{"id":10338,"date":"2022-01-28T09:28:57","date_gmt":"2022-01-28T14:28:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.nejm.org\/hiv-id-observations\/?p=10338"},"modified":"2022-01-29T13:46:10","modified_gmt":"2022-01-29T18:46:10","slug":"required-learning-modules-and-how-to-make-people-learn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.nejm.org\/hiv-id-observations\/index.php\/required-learning-modules-and-how-to-make-people-learn\/2022\/01\/28\/","title":{"rendered":"Required Learning Modules and How to Make People Learn"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"

Mandatory learning modules were different in the 19th century.<\/p><\/div>\n

Like thousands of others who work in my organization, I’ve just finished a stultifying annual task — several hours of required online learning modules that must be completed to keep my job.<\/p>\n

How much do we look forward to them? Think annual car inspections, or tax returns, and multiply the boredom factor several-fold.<\/p>\n

You might not be surprised to hear that the due date is … today.<\/p>\n

You also might not be surprised to hear that as part of the process, I aggressively sought out ways to multitask while the videos ran in the background — cleaned my desk, filed papers, did low cognitive demand patient care tasks, repeated some arm strengthening exercises to prevent tennis elbow, checked the latest weather forecast (ugh).<\/a><\/p>\n

Since the clever folks who make these modules programmed them to stop running unless the video or slideshow is the active window, could I have been the only one who opened the program on a second computer? Doubtful.<\/p>\n

In short, these “learning modules” offer a prime example of how difficult it is to make people learn things when they’re in no mood to learn.<\/p>\n

Without exception, everyone I know races to the finish, delighted to find their to-do list empty. Even this doc, despite his admirable quest for learning and growth. Find an elective in the catalog!\u00a0<\/em>You bet.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/twitter.com\/kkidia\/status\/1487036908039544833?s=20&t=IYIQhUl6HbTSF7V9-RHTzw<\/p>\n

It’s not that the topics in these required modules are unimportant — anything but. Patient confidentiality, racism in the workplace, infection control, employee harassment, managing chemical spills and fires, what to do if there is an armed intruder in the hospital.<\/p>\n

Sure we make fun of the fire extinguisher trivia required to pass the fire safety module (“The canister with a thin hose which contains water is a Type A fire extinguisher, used for ordinary combustibles”), or the incredibly obvious statements (“Chemical exposures can be dangerous”). Tornado safety measures will never be as relevant in New England as they are in Oklahoma.<\/p>\n

But read that list from the above paragraph again. It’s important stuff!<\/p>\n

No doubt organizations must, for their accreditation, demonstrate that their employees are dutifully notified about these issues, explain when and how to get help, and provide a list of resources where a person can go to get more information. Given the extraordinary range of activities and backgrounds in hospital workers, this cannot be an easy task. One size most certainly does not fit all.<\/p>\n

So I’m sympathetic about the challenge.<\/p>\n

I just think that from a pedagogical perspective, there has<\/em> to be a better way — a less painful<\/em> way — to learn the material, one that would allow the hospitals to check this box.<\/p>\n

Maybe this owl can come up with something while keeping her egg warm. Lots of thinking time.<\/p>\n

She can even use the time to finish her Healthstream modules.<\/p>\n