Get learning: AOA EyeLearn revamp improves accessibility of CE resource

A greater, more accessible user-experience welcomes members on the AOA’s online learning platform after an all-encompassing overhaul makes obtaining continuing education (CE) and professional development easier than ever before.

The AOA EyeLearn Professional Development Hub, a member-exclusive, centralized education resource, launched Feb. 7 with an entirely new look and feel that promotes a user-friendly experience for doctors, paraoptometrics and optometry students. Access to the ever-expanding catalog of CE and professional development courses, webinars and resources oriented to advancing clinical proficiencies and practice management expertise comes as an AOA member benefit, available whenever and wherever you’re ready to learn.

George Veliky, O.D., AOA Education Center Committee co-chair, says AOA EyeLearn has always been a significant member benefit, in terms of the sheer amount of education resources available; yet the platform’s original interface made it difficult to use. Having had the opportunity to repeatedly test and use the new system, Dr. Veliky calls the upgrade a “game changer.”

“We’re impressed with its ease of navigation and intuitiveness and are incredibly excited to bring this out to membership,” Dr. Veliky says. “We’d simply ask the member doctors to give it a look and encourage your paraoptometric staff to peruse the wealth of educational opportunities on the site, as well. There will be hours of CE and professional development content, many of which will provide AOA CE hours, too, with successful completion of test questions after the materials are viewed.”

Leveraging a new learning management system, Docebo Learning Suite, AOA EyeLearn receives its first, significant platform upgrade since its inception. The improvements focus not only on a more intuitive, accessible experience for users but also fully realizes the potential behind a centralized, members-only education hub.

In addition to the catalog of doctor and paraoptometric courses, many available for AOA CE hours or Commission on Paraoptometric Certification (CPC) credit, the new learning management system allows AOA EyeLearn greater functionality to deliver:

• Fully integrated, live webinars. Log in to AOA EyeLearn to participate in the impactful #AskAOA webinar series or Paraoptometric Speaker Series. The integration makes it easier for members to register, attend and access recordable content—all in one place.
• User-curated educational content. Customize your learning experience by searching the AOA EyeLearn catalog, flagging interesting courses or subject matter and adding them to your personalized account. Access those courses whenever it is easiest for you; users have start/stop functionality to control their learning speed. Additionally, the new platform tells users when new or timely courses are available.
• Keep track of your CE all in one place. Use your personalized AOA EyeLearn account as a CE wallet: complete AOA CE hours or CPC-credited courses inside AOA EyeLearn and the system automatically populates earned credits to your account. What’s more, users can upload CE earned outside of the AOA to keep record of your education all in one place.

“The new AOA EyeLearn platform is designed to be user-friendly and easy to use, so doctors, paraoptometrics or students can freely scan our catalog and find the education that speaks to their individual needs,” says Brad Lane, O.D., M.Ed., AOA Education Center Committee co-chair. “The AOA EyeLearn has a wide range of education, from clinical and practice management pearls to staff training and professional development, that carries out the AOA’s prioritization of impactful, year-round education.”

The AOA EyeLearn overhaul reflects the AOA’s continued modernization of its educational opportunities, starting with the year-long curriculum of contemporary optometric CE and professional development available through AOA EyeLearn and accessible, in-person, at Optometry’s Meeting®. This approach allows the AOA to expand education offerings and deliver clinical, business and communication-related topics that advance the practice of contemporary optometry.

Home to over 50 different CE and professional development courses for doctors, paraoptometrics and optometry students, AOA EyeLearn adds new courses monthly to support the growth of contemporary optometry. The platform includes recorded modules of past Optometry’s Meeting® and AOA Virtual Learning Livecast courses, as well as all-new content created by AOA members and staff.

Additionally, the AOA EyeLearn contains a broad catalog of paraoptometric training and skills development courses that can help develop practice synergies and orient staff toward CPC certification.

Jacquie Bowen, O.D., AOA Trustee and Education Center Committee liaison, says the staff training possibilities available because of AOA EyeLearn are invaluable as an AOA member and associate-member benefit.

“Having access to so many courses makes our training days and our downtime so much more productive,” Dr. Bowen says. “The new process will make it much easier to access education all day, any day. In addition, because traveling to education meetings is more tentative these days, AOA EyeLearn ensures that our full staff can participate in so many of the education offerings.

“AOA EyeLearn is a valuable benefit for all of our members, and especially our valued paraoptometric staff.”

Linda Rodriguez, CPO, AOA Paraoptometric Resource Center chair, couldn’t agree more about the value of AOA EyeLearn as a staff training resource. The education platform already contains a vast number of courses geared specifically toward helping paraoptometrics perform their daily tasks and responsibilities with greater understanding.

“I am overly excited about the new AOA EyeLearn platform,” Rodriguez says. “The personalized page allows us to seamlessly keep track of the library of courses and content available, as well as the content already completed and your continuing education certificates. It is a well-organized platform, easy to navigate with simple clicks and keeps all our learning in one place.”

Learn more about accessing the AOA EyeLearn Professional Development Hub and start learning today.