Continuing professional development (CPD) for anesthetists: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: In accordance with the focus on patient safety and quality in healthcare, continuing professional development (CPD) has received increasing levels of attention as a means to ensure physicians maintain their clinical competencies and are fit to practice. There is some evidence of a beneficial effect of CPD, though few studies have evaluated its effect within anesthesia. The primary aim of this systematic review was to establish which CPD activities anesthetists are engaged in and their effectiveness. The secondary aim was to explore which methods are employed to evaluate anesthetists' clinical performance. METHODS: Databases searched: Medline, Embase and Web of Science, in May 2023. Additional papers were identified through searching the references of included studies. Eligible studies included anesthetists, either exclusively or combined with other healthcare professionals, who underwent a learning activity or assessment method as part of a formalized CPD program or a stand-alone activity. Non-English language studies, non-peer reviewed studies and studies published prior to 2000 were excluded. Eligible studies were quality assessed and narratively synthesized, with results presented as descriptive summaries. RESULTS: A total of 2112 studies were identified, of which 63 were eligible for inclusion, encompassing more than 137,518 participants. Studies were primarily of quantitative design and medium quality. Forty-one studies reported outcomes of single learning activities, whilst 12 studies investigated different roles of assessment methods in CPD and ten studies evaluated CPD programs or combined CPD activities. A 36 of the 41 studies reported positive effects of single learning activities. Investigations of assessment methods revealed evidence of inadequate performance amongst anesthetists and a mixed effect of feedback. Positive attitudes and high levels of engagement were identified for CPD programs, with some evidence of a positive impact on patient/organizational outcomes. DISCUSSION: Anesthetists are engaged in a variety of CPD activities, with evidence of high levels of satisfaction and a positive learning effect. However, the impact on clinical practice and patient outcomes remains unclear and the role of assessment is less well-defined. There is a need for further, high-quality studies, evaluating a broader range of outcomes, in order to identify which methods are most effective to train and assess specialists in anesthesia.

Medical students' motivations for participating in an elective focused on social inequalities and health disparities.

In this study, we examine students' reasons for pursuing elective training focused on medical racism and systemic health inequities at a midwestern medical school. Data collection included semi-structured interviews with students who participated in an optional course focused on these topics. We analyzed their motivations, goals, and interests using reflexive thematic analysis and created three themes based on students' responses. Theme (1) "pre-existing conditions" focuses on students' knowledge, beliefs, worldviews and experience prior to the class. Theme (2) "enacting change" examines their desires to become effective physicians and improve medicine overall. Theme (3) "creating community" considers their preferences for a supportive and connected learning and social environment. We discuss the findings within the context of adult learning theory and Self-Determination Theory. The research provides insight about the overt and underlying factors that drive medical students' participation in training focused on social inequality. We also share recommendations for curriculum development and future research based on the patterns we found in students' discussions of their needs and expectations.

The oral health of adults with learning disabilities: A secondary analysis of the Adult Dental Health Survey 2009.

OBJECTIVES: Adults who have learning disabilities are a vulnerable group, little is known about their oral health and how this affects their quality of life. The aims of this secondary analysis of data from the 2009 Adult Dental Health Survey (ADHS) were to describe the oral health status of adults with learning disabilities, determine if severity of learning disability is associated with oral health and identify some of the methodological complexities of working with this population. The survey yields the most recent representative data on the oral health of adults with learning disabilities in England and importantly, contains information about oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL). BASIC RESEARCH DESIGN: Secondary analysis of data from a supplemental survey of adults with learning disabilities collected alongside the 2009 ADHS. PARTICIPANTS: 607 participants with a diagnosed learning disability aged 18 years and over. RESULTS: Adults with learning disabilities had similar levels of active dental caries, fewer natural teeth, and fewer fillings than comparable participants from the general population. Self-reported oral and general health were worse for adults with learning disabilities than the general population. Possible associations between the severity of learning disability and the numbers of decayed, missing or filled teeth were identified. However, large amounts of missing data limited the analysis. CONCLUSIONS: There are important questions relating to the accessibility of existing self-reported oral health questionnaires and the reliability of proxy-reported questions about OHRQoL that should be addressed to give a fuller picture of the oral health of adults with learning disabilities.

Professionalism-training in undergraduate medical education in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic setting in the Gulf Region: an exploration of reflective essays.

BACKGROUND: Despite the established need to prioritize professionalism-training in developing future physicians, very few medical programs in the Gulf Region embed in their curricula discrete contextualized courses aimed at developing the corresponding competencies, while fostering self-directed learning. This study aims at exploring the perception of undergraduate medical students in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic setting regarding their understanding of, and personal experience with professionalism through their engagement with the content of an innovative curriculum-based professionalism course, offered at a Medical School in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. METHODS: The study used a qualitative phenomenological research design. Out of 33 students, 29 students had submitted reflective essays. The content of these essays was inductively analyzed following a six-step framework for conducting thematic analysis. The framework's steps include familiarizing oneself with the data, generating initial codes, searching for themes, reviewing themes, defining and naming themes, and producing the report. FINDINGS: The inductive qualitative analysis generated the Professionalism Learning Journey model. This conceptual model includes four interconnected themes: Awareness, Acknowledgement, Realization, and Application. The generated model depicts the trajectory that the learners appear to experience while they are engaging with the content of the course. CONCLUSION: Integrating a professionalism-training course into an undergraduate medical curriculum is likely to be positively appraised by the learners. It raises their awareness, enables them to value the subject matter and the sophistication of its application, and empowers them to put into practice the taught principles, on an individual basis and collectively. This is especially true when the course is entrenched in constructivism experiential learning theory and designed to foster self-directed learning. The introduced conceptual model, in conjunction with the innovative professionalism-training course curriculum, can serve as a template for other competencies and other schools.

Impact of a Grand Rounds Interprofessional Workshop: student perceptions of interprofessional socialization and cultural humility.

While uniprofessional education programs develop strong student identities, they may limit the development of behaviors needed for interprofessional socialization. Interprofessional education (IPE) creates an essential platform for student engagement in the development of interprofessional socialization and cultural humility, thus enabling improvement in collaborative communication. In this quasi-experimental observational study, health professional students attended one of three Grand Rounds Interprofessional Workshops (GRIW) and completed online pre- and post-workshop surveys including sociodemographic background, the Interprofessional Socialization and Valuing Scale (ISVS), and the Cultural Competence Self-Assessment Checklist (CCSAC). A total of 394 students from eight professions participated in the workshop with 287 (73%) of attendees completing both pre- and post-workshop surveys. No significant differences were observed in ISVS and CCSAC scores between students across workshops. Significant pre- to post-workshop differences were found in ISVS [t (284) = 13.5, p < .001, 95%], CCSAC [t (286) = 13.8, p < .001] and the cultural competence components of cultural awareness [t (285) = 12.9, p < .001, 95%], knowledge [t (285) = 9.5, p < .001, 95%], and skills [t (286) = 13.3, p < .001, 95%]. Interprofessional education learning opportunities that integrate socialization with health professional students and cultural humility education can improve educational awareness of cultural values and communication for collaborative professional practice.

Pediatric Endocrinology Milestones 2.0-guide to their implementation.

The Milestones were initiated by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) to provide a framework for monitoring a trainee's progression throughout residency/fellowship. The Milestones describe stepwise skill progression through six core domains of clinical competency: Patient Care, Medical Knowledge, Interpersonal and Communication Skills, Practice-based Learning and Improvement, Professionalism, and Systems-based Practice. Since their introduction in 2013, several barriers to implementation have emerged. Thus, the ACGME launched the Milestones 2.0 project to develop updated specialty-specific milestones. The Pediatric Endocrinology Milestones 2.0 project aimed to improve upon Milestones 1.0 by addressing common limitations, providing resources for faculty to easily incorporate milestones into their assessment of trainees, and adding sub-competencies in health disparities, patient safety, and physician well-being.This paper reviews the development of the Pediatric Endocrinology Milestones 2.0 including the major changes from Milestones 1.0, development of the Supplemental Guide, and how Milestones 2.0 can be applied at the program level. Although use of the Milestones are required only for ACGME programs, the tools provided in Milestones 2.0 are applicable to fellowship programs worldwide.

Using team-based learning to optimize undergraduate family medicine clerkship training: mixed methods study.

BACKGROUND: Team-Based Learning (TBL) is an established educational strategy which has become increasingly popular in the training of healthcare professionals. TBL is highly suitable for teaching Family Medicine (FM) especially that teamwork and collaborative care, in this medical discipline, are at the core of safe and effective practice. Despite the established suitability of TBL for teaching FM, there are no empirical studies that capture the students' perception of a TBL in FM undergraduate learning experience in the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA). OBJECTIVE: The overall objective of this study was to investigate the perception of students regarding a TBL in FM intervention (in Dubai, United Arab Emirates), that was designed and implemented in alignment with a constructivist learning theory. METHODS: A convergent mixed methods study design was utilized to develop a thorough understanding of the students' perceptions. Qualitative and quantitative data were concurrently collected and independently analyzed. The output of thematic analysis was systematically merged with the quantitative descriptive and inferential findings using the iterative joint display process. RESULTS: The qualitative findings shed light on the students' perception of TBL in FM, and the interplay between team cohesion and engagement with the course. As for the quantitative findings, they showed that the percentage of the total average of the Satisfaction with TBL in FM score was 88.80%. As for change in impression of FM discipline, the percentage of the total average was 83.10%. The perception of team cohesion, with a mean of agreement of 8.62(1.34), seemed to be significantly associated with the students' perception of the team test phase component, only (P < 0.05). As for the perception of the level of engagement with the course, with a mean of agreement of 9.29(0.84), it turned out to be significantly associated with the change in impression of FM discipline (P < 0.05). Lastly, the joint display analysis showed how the quantitative and qualitative findings built upon each other, revealing how best to leverage TBL in FM trainings. CONCLUSION: The current study showed that TBL embedded in a FM clinical clerkship was well-received by students. It is worth leveraging the lessons learned from the first-hand experience reported upon in the current study to optimize the utilization of TBL in FM.

Interaction during online classes fosters engagement with learning and self-directed study both in the first and second years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Maintaining students' learning engagement was a challenge in emergency online education during the pandemic. In this study, we investigated the predictors (social interaction) and outcomes (self-directed study) of engagement in online learning during the first and second years of the COVID-19 pandemic. First-year Japanese university students (N = 1167) enrolled in online classes during 2020 and 2021 responded to a questionnaire measuring perceived opportunities for social interaction during online classes, engagement with online learning, and extracurricular self-directed study time. Multi-group path analysis revealed that social interaction during online classes exhibited a positive indirect effect on self-directed study time through emotional and behavioral engagement with online learning. The positive indirect effect was significant in both the first and second years of the pandemic. The results suggest that increasing the number of opportunities for social interaction during online classes may exhibit spillover effects on learning outside the online classroom.

Learning English with electronic textbooks on mobile devices: Impacts on university students' vocabulary development.

The current study examined the use of electronic textbooks designed as mobile applications for learning vocabulary in English among Iranian university students. To this end, 95 university students in an experimental (N = 50) and a control group (N = 45) participated in the study. An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was employed and over an academic semester, the participants used either traditional materials or mobile-based electronic textbooks for learning 600 words in English. To assess the outcomes from different learning conditions, receptive knowledge of the target vocabulary items was tested in three junctures of time (i.e. pre-, post-, and delayed post-test). Additionally, open-ended questionnaires and interviews were used to collect qualitative data from the experimental group to further investigate their perceptions of using mobile-based electronic textbooks for vocabulary learning. The findings revealed a significant main effect for time and both groups significantly improved their vocabulary knowledge from pre-test to post-test. Moreover, a significant main effect was found for using electronic textbooks on mobile devices, and the experimental group outperformed the control group on the post- and delayed post-tests. The qualitative findings revealed three perceived benefits, namely episodic learning, easy access to materials, and enhanced enjoyment for mobile assisted vocabulary learning through electronic textbooks. The perceived challenges were related to health concerns, distractions associated with mobile environments, and external pressure resulting from excessive mobile use among the participants. In general, the findings of the study shed light on the potential offered by mobile-based textbooks for learning English vocabulary, with implications for teachers and materials developers in language teaching programs.

Sexual issues in people with haemophilia: Awareness and strategies for overcoming communication barriers.

INTRODUCTION: The Haemophilia Experiences, Results and Opportunities (HERO) Study identified sexual health as an important psychosocial issue affecting people with haemophilia (PWH) worldwide. However, sexual health is inadequately addressed at haemophilia treatment centres (HTCs), because PWH and healthcare professionals (HCPs) experience barriers to broaching the subject. There is a clear need for HCP training to support communication in this area and improve comprehensive care. AIM: The Sexual Health: Strategies for Effective Communication pilot programme was trialled in Canada to assess HCP readiness and ability to discuss sexual health issues with PWH and test communication tools to facilitate these conversations. METHODS: The pilot programme consisted of two 3-h sessions attended by seven HCPs from Calgary's Alberta Children's and Foothills Hospitals. The sessions included lectures and case scenarios and explained the check-in-affirm-clarify-answer and head-heart-body tools designed by the Centre for Sexuality to aid communication. The pilot was evaluated through discussions and an online questionnaire. RESULTS: The pilot was well received by all HCP participants. Questionnaire data showed improvements in participants' knowledge, skills and comfort level in conducting sexual health discussions. Greatest improvements were noted in knowledge (100% 'good' or 'excellent' after the pilot, compared with 29% beforehand). Importantly, 86% felt that the material presented would be applicable in clinical practice. CONCLUSION: The Canadian pilot demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed educational programme. The underlying principles could be adapted to similar programmes for other HTCs to facilitate sexual health discussions.

Recovery Colleges Characterisation and Testing in England (RECOLLECT): rationale and protocol.

BACKGROUND: Recovery Colleges are a relatively recent initiative within mental health services. The first opened in 2009 in London and since then numbers have grown. They are based on principles of personal recovery in mental health, co-production between people with lived experience of mental health problems and professionals, and adult learning. Student eligibility criteria vary, but all serve people who use mental health services, with empirical evidence of benefit. Previously we developed a Recovery College fidelity measure and a preliminary change model identifying the mechanisms of action and outcomes for this group, which we refer to as service user students. The Recovery Colleges Characterisation and Testing (RECOLLECT) study is a five-year (2020-2025) programme of research in England. The aim of RECOLLECT is to determine Recovery Colleges' effectiveness and cost-effectiveness, and identify organisational influences on fidelity and improvements in mental health outcomes.  METHODS: RECOLLECT comprises i) a national survey of Recovery Colleges, ii) a prospective cohort study to establish the relationship between fidelity, mechanisms of action and psychosocial outcomes, iii) a prospective cohort study to investigate effectiveness and cost-effectiveness, iv) a retrospective cohort study to determine the relationship between Recovery College use and outcomes and mental health service use, and v) organisational case studies to establish the contextual and organisational factors influencing fidelity and outcomes. The programme has been developed with input from individuals who have lived experience of mental health problems. A Lived Experience Advisory Panel will provide input into all stages of the research. DISCUSSION: RECOLLECT will provide the first rigorous evidence on the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of Recovery Colleges in England, to inform their prioritising, commissioning, and running. The validated RECOLLECT multilevel change model will confirm the active components of Recovery Colleges. The fidelity measure and evidence about the fidelity-outcome relationship will provide an empirically-based approach to develop Recovery Colleges, to maximise benefits for students. Findings will be disseminated through the study website (researchintorecovery.com/recollect) and via national and international Recovery College networks to maximise impact, and will shape policy on how Recovery Colleges can help those with mental health problems lead empowered, meaningful and fulfilling lives.

The physiology of learning: strategies clinical teachers can adopt to facilitate learning.

Almost all pediatricians working in a hospital or office environment have teaching responsibilities to learners such as medical students and residents. Although teaching and supporting learning in a busy work environment imposes challenges to clinical teachers, these clinical settings provide an ideal setup for experiential learning, learning from daily experiences with patients. Advances in the science of learning derived from various fields have informed us how adults learn best. Many techniques and strategies based on this "physiology of learning" have shown their educational values in everyday pediatric practice. This article outlines how clinical teachers can create the conditions to optimize experiential learning for individual or a group of learners. We highlight practical implications of educational theories and evidence-based educational practices for clinical teachers seeking to enhance their teaching effectiveness. These include promoting active learning and engaging learners in deliberate practice; retrieval of knowledge and prior experiences to enhance motivation; supporting a psychologically safe learning environment; helping learners to set goals; fostering collaborative learning; structuring teaching to link it to authentic roles and tasks; and customizing content to individual learners.Conclusion: Applying adult learning principles in everyday teaching activities will support busy pediatricians to be successful in their tasks as clinical teachers, and contribute to work satisfaction. What is Known: • Most pediatricians provide clinical teaching to medical students and residents, but few have had formal training in educational techniques. • Learning from clinical experiences (experiential learning) is of key importance to becoming and maintaining a competent pediatrician. What is New: • This review presents an up-to-date overview of the physiology of learning, i.e., how people learn. • Knowledge of the principles of how people learn helps pediatricians shape their clinical teaching effectively and contribute to their work satisfaction.

Continuing professional development for anesthesiologists: A systematic review protocol.

BACKGROUND: Regulators increasingly use formalized programs that are based on continuing professional development (CPD) activities to ensure that physicians are fit to practice. There is convincing evidence regarding the positive effects of CPD activities on performance and patient outcomes. However, there is limited available studies, investigating its effect in anesthesia, specifically. Moreover, although there exists considerable evidence linking specific CPD activities to improved performance, only few studies have investigated the effect of combinations of activities, or formalized systems, as a whole. Consequently, to address this uncertainty regarding the impact of CPD activities, within anesthesiology, this systematic review aims to establish which activities anesthesiologists are engaged in and their impact on clinical competence and subsequent patient outcomes. METHODS: A systematic review of the current literature regarding CPD for fully qualified anesthesiologists will be undertaken. Characteristics of the included studies will be summarized descriptively, and the screening process will be outlined using the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis flow diagram. Given the diverse methods adopted within medical education research, it is anticipated that there will be significant heterogeneity between the included studies and therefore, a meta-analysis will not be possible and a narrative synthesis approach will be usd. The outcomes of interest include type of CPD learning activity and/or assessment method anesthesiologists are engaged in; and their effectiveness, either as standalone activities or as part of formalized systems. CONCLUSION: The aim of the study was to give an overview of the breadth and nature of CPD activities, and their effects on fully qualified anesthesiologists' clinical competences and patient outcomes.

I don't think that means what you think it means: Why precision in lifelong learning terminology matters to medical education.

ISSUE: Medical educators share the belief that fostering the development of lifelong learning skills is a fundamental task for teachers and learners in all stages of a physician's education: undergraduate medical education, graduate medical education, and continuing medical education. A significant challenge to developing and implementing best practices in lifelong learning is the varied interpretation and application of its related terminology, such as 'self-directed learning' in this context. EVIDENCE: This paper discusses the scholarly origins of key terms in lifelong learning ('self-directed learning' and 'self-regulated learning') and explores their commonalities and their common conflation. IMPLICATION: The authors propose a renewed attention to precision in use of lifelong learning terminology in medical education across the spectrum as a way to best design and deploy impactful educational experiences for learners at all levels.

From invisibility to inclusion: Opening the doors for older men at the University of the Third Age in Malta.

Older men are highly under-represented in late-life learning programmes. In reaction, the University of the Third Age in Malta (U3A) planned and implemented an 'Older Men Learning in the Community' project that (i) employed advertising strategies targeting specifically older men; (ii) organized preliminary meetings with older men to elicit 'generative themes' for possible subject content; and (iii), prompted facilitators to employ novel teaching styles such as peer and situated learning approaches. Data demonstrated that older men were highly inclined to participate in learning activities that intrigued their interest, were deemed practical to their lives, and resonated with their occupational careers and generational habitus. Moreover, the U3A presented older men with a possibility to address perceived challenges to their masculinity following their retirement from work and physical aging. However, the study also emphasized that U3As must not let such an interest on older men serve to reinforce patriarchal and masculine hegemony. Rather than a late-life learning programme be designed to address older men's inclinations to learn about subjects that are not of interest to older women, it is certainly also valuable for future learning projects to organize learning programmes that enable older men to overcome misogynistic notions.

Financing adult learning and education (ALE) now and in future.

This article submits that while the world continues to view education as a human right, it also persists in depriving an important section of it - namely adult learning and education (ALE) - of adequate funding. Located within the lifelong learning domain, which facilitates both the resolution of challenges and adjustment to the vagaries of living throughout a lifetime, ALE is indispensable within the framework of the United Nations 2030 Agenda with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This article identifies four factors which are currently responsible for the poor funding of ALE. These factors are: (1) the world's obsession with the provision of school education; (2) the lack of adequate instruments to work out ALE's returns on investment; (3) the hope that employers will ultimately supply ALE; and (4) the assumption that an expansion of formal schooling will eventually lead to the establishment of literate societies free of inter-generational crises. Since ALE is generally framed as a broad literacy education project, the author undertakes a review of literacy education costing. This leads him to posit that quality literacy education can be supplied at a unit cost ranging between USD 150 and USD 250 annually within any Global Alliance for Literacy (GAL) country. Finally, the article offers four recommendations to increase ALE funding going forward.

Financer l'apprentissage et l'éducation des adultes (AEA) maintenant et à l'avenir ­ Cet article allègue que bien que le monde continue de voir en l'éducation un droit humain, il persiste aussi à priver l'un de ses domaines essentiels ­ l'apprentissage et l'éducation des adultes ­ d'un financement approprié. Faisant partie de l'apprentissage tout au long de la vie, qui aide à résoudre plus facilement des difficultés et à s'adapter aux caprices auxquels il faut faire face au fil de l'existence, l'apprentissage et l'éducation des adultes sont indispensables dans le contexte du Programme de développement durable à l'horizon 2030 des Nations Unies et de ses 17 Objectifs de développement durable (ODD). Cet article identifie quatre facteurs actuellement responsables de la maigreur du financement de l'apprentissage et de l'éducation des adultes. Ils sont les suivants : (1) l'obsession du monde pour l'offre d'éducation scolaire ; (2) le manque d'instruments adéquats pour travailler avec les retours sur investissement de l'apprentissage et de l'éducation des adultes ; (3) l'espoir que les employeurs finiront par proposer des offres d'apprentissage et d'éducation des adultes et (4) la supposition selon laquelle l'expansion de la scolarité formelle finira par mener à la création de sociétés alphabètes ne connaissant pas les crises intergénérationnelles. Étant donné que l'apprentissage et l'éducation des adultes sont généralement définis comme un vaste projet d'alphabétisation, l'auteur dresse un bilan du coût de l'alphabétisation, ce qui le conduit à postuler qu'une alphabétisation de qualité peut être proposée à un coût unitaire entre 150 et 240 USD par an dans n'importe quel pays faisant partie de l'Alliance mondiale pour l'alphabétisation (GAL). Enfin, l'article présente quatre recommandations pour accroître le financement de l'apprentissage et de l'éducation des adultes en allant de l'avant.

Examining barriers to participation in further and continuing education in Germany: Why a regional perspective is (still) important.

Further and continuing education is not only important for individual employability, but also for regional development. Therefore, improving participation in further and continuing education and removing barriers to participation are key concerns of regional education governance. The present study was conducted in a peripheral region of Rhineland-Palatinate in western Germany, where the annual participation rate in continuing education is relatively low compared to other geographic areas in Germany. This quantitative study was designed to understand: (1) To what extent do adult learners engage in continuing education within their habitual lifelong learning process? (2) Which circumstantial factors influence their participation in continuing education? And (3) What are the barriers hindering their participation? The authors found that for two-thirds of adult learners, a precondition for their enrolment in a continuing education course was the satisfaction of both work-related and private life-related factors. The authors' findings point towards the need for flexible study programmes which learners can fit to the demands of their work and life.

Analyse des obstacles à la participation à la formation continue en Allemagne : Pourquoi une perspective régionale est (encore) importante ­ L'éducation complémentaire et continue est importante non seulement pour l'employabilité des individus, mais aussi pour le développement régional. Par conséquent, l'amélioration de la participation à la formation continue et l'élimination des obstacles à la participation sont des préoccupations essentielles de la gouvernance régionale de l'éducation. La présente étude a été menée dans une région périphérique de la Rhénanie-Palatinat, dans l'ouest de l'Allemagne, où le taux de participation annuel à la formation continue est relativement faible par rapport à d'autres zones géographiques en Allemagne. Cette étude quantitative a été conçue pour comprendre : (1) Dans quelle mesure est-ce que les apprenants adultes s'engagent dans la formation continue dans le cadre de leur processus habituel d'apprentissage tout au long de la vie ? (2) Quels sont les facteurs circonstanciels qui influencent leur participation à la formation continue ? et (3) Quels sont les obstacles qui entravent leur participation ? Les auteurs ont constaté que pour deux tiers des apprenants adultes, une condition préalable à leur inscription à un cours de formation continue était la satisfaction de facteurs liés à la fois à leur vie professionnelle et à leur vie privée. Les conclusions des auteurs soulignent la nécessité de programmes d'études flexibles que les apprenants peuvent adapter aux exigences de leur travail et de leur vie personnelle.

The Global Report on Adult Learning and Education (GRALE): Strengths, weaknesses and future directions.

One of the core outcomes of the Sixth International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA VI) held in 2009 was the Belém Framework for Action (BFA). Its signatories committed to monitoring the most recent development stages of adult learning and education (ALE) worldwide on a regular basis, and to present and assess results in a global report. Coordinated by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, surveys have been conducted and documented in four GRALE reports over the past decade. A fifth report is currently being prepared for CONFINTEA VII, to be held in June 2022. This article critically analyses the project of compiling a Global Report on Adult Learning and Education (GRALE) at roughly three-year intervals. Drawing on an evaluative framework for research quality developed by Pär Mårtensson and colleagues, the authors of this article investigate to what extent the GRALE approach to monitoring and reporting on ALE so far has been (1) credible (e.g. based on rigorous research methodologies and methods); (2) contributory (e.g. relevant and applicable to practice, generalisable); (3) communicable (e.g. accessible, understandable and readable in terms of report structure); and (4) conforming (e.g. with ethical standards). The purpose of this evaluation is for it to serve as a contribution to enhancing the quality of monitoring approaches in the field of ALE. This is vital for working towards future directions of ALE which are shaped by a high-quality evidence base. Ultimately, this will not only make ALE more accessible, fair, diverse and effective, but will also add to insights on how to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in a similar way, especially since ALE indirectly but fundamentally affects the success of all 17 goals.

Le Rapport mondial sur l'apprentissage et l'éducation des adultes (GRALE) : points forts, points faibles et orientations futures ­ Le Cadre d'action de Belém est l'un des aboutissements principaux de la sixième Conférence internationale sur l'éducation des adultes (CONFINTEA VI) organisée en 2009. Ses signataires s'étaient engagés à procéder régulièrement au suivi des toutes dernières évolutions de l'apprentissage et de l'éducation des adultes (AEA) dans le monde entier, et à présenter et évaluer les résultats obtenus dans un rapport mondial. Des études, coordonnées par l'Institut de l'UNESCO pour l'apprentissage tout au long de la vie (UIL), ont été menées et présentées dans quatre GRALE ces dix dernières années. Un cinquième rapport est en préparation pour la CONFINTEA VII qui se tiendra en juin 2022. Cet article procède à une analyse critique du projet qui consiste à rédiger un Rapport mondial sur l'apprentissage et l'éducation des adultes (GRALE) environ tous les trois ans. S'appuyant sur un cadre d'évaluation de la qualité de la recherche développé par Pär Mårtensson et collègues, les auteurs du présent article examinent dans quelle mesure, pour procéder au suivi de l'apprentissage et de l'éducation des adultes et à la rédaction de rapports sur ce thème, l'approche du GRALE a été jusqu'à présent (1) crédible (p. ex. en s'appuyant sur des méthodes et procédés de recherche rigoureux) ; (2) contributive (c'est-à-dire qu'elle a joué un rôle, p. ex. en étant pertinente et praticable, généralisable) ; (3) communicable (p. ex. en étant accessible, compréhensible et lisible en tant que rapport) et (4) conforme (p. ex. aux normes éthiques). Cette évaluation a pour objet de contribuer à améliorer la qualité des approches de suivi dans le domaine de l'apprentissage et de l'éducation des adultes, ce qui est crucial pour œuvrer en vue de donner à l'AEA des orientations futures reposant sur un socle de preuves fondées. Enfin, cela rendra non seulement l'apprentissage et l'éducation des adultes plus accessibles, justes, divers et efficaces, mais cela fournira aussi des idées supplémentaires pour atteindre de la même manière les Objectifs de développement durable, du fait notamment que l'apprentissage et l'éducation des adultes influent, certes indirectement mais de façon fondamentale, sur l'atteinte des 17 objectifs.

Rethinking literacy from a lifelong learning perspective in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals and the International Conference on Adult Education.

Despite general agreement that a 21st-century learning society must also be a literate society, there is still a long way to go to achieve a broad consensus on how to achieve this within an explicit lifelong learning vision. The Seventh International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA VII - June 2022) is an excellent opportunity to rethink literacy from a lifelong learning perspective in order to fully tap its transformative potential in the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By using a theoretical framework of lifelong literacy, this article analyses the main challenges associated with applying the lifelong learning principle to literacy, in particular in the context of aligning CONFINTEA's review and improvement of adult learning and education (ALE) strategies with SDG processes. The authors demonstrate that a limited understanding of literacy as part of lifelong learning still prevails, and that literacy promotion suffers from ambiguity and dissonances. They also provide analyses of literacy policies, strategies and programmes that have been successful in adopting a lifelong learning approach, drawing out some important lessons on how this can be achieved. In particular, the authors argue, more attention needs to be paid to the demand side of a literate environment and to motivation, enabling continuity of learning by making literacy part of people's broader learning purposes. To contribute to the ongoing discussion on reframing literacy from a lifelong learning perspective in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the potential development of a new "framework for action" during CONFINTEA VII, this article offers three fundamental considerations that should inform policy and strategic planning with regard to conceptual orientation, programmatic responses and institutional connections.

Repenser l'alphabétisation sous l'angle de l'apprentissage tout au long de la vie dans l'optique des Objectifs de développement durable et de la Conférence internationale sur l'éducation des adultes ­ Bien que l'on s'entende globalement sur le fait qu'une société apprenante du 21e siècle doit aussi être une société alphabète, il reste encore beaucoup de chemin à parcourir pour atteindre un large consensus sur la façon d'y parvenir dans l'optique d'une vision explicite de l'apprentissage tout au long de la vie. La septième Conférence internationale sur l'apprentissage des adultes (CONFINTEA VII, en juin 2022) offrira une excellente occasion de repenser l'alphabétisation du point de vue de l'apprentissage tout au long de la vie afin de tirer pleinement profit de son potentiel transformateur pour atteindre les Objectifs de développement durable des Nations Unies (ODD). Se basant sur un cadre théorique de l'alphabétisation tout au long de la vie, cet article analyse les principaux défis qui se présentent lorsque l'on applique le principe de l'apprentissage tout au long de la vie à l'alphabétisation, en particulier lorsque l'on aligne le bilan de la CONFINTEA et l'amélioration des stratégies d'apprentissage et d'éducation des adultes (AEA) sur les processus des ODD. Les auteurs démontrent que la notion limitée d'alphabétisation comme faisant partie de l'apprentissage tout au long de la vie continue de prévaloir et que l'ambigüité et les divergences pèsent sur la promotion de l'alphabétisation. Ils nous livrent aussi des analyses des politiques, stratégies et programmes d'alphabétisation qui ont réussi à adopter une approche de l'apprentissage tout au long de la vie en exploitant un certain nombre de leçons importantes qui nous enseignent comment y parvenir. Les auteurs affirment en particulier qu'il faut accorder davantage d'attention à la demande d'un environnement alphabète et à la motivation, ce qui offre une continuité de l'apprentissage en faisant de l'alphabétisation une partie des objectifs éducatifs plus larges des personnes. Pour contribuer au débat en cours sur la redéfinition de l'alphabétisation sous l'angle de l'apprentissage tout au long de la vie dans le contexte du Programme de développement durable à l'horizon 2030 de l'ONU et au développement potentiel d'un nouveau « cadre d'action ¼ durant la CONFINTEA VII, le présent article envisage trois réflexions fondamentales visant à orienter la planification politique et stratégique en tenant compte de l'orientation conceptuelle, des réponses programmatiques et des liens institutionnels.

A web-based survey of educational opportunities of medical professionals based on changes in conference design during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Owing to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, understanding how to hold future online academic conferences effectively is imperative. We assessed the impact of COVID-19 on academic conferences, including facilities and settings for attendance, participation status, cost burden, and preferences for future styles of holding conferences, through a web-based questionnaire survey of 2,739 Japanese medical professionals, from December 2020 to February 2021. Of the participants, 28% preferred web conferences, 60% preferred a mix of web and on-site conferences, and 12% preferred on-site conferences. Additionally, 27% of the presenters stopped presenting new findings at web conferences. The proportion of participants who audio-recorded or filmed the sessions, despite prohibition, was six times higher at web than face-to-face conferences. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, the percentage of participants attending general presentations decreased from 91 to 51%. While web conferencing offers advantages, these are offset by a decrease in presentations pertaining to novel findings and data. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10639-022-11032-5.