Advances in Medical Education and Practice (Nov 2021)

An Online Teaching Resource to Support UK Medical Student Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Descriptive Account

  • Karunaratne D,
  • Karunaratne N,
  • Wilmot J,
  • Vincent T,
  • Wright J,
  • Mahmood N,
  • Tang A,
  • Sam AH,
  • Reed M,
  • Howlett D

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 12
pp. 1317 – 1327

Abstract

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Dilhara Karunaratne,1 Nisal Karunaratne,2 Jade Wilmot,3 Tim Vincent,2 Juliet Wright,2 Nadia Mahmood,4 Alice Tang,5 Amir H Sam,5 Malcolm Reed,2 David Howlett1 1Eastbourne District General Hospital, Eastbourne, BN21 2UD, UK; 2Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton, BN1 9PX, UK; 3Warwick Medical School, Coventry, CV4 7HL, UK; 4Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton, BN2 5BE, UK; 5Imperial College London, Charing Cross Campus, London, W6 8RP, UKCorrespondence: Dilhara KarunaratneEastbourne District General Hospital, King’s Drive, Eastbourne, BN21 2UD, UKTel +44 300 151 4500Fax +44 1323 43579Email [email protected]: This paper describes the development and use of the bespoke digital learning resource CAPSULE (Clinical and Professional Studies Unique Learning Environment) which was launched UK wide in May 2020 to facilitate the delivery of core learning content for UK medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic. CAPSULE is a digital learning resource comprising case-based scenarios and multiple-choice questions, encompassing all undergraduate medical specialities and supported by a pan-speciality editorial board. Following the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown and loss of face-to-face learning opportunities, CAPSULE was made available to all UK medical schools in May 2020. Following a global content review and edit and UK wide rollout, over 41,000 medical students and 3200 faculty registered as users. Approximately 1.5 million cases were completed in the first 12 months of use by up to 4500 distinct monthly users. Feedback from both students and faculty has been highly positive. CAPSULE continues to be used within UK medical schools and has allowed an entire cohort of medical students to access core curriculum content and progress their studies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Future directions may include further integration into UK medical school curricula, enhancement of platform functionality and potential expansion on an international scale.Keywords: CAPSULE, COVID-19, digital learning platform, UK medical school

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