E-Learning for Educator Development

E-learning – the Educator Training Resource on e-lFH

There is a lot of e-learning available to support your development as an educator and the main areas to consider when choosing which e-learning to do is:

  • Is this compulsory to support the next step in my educator journey? (in which case you have to do it!)
  • Is this non-compulsory but will support my educator career? (in which case you decide if it is necessary or not)
  • Is this just really interesting and I think I’ll do it anyway? (in which case definitely do it!)

A good place to start is on the e-learning for health website at www.e-lfh.org.uk. You can sign up for access to all the modules on this site with an nhs.net email address. On the homepage click on the ‘Register/Log in’ button on the top right: then click on ‘view full catalogue’ and from there go to ‘Educator Training resources’ When you’re deciding which areas you might like to explore further with your e-learning, you might find it useful to think about your educational development in the seven domains described by the Academy of Medical Educators’ Professional Standards Framework available at https://london.hee.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/professional_development_framework_for_educators_2022.pdf

  1. Ensuring safe and effective patient care through training
  2. Establishing and maintaining an environment for learning
  3. Teaching and facilitating learning
  4. Enhancing learning through assessment
  5. Supporting and monitoring educational progress
  6. Guiding personal and professional development
  7. Continuing professional development as an educator

The GMC uses the 2014 AoME professional standards for approval and recognition of trainers which are available at https://www.gmc-uk.org/education/how-we-quality-assure-medical-education-and-training/approving-medical-education-and-training/approval-of-trainers/criteria-for-trainer-recognition and if you are aiming to move up through the tiers in your medical educator career then this is a great place to look for inspiration.

E-learning resources to support medical education are also published by the royal colleges and the foundation schools and their websites are good places to look as well. Just as your choice of clinical CPD should be tailored to your clinical PDP, in selecting educational CPD it is more important to decide for yourself which areas of your educational practice need updating and then seek out an update from these or other resources, rather than doing a generic update to tick the box which may not fulfil your particular requirements. Your Trust may also provide update sessions on relevant topics.

Suggested E-Learning resources mapped to appraisal domains
This list is taken from the HEE Professional Development Framework for Educators and maps the e-lfh educator resource modules to the seven standards in the framework, which are also widely used for appraisal in KSS.

Tier 1 – Trainees

There is a specific area on e-lFH for foundation learning and part of that is relevant to the trainee as an educator, on teaching skills at https://portal.e-lfh.org.uk/myElearning/Index?HierarchyId=0_51632_52452_52619&programmeId=51632

Suggested modules for trainees on the educator training resource are :

Section 01 Supervision of learners

– Supervision

– Assessing educational needs

– Effective feedback

– Supporting learners

– Diversity, Equal Opportunities and Human Rights

Section 02 Teaching methods

– Teaching clinical skills

– Small group teaching

– Improve your lecturing

Section 04 The Learning Environment

– Facilitating learning in the workplace

Tier 2 – Named Clinical Supervisor

As a named CS you will need to include at least one piece of evidence in domains 1-4 and 7 in your appraisal documentation over a 5 year revalidation cycle.

Suggested modules on the educator training resource (these are only a baseline – if you want to explore further then have a look at those suggested for ESs or any other interesting ones which fit your educational development needs in the resource, or other e-learning from other sites).

Section 01 Supervision of learners

– Video: Hospital – Foundation Supervisor

– Supporting Educational and Clinical Supervisors

Section 03 Assessment and progression

– Workplace and Practice based Assessment

Section 04 The Learning Environment

– Facilitating Learning in the Workplace

Training for the Foundation Supervisor

– Video resources: introduction to workplace based assessments, DOPS, mini-CEX, CbD, MSF(minTAB), ARCP, Feedback

Tier 3 – Educational Supervisor

As an ES you will need to include at least one piece of evidence in all 7 domains in your appraisal documentation over a 5 year revalidation cycle.

Suggested modules on the educator training resource (these are only a baseline: if you want to explore further then have a look at those suggested for Tier 4 or any other interesting ones which fit your educational development needs in the resource, or other e-learning from other sites)

Section 01 Supervision of learners. As for Tiers 1 and 2 but also including:

– Setting Learning Objectives

– Supported Return to Training

– Supervision of Less than Full Time Trainees

– Video: Hospital – Feedback

– Video: Training Support – Trainees with Difficulties

– Supporting career conversations for Educators (which has 3 modules, introduction, skills and approaches, and career planning strategies)

Section 02 Teaching methods

– Using Simulation in health professions education

Section 03 Assessment and Progression

– Structured assessments of clinical competence

– Appraisal

– ARCP

Tier 4/5 – LFG leads, TPDs, CTs, DMEs, Heads of School, Associate Dean, Deputy Dean

As a senior educator you should be starting to be involved in organising and assessing the effectiveness of educational programmes and leadership and strategy in education delivery. With this in mind we suggest that the educator training resources suitable for Tier 4 and 5 are those for Tiers 1,2 and 3 but also including:

Section 02 Teaching methods

– Video: Hospital: Curriculum-led Simulation

– Involving Patients in Health Professions Education

Section 04 The Learning Environment

– Assuring and Maintaining Quality in Health Professions Education

– Video: Quality Visiting

– Video: Lessons Learnt

– Video: Hospital – Clinical Leadership

Section 05 Approaches in Education

– Preparing to teach online

– Practicalities of teaching online

– E-learning in Clinical teaching

– Interprofessional Education

– Introduction to Educational Research