Cochrane Interactive Learning (CIL) is Cochrane's online training programme designed to support researchers, healthcare professionals, students, and review authors in developing the skills needed for evidence synthesis. Through a series of self-paced, interactive modules, CIL's systematic reviews of interventions training modules cover the full systematic review process, combining videos, practical examples, knowledge checks, and assessments to help learners build confidence and understanding. Universities, research institutions, and Cochrane groups worldwide use the programme as both a standalone learning resource and a complement to face-to-face training.
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For organizations delivering systematic review training, CIL provides a flexible way to establish a consistent foundation of knowledge before participants attend workshops or courses. Karsten Juhl Jørgensen, Professor at the University of Southern Denmark, talks through how Cochrane Interactive Learning has been successfully integrated into PhD-level systematic review training, helping students prepare for coursework, strengthen their understanding of review methods, and engage more effectively in practical learning activities.
Background
As our Cochrane centre moved from a hospital to a university setting a few years ago, we wanted to offer courses in systematic reviews for PhD students and others interested in Cochrane methods. Through our new host institution, the University of Southern Denmark, we already provide a comprehensive course in evidence-based medicine as part of the medical students' curriculum. The university prioritizes evidence-based medicine and has set a specific target: 25% of PhDs in health sciences should include a systematic review. This target has already been reached and has created local demand for knowledge of systematic review methods. Our PhD courses are announced on Cochrane.org and attract students from across the country and internationally.
We have collaborated with the University of Lund, Sweden, to provide similar PhD courses for several years and have had very positive experiences using CIL. We also wanted to include CIL in our courses at the University of Southern Denmark.
How using CIL helped
We offer both a one-day introductory course for PhD students and a more in-depth four-day course. We prioritize students working on a systematic review for their PhD and students or others doing a Cochrane review.
For the 1-day course, we encourage students to prepare using CIL's introductory modules. For the 4-day course, students are required to complete and pass modules 1 through 8 to be credited for attendance. We encourage students to complete the modules prior to starting the course and inform them that this might take longer than they expect, usually two full working days for modules 1 through 8. This means students have a solid foundation for attending our course and engaging in group assignments.
While the face-to-face lectures and group assignments are the core features of the course, the CIL modules provide an essential supplement that helps students prepare and provides a unique 'check' that they have a good understanding of the basics of systematic reviews of interventions. Students learn best in different ways, and the CIL modules present learning material in various ways throughout the course.
Our courses focus on reviews of interventions, and we therefore require students to complete only modules 1 through 8. However, a number of students in each course are undertaking other types of reviews, such as diagnostic test accuracy reviews and qualitative reviews. It is nice that additional modules on different types of reviews are available, and that we can point students to them. This is an important addition to the course that increases its usability, even on topics we do not have time or the capability to teach specifically.
Why it worked
Students generally find the modules to be very clear and easy to follow. They appreciate that they consist of a combination of videos, text, and tests, all of which work together to improve learning. They are regarded as a good preparation for the course itself, and many appreciate that information is presented in different ways, increasing the chance that it is understood and taken in.
Impact
Several students attending our four-day course are working on systematic reviews or are planning one. To them, the CIL modules provide essential guides in a process where their main tutors may not always be experienced reviewers themselves. The fact that access to the modules is available for a period of time after the course finishes is key to their usability.
For us as course leaders, the tests and online registration of completion provide a nice 'check' that all students have actively participated and understood key components of the systematic review process. The integrated tests motivate students to complete the modules and encourage participation in the course’s face-to-face and group work.
Conclusion
The CIL modules are a highly appreciated key component of the training our centre provides. They offer clarity and diversity in their presentation of information, which helps prepare students for the remaining parts of our coursework. The integrated tests help us as organizers to make sure all attendees have a basic level of knowledge and increase motivation and active participation in our course.
- Karsten Juhl Jørgensen, Professor at the University of Southern Denmark
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