Implementing e-Learning at a Large Academic Health Sciences Centre: A Case Study of e-Curricula Planning and Educator Support

This qualitative study investigated how a team of 7 hospital educators collaborated to develop e-curriculum units to pilot for a newly acquired learning management system at a large, multisite academic health sciences centre. A case study approach was used to examine how the e-Curriculum Team was structured, how the educators worked together to develop strategies to better utilize e-learning in their own practice, what e-curriculum they chose to develop, and how they determined their priorities for e-curriculum development. Project management structure, educator support, and organizational pressures on the implementation project feature prominently in the case study. This study suggests that implementation of e-learning will be more successful if (a) educators involved in the development of e-learning curriculum are innovators and change agents, (b) the pain of unlearning current educational practice is considered, (c) the limitations of the software being implemented are recognized, (d) time is spent learning about best practice, and (e) the project is protected as much as possible from organizational pressures and distractions.

Debra Wingfield has worked in Canadian healthcare in a variety of administrative roles for over 18 years. Since 2004, Debra has coordinated a team of multi-disciplinary hospital educators who have worked together to develop and implement technology-based education for all staff in a large multisite academic health sciences centre.