Developing a blended course on dying, loss, and grief.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Psychology
• Thanatology

Background:

• Effective end-of-life education is crucial for healthcare professionals.
• Training must address sensitive topics like dying, loss, and grief.
• Traditional teaching methods may not fully engage learners with emotional content.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and implement a blended learning course for end-of-life education.
• To integrate online and face-to-face learning for sensitive topics.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of the blended approach compared to traditional methods.

Main Methods:

• Developed a blended course combining classroom and online learning.
• Utilized Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory for module design.
• Created four interactive online learning modules on grief and bereavement.

Main Results:

• Course evaluations indicated success for the blended learning format.
• The blended approach was found to be more effective than traditional face-to-face instruction.
• Engaging, interactive elements enhanced the learning experience.

Conclusions:

• A blended learning strategy is effective for teaching sensitive end-of-life topics.
• Experiential learning principles can optimize online module design.
• This approach enhances health professional education in grief and bereavement.