Filipe HP, Golnik K, Geary AC, Kilangalanga J, Mack HG. Online Faculty Development on Curriculum Design in Simulation-based Education by International Collaboration - An Example from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Middle East Afr J Ophthalmol 2022;
29:226-231. [PMID:
38162560 PMCID:
PMC10754109 DOI:
10.4103/meajo.meajo_40_23]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE
Faculty development for procedural specialists is intended to improve clinical education and surgical/procedural skills. Despite challenging in under-resourced settings, this may be enhanced by developing international collaboration agreements and supported by online learning experiences. The Congolese Society of Ophthalmology and the International Council of Ophthalmology agreed to collaborate on implementing an online educational program to form a community of practice (CoP) of ophthalmologists educators and enhance competence in curriculum design and simulation-based education (SBE) on cataract surgery.
METHODS
Ten Congolese ophthalmologists, faculty for the "Centre de Formation Ophthalmologique pour l'Afrique Centrale" (CFOACF), participated in a group-mentored 12-webinar modular program on curriculum design, in 2019. Considering the geo-social-cultural learning environment, we developed a curriculum framework incorporating social constructivism and experiential learning principles to facilitate the implementation of learning. Educational strategies included flipped, practice-based and social learning, group mentoring, and individual and collective reflection opportunities. A CoP was virtually nurtured using WhatsApp. Program evaluation relied on (a) feedback survey per module and 3 months upon conclusion, (b) individual declarative knowledge assessment, and (c) group assignment to test competence improvement.
RESULTS
The CFOACF formed a virtual CoP, commented on an enjoyable opportunity to develop scholar teaching competence, expressed intention in systematically building educational curricula design that includes active learning strategies and effective feedback and showed individual learning and team-competence improvement.
CONCLUSION
This first iteration of our online faculty development program nurtured the formation of a CoP of ophthalmologists' educators and enabled to practice a scholar teaching approach, especially applied to SBE.
Collapse