QUESTION: Does a massive open online course (MOOC) based around an online learning module about @entity1566 improve knowledge or confidence among physiotherapy students more than if physiotherapy students are left to work through the online learning module at their own pace. Which method of presenting the content leads to greater satisfaction among the students? STUDY DESIGN: Randomised controlled trial with concealed allocation and intention-to-treat analysis. @entity1 : Forty-eight physiotherapy students in Bangladesh. INTERVENTION: @entity1 randomised to the control group were instructed to work at their own pace over a 5-week period through a physiotherapy-specific online learning module available at www.elearnSCI.org. Experimental @entity1 were enrolled in a 5-week MOOC. The MOOC involved completing the same online learning module but experimental @entity1 ' progress through the module was guided each week and they were provided with the opportunity to engage in online discussion through Facebook. OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was knowledge, and the secondary outcomes were perceived confidence to treat @entity1 with @entity1566 and satisfaction with the learning experience. RESULTS: The mean between-group difference for knowledge was 0.7 points (95% CI -1.3 to 2.6) on a 0 to 20-point scale. The equivalent results for perceived confidence and satisfaction with the learning experience were 0.4 points (95% CI -1.0 to 1.8) and 0.0 points (95% CI -1.1 to 1.2) on a 0 to 10-point scale. CONCLUSION: The MOOC was no better for students than working at their own pace through an online learning module for increasing knowledge, confidence or satisfaction. However, students in the MOOC group highlighted positive aspects of the course that were unique to their group, such as interacting with students from other countries through the MOOC Facebook group. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ACTRN12614000422628. [Hossain MS, Islam MS, Glinsky JV, Lowe R, @entity258 , Harvey LA (2015) A massive open online course (MOOC) can be used to teach physiotherapy students about @entity1566 : a randomised trial.Journal of Physiotherapy61: 21-27].

A massive open online course (MOOC) can be used to teach physiotherapy students about XXXX : a randomised trial.

@entity1566 :: ('MESH:D013119', 'Disease') :: ['spinal cord injuries'] @entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['participants', 'PARTICIPANTS', 'people'] @entity258 :: ('MESH:D009800', 'Disease') :: ['Lowe T']
@entity1566 :: (MESH:D013119,Disease) :: ['spinal cord injuries']
