Castle Megan, Kick Laura, Haseley Heather, Wallach Harlan, Woodruff Teresa K
Women's Health Research Institute, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois.
Northwestern Information Technology, Evanston, Illinois.
Biol Reprod. 2016 Jul;95(1):29. doi: 10.1095/biolreprod.116.140004. Epub 2016 Jun 22.
Despite staggering rates of sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancies, reproductive health education is not yet standardized across secondary or postsecondary curricula. The Women's Health Research Institute and Northwestern University Information Technology created Introduction to Reproduction, a massive open online course to encourage global students to learn the biological foundations of reproductive health. This digital education experience appeals to the Millennial learner and offers unique opportunities to explore topics in reproductive biology via lectures, animations, and three-dimensional anatomical illustrations. Data were collected anonymously from de-identified learners who elected to self-report on their experiences while completing the course as well as through Coursera datasets. Northwestern University's Institutional Review Board classified this research project as an exempt status due to the de-identified nature of the collected data. Participants from 47 countries report on reproductive health content knowledge, past reproductive health education, and level of engagement with the topic. These data indicate that the Introduction to Reproduction course has a meaningful impact on its participants and presents the information in a concise and accessible format. Distribution of this course to a wider audience is the goal for the program and important to the field of reproductive health.
尽管性传播感染率和意外怀孕率惊人，但生殖健康教育在中学或高等教育课程中尚未标准化。妇女健康研究所和西北大学信息技术部门创建了《生殖导论》这一大型开放式在线课程，以鼓励全球学生学习生殖健康的生物学基础。这种数字教育体验吸引了千禧一代学习者，并通过讲座、动画和三维解剖插图提供了探索生殖生物学主题的独特机会。数据是从身份不明的学习者那里匿名收集的，这些学习者在完成课程时选择自行报告他们的经历，同时也通过Coursera数据集收集。由于所收集数据的身份不明性质，西北大学机构审查委员会将该研究项目归类为豁免状态。来自47个国家的参与者报告了生殖健康内容知识、过去的生殖健康教育以及对该主题的参与程度。这些数据表明，《生殖导论》课程对其参与者有重大影响，并以简洁易懂的形式呈现信息。将该课程推广到更广泛的受众是该项目的目标，对生殖健康领域很重要。
