OE Global 2018

Globally, 285 million people are visually impaired, 90% in low and middle income countries (LMIC), 80% from avoidable causes. LMIC settings face a shortfall in eye health specialists, training institutions and faculty. Knowledge and skills to deliver comprehensive health services and strengthen eye health systems is essential to practical functioning of the eye team but is often not included in clinical curricula.
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are free to access online courses. Open Educational Resources (OER) provide easily downloadable, shareable, adaptable content.
Global Blindness is the world’s first public health eye care MOOC. Over 6 weeks it covers the essentials of planning and managing eye care services. OER content enables further local educational transformation. Global eye care experts contribute to content development and mentor participants.
Course first ran on the FutureLearn platform in 2015. Analytics data, pre- and post-course survey results indicated that health workers in LMICs successfully engaged with it:
• 3,541 joiners, 2,166 active participants
• 69% from LMICs, 81% working in health/social care
• 47% posted comments, 34% completed ≥50%, 20% completed ≥90%
• 96% satisfied/very satisfied
• 206 statements purchased.
After 1 year, online survey sent to assess:
• Did participation lead to career and educational benefits?
• Were OER used to support teaching and learning?
• What impact did course have on health provider practice?
Response rate 3.9%, 82% lived in LMIC, 94% worked in eye care. 88% reported educational benefits; 72% reported career benefits; 85% reported applying their learning; 70% reported challenges in applying learning; 70% reported using OER for teaching and learning.
Currently developing a wider impact methodology to explore cycles of immediate, potential, applied, realised or reframing value from engagement with the MOOC/OER for individual health workers and educators, ophthalmic training institutions, professional bodies and eye care educational landscapes.