scholarly journals The Virtual International Day of the Midwife: A Synchronous Open Online Conference for Continuing Professional Development and Learning for Midwives

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 91-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Sidebotham ◽  
Annette Dalsgaard ◽  
Deborah Davis ◽  
Sarah Stewart
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Professional Growth ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Continuing Professional Development ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Global Issues ◽  
Raising Awareness ◽  
Learning Programs ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Synchronous Online

AIM: To examine the contribution of the Virtual International Day of the Midwife (VIDM) conference to midwives’ continuing professional development (CPD).BACKGROUND: Knowledge and understanding of CPD for midwives as synchronous online learning is limited. Studies of e-learning programs for CPD have underlined the need for interaction with others. The VIDM is a synchronous online 24-hour conference freely available for midwives designed to provide a unique CPD opportunity.METHOD: An online survey with a mix of fixed-response, multiple-response, and open-ended free-text questions was available to participants for 1 month after the conference via the wiki page in 2012 and 2013.FINDINGS: The survey was completed by 239 conference participants. Midwifery students and clinical midwives were the largest groups of attendees. The most common countries of residence were Australia, United Kingdom, and United States. Respondents believed that the conference contributed to their professional development by enabling professional growth, facilitating shared learning, and raising awareness of global issues.CONCLUSION: Offering synchronous events is important to facilitate deeper learning for those engaging in online activities. As an annual synchronous 24-hour, open online conference, the VIDM has become a valuable CPD opportunity for midwives.

scholarly journals E-learning: The Scenario During COVID-19 Pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Archana Chirag Buch ◽  
Hetal Rathod ◽  
Raj Kamble
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Health Science ◽  
Male Students ◽  
Traditional Teaching ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Science Courses ◽  
Learning Programs ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Teaching Learning

Background: E-learning is essential in health science education, and the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated its utility. Objectives: The study aimed to observe the changes in the scenario of e-learning in Indian Medical Education during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 905 undergraduate health science students who agreed with an online survey. A questionnaire was prepared, including sociodemographic details, utilization of commercially available e-learning programs before the pandemic, and the scenario of teaching-learning activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was validated and circulated among medical students of various states across India through social media. Qualitative data were presented as numbers and percentages and quantitative data as mean (SD). Results: Of the 905 students surveyed, 69.17% (n = 626) were female students and 30.83% (n = 279) were male students. Besides, 85% (n = 395) of the students found commercial programs useful in clarifying concepts. Institutional e-learning was mandatory for 71.16% (n = 644) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the 644 students for whom e-learning was mandatory, 69.10% (n = 445) found tools like videoconferencing, Google classroom, zoom meetings, etc. useful in flexibility and autonomy. However, 50.47% (n = 325) of the students preferred a combined method of classroom teaching and e-learning, whereas only 9.93% (n = 64) of students preferred only e-learning as a method of teaching. They were satisfied with institutional programs for clarifying concepts (n = 386; 60%) and communication skills (n = 320; 50%). Conclusions: The utility of e-learning has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, students preferred e-learning in combination with traditional teaching, especially in health science courses.

Developing E-Learning Provision for Healthcare Professionals' Continuing Professional Development

2011 ◽  
pp. 91-104
Author(s):  
Susi Peacock ◽  
Gloria Maria Dunlop
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Quality Of Care ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Continuing Professional Development ◽  
Specific Group ◽  
Care Services ◽  
External Pressures ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Practical Reflection

This chapter discusses the provision of continuing professional development (CPD) for allied healthcare professionals (AHPs) through e-learning. External pressures are increasing on AHPs to engage with CPD on a regular basis to improve the quality of care services and facilitate changes in working practice. E-learning has the potential to reach this group of diverse learners and integrate learning into their work schedule at a time and place convenient for them and their employers: eCPD. We provide a practical reflection grounded in the experience of practitioners and students who have been involved in our deployment of eCPD over the last three years. The issues that have arisen from this initiative will be familiar to many of those who have been involved in the deployment of e-learning in our sector. Ultimately, we hope that the solutions we have provided to meet the needs of this specific group of learners will address those for all e-learners. In addition, we believe that it will support the process of embedding (“normalising”) e-learning across an institution.

scholarly journals Evolution of Facebook groups: Informal e-learning among medical laboratory scientists in Nigeria

2014 ◽  
pp. 250-261
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Social Media ◽  
International Development ◽  
Learning Style ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Continuing Professional Development ◽  
Medical Laboratory ◽  
Agency For International Development ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Health Project

Most people think of online courses when they talk about e-learning, but aspects of social media can also be considered e-learning. In 2011 the Knowledge for Health Project (K4Health) began work with local partners to implement an e-learning and professional development policy for Medical Laboratory Scientists based on the needs identified by United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/Nigeria. Six e-learning courses were developed and promoted through several channels including social media. A Facebook Group was created to share information about accessing and navigating the courses and attracted 8,500 members in 18 months. As the Group grew, the topics discussed evolved to include trade union news, employment opportunities and technical resources. Another Facebook Group provided insights that Facebook Groups could be used to facilitate interactions focused on continuing professional development. The findings show that Facebook Groups accommodate an informal learning style, allowing individuals to learn through peer support in flexible ways. It has also shown that the use of Facebook Groups is associated with high levels of engagement with e-learning courses.

scholarly journals Education Research: NeuroBytes: A New Rapid, High-Yield e-Learning Platform for Continuing Professional Development in Neurology

Neurology ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 10.1212/WNL.0000000000012133
Author(s):  
Laura E. Lavette ◽  
Alexandra Miller ◽  
Bobby Rook ◽  
Zachary London ◽  
Calli Cook ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
User Satisfaction ◽  
Continuing Professional Development ◽  
High Yield ◽  
Learning Platform ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Vulnerable Patient ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Time Required ◽  
Survey Responses

ObjectiveTo determine whether NeuroBytes is a helpful e-Learning tool in neurology through usage, viewer type, estimated time and cost of development, and post-course survey responses.BackgroundA sustainable continuing professional development (CPD) system is vital in neurology due to the field’s expanding therapeutic options and vulnerable patient populations. In an effort to offer concise, evidence based updates to a wide range of neurology professionals, the AAN launched NeuroBytes in 2018. NeuroBytes are brief (<5 min) videos that provide high-yield updates to AAN members.MethodsNeuroBytes was beta tested from August–December 2018 and launched for pilot circulation from January–April 2019. Usage was assessed by quantifying course enrollment and completion rates; feasibility by cost and time required to design and release a module; appeal by user satisfaction; and impact by self-reported change in practice.ResultsA total of 5,130 NeuroBytes enrollments (1,026±551/month) occurred from January 11–May 28, 2019 with a median of 588 enrollments per module (interquartile range, 194-922) and 37% course completion. The majority of viewers were neurologists (54%), neurologists in training (26%), and students (8%). NeuroBytes took 59 hours to develop at an estimated $77.94/hour. Of the 1,895 users who completed the survey, 82% were “extremely” or “very likely” to recommend NeuroBytes to a colleague and 60% agreed that the depth of educational content was “just right.”ConclusionsNeuroBytes is a user-friendly, easily accessible CPD product that delivers concise updates to a broad range of neurology practitioners and trainees. Future efforts will explore models where NeuroBytes combines with other CPD programs to impact quality of training and clinical practice.

scholarly journals Factors of dysfunction of institutes for assessing the qualifications of medical specialists

2021 ◽  
Vol 65 (5) ◽  
pp. 467-476
Author(s):  
Olga A. Kolennikova ◽  
Mairash S. Toksanbaeva
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Professional Growth ◽  
Continuing Professional Development ◽  
Main Function ◽  
Medical Specialists ◽  
Integral Element ◽  
Main Factors ◽  
Career Incentives ◽  
Basic Level ◽  
Incentive Payments

Introduction. The ongoing transformations of institutes for assessing the qualifications of medical specialists lead to ambiguous consequences, including the phenomena of their dysfunction. The aim of the study is to systematize the factors influencing the formation of the dysfunctions on the examples of the institute for accreditation of medical specialists and their certification for a qualification category. Material and methods. The concepts of continuing education and continuing professional development, formulated under the auspices of the United Nations, served as the theoretical basis of the study. They were the basis for the analysis of the factors causing deviations from these processes, that is, the dysfunction of the institutes for assessing the qualifications of medical professionals. The information of two sociological surveys of medical specialists employed in the system of the Moscow Healthcare Department was used, namely, a sample questionnaire survey and a survey by the method of expert interviews. Results. The factors of dysfunction of the institute of accreditation of medical specialists were identified on the basis of an analysis of the practice of continuing medical education (CME), introduced as an integral element of the transition from the institute of certification to the institute of accreditation. The main attention is paid to the shortcomings of the CME, which cause the dysfunctions of this institute. It is revealed that they are caused by an insufficiently debugged organization of the CME. The study of the work of the institute of certification for a qualification category showed that its main function, namely, ensuring permanent professional development above the accreditation level, has significantly weakened. This is confirmed by the statistics of a decrease in specialists undergoing both primary and secondary certification. One of the main factors is a violation of the incentives for professional growth. Discussion. The problems of dysfunction of qualification assessment institutes are mainly because the coordination of their elements is not sufficiently observed in the work of these institutes. Within the framework of the accreditation institute, this is reflected in the fact that the distribution of responsibilities between all the subjects of the CME is poorly coordinated. And in the work of the institute of certification for a qualification category, its fundamental differences from the institute of accreditation are erased, mainly due to symbolic surcharges for the type and attempts to replace them with incentive payments common to both institutes. Conclusion. The factors of dysfunction of the institutes for assessing the qualifications of medical specialists are systematized into main and concretized (as forms of manifestation of the main factors). The necessity of joint responsibility of the subjects of the CME for its quality, adequate to ensure the basic level of qualification, and strengthening the financial and career incentives for professional growth above the basic level, is substantiated.

scholarly journals Blending learning: The preferred choice of clinical nurse educators to provide continuing professional development

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 58
Author(s):  
Antonia Arnaert ◽  
Hamza Ahmad ◽  
Norma Ponzoni ◽  
Catherine Oliver ◽  
Adriana Grugel-Park
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Nurse Educators ◽  
Professional Competence ◽  
Video Clip ◽  
Continuing Professional Development ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Clinical Nurse ◽  
Human Contact ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Traditional Pedagogy

Introduction and objective: A clinical nurse educators’ (CNE) work is primarily focused on ensuring that fellow registered nurses have the skills and training to improve their clinical practice and maintain their professional competence. In recent years, resource limitations and a growing emphasis on self-directed learning have increased the pressure on nurse-educators to integrate e-learning into their teaching methods. While research has evaluated the experiences of nurses on this topic, limited understanding is known of CNEs’ experiences. Purpose: This qualitative study explored the CNEs’ experiences in facilitating continuing professional development for their nurses and the integration of e-learning in a University Health Center in Quebec, Canada.Methods: The sample consisted of 7 CNEs, who had more than one to 15 years of experience in their current position. Their experiences with e-learning varied: it ranged from incorporating a video-clip in their presentations, to providing input into the learning management system they tested. Semi-structured interviews were thematically analyzed. Results: Despite participants varied levels of knowledge towards e-learning, all were convinced that this method could be used complementarily alongside hands-on training. Though they recognized the importance of human contact in teaching, they also understood the limitations of the traditional pedagogy; lacking the addition of interactive features. Despite some criticism, CNEs were able to identify opportunities where e-learning could be useful: during nursing orientation, tracking, evaluation and accreditation purposes, content refreshment, and to standardize protocols.Discussion and conclusions: More research is needed, and cooperative efforts are required from nurses and nurse-management to engage in the promotion of professional development.

How context influences the Continuing Professional Development of Teacher Educators within the ecological environment of the island territories of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Desirée Dornally Antonio ◽  
◽  
Julie-Anne Regan ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
Continuing Professional Development ◽  
Ecological Environment ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Teaching In Higher Education ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Made In

The continuing professional development (CPD) of teacher educators has been receiving more attention over the past two decades globally. Reportedly, teacher educators (TEs) have transitioned directly to teaching in higher education (HE) as school teachers without formal preparation or support in some cases. My study aims to understand issues that promote and or hinder the CPD of the TEs within the ecological environment of the OECS and identify policy areas as a response to issues raised. The Ecological Systems Theory of Human Development was used as the theoretical framework. A Mixed Method, exploratory, sequential QUAL-quan design, is used. Data was collected in Phase 1 through semi-structured interviews from six teacher educators and eight other participants who occupy different levels of the ecological context. In Phase 2, an online survey which was informed from the interview responses was developed and administered to the population (n=53) of the TEs. Data analysis was conducted using thematic analysis and simple descriptive statistics for the Phases respectively. Integration occurred at reporting and discussion of findings. Findings revealed that participants value CPD but a weak CPD culture exists. Findings indicate lack of financial support and recognition for CPD efforts, heavy workload, family commitments, costs, time and appropriate support from the various systems within the ecological environment hindered more than promoted their development. A consensus emerged among participants, that proper systems and policies are needed to systematically address the CPD of the TEs. Recommendations are made in light of the findings.

Academic librarians’ perceptions of the benefits and challenges of adopting e-learning for continuing professional development in Lagos state, Nigeria

2014 ◽  
Vol 115 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 340-354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stella Ngozi Anasi ◽  
Hussaini Ali
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Continuing Professional Development ◽  
Learning System ◽  
Knowledge Generation ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Technology Enhanced Learning ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Lagos State ◽  
E Learning

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to examine and discuss academic librarians’ perceptions of the benefits and challenges of adopting e-learning for continuing professional development. Design/methodology/approach – To elicit the necessary information, this study adopted a descriptive survey design, using questionnaire as instrument for data collection. The study population consists of five tertiary institutions – two universities, two polytechnics and one college of education, selected as sample using the purposive sampling technique. The study also conducted a literature review on studies done on benefits and challenges of e-learning for professional development. The literature review is built on resources from online and offline. Findings – Academic librarians in Lagos State were unanimous in their perception of benefits and challenges of adoption of e-learning for continuing professional development. The major benefits of e-learning were that e-learning opens up new frontiers for professional learning, supports knowledge generation and management and gives librarians an opportunity to broaden their knowledge. However, the major challenges to adopting e-learning for continuing professional development were inadequate power supply, inadequate knowledge of how to operate e-learning tools and limited bandwidth. Practical implications – This paper establishes that the role of academic librarians in the provision of information for learning and study in academic institutions places them in an advantageous position to engage in e-learning activities for professional development. It also extols the need for top library management to deploy all resources within their reach to develop technology-enhanced learning system. This should also be complemented with the development and implementation of e-learning curriculum in library schools in Nigeria to inculcate e-learning culture. Originality/value – The paper contributes to empirical research on e-learning for continuing professional development among librarians in Nigeria. Librarians who are interested in professional development will find this article useful.

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