methods. Learning is not imposed, as it draws on the student’s own motivation. Students learn through their own activity: observation, reflection and experimentation. Reinforcement is positive: satisfaction from success and cooperation; memorisation is facilitated by activity and discovery; learners determine the direction of their own reasoning process.
Our e-learning course began in 2007, with two courses run each year. Initially lasting 90 hours, it was revised and updated in 2015 and reduced to 60 hours.
It has mainly been attended by doctors. Since 2012, there have been 1,627 participants, of whom 1,465 were doctors (with the majority specialising in General and Family Medicine) and the remaining 135 were non-doctors, mainly specialists and students of Audiology.
As for nationality, the majority were Portuguese: 1,523 compared with 124 Brazilians.
Our course has been free of charge and open to all healthcare professionals, and is the only one of its kind on the internet. Initially funded by Solvay, it is currently supported by Mylan.
Maintaining it – with the necessary tutorial support and all the administrative tasks involved, as well as the need to prevent the content from becoming obsolete and to create new animations – incurs costs, just as training does in any other field of activity.
It will be difficult for us to ensure the programme’s long-term viability without the financial contribution of the students/trainees. Based on a rough estimate, we have calculated that with 250 enrolments per year, the cost of the e-learning course will be equivalent to that of a single face-to-face course with 15 participants...
After 10 years, we carried out a qualitative assessment comparing our course with an equivalent face-to-face course, and found that 86.45% preferred e-learning, compared with 13.55 % who still opted for face-to-face learning. There is also a huge difference between the results of the Initial Assessment and the Final Results, with the average Final Result standing at 92.93%.
The importance of this course and the need to maintain, update and improve it seem beyond question. Its quality certification is important – a responsibility that should be entrusted to the APO. All professionals working in the field of otoneurology, particularly during their training, should be required as part of their curriculum to undertake this course.
This course helps to save money on the training of healthcare professionals.
