CPD: too many choices and too little time?

From dating apps to takeaways; summer holidays to streaming subscriptions, these days we might think that the more choices we can possibly have the better. This is reflected not only in our personal lives, but also our professional ones.

We need look no further than the sphere of lifelong learning to recognise that the choice of veterinary CPD available has taken a quantum leap over the past two years. From remote to online, webinars to podcasts and face-to-face to written publications, there would appear to be something for everyone in every type of practice and every situation.

But is this good for us? While the availability of multiple options confers autonomy, freedom and personal responsibility, these are not necessarily very helpful when one is gazing at the computer screen in a coffee break between consults, faced with a bewildering array of courses, paralysed and unable to choose.

We may, in fact, have succumbed to the recognised psychological phenomenon known as “choice overload”, which occurs when too many equivalent choices are made available. Decision-making becomes overwhelming, leading us to either make no decision at all, or resulting in dissatisfaction and regret over the ultimate decisions made.

Abundance of choice

So, as you log on to the RCVS website to hit that CPD declaration button, how will you choose a learning plan for the coming year, and future years? A learning plan that will enhance your career, impact your practice, improve the health and welfare of your patients, and be fun to do.

It is obviously important to do your research. The RCVS has produced some very helpful webinars on planning and what counts as CPD, and also on the requirement for reflection within the recording process (www.rcvs.org.uk/lifelong-learning/continuing-professional-development-cpd).

It is likely that most of us will choose a mixture of learning methods to complete our CPD hours. Remember, work-based and self-directed learning count as CPD, as long as you ensure to plan, do, record and reflect to evidence that it is all outcomes-based.

 

When researching more formal CPD programmes or courses, be sure you fully understand the delivery method and whether it will suit your learning style.

During the past two decades, we have learned a great deal about how the brain works. Learning is best when it is about doing (student as active partner), not just reading or listening (student as passive receiver).

Historically, veterinary postgraduate education has tended to follow the more didactic “sage on the stage” approach to learning and has not always kept up with the changes made within schools, universities and colleges. A good teacher does not just speak at a student and then give them a quiz to answer – they provide them with real-life problems to solve and then give guidance and feedback before moving on.

Educational technology can, and should, reflect this active partnering approach. Look for online or remote courses that are rooted in specialist and peer-based collaboration, with case-based discussion and plenty of problem-based learning.

Try before you buy

Seek to “try before you buy” so you can see, for example, whether the online course is delivered via pre-recorded videos (auditory and visual stimulation) or text lessons (may appeal to those who prefer to learn more by reading).

Improve International has been running a series of free online open sessions that do just this, and the recently developed ‘“Explore” site gives potential delegates access to an area of the International School of Veterinary Postgraduate Studies General Practitioner Certificate and Postgraduate Certificate programmes developed by Improve International (https://explore.improveinternational.com).

The first course you can explore is the Small Animal Medicine online programme, giving you access to the learning platform and a sneak peek at an online lesson and case study. Researching and reviewing different learning resources will help ensure the course you select works for you from a learning and lifestyle perspective.

Look to the future

With all this choice, and as we emerge from the pandemic, it is interesting to speculate on what the future might hold for CPD. Pressure on practices is likely to remain high for the foreseeable future and online learning has the obvious advantages of being able to be completed in your own time, without the requirement for expensive and unsustainable travel (for both delegate and speaker).

However, veterinary work is rooted in practical skills and, at Improve, we have certainly seen a surge in demand for face-to-face practical training over the past few months, which currently shows no sign of diminishing.

Blended learning would appear to truly offer the best of all worlds, combining the merits of online with the additional option to travel for practical sessions as required, and these types of courses are likely to become more affordable and readily available. With the development of virtual and augmented reality training within the medical profession, it may not be long before these technologies become a more practical addition to veterinary CPD courses globally.

Excluding regulatory requirements, relevant CPD is all about what is important to individual vets or vet nurses for their own personal development and for the development of their practice.

Bespoke learning

Could the future hold the opportunity for a more individualised “Amazon-style” learning experience? Rather than veterinary professionals having to choose from the array of CPD created by others, this approach would give a truly bespoke experience where you could select what you wanted to learn, rather than having it dictated to you by CPD providers.

Perhaps the day will come where you can sit on your sofa and order up a module here, a practical course there, decide on the mode of delivery, and create your very own certificate and career pathway at the touch of a button – it being delivered to your doorstep the next day with a smile.

Although current practical barriers to this approach clearly exist, judging by how fast educational technology is developing, this might become a reality sooner than we think.

It is also surely impossible to ignore the impact of societal and climate change on all aspects of our personal and professional lives, and future CPD (although arguably not the most vital consideration), is no exception. I have already touched on the benefits of online CPD reducing travel and our carbon emissions.

As trends alter – for example, changes in nutrition (such as veganism both in human and animal nutrition) – and as the earth gets hotter, CPD will need to be agile and adapt to equip us with the training to treat the pets and farm animals of the future.

Nowhere is the effect of societal trends and climate change more clearly illustrated than in the increased number of brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome and exotic disease courses, which have been offered in the UK over the past five years.

What will be the next “trend” among pet owners and how quickly can CPD provision respond?

Increased accessibility

Another area where future developments in CPD provision would be beneficial is in “assistive technology”, which enhances the learning experience of individuals facing barriers to their education due to disability.

Roughly 10% of the British population is dyslexic. Using the latest published figures of membership from the RCVS, this means at least 2,700 vets and 1,992 veterinary nurses in practice could benefit from this type of technology while completing their CPD requirements. Universities and colleges are geared up for this type of support, but what about the independent postgraduate sector?

A range of PC hardware and software is already available – from easy-to-read fonts to speech recognition software. Further developments in this area will only serve to increase accessibility of CPD and postgraduate qualifications for all – in particular when applied to assessments.

I realise this article leaves us with more questions than answers about the future of CPD. CPD providers demonstrated our agility at the start of the first lockdown in switching to online delivery overnight. We must retain that ability to watch and respond to the needs of the profession as it, in turn, adapts to the changes ahead.

It is all very well giving our customers plenty of choice, but they must be choices that suit their individual lifelong learning needs and serve the ultimate purpose of CPD, which is to enhance and improve animal health and welfare across the globe.