This document discusses the development and delivery of an open online course called SHOOC (Sheffield Hallam Open Online Course) in partnership with St. Luke's Hospice to promote conversations about end of life. The course aimed to provide an educational opportunity for participants to discuss difficult topics around death and dying. Over 1,300 people enrolled in the course. Feedback indicated that the course helped participants reflect on personal experiences and learn from others. While the course was emotionally rewarding for many, challenges included marketing, technology support, and the time commitment required.

1. Facilitating Conversations about
End of Life
Sue Willis
Sheffield Hallam University

2. Aim
• To give an example of one educational tool to
promote conversation about end of life
• To discuss our experience of delivering a
SHOOC (Sheffield Hallam Open Online Course)
in Partnership with St Luke’s Hospice,
highlighting the successes and challenges

3. Why develop an
open online course?
• Changing attitudes to death
and dying, current policy
drivers
• Provide a platform to facilitate
conversation
• Access to a wider audience
• To build and harness learning
gained from the first open
online course EPCC – 12
months earlier
• Develop partnership working
with St Luke’s Hospice

4. Engaging in Conversations about End
of Life is difficult
• Personal feelings (fear?)
• Experiences, beliefs and values
• Ability to portray empathy – ‘walking with the
patient’
• All impact on our ability to talk about it
personally and professionally.

5. Aims of the SHOOC
• To provide an educational opportunity to
engage in conversations about death and
dying and preparing for end of life.
• To facilitate learning about the perspectives
and experiences of patients, family members,
carers and health care professionals engaging
in difficult or challenging conversations.

6. When
• November 2015 - SHU
• 1372 participants enrolled on the CELC
SHOOC.
• A pre-course survey, completed by 816
participants (representing a 59% response
rate), explored motivations for participation
and sought to identify the goals of
participants.

9. Table to show motivation for doing the course

10. Key themes
• Talking about death and
dying
• Spiritual and cultural
issues
• Preparing for end of life
• Bereavement
• ‘Looking after yourself’

11. Supporting the conversations
• Webinars – experts in SPC
• Videos of real experiences of patients and
carers
• Conversation Space
• Digital Workbooks for personal reflection
• E-tivities

12. Outcomes
• An emotional and rewarding experience with
many participants to reflecting on personal
experiences of, and engaging in conversations
about death and dying and preparing for end of
life.
• Contributions to the discussions were extremely
moving, enlightening and ‘supportive’ -
highlighting the willingness of participants to
share their learning and experiences.

17. Reward and Recognition
• Digital workbooks
• 5 open badges awarded
• 486 claims 421 approved
• 24 expressed interest in RPL credit
• 4 successfully submitted and achieved 15C at
level 7 mapped against the CWISPC module

18. Feedback
• ‘You would not believe how quickly the course
material has impacted my day to day practice,
with an increase in my palliative advanced
prostate cancer patients in the last two
months. Thank you for the opportunity to
attend this online education’

19. Challenges
• Marketing – target audience
• Technology – support
• Timing of the webinars
• Time commitment for staff and participants

20. Summary
• Engaging in conversations about death and
dying or end of life is difficult
• The SHOOC provided an opportunity to
express views, values, opinions and beliefs
and learn from others
• It is not about having the answers
• Importance of good communications skills and
• Looking after yourself!

22. References
Department of Health (2008). End of Life Care Strategy. Last accessed 12th April 2016 at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/136431/End_of_li
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Hollands, F.M. & Tirthali, D. (2014). MOOCs: Expectations and Reality. Full Report. [Online]. Last
accessed 12th April 2016 at: http://cbcse.org/wordpress/wp-
content/uploads/2014/05/MOOCs_Expectations_and_Reality.pdf
Leadership Alliance for the Care of Dying People (2014) One chance to get it right. Leadership
Alliance for the Care of Dying people. [Online]Last accessed 12th April 2016 at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/323188/One_cha
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Parkin, H. (2015). Enhancing Prostate Cancer Care MOOC – Evaluation Report. [Online]. Last
accessed 12th April 2016 at:
https://blogs.shu.ac.uk/telteam/files/2015/06/PUBLIC-Evaluation-Report-Enhancing-ProstateCancer-Care-
MOOC.pdf
Parr, C. (2015). MOOCs: fluctuating rates in online investment. THES article. [Online]. Last accessed
12th April 2016 at:
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/moocs-fluctuating-rates-in-onlineinvestment/2019816.article