Background
Cochrane Classmate is an interactive learning tool designed to enhance evidence production and synthesis training. Educators can use this tool to create exciting learning activities to improve research and information skills in the identification and classification of clinical trials and studies.
Overall objectives of Cochrane Classmate
To support and encourage anyone who wants to help categorise and summarise healthcare evidence so that better healthcare decisions can be made. Classmate complements Crowd – a citizen science platform, supported by volunteers around the world, helping to curate and deliver health evidence.
Specifically designed to support trainers, Classmate enhances group education about evidence-based healthcare. By compounding the students’ learning in a structured way, monitoring their progress and providing feedback at all levels of skill, this online tool helps to nurture progression.
In a world where global scientific output doubles every nine years, more and more people are needed to help categorise healthcare evidence. Students can use this process to enhance their knowledge, maintain their CPD and contribute to this global effort.
It is a truly ‘Win Win’ solution.
The role of Metaxis
To design an interactive, on-line training tool that provides learners with an easy to use front-end, together with a versatile back-end management solution that supports the trainer and keeps all parties engaged in their learning but also in helping the ongoing challenge of evidence identification.
Classmate enables educators to create bespoke training courses to suit their student groups, and learners benefit from this tailored approach. The process is intuitive and includes lots of online help and guidance from anywhere in the system. Rich management tools – statistics, graphs, user performance matrix, audit trails and progress reports all ensure a smooth, online training facility, with groups and/or individuals interactively linked to their trainer.
By integrating ‘known’ and live citation records into Classmate, progression is swift for students. They benefit from data enrichment of ‘known’ records – online commentary provided by experts accelerates the learning process. Combining this function with interactive practice on live records really helps to support students and affirms progression.
To include gaming mechanics to enable trainers to create different levels of complexity in screening challenges for groups.
Key features:
- Modular design that enhances study planning and appraisal
- Uses ‘known’ records identified by Crowd & commented on by experts
- Provides rich and relevant data – ‘known’ and live records
- Preference-based record screening – specialty or general interest
- Dynamic performance metrics – links educator and learner – timely feedback
- Game mode - enables ‘screening challenges’ on live records
Key benefits:
- Flexible and creative learning tool – trainers can adapt to their specific needs
- Intuitive, well-structured and signposted learning environment
- The use of ‘live’ records allows students to contribute to the cause whilst learning
- Customisable to the needs and interests of any specialty or learner group
- Provides performance metrics to support and encourage learners at any skill level
- Rewarding ‘learning by doing’ – CPD and improving research and information skills
- Game mode – a fun way to clear backlogs, raise money for charity and keep learning