CME Courses Now Available in the Digital Learning Hub

PAEA Learning is pleased to announce its initial line-up of online CME-eligible courses through the Digital Learning Hub (DLH). The DLH was developed with the goal of increasing access to professional development resources for all members. Since its launch in October, it has been a hit with members across the country and continues to increase in popularity. With more than 700 active members in the system, the time is right to add more opportunities for formal learning to the mix. 

There are currently four CME-eligible courses available — but this is just the beginning. All of the courses are ADA-compliant.

Stay tuned as more courses and informational webinars are added throughout the year. Here is an outline of current courses available to members:

Item-Writing for Beginners

Eligible for 1 hour CME

Developed by a team of PA faculty with a wealth of experience in assessment, this course focuses on the fundamentals of writing multiple-choice test items. 

Multiple-choice examinations are a crucial part of assessment in the educational landscape, providing an effective and efficient way to assess learning objectives. Developing exams that appropriately assess learning outcomes starts with the development of high-quality test questions. 

This course is designed for PA educators who are new to the process of writing multiple-choice test items. In this module, you will learn how to ensure each test item is well-written, aligned with learning objectives, and designed to assess the appropriate learning objectives.

Learning Objectives
At the end of the module, learners will be able to:

• Describe the three key criteria used to write high quality test items
• Describe the nine steps of the item writing process
• Identify three common mistakes that are made during the item writing process.
  

Developing High-Quality Exams

Eligible for 1 hour CME

Developed by a team of PA faculty with a wealth of experience in assessment, this course focuses on the foundational elements of high-quality exams. 

Valid and reliable assessment quality is essential to accurately assess learning and make instructional decisions based on data. This module is packed with the information needed to develop high-quality exams, including: the five characteristics of high-quality exams, development of an exam blueprint, the exam development process in detail, and assessment of exam performance following test administration.

Learning Objectives

At the end of the module, learners will be able to:

• Describe five characteristics of high-quality exams
• Articulate the purpose and required components of exam blueprints
• List and explain the steps in the exam development process from start to finish
• Describe processes that follow test administration to determine exam performance and provide student feedback
  

Integrating Oral Health into PA Curriculum

Eligible for 2.5 hours CME

Ongoing program evaluation and continuous improvement are essential to ensure program quality remains high and curricula remain relevant to prepare graduates for entry into clinical practice. This course is designed to help educators, regardless of their roles, start evaluating and assessing their PA programs while integrating oral health, which should be considered a key part of patient care. This course uses oral health as an exemplar to demonstrate how to use the integration process to evaluate and improve curricula.

Learning Objectives

There are five modules in this course. At the end of these modules, learners will be able to:

• Describe the connections between oral health and social justice 
• Explain the importance of including oral health topics in PA curriculum
• Identify oral health integration points that are already in your curriculum or could easily be added
• Integrate oral health into the four program components in a manner that is customized and sustainable
• Evaluate the impact of PA oral health education
• Measure outcomes for ongoing program improvements and advocacy
• Advocate for the importance of oral health to obtain support from relevant stakeholders.
  

If you are attending the 2019 Education Forum and Hill Visits this year, you may also complete an additional online course:

Skills-Building in Grassroots Advocacy

Eligible for 1 hour CME

This module is intended to prepare PA faculty for visiting Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, to engage with their respective government representatives. It covers advocacy best practices as well as additional information on the policy issues prioritized by PAEA. 

Learning Objectives

At the end of this module, learners will be able to:

Advocacy for Beginners

• Outline the basic structure of the national executive and legislative branches of government
• Describe the importance of federal policy in supporting and advancing PA education and the PA profession
• Describe the unique role and effectiveness of constituents in influencing members of Congress
• List the variety of methods through which advocates can engage with their elected representatives

Advanced Advocacy

• Describe how offices on Capitol Hill are organized and list engagement strategies when arranging meetings with congressional staff
• List the committees of jurisdiction (health, education) and the importance of engaging committee staff in targeted advocacy efforts
• Describe the fundamentals of the federal budget and appropriations process and common examples of deviation from the prescribed method of funding the federal government
• Define common technical terms used in various stages of the legislative process

Effective Communication

• Employ the basic formula for a successful meeting on Capitol Hill and in state/district offices
• List the “dos” and ”don’ts” of engaging with elected representatives
• Use constituent stories and district/state-specific impact data in congressional meetings
• Implement strategies to respond to difficult questions and unexpected situations when engaging in advocacy

Legislative Issues

• List PAEA’s top legislative priorities
• Describe how PAEA engages with members and volunteer leaders to shape the Association’s advocacy agenda
• Explain the key provisions of the PA Education Modernization Acts
• Explain the importance of reauthorization efforts (Title VII, Higher Education Act, etc.) in advancing the Association’s strategic objectives

Long-Term Relationships

• Recognize the importance of ongoing communication with members of Congress and their staff
• Describe the value of in-district/in-state meetings and site visits in advancing policy priorities and act to schedule visits
• Engage in follow-up via a site visit to promote progress on legislative objectives
• Sustain relationships in spite of high rates of turnover among congressional staff

To access any of these courses, log in to your PAEA Learning account and click on the Digital Learning Hub link in the navigation bar. Search for the title of the course. If you don’t have a PAEA Learning account yet and are a member, you can request one here.