Dear colleagues

This issue of the FacultyFocus is dedicated to the post-event analysis of our experience with the recent AO Spine courses at the AO Davos Courses 2020. Needless to say, planning for any event in late 2020 was nightmarish and the AO Davos Courses 2020 were not exceptions in this regard. What were exceptional, though, were the outcomes of the new educational concepts and format used. Although it was impossible to offer any face-to-face, on-site interaction at any time, we achieved very high satisfaction rates as well as significant reductions in participants’ learning gaps.

Our faculty members were beyond commendable in achieving these results. Their full understanding of and adaptation to the concept as well as their dedication to give their best to the learners were unprecedented. They deserve enthusiastic applause.

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An experiment in fully online blended learning: AO Spine at the AO Davos Courses 2020

As a leader in innovative education for surgeons, AO Spine has been adopting a blended learning approach to many of its events for some years.

AO Spine launches universal outcome tool specifically for spinal trauma patients

The AO Spine Knowledge Forum (KF) Trauma recently developed, validated, and launched a universal outcome instrument specifically for spinal trauma patients.

Share your online teaching experiences

Online learning and teaching have made a key contribution to medical education over the past months, and the AO network has been at the forefront of this advance. We invite you to share your online teaching experiences with us, so that we can share them with AO faculty across the clinical divisions and unit.

Learning within the AO: looking back and moving forward

The Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma (JOT) February supplement presents an overview of past, present, and future of education within the AO

Clinical division reports

Have you been waiting to learn more about where your clinical division stands in terms of diversity and inclusion? Gain access to your individual clinical division reports now.

AO’s Richards and Topalovic support charity’s effort to keep students inspired

Two AO representatives were part of a United Kingdom-based charity’s recent effort to keep Davos-area students inspired following the pandemic-related postponement of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting.

Mentorship and culture change through AO Access

The benefits of workplace diversity have been proven in terms of productivity, innovation, and financial success, yet there remains underrepresentation of some groups within the AO. The AO Access mentorship task force has been created to develop a program to address these issues and contribute to a positive culture change.

AO Faculty Development at 2021 SACME Annual Meeting

AO Faculty Development contributed to a thought-provoking workshop titled, “Creating a Faculty Development Program for Continuing Professional Development (CPD), at the live, virtual 2021 Society for Academic Continuing Medical Education (SACME) Annual Meeting.

10 tips to develop content for online learning

The key to successful online learning is creating an engaging experience with easily accessible content. Content should be user friendly, incorporating the principles of human-centered design (HCD), putting learners and their needs first. Remember you are an essential part of a team of subject matter experts, instructional designers, educationalists, video specialists, technology platform experts and more, so stay involved and enjoy the journey!

AO Davos Courses 2020: bold, fresh, and a clear success

For the first time ever, our flagship educational event, the AO Davos Courses took place entirely online. Twenty courses and five webinars were held over four days, with over 7,300 attendees taking part internationally.

Successful launch of the AO PEER self-directed online course

The AO Program for Education and Excellence in Research (AO PEER) recorded a resounding—and ongoing—success with the premier of the self-directed, online version of its popular principles of clinical research course at the first-ever fully online AO Davos Courses 2020, December 3–6, 2020.