Blended Learning Resources
EURACT Task Force for provision of Educational Resources
Introduction
Task forces are usually formed on a temporary basis to deal with a current issue. Looking at the future of EURACT, one of the suggestions was that EURACT should consider providing more educational resources including on-line learning modules. The Task Force for provision of Educational Resources was established by EURACT in 2016 at Budapest Council Meeting. The Task Force first invested in defining how to proceed with such a large topic, choose practical and achievable objectives, what types of material would be helpful and how to produce them.
What did the Task Force develop?
- learning modules on topics specific to FM
- non-clinical material
- modules based on Minimum Core Curriculum of EURACT
- educational material on how to create E-Learning material that should be interactive and allow group activity (forum, virtual classroom, lectures with audience response systems) in order to keep the benefits of collaborating and sharing, as in traditional small group teaching.
- a bank of links to existing online resources, including
- relevant content material
- links to other medical education sites
Blended learning methods and resources
Task Force delegates (from Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland, Georgia, Italy, Israel, Moldova, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Serbia and Ukraine) decided to concentrate on blended learning methods and resources.
Blended learning is a teaching method combining online/digital media with traditional classroom methods, used in professional development and training settings among learners at different learning levels. It offers a highly differentiated and contemporary approach, not only to educational institutes and students, but also to corporate organizations. Family physicians find blended as well as e-learning to be possible alternatives for face-to-face learning, when workload and lack of time hinder physicians’ opportunities to engage in continuous professional development. However, there is a scarcity of blended learning material for teaching the core competencies needed in family medicine. In addition, teachers may have mixed feelings about their abilities to develop blended learning in family medicine.
To stimulate interest in blended learning among academic family medicine departments or institutions involved, the Task Force developed and run a Workshop at EURACT 2nd Educational Conference held in Leuven in September 2018. The Power Point presentation "Blended learning material in Family Medicine education – now !" with the 4 illustrations attached to it provide some outlines and educational resources that could serve as a basis to family medicine educators willing to develop modules using blended methods.
Martine Granek-Catarivas M.D.
Blended learning material in Family Medicine education – now
Blended learning Illustration 1 Introduction to FM as a specific discipline
Blended learning Illustration 2 Holistic Care
Blended learning Illustration 5 Multimorbidity
Blended learning Illustration 6 Decision Making
