ESCRS iLearn programme continues to go from strength to strength

The ESCRS iLearn programme will be iPad compatible very soon.

The goal of the programme is to provide learners with highly interactive, assessed and accredited content that they can use in their own time to complement their own learning and the huge surge in the use of iPads has made it essential to use this platform.

“When we started the iLearn programme in 2011, the iPad was relatively new but now ophthalmologists actively need iPad compatibility,” said ESCRS e-learning co-ordinator Brendan Strong. “We get a lot of feedback from doctors using iLearn and we try to be responsive to their needs.”

There are now 1,292 people taking part in the programme, including  593 trainees.

“Young ophthalmologists are very much a part of our target audience,” said Mr Strong. “We have had a lot of discussion with Oliver Findl, chairman of the Young Ophthalmologists Forum, about how we can meet the requirements of trainees.”

A recent survey found that there are 450 logins per month and 145 unique users.

The survey also found that of those who completed a course, 98.9 per cent would recommend iLearn to their colleagues and 69 per cent agreed it was interesting to use.

The programme has 22 cataract, refractive and cornea courses and more courses are being developed for the future.

“In the last year we have been working on redeveloping a lot of the courses,” said Mr Strong. “There are two reasons for that. One is for CME accreditation because CME only lasts two years and the other reason is so that courses are iPad compatible. We also have new instructional courses on IOL calculation and penetrating lamellar keratoplasty.”

Mr Strong said that by allowing ESCRS members free access to learning material in a flexible manner to suit their own schedule and pace of learning, iLearn seeks to meet the growing demand for learner-driven education away from the traditional classroom environment.

“The courses are between one to three hours long. Some are in suites and others are standalone courses and we try to get as much flexibility in the structure of the courses to encourage ophthalmologists to take part in the programme.

“The idea behind iLearn is essentially to provide an online space where ESCRS members can learn, share and develop their knowledge of cataract and refractive surgery from fundamental concepts to advanced skills using assessed, accredited and self-reflective activities and resources,” said Mr Strong.

E-learning opens up new possibilities to really empower the end user, he said. “With iLearn we really wanted to create something more than simple recorded presentations and surgical videos, although surgical videos are included. The purpose was – and still is – to get learners involved and engaged,” he said.