Capturing the Range of Learning: Implications for Disaster Health in a Resource Constrained Future

Abstract

Abstract : Building and maintaining necessary disaster-related learning by health professionals, amidst an environment of resource constraint, is challenging. This article suggests the value of Coombs and Ahmed's three interrelated modes of education (formal, nonformal, and informal) in considering disaster health learning and linkages to performance. Implications of this conceptualization are: drawing on the full range of formal, nonformal, and informal modes, fostering learning outside of classes and training sessions, appropriately encouraging informal means to facilitate learning, and including questions about the mode of learning in evaluation. As resources for disaster health education and training become more constrained, resilience is increased if we focus on what learning is necessary to achieve performance, and then facilitate multiple paths to that learning, including informal learning options which are less resource intensive. Thus, the development of competent disaster health professionals is less vulnerable to the vicissitudes of budget and time.