Due to the health risk posed by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the AO has been forced to cancel or reschedule many 2020 AO Trauma educational events. To make up for missed face-to-face events, AO Trauma established a weekly webinar series and developed several exciting new online offerings to meet the high demand for digital learning. Brett Crist and Michael Sirkin chaired the successful AO Trauma North America Osteotomy Weekly online course and share their experience with this new course format.
Chairpersons: Brett Crist (US), Michael Sirkin (US)
This online course entailed a total of 19 live sessions: 90-minute sessions over ten Saturdays and 60-minute Ask the Experts sessions over nine Thursdays. Each week, new material was introduced on Saturday. During the subsequent days, the learner had the opportunity to reflect on the weekly lesson and then ask questions on Thursday during the review session.
All online sessions were recorded, edited, and posted on the AO Trauma North America YouTube channel allowing participants to catch up on missed days or review the more complex material at their own speed. At the end of the 19 online sessions, a live event in Las Vegas, Nevada (United States) with human anatomical specimens is planned. This will give learners an opportunity to further develop new skills. All participants at the Las Vegas event are expected to have attended the online course, and the YouTube videos makes it possible for everyone to complete the course before attending the live event.
Format: live online seminar with breakouts
Each topic was introduced with short presentations and discussions. Depending on the topic, additional interactive elements were integrated: In weeks one and two, participants were able to digitally evaluate real deformity cases and perform digital planning during the session, and were given homework with practice cases to improve their newly acquired knowledge and skills.
In later sessions, virtual breakout rooms were utilized to discuss complex cases that had been prepared to demonstrate and reinforce the principles that had been taught in previous sessions. In the Meet the Experts session following the discussion group weeks, participants had the opportunity to get advice on their own previously submitted past, present and future cases.
In-depth course preparation
"Do not underestimate the time commitment required to successfully conduct such an event."
Co-chairperson Brett Crist said that he is very pleased with the results of this first AO Trauma NA live online course.
“Both the faculty and the participants were very engaged in the ongoing process of working through the course. This has been a great opportunity to increase the reach of the course to participants worldwide. We’ve had participants from the Middle East, Europe, and Latin America,” he said. “The original course was designed for 30 participants. It’s been a pleasant surprise to have around 200 participants for the Saturday sessions.”
In order to produce the high quality and advanced level of teaching that this course was targeted at, the course required more preparation than an average face-to-face course: Every session was carefully prepared, and faculty had to get used to teaching and moderating discussions online. Each session required a weekly precourse on Wednesday; the actual event on Saturday; a debriefing session on Monday; and, finally, an Ask the Experts session on Thursday. The faculty members were very committed to making the course successful.
Sirkin’s advice to chairpersons of future online live courses: "Do not underestimate the time commitment required to successfully conduct such an event. Pick dedicated faculty members that you can trust will do the necessary work and be as dedicated as you to the final product."
"NAMTEC. I must congratulate you, your committee and all the faculty who participated. What you have put 'on line' and will continue, available to all and free, is incredible. I am overwhelmed, truly overwhelmed by the excellence of the presentations and the depth of knowledge of the faculty."
- Joe Schatzker
If you have any questions about this course, please contact AO Trauma North America at memberrelations@aona.org
AO Trauma North America Online Course Osteotomy Weekly, April 18—June 20, 2020