Combining learning for educators and participants in a paediatric CPD programme

Daniel Holmgren,Maria Skyvell-Nilsson,Per Wekell

doi:10.1186/s12909-019-1461-x

Abstract

BackgroundMost continuing professional development (CPD) programmes do not include an educational training module. In our country, educational practice in the areas of CPD and continuing medical education relies traditionally on conventional lectures. This is in sharp contrast to the educational research that clearly demonstrates that educational programmes emphasising adult learning methods have greater potential to change physicians’ clinical practice. To investigate whether lecture-oriented educators were prepared to change their educational practice towards principles of adult learning, we decided to combine learning for educators and participants in a paediatric CPD programme.The aim of the study was to investigate educators’ reflections on their learning and educational practice after they have undergone an educational skills component integrated in the implementation of a CPD learning module for paediatricians and evaluate the results from the participants’ perspective.MethodsThe objectives of the educational skills component of the learning module were developed according to adult learning theories. The learning objectives for the CPD learning module were based on a pre-course needs assessment. Evaluations were made using questionnaires.ResultsSeven of 10 participants in the educational skills component of the learning module and all the participants, 13 paediatricians and 14 nurses, who participated in the learning module, answered the questionnaires.The results of this pilot study show that educators whose main experience of teaching was based on lectures were strengthened in their practice; they defined their competence and were prepared to move towards adult learning principles. The participants in the learning module expressed a high degree of satisfaction.ConclusionsWe conclude that it is feasible to combine learning for educators and participants in a paediatric CPD programme and that lecture-oriented educators are prepared to change their educational practice towards principles of adult learning.

Highlights

Most continuing professional development (CPD) programmes do not include an educational training module
Based on the experience from the first CPD programme, we wanted to promote the practice of adult learning methods in addition to paediatric competence in a second coherent CPD programme targeting paediatricians working with general paediatrics at outpatient clinics
Participants in the educational skills component were the educators in the CPD learning module entitled “Health examination of refugee children” and they will hereafter be referred to as “the educators” in the present study

Summary

Introduction

Most continuing professional development (CPD) programmes do not include an educational training module. During the implementation of the programme, we found that the participants’ diverse experience and expertise provided a strong interactive learning environment, in which the participants often had the capacity to take on the role of formal educators in their area of expertise [4, 6]. The participants in this programme made it very clear that they preferred adult learning principles to traditional lectures, both as participants and as educators (DH, PW 2014, unpublished data). Based on the experience from the first CPD programme, we wanted to promote the practice of adult learning methods in addition to paediatric competence in a second coherent CPD programme targeting paediatricians working with general paediatrics at outpatient clinics

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion