Intervention
Dementia
OPTIMiSE was a free 6-module web-based course (plus an introductory and conclusion module) of approximately 2 hours of content per week, delivered through the Massive Open Online Course platform at the University of Tasmania Wicking Dementia Centre. It ran over an 8-week period (from October 20, 2020, to December 15, 2020), with a new module released weekly over the first 6 weeks. Participants could complete the modules at any time within the 8-week period. There was a booster session 3 months after the completion of the course (open between March 16, 2021, and March 30, 2021). The intended learning outcomes of OPTIMiSE were for the participants to (1) understand memory, how it works, and how it changes across the life span and (2) learn and apply effective memory strategies for everyday life.OPTIMiSE was developed by the core OPTIMiSE team in consultation with a stakeholder advisory committee comprising consumers, service providers, and clinician-researchers. Core program content was adapted from key elements of successful memory strategy interventions, such as the LaTCH program [Content was provided using a conversational framework through videos (including interviews with guest experts), text, static and interactive diagrams, LEGO (The LEGO Group) animated case studies, photographs, summaries, transcripts, reflective notes, quizzes to check learning, and links to external resources (websites, videos, articles, and help sheets). Participants were provided with worked examples of how to use core strategies, followed by web-based examples to try themselves. Each module ended with homework, which participants were asked to complete and then discuss on the moderated discussion boards—either strategies for participants to try in their daily lives or an opportunity to reflect on how the provided information applied to them. The discussion boards also aimed to provide participants with an opportunity to share their experiences of memory changes with their peers. As outlined in our protocol paper [