Massive open online course: a new strategy for faculty development needs in healthcare simulation

Faculty development in medical simulation is a growing need, given the increased use of simulation-based learning in healthcare. Training of trainers is demanding and resource-consuming; therefore, there is a need for accessible, practical, and resource-saving solutions enabling efficient faculty development. For that purpose, we investigated whether a massive open online course (MOOC) could meet these challenges. This manuscript presents a MOOC, its pedagogical strategies, and its impacts on faculty development. The University of Liège Medical Simulation Center developed a MOOC with five learning units focused on the foundations of simulation training. Each unit ends with a set of theoretical and practical exercises. Our results showed knowledge and skills acquisition (objective exercise score data) among participants with a success rate of 67%, as well as high levels of engagement and confidence in learning (self-reported data). We demonstrate that a MOOC for faculty development in healthcare simulation is effective, has the potential to be an accessibility enabler, and offers an additional tool for trainer training. We recommend designing it with various asynchronous online modalities and multiplying social interactions with peers and trainers to favor trainees' engagement and subsequent learning. Further perspectives should study blended learning strategies in faculty development and define the optimum ratio between face to face and online synchronous and asynchronous modalities.