With COVID-19 and the lockdowns, direct in-class continuous education has become a moot point. CEU and recertification requirements have not changed however, and the continuous education industry has had to adapt its service offer for the healthcare industry to the shift in training modalities. Virtual training is the new black in Person-Centered Thinking training services.

The use of SAAS and LMS platforms for online education purposes is nothing new, of course. But the pandemic has certainly forced an acceleration in the pace of adoption of these tools, both by healthcare and government bodies and by training facilities.

Online education is now fully embraced by healthcare organizations because of effectiveness and flexibility. This is a change for the better for the IDD community, as new training opportunities open up for health professionals and those who take care of a loved one. Intellectability® is playing a key role in this shift towards virtual training.

Online learning is flexible and effective

eLearning platforms fully accommodate the traditional breakdown in learnings preferences — visual, auditory, read-write, kinesthetic. Even one-on-one classes can be delivered online. With the wide accessibility of high-speed internet and technological advances in the fields of data compression and server management, video content delivery and live classes (webinars) have expanded the range of tools available to trainers and students.

What is more, eLearning is also efficient. Already in 2015, the World Health Organization had published a review indicating that eLearning would likely be as efficient as traditional training methods in the healthcare industry. Further research has corroborated these conclusions.

In the years that followed the publication of the WHO review, a meta-analysis of over 100 studies conducted by Imperial College London under the direction of Pr. Josip Car showed that “students acquire knowledge and skills through online and offline eLearning as well as or better than they do through traditional teaching.”

Observational data gathered by our own Academy trainers has certainly confirmed the efficacy of remote learning, partly as a function of the possibility for students to combine remote training classes and self-paced study at home.

Self-paced learning is key

Ever since the 1920s and the Summerhill School experiment, self-paced study has become the alternative instructional model of reference.

Traditional instructor-led classes treat all students as a supposedly cohesive whole (cohort). They can’t take into account learning mode preferences and intrapersonal data acquisition speed. Moreover, the constraints and economics of the in-class education model makes it difficult for students who combine their studies with a regular job to review their instructional materials as many times as necessary.

eLearning removes these difficulties in whole or in part, as it combines flexible scheduling with an outcome-based approach. Setting aside State-specific continuous education requirements, what matters is not how fast you acquire your skills, but how well you achieve the intended end of your training.

This is especially important for healthcare professionals, and in the IDD community, for the professionals who teach Person Centered Thinking and their trainees.

Virtual Person-Centered Thinking Training

Intellectability delivers Person-Centered Thinking Training online to both individual healthcare professionals and entire healthcare teams. The company also offers on-location training services to government and healthcare institutions.

Virtual training takes place on the Zoom platform, as a live and interactive experience. Our trainers are credentialed, and the curriculum is approved by The Learning Community for Person-Centered Practices.

Attendees trained in Person-Centered Thinking receive instruction on:

• The fundamental skill sets of person-centered thinking
• Tools and techniques that support people’s hopes, dreams, and values without neglecting health and safety
• Observation, Problem-solving, and Management Skills

Person-Centered Thinking is a foundational mindset. It enables those who support others to deliver services organized and consistent with Person-Centered Practices.

Person-Centered Practices are the ideal methodology of delivering services and supports that respects the person’s autonomy and promotes a life of their own choosing in their own community.

When delivered live and onsite, Person-Centered Thinking Training takes 12-hours, spread over two days. When delivered via Zoom, the training takes 18-hours. Scheduling is modular.

IntellectAbility provides all training materials, whether the training happens on-site or virtually. Each attendee completing the training receives a certificate of completion. The certificate bears a unique identifier number and font through The Learning Community for Person-Centered Practices. This record is kept electronically.