Adult Learning in a Virtual World: Instructional Design and E-Learning

One of the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the massive shift from live meetings and education to virtual formats and the longer term implications of this shift is an ongoing conversation in the continuing healthcare education world. The 2020 ACCME Annual Report noted that online activities engaged most learners compared with live courses and regularly scheduled series, the dominant activity types in preceding years. 

The shift to online education is itself not new in the US although its expansion has been patchy and there are several factors that pose barriers to the development and implementation of online learning, such as time constraints, poor technical skills, inadequate infrastructure, absence of institutional strategies and support and negative attitudes. 

As a result of these  barriers, as well as the impact of the evolving science of learning, the demand for instructional designers in continuing healthcare education is increasing. One study predicts that by 2025, there will be a 28% in ID jobs in education.

But what do instructional designers do and what is their role in continuing healthcare education? My guest today Jessica Martello answers those questions. As VP of of content and editorial at EVERFI, a digital education company, Jessica brings deep expertise to the potential of instruction design in adult learning. 

Join us to hear more about:

1. The key components of an effective digital learning platform
2. Key factors to optimize digital learning platforms
3. How to assess learning outcomes in digital education
4. Challenges that adults experience in relation to online learning

Resources
EVERFI
On Being with Krista Tippett: Ariel Berger—Be a Blessing
Instructional Design Resources from ACCME
Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME). ACCME Data Report. Rising to the Challenge in Accredited Continuing Education—2020.
Love LM, Anderson MC, Haggar FL. Strategically integrating instructional designers in medical education. Academic Medicine. 2019;94:146.
Snell L, Son D, Onishi H. Instructional Design. Applying Theory to Practice. In Swanwick T, Forrest K, O’Brien BC (eds) Understanding Medical Education: Evidence, Theory, and Practice. Third Edition. 2018. London: Wiley.

Connect with Jessie
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Podcast Team
Host: Alexandra Howson PhD
Sound Engineer: Suzen Marie
Shownotes: Linzy Carothers

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