Determining the Instructional Effectiveness of Online Vaccine Education Modules: A Focus-Group Analysis

Abstract

Vaccine education for pediatric and family medicine residents is inadequate. Implementation of evidence-based instructional design methods for medical education is understudied. We conducted four focus groups with residents who had completed a novel immunization curriculum to explore their satisfaction with design, content and impact on confidence. Data were analyzed using thematic content analysis. Overall satisfaction with the curriculum was high. Residents valued the interactive design and content, reported improvement in confidence in discussing vaccines with parents, and shared recommendations for future iterations of the modules. Technical challenges were reported with the learning management system. Medical education modules developed using best practices in instructional design were well-liked by trainees and future modules should be developed using these principles.

Keywords

• Resident education
• vaccine education
• focus group
• Cognitive Load Theory
• CLT
• Attention, Relevance, Confidence, Satisfaction Model