The StrokeEd MOOC
A MOOC is a Massive Open Online Course.
“Analysis and retraining of upper limb function after stroke” was a MOOC run in June 2024 by the StrokeEd Collaboration, an Australian educational provider. The content focused on evidence-based analysis and retraining of the upper limb after stroke.
The UL MOOC will be run again in June 2025.
The 2025 UL MOOC
In 2025 the MOOC, “Analysis and retraining of upper limb function after stroke” will run from 2nd June to 4th July.
Registrations will open on the 5th May 2025.
The MOOC will be free for residents of low and middle income countries and will cost $100 for residents of high income countries. The MOOC will be approximately 3 hours per week of self-paced online tasks and a weekly interactive activity on Facebook. There will be two live online Question and Answer sessions with the presenters.
Who can join the MOOC?
Our target audience is occupational therapists and physiotherapists, but anyone involved in stroke rehabilitation is welcome to register for the MOOC.
A total of 1,728 participants registered for the 2024 MOOC, from 46 countries.
Registrants included occupational therapists, physiotherapists, allied health assistants, physicians, nurses, students, stroke survivors and others interested in stroke rehabilitation.
Course overview
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, participants should be able to meet the following learning outcomes:
- Describe a structured approach to the analysis of activity limitations in reach, grasp and manipulation tasks after stroke
- Outline the evidence base for rehabilitation of the affected arm after stroke
- Describe evidence-based training strategies to increase strength in very weak arm muscles and for intensive task training for the affected arm after stroke
- Describe evidence-based strategies to prevent and treat secondary impairments of the affected arm after stroke
Week 1:
Key concepts
- Defining key terms i.e. kinematics and kinetics
- UL anatomy, major muscles of the UL and their roles
- The contribution of impairments to activity limitations
- Clinical reasoning for UL movement problems after stroke
Week 2:
Movement analysis
- The biomechanics of UL tasks
- Identifying kinematic deviations, compensations and potential impairments
- Determining the causes of the UL movement problems
Week 3:
Evidence-based intervention
- Appraising systematic review and clinical trials
- Improving strength in weak UL muscles
- Video examples of training very weak muscles including implementing mirror therapy, E-stim, mental practice
Week 4:
Evidence-based intervention
- Improving UL task performance including advanced hand co-ordination
- Video examples of training common tasks
- Evidence-based strategies to prevent and reduce; subluxation, shoulder pain, swelling and contracture after stroke
Week 5:
Effective coaching and intensity of practice
- Evidence-based coaching for UL rehabilitation including; effective instructions, feedback and environment set up
- Strategies to increase intensity and amounts of UL practice
- UL Case studies
- Changing your practice – reflective tasks
Presenters
The course was presented by StrokeEd directors: Associate Professor Simone Dorsch, Dr Annie McCluskey and Karl Schurr.
Cost
In 2024, a fee of $50 AUD was charged to registrants living in high income countries, but the MOOC was free to registrants in low and middle income countries.
In 2025, a fee of $100 AUD will be charged to registrants living in high income countries, but the MOOC will be free to registrants in low and middle income countries.
StrokeEd aims to make their education and training accessible and affordable to all practitioners.
Participant feedback from 2024 MOOC
Prior to the MOOC I found it really challenging to create treatment programs for people with very weak upper limbs. I have made some great notes and have some great ideas to try with my patients.
I feel much more confident in analysing, prescribing exercises and addressing compensations, as well as being comfortable with modalities such as mirror therapy, e-stim and mental practice
I am a new graduate OT in acute setting and it has provided me with excellent insight into early assessment and recognition of areas to assess.
All the teaching materials and instructors were excellent.
I have really enjoyed taking part in the MOOC. It has been a great refresher and opportunity to think reflectively about my own clinical practice but also gain a better understanding of and ideas for how to set up and facilitate self directed practice
I’ve learnt a lot about treatment strategies and ways to change the environment to create a semi-supervised program for upper limb class.
Excellent MOOC, Fantastic value for money, all the content was of a very high standard but easy to watch and understand