Educational activities support healthcare organisations in developing workforce capability. These activities are typically initiated by an L&D or education team when there's an identified and validated gap in staff knowledge or skills that needs to be addressed. The goal is to effectively create and assign an activity to the desired target audience (staff) to close or narrow the identified gap.

What is an Educational Activity?

An educational activity is a structured form of learning designed to improve staff knowledge and skills. It is a commonly used format to deliver organisational learning. The term encompasses a variety of formats and may be referred to as a "module."

In this practical Guide, we'll explore the various aspects of creating effective training modules so that you can be confident that you can develop this type of educational resource to the highest standard.

What are Training Modules?

A training module is a type of educational activity often used for compliance-based mandatory or induction training. Training modules are designed to be concise and accessible, making them suitable for appealing to a broad range of learners within an organisation. Typically shorter in duration, training modules aim to capture and maintain the attention of staff as they complete workplace-based training. They differ from longer-format online courses, which may be longer in duration, cover more complex topics, and be tailored to a specific clinical cohort or target audience.

What is The Purpose of a Training Module?

A training module's topic or focus is usually compliance-based. These modules are designed to help learners understand relevant legislation, regulations, policies, or standards. Training modules may also focus on teaching staff about areas of risk and how to mitigate them. Other topics may introduce basic concepts that aim to improve the quality of care.

The structure, duration and delivery of training modules are therefore tailored to ensure that they provide essential information in an engaging and easily digestible format, facilitating both learning and retention in a practical, workplace-based context. The learning objectives of training modules should, therefore, focus on compliance awareness (knowing the relevant legislation and standards), risk mitigation (practising safety), and the basic provision of quality, person-centred care.

Does this equip staff with all of the knowledge, skills, competencies and attitudes to perform their job roles effectively and safely? No. Most organisations complement mandatory training with additional learning and professional development opportunities.

Considerations for Creating Training Modules

When creating training, several important considerations can impact the module’s effectiveness:

• Training needs assessment Conduct a needs assessment or training needs analysis to ensure that training modules address actual knowledge and skill gaps among employees.
• Learning objectives Well-defined objectives guide the training’s focus and make it easier to measure success.
• Interactive assessment Include engaging, meaningful assessments that enable both the employee and the organisation to assess the attainment of learning objectives.
• Content format Decide whether the training will be text-based, video-based, or a mix of various formats.
• Learning format Consider whether the module will be self-paced, instructor-led, or a blend of both. The format and duration can influence engagement and the effectiveness of the training.

How to Create Training Modules?

Creating training modules involves several key steps. Here’s a more in-depth look:

1. Define training goals: Begin by setting clear, measurable objectives that align with the overall training goal. These goals help you tailor the content to meet specific outcomes. Remember, for compliance-based training, objectives should focus on compliance awareness, risk mitigation, workplace safety, and/or quality of care.
2. Select content format: Depending on your audience and the subject matter, select an appropriate content format. This could be textual, graphical, video-based, or a combination of these.
3. Consult subject matter expert Collaboration with subject matter experts ensures that the content is both accurate and relevant. This is especially important in the healthcare setting, where inaccurate information can have serious repercussions.
4. Use a module creation ool: Specialised software makes it easier to create online training modules. These tools often include pre-designed templates and interactive elements, further simplifying the process.
5. Feedback and review: Before finalising the module, obtain feedback from a sample group, such as a colleague or a learner. Based on this feedback, make necessary adjustments to produce an effective training module.
6. Distribute the learning: Once all the above steps are completed, you can assign the learning to the relevant target audience staff so they can begin developing new or reinforcing existing knowledge and skills.

What Are the Pros and Cons of Creating Your Own Training Modules?

Before diving into the decision to create your own training modules, it's important to weigh the advantages and disadvantages. Tailor-made training can offer great benefits in terms of specificity and relevance but also come with its own sets of challenges, particularly in terms of resource allocation and expertise. Here, we outline some of the key pros and cons.

Pros	Cons
Customisation: Modules can be tailored to fit the specific needs and gaps within your organisation, offering targeted and relevant training.	Time-consuming: Creating effective training modules takes time and resources, both for the initial creation and ongoing updates.
Flexibility: You can easily update or modify the content to keep it in line with changes to your organisation's policies and procedures.	Requires expertise: You'll need access to subject matter experts for content creation, as well as experience in legislation, workplace safety and quality of care (clinical expertise).
Cost-effectiveness: Once the initial investment is made in an authoring tool and module creation, it can be more cost-effective in the long run compared to purchasing off-the-shelf solutions.	Initial costs: There may be upfront costs for acquiring an authoring tool and other resources for module creation.
Consistency: Ensures that all employees receive the same training, which is particularly important for compliance topics and workplace-based learning.	Content integrity: Ensuring consistent quality and integrity across all modules can be challenging and often requires ongoing evaluation and reviews by subject matter experts.

Tools and Platforms for Creating Training Modules

When it comes to creating your own training modules, choosing the right authoring tools and platforms is crucial for effective delivery. These platforms often come with a range of features to create online training modules, including multimedia integration, quiz makers, and even analytics for measuring the module's effectiveness. Here are some commonly used tools:

• Articulate storyline: This is a powerful tool for creating interactive, slide-based courses. It offers a wide range of options for customisation and interactivity.
• Adobe captivate: Known for its user-friendly interface, Captivate allows you to create e-learning courses that include simulations and quizzes.
• Moodle: This open-source Learning Management System (LMS) is highly flexible and can be customised to fit a range of educational needs. Moodle allows for the creation and management of online training modules and also offers analytics.
• Elucidat: A cloud-based authoring tool that allows for collaborative course creation. Elucidat offers a variety of pre-designed templates and is great for organisations that have a team-based approach to course creation.
• Ausmed: The Ausmed LMS™ allows you to create training modules, assign them to staff based on relevant training plans, teams, and job roles, and monitor staff performance. It's specifically designed to support healthcare organisations to report on learning against key standards such as the Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards and National Safety and Quality Health Care (NSQHS) Standards.

Training Module Template

A training module template serves as a step-by-step guide to streamline the process of module creation. Using a template can save both time and resources, ensuring that your modules maintain a consistent structure and quality. Templates often include placeholders for key elements like learning objectives, content format, and assessments.

Example Training Module Template for Healthcare

An example training module template could include the following components:

Section	Input
Title	[Title here]
Learning Objectives	[Learning objectives here]
Introduction	[Introduction here]
Content Sections	Section 1 Section 2 Section 3 Etc
Summary	[Summary here]
Assessment	[Assessment here]
Feedback and Evaluation	[Feedback survey] Question 1 Question 2 Question 3 etc

Related Guides

• Guide to Mandatory Training
• A Guide for Managers: Mandatory Training in Aged Care
• Guide to Induction Training
• Induction Training - FAQs
• A Guide to Policy Management
• Creating an Education Framework
• How Do I Use Learning Analytics for Competency Mapping?

References and Useful Resources

• Wright, D 2018, The Ultimate Guide to Competency Assessment in Health Care, 3rd edition, Creative Health Care Management, Minneapolis, MN.
• Harper, M (ed.) 2022, Core Curriculum for Nursing Professional Development, 6th edition, Association for Nursing Professional Development, Chicago, IL.
• Harper, M & Maloney, P (eds.) 2022, Nursing Professional Development Scope & Standards of Practice, 4th edition, American Nurses Association, Silver Spring, MD.

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