Providing content is great, but learner assessment is crucial in order to measure educational impact. Digital assessment is valid and reliable; it allows for multiple evaluations and gives learners the opportunity to actively participate in the educational process. Testing for most types of summative and formative evaluations can be done digitally. In this post, we describe the most suitable and reliable tools for assessing learners remotely.

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A significant portion of the technology industry is built around social media and asynchronous chat platforms that seek to connect people. Modern tools are designed with the intention to maximize engagement with push notifications, engagements, and emoji/like integrations that maximize the “dopamine rush” for users; “social media addiction” is a known phenomenon. These tools, when repurposed for learning, provide an easy and user-friendly platform for learners to discuss educational objectives. Chats are the quickest communication form, occurring in real-time and encouraging spontaneity and adaptation. There is a sense of forgiveness, and oftentimes if the chat is anonymous, a high degree of confidence for participation among learners. Use of a moderator is a KEY factor in keeping the discussion professional (and alive!) [1].

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Although you can still use technologies like Zoom or Webex to conduct small group meetings, residency programs may find it prudent to stick to known platforms rather than trying to upskill a large group of faculty and trainees.  This is where technologies like Skype and Google Meets (which is the reinvented version of Google Hangouts) can come in. Of note, Google has recently announced that they have made their usually paywalled platform (Google Meet) free during the age of coronavirus, as their way of helping those schools and teachers looking to continue their practice during these difficult times.

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Recording your content so it can be broadcasted, also called live streaming, can be helpful if you want to reach your audience in real-time. Recording your content for later viewing is useful for trainees who may be clinically unable to attend (they are working, they are post-nights, etc..) or for faculty who are unavailable too. (link to prior ALiEM videos). It’s also a way to double-dip this COVID-19 catastrophe into the generation of a more enduring product of digital scholarship. So, go for it, record that lecture you’ve been meaning to record… Share your thoughts with the world!

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As programs face unprecedented pressure to protect learners via social distancing, many will turn to video as their preferred method to continue delivering educational content. The need to do this in “real-time” makes conferencing applications an obvious choice for content delivery. Programs may already be familiar with this technology for conference calls, further lowering the bar for early adoption. Studies demonstrate the educational content via live video is at least as effective as a live lecture [1]. Further, they have been used to deliver additional content, such as small groups and simulation [2]. With current technology, these tools are widely available and easy to use for educators.

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With the arrival of SARS-CoV2 (COVID-19) in North America, programs are facing the need to reconsider how they deliver didactic education to their learners. The ACGME only allows for 20% of the curriculum to be delivered in an asynchronous fashion. The remainder is delivered through traditional didactic means, including “small-group sessions, such as break-out groups, serially repeated conference sessions, practicum sessions, or large-group planned educational activities.” With mandatory social distancing likely to become standard practice, we present multiple solutions to bridge the gap between live, in-person conferences and asynchronous materials.

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