Developing a more educated workforce of professionals in the field of substance use disorder treatment is a critical goal. All over the world individuals are signing up to learn how to be better professionals by pursuing self-improvement and certification through online learning.
The project to create Universal Treatment Curriculum (UTC) Self-Led courses began in 2018 but the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the need for online learning, and we have met that challenge.
The first course to launch was UTC 8 - Ethics for Addiction Professionals. Since then, five UTC courses have been launched. By the beginning of 2023 all 8 UTC basic courses will be available.
Course Design
All UTC Self-Led courses are built on the principles of universal design to ensure accessibility and inclusivity. The learner was placed at the centre of all decisions to ensure engagement, consistency and authenticity. This way the learner will see themselves reflected at some point in the course. In addition, as the courses where built there were multiple quality checks along the way ensure adherence to best practices, culturally centred content, and accurate terminology.
Assessment and Evaluation
Each course has a pre-and post-test to evaluate the learner's knowledge before and after they move through the content of each course. There are also quizzes at the end of each module to test the learner's understanding of key concepts, which they will need to demonstrate when pursuing a credential or certification.
Learners can acquire continuing education credits (CEs) after receiving a cumulative score of 80% from the course tests. The module test questions are pulled from a test bank to ensure integrity.
Worldwide Impact
In the nine months following their launch, individuals from 106 countries and territories have registered for UTC Self-Led Online Courses. While internet access and language can be a barrier to completion for learners, the content can be downloaded for offline access and translation into other languages is underway.
Completion Rates
While online learning has been around for several decades, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) typically have a completion rate of 5-15%. The Self-Led UTC courses have a 21-41% completion rate. There have been 1,040 registered learners with 339 completing the courses for a 33% completion rate. This is a very strong result.
Survey results have helped give a better understanding of the reasons why people did not complete a course. Some struggled with the online format but the majority reported that they planned to complete the course within the month.
Summary
Preliminary results are promising and online learners are accessing the courses in all areas of the globe, are increasing their knowledge, and are becoming more proficient across multiple subjects. While barriers exist that may inhibit learners from completing courses, they are not insurmountable and data will continue to inform improvements to content and outcomes.
We are delighted that professionals are using the courses to improve skills, complete training requirements, and study for certification.
To enrol in a UTC Self-Led online course please visit the ISSUP Online Learning Hub where you will find a selection of courses to choose from.