A Review of the Use of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) in Medical Imaging Education

Purpose: The purpose of this review article is to describe the benefits and challenges associated with massive open online courses (MOOCs) and to discuss the implications specific to medical imaging education and training. Methods: Peer-reviewed journal articles pertaining to MOOCs in higher education were analyzed to identify commonalities, relationships, and possible gaps in the literature. Results: Analysis revealed several repetitive themes and concepts regarding the use of MOOCs in higher education: theory of connectivism, instructors’ and students’ perspectives, and benefits and challenges. Implications for medical imaging education and training were also discussed. Conclusions: As web-based education and technology integration continue to increase, innovative approaches, such as MOOCs, will continue to develop. As higher education institutions continue experimenting with MOOCs, opportunities to engage individuals as lifelong learners will rise. Medical imaging students can use MOOCs to refine skills to prepare for an upcoming course along with the possibility of completing continuing education requirements

Transactional Distance and Course Structure: A Qualitative Study

The last ten years has born witness to the rapid development and widespread offering of education at a distance. Even though distance education has been around since the 1970s, little attention has been given to how the structure of an online course influences students’ connections to the course or the instructor. Based on Michael G. Moore’s (1972) theory of transactional distance, this study examined one cluster of his theory—course structure. An extensive review of relevant literature revealed that there was a gap in research related to online course structure. In an effort to contribute to closing this gap, this study explored student experiences related to the structure of online Radiologic Science courses. A qualitative, phenomenological study of these experiences provided a base of knowledge from which conclusions could be drawn and suggestions made. Twenty students in a fully online Radiologic Science baccalaureate program were interviewed and those interviews were analyzed for emergent themes. The major themes, design, environment, social, and transition help to define the elements of course structure that best serve students by increasing their feelings of connectedness and decreasing transactional distance. The results of this study may be beneficial to online instructors and developers who are developing new or revising existing courses to better address the needs of their students. Structuring online courses so that students feel a strong sense of connectedness reduces transactional distance