Engaging Health Professions Educators in an Initiative to Create and Disseminate Micro Virtual Asynchronous Educator Development Content During COVID-19

Abstract

OBJECTIVES Most teaching activities pivoted to virtual during COVID-19. Demanding schedules necessitated brief, asynchronous, and widely disseminated professional development to encourage connection and reinforce educator identity. We created and disseminated micro virtual asynchronous educator development while engaging educators from interprofessional backgrounds to co-create teaching tips. We undertook educational evaluation to understand the impact of our educational initiative, measured along 2 professional development dimensions offering contexts for learning—the individual or independent experience, and the group or collective experience—which served as an organizing framework from which to interpret our results. METHODS Between June 2020 and July 2021, 74 educators at our institution were asked to participate in our “One Minute Teaching Tips” initiative by providing a brief tip or pearl. Each tip was edited, prepared as a high-quality infographic, and shared via: (1) website; (2) digital monitors; (3) newsletter; and (4) Twitter (now X). Quantitative metrics measuring website and Twitter engagement were analyzed descriptively and to determine distinctions among key variables. Participants answered a brief survey and directed content analysis was utilized to analyze the open-ended responses. RESULTS Fifty educators (67.5%) participated. Among those, 45 (90%) completed the survey. Tips were accessed via website 1447 times, averaging 28.9/week. The average tweet garnered 43.2 engagements. Six categories aligned with the individual dimension: participants engaged meaningfully, considered prior experience, relied on educational principles, focused on interest or passion, reflected on teaching practices, and experienced reinforced professional identity. Six categories aligned with the collective dimension: participants felt the initiative supported institutional need, was visible to the community, encouraged engagement with other tips, supported inclusive participation, brought value within the community, and showcased education. CONCLUSION Our initiative aligns with a contemporary understanding of professional development and was impactful along individual and collective dimensions. Similar initiatives could be developed in alignment with accreditation requirements.