The reCAPTCHA of medical education

Abstract

This article focuses on what Luis von Ahn called the “twofer,” that is, a single solution that elegantly addresses two problems on a large scale. We describe two of von Ahn’s creations: reCAPTCHA, which validates a human web presence while also digitizing hard-to-read words, and Duolingo, which teaches new languages while translating the web. We then consider how this approach can be applied to medical education. Embedding Wikipedia-editing into educational settings is one such solution that could both improve the quality of health information available to the public while enhancing the learning of future health professionals.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

Dr. Tackett receives salary support from Osmosis for research and scholarship. Mr. Gaglani is cofounder and CEO of Osmosis. Dr. Heilman is a member of the board of Wikimedia Foundation. Dr. Azzam has funding support from Hewlett Foundation to promote open educational pedagogy, including Wikipedia-editing educational experiences.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sean Tackett

Sean Tackett, MD, MPH, is a general internist and Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of General Internal Medicine at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center

Shiv Gaglani

Shiv Gaglani, MBA, is a medical student on leave at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and is Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Osmosis

James Heilman

James Heilman, MD, is an emergency physician and Clinical Assistant Professor at the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of British Columbia

Amin Azzam

Amin Azzam, MD, MA, is a psychiatrist and Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine