Intensive online courses (IOC) are increasing due to its high demand and flexibility. Limited studies explored intensive delivery approaches in health-related disciplines, which require interconnectedness to patient's health and wellbeing. Overall, the way forward is to look at the IOC in an ecological framework, interconnecting students, educators, and educational support services for enhancing the effectiveness.
There are commonalities regarding intensive (6 study periods per year, completing a single unit within 6 weeks) and non-intensive online approaches to learning, including learning materials, assessment principles, and skills requirements for both educators and students. However, the intensive learning environment includes a higher level of reliance on effective communication, technology, and feedback strategies as well as competent educators in intensive online teaching. Hence, pedagogical approaches need to account for student's competencies and preferred learning approaches. Although both intensive and non-intensive approaches have some similar learning outcomes, IOC are preferred by students due to learning at their own pace and frequent intakes (Vlachopoulos et al., 2019). Universities also benefit from IOC as they are not limited to a specific time/place that attracts more national and international students.
Critical barriers to IOC can be increased attrition due to poor motivation and time management skills, technological challenges for students and educators, and difficulties to bond with Student Learning Facilitators. It is vital to consider strategies to provide support, including a flexible teaching approach, updated technological capabilities, meaningful interactions mutually and reciprocally, enhanced self-regulated learning, and peer-to-peer and student-to-educator communication. In addition, advanced technologies (e.g., simulations) help educators in engaging students in activities (Bevacqua & Colasante, 2018) and in bringing more student-centred practices.
Some of the challenges for clinical placements/education can be related to the need for face-to-face working with patients (Seymour-Walsh et al., 2020) and the nature of the assessment (e.g., OSCE) (Kakadia et al., 2020). It is recommended to use artificial intelligence (e.g., gamification) to create more real-world scenarios and enhance the practicality of the learning/assessment. A lack of support for staff (Torda, 2020), beliefs about the complexity of online teaching, and face-to-face culture are other important factors that may hinder the potentials of educators for IOC; thus, they may require interventions (e.g., persuasion, modelling).
The Capability-Opportunity-Motivation Behaviour (COM-B) model can be beneficial in overcoming the barriers (Michie et al., 2011). The COM-B can explore educator's capabilities and motivations toward the IOC as well as the opportunities for implementing a successful IOC. It is also recommended that universities collect ongoing feedback from students and educators and acknowledge that acclimatisation to online platforms needs time and patience.