Design and Implementation of a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) for the Development of Research Protocols in Medicine
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Abstract
Objective: To describe the design and academic structure of the massive open online course (MOOC) “Medical Research Protocol: Design and Development” and to report formative evaluation results from a pilot implementation assessing its instructional design, usability, and perceived usefulness.
Methods: We conducted a descriptive study of educational development. The course was developed by the Faculty of Medicine of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, with support from the Coordination of Open University and Digital Education. The development process included academic planning, instructional design, material production, academic and technical validation, and pilot implementation. Formative evaluation used structured questionnaires, learning platform records, and participant comments. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and qualitative data were analyzed through inductive thematic analysis. Results: The MOOC comprised six units delivered over 15 weeks and included 191 educational resources, such as audiovisual aterials, readings, quizzes, forums, and a model research protocol. The pilot implementation involved 36 participants from multiple medical specialties and medical interns, all of whom completed the course. Formative evaluation results indicated overall favorable ratings for instructional design, curricular coherence, and methodological usefulness. Critical feedback focused on operational issues—clarity of instructions, reading load, item wording, and platform accessibility—leading to adjustments before institutional release.
Conclusion: This MOOC is an educational resource focused on medical research protocol development, refined through a structured academic and technical review process. Pilot participant feedback was overall favorable, supporting institutional adoption with minor operational modifications. The course provides a standardized approach to teaching research methodology in medical residency programs and establishes a basis for future evaluations of learning outcomes and protocol quality.
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