OPENPediatrics, MOOC with virtual simulation and serious gaming

Abstract

In the article "A MOOC, many MOOCs: multilevel design in mass courses in the health area" some recommendations for the design of a MOOC are mentioned, such as meaningful contents, student involvement, measurability of what has been learned, accessibility and scalability. It seems pertinent to comment on the case of the platform OPENPediatrics (https://www.openpediatrics.org), which offers courses aimed at health professionals who provide care to pediatric patients. Among the resources used to achieve student involvement are virtual simulation and serious play.
Within the platform is a virtual simulator of peritoneal dialysis in which different cases are presented with common situations within clinical practice such as acute renal failure, chronic renal failure, electrolyte and electrolyte disorders and peritonitis in which the student must make a diagnosis. indicate peritoneal dialysis. At the end of the case the student is evaluated and obtains a gold, silver or bronze medal according to performance. Wang and colleagues define serious games as those games developed with a purpose other than entertainment, such as the teaching of some knowledge or skill and that must also include challenging tasks, performance score and attractive design.
The virtual simulation and the serious game are able to improve specific knowledge or skills for the performance of some procedure due to a greater involvement of the student, however despite the enthusiasm that exists around these new technological resources the development of these is complex and costly, it also requires a multidisciplinary team with experience in medicine, education and information technology.