Free online dementia course world wide success

As registrations are closing for the next round of the online course Understanding Dementia, researchers from the University of Tasmania’s Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, have released the participation and completion rates for the first group of people registered for the MOOC in late 2013.

The study found almost 10,000 people registered for the first iteration of the MOOC with 38 percent of registrants completing the online program.

“This completion rate is substantially higher than the 5-10 percent completion rates most commonly achieved for MOOC’s worldwide,” says Wicking Dementia Centre senior lecturer Dr Lyn Goldberg.

The Understanding Dementia MOOC is a free, nine week online course, which builds on the latest international research on dementia. It was developed by the Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, based in the Faculty of Health, and launched in 2013.

The study showed that people with lower levels of education were as likely as those with university experience to actively participate in and complete the MOOC.

“While MOOCs in general overwhelmingly attract younger people who have completed some university-level studies, the Understanding Dementia MOOC participants came from diverse educational backgrounds; from post-graduate degree holders through to primary school leavers,” Dr Goldberg says.

“In addition, more than 50 percent of those who completed the MOOC were more than 50 years of age.”

“These results were surprising. We had thought, based on other published findings, that those with higher levels of education would be more likely to complete the Understanding Dementia MOOC than those without such educational exposure or preparation.

“It was gratifying to know that the design of the Understanding Dementia MOOC enabled participants from diverse backgrounds to succeed in the course.”

Professor of Dementia Studies and Education Fran McInerney says dementia is an emerging global health issue. She says there was a vital need to understand its impact and how to best provide health-care solutions.

“The Understanding Dementia MOOC is making a valuable contribution to this knowledge on a world-wide basis,” according to Professor McInerney.

“Evaluating how people access and progress through the MOOC helps us identify what we can add to strengthen the course into the future.”

Since launcing in 2013, the Understanding Dementia MOOC has been held three times. It has attracted around 50,000 students from across Australia and internationally with a world-leading completion rate overall of 36 percent.

Registrations are now open for the next Understanding Dementia MOOC offering, starting on 17 August. Visit the University of Tasmania website for details.