The AAOS education strategy approved by the Board of
Directors in 2013 and managed under the direction of the Council on Education
is reaching a major milestone here in San Diego: the introduction of a new
online learning platform.
Made possible through the implementation of a Learning
Management System (LMS), the new online learning platform enables members to
access a more personalized and practice-relevant set of online educational
experiences. It offers a selection of free content, including video-based
continuing medical education (CME) modules, an orthopaedic quiz builder tool
based on past Orthopaedic Knowledge Update self-assessment content, and
self-directed learning segments on clinical and treatment principles for
musculoskeletal oncology. It is also a convenient online resource for members
to use in managing their CME and Maintenance of Certification (MOC)-related
requirements.
“This new education platform will help members reenergize
their continuing education quest by providing an engaging and exciting variety
of learning opportunities and approaches in the area of orthopaedics most
relevant to their practice, all in one place,” said AAOS Chief Education
Officer Ellen Moore, who served as architect of the education strategy.
The online education platform enables the AAOS to design
and more quickly deploy a wide range of learning experiences, such as
case-based modules, self-paced activities, shorter educational bursts called
microlearning, interactive self-assessments, video-based surgical techniques
programs, and more.
“This platform will offer a continuously updated
collection of free resources for members, while also enabling the Academy to
bundle high-value collections of content aligned with career stage and
specialty level,” explained Ms. Moore.
“The new online education experience reinforces the
Academy’s position as the trusted source for lifelong orthopaedic learning,”
added Evan L. Flatow, MD, chair of the AAOS Council on Education.
Give us your
feedback
All members are invited to experience a hands-on demonstration of the new
online learning platform and speak with instructional designers and other AAOS
staff members involved with developing the education modules as well as future
offerings. Throughout the meeting, Academy members are encouraged to visit the
AAOS Resource Center in Academy Hall, located in the Sails Pavilion, and to
provide their feedback on the new online learning platform.
“We want to know what members think of the sample
content, how they want to engage and interact with these new learning
opportunities, and what kinds of learning experiences they need,” said Brian
Moore, AAOS senior manager of Online Learning. “We need our members’ feedback
to shape what we offer and how we offer it in the future.”
Ultimately, the new online education platform will also
facilitate the extension of face-to-face learning beyond the onsite classroom
setting by making pre- and post-coursework, which may include videos, available
on-demand. Video presentations and handouts from the instructional course
lectures (ICLs) and symposia in the ten education tracks offered at this year’s
Annual Meeting will be available through the new online learning platform. If
you purchased and attended an education track in San Diego, it will be
available to you in early June for free. If you did not purchase an education
track, the online tracks are available for individual purchase. Details are
available in the AAOS Resource Center.
Members can also explore the new online learning platform
independently by logging in with their Academy credentials at learn.aaos.org
Maureen Geoghegan
is director of the AAOS marketing department.