This guide is all about the possibilities of content creation tools / strategies that the module creators can use to effectively deliver their surgical training keeping in mind their learner needs. We will discuss some good practices that can be considered while you build your modules and we will also share examples from some of the modules of our teams on how they have used these techniques to make their content accessible and understandable.
Goals of the module[edit | edit source]
When building a training module, it is important you summarize the goals of taking the training for the learner to understand what they should expect to learn through the modules. A good practice is to list down all the objectives and final learning goals in the start of the module. This will allow the content creators to set a big picture and deliverables and the learners to have a big picture view of the training. Since surgical training is a vast field, setting goals and objectives will help content creators to narrow down the phases and have more specific content for learners.
Our GSTC teams have done some good job of putting together their goals and objectives and some examples are as follows:
Using Sandbox[edit | edit source]
A user sandbox is a space where we can edit content and view it without publishing. It is a good practice to edit modules in sandbox and then publish it once comfortable. Sandboxes can also be shared with people which makes it a great approach to work on collaborative content before publishing it.
To access your sandbox, go to the top right user icon. Click on it and a dropdown will show with the option of Sandbox, click on it and start editing.
Syllabus Formation[edit | edit source]
Most of the learners of the modules are clinical practitioners and volunteers wanting to have hands-on surgical training through these modules. Therefore, it is important that the modules are designed in a way where all the content is available in a non-confusing way. One good practice is to provide the root content in one page with navigational links for additional content. This helps the learner to understand the hierarchy and flow of the training. This ensures easier navigation in terms of finding the content that a learner might want to visit again or skip. Some examples of a hierarchical flow from our GSTC teams are as follows:
Media[edit | edit source]
Media is important in surgical training modules as it allows the user to connect more with the content. In good practices, multiple types of media can help make learning easier. It includes having the right banner, having video instructions when you want the teams to build hardware simulators for audiovisual learning, gallery of images from related content, graphs, infographics, etc.
Some of our GSTC teams have done good work on media based learning. Examples are:
Case Based Learning[edit | edit source]
In some cases, having a few cases as examples and showing how they can be treated through training using graphs or simulated videos can help learners get the big picture idea of content. It is a good practice to have example based learning from real world scenarios that can make it easier for learners to connect with training. An example of case based learning can be found here:
Keywords Optimization[edit | edit source]
Creating content online comes with a problem of searchability. To be found easily, it is a good practice that you include keywords while creating your module. These keywords can be clinical categories, surgical skills, learner identification, program name, etc. More information on keyword optimization can be found here. A guide on how to make content more searchable can be found here.
Plan B in Resource-Constrained Settings[edit | edit source]
Since the purpose of these trainings is to make surgical training accessible through low-cost, open-source training modules, there is a possibility that all tools and equipment are not readily available for the learners to practice the training skills. In that case, having backup plans in resource-constrained settings. You can see how one of our competition teams have done this and get some ideas on how you can use this approach.
Glossary[edit | edit source]
Although we initially discussed creating a learner’s description and pre-module assessment to identify if a learner is suitable to get training. However, sometimes terminologies are overwhelming. Having a glossary on a separate page and linking it to the terminologies in your content can allow the learner to review them on the go without having to be confused.
References Citations[edit | edit source]
Mostly, when creating content, we refer to already existing resources for help. It is important to have these references and citations on your module for authenticity of content. Some examples of how to incorporate references in your training modules are as follows:
Checklist of Deliverables[edit | edit source]
To aid understanding of what to deliver, we have created a checklist of deliverables while creating surgical training modules for your simulated environments. You can use this as a final list of deliverables that help you cross check if you missed any important parts of the training.
The checklist can be found here
