• Written by Scott Bivens
• Category Online Training
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Online education environments lack the physical access of in-person training. Carefully selected digital tools can provide similar experiences file offering both asynchronous and synchronous train opportunities training opportunities that supports peer-to-peer communication and collaboration, builds teacher-student relationships, facilitates meaningful content engagement, and fosters community development (Katlen et al., 2022). Tools organic to Office 365 and Microsoft Teams create an exceptional digital foundation upon which online and remote training for healthcare providers can be built.

Most healthcare organizations employ individuals well-versed in Microsoft applications who then can facilitate their utilization for training in the clinic. Most clinical staff and providers primarily use a vendor-supplied electronic medical record, or EMR, alongside integrated billing and practice management software, if not organic to the EMR. For professional purposes, fluency beyond Outlook and Word cannot be expected or presumed.

The tools leveraged in Office 365 and Microsoft Teams are either the same or very similar do those used by administrators, managers, and leaders every day. The two most useful features are the video teleconferencing and file management tools. Split-based classes, discussions, meetings, and demonstrations can be attended in real time or recorded for later consumption. This flexibility supports high-volume, fast-paced organizations by creating an on-demand capability. Likewise, the recorded sessions can be reviewed, transcribed for those preferring text over auditory learning, or translated for better understanding for non-English speaking and English as a Second Language (ESL) participants. This approach worked exceptionally well when COVID-19 forced all training to be remote.

There was one significant drawback. Some organizations did not and do not use Teams or any collaborative tools outside of their EMR. Administrators and support personnel may use Outlook, Word, and Excel to manage tasks and external coordination (or their Google Workspace counterparts), but the care delivery roles that make upwards of 95% of my students won’t use those applications during daily tasks. Teams supports web-based VTCs and can organize information that can be made available through the admin section, but this feels disjointed and creates opportunities for gaps or omissions in training. My previous workaround was to create a web portal on our company site through which students could access content, recordings, etc. While simple to create and easy to use, I observed lower engagement than expected. Tools that are difficult to learn, navigate, or are otherwise insufficient create significant barriers to learning (Ishtiaq et al., 2024).

The aforementioned tools were sufficient, with some ingenuity and creativity when needed, to meet the training needs of our clients. However, as we look to create evergreen courses as standalone content that can also complement tailored, client-focused professional development training, a more appropriate leaning management system able to support each learner and learning environment is needed. Next time, we will examine our frontrunner in consideration: Google Classroom.

References:

Ishtiaq, M., Shahid, S. H., Khan, M. A., Aysha, S., & Sultan, A. (2024). Face-to-face Vs. Online Learning: Differences and Challenges in Communication. FWU Journal of Social Sciences, 18(1), 16–30. https://doi.org/10.51709/19951272/Spring2024/2

Katlen, J. N., Manlapaz, M. R., & Hoffman, A. (2022). Considerations for Appropriateness of Virtual Learning in the Postpandemic Environment. The Journal of Nursing Education, 61(9), 503–509. https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20220705-04