E-learning at CAMH

CAMH Connexions

CAMH is a leader, not only in research and care, but also in innovative education and professional development programs related to mental health and substance abuse. Since its launch in September, the Education and Health Promotion's (EHP) e-learning online courses have proven to be a valuable addition to the educational opportunities offered at CAMH.

The e-learning program, which was developed by the Continuing Professional Education Online staff at CAMH, works side-by-side with our research and clinical programs. This helps us to turn our discoveries and best practices into knowledge that we can transfer to health professionals and organizations-throughout Ontario, across Canada and around the world.

The e-learning courses are offered to CAMH staff and other professionals, such as teachers, social workers, police officers, or anyone else who may encounter people with addiction and mental health issues.
Since the program is online, the course work can be accessed wherever there is an Internet connection.
Whether you're at home or work, day or night, one of the benefits of e-learning is the flexibility a participant has in completing the course. This same flexibility also allows the learner the time to absorb and reflect on the topic at his or her own pace. But don't take that to mean that the program is not challenging, quite a bit of time and dedication is needed to successfully complete any one of the courses.

"CAMH online courses are professional and rigorous, with readings and required participation in discussion forums," says Betty Dondertman, Manager, Publishing and Continuing Education. "People typically log onto the course three or more times per week so they can read material, see what others have said about that week's topic, or post their own thoughts and ideas." The core implementation team developed the program with the user in mind. The online courses are easy to navigate with technical support readily available and when evaluated by a pilot group, over 90% of these first time users agreed that the system was user friendly.

EHP e-learning courses are interactive and engaging, with cutting-edge content and facilitators who are experts in their fields. In each course, participants have access to topic overviews, web-based resources, and supplementary readings. A key part of the online e-learning experience is the interaction with instructors and other participants. These exchanges make it possible for participants to learn from each other, as well as from the facilitators.

Course facilitators are active in moderating the discussion, answering questions and sharing clinical expertise. Wende Wood, Drug Information and Drug Use Evaluations Pharmacist and e-learning facilitator, recognizes the benefits of participants discussing the similarities and differences they experience as professionals in their respective fields. "There is an Internet café, which is a separate posting board for off-topic interactions. This is a great way for participants to network with one another. E-learning is more than just learning," she says.

The EHP e-learning group is preparing to share their experience in developing online training courses and are looking forward to helping other CAMH programs reap the benefits of e-learning.

Lanre Banjoko, Public Affairs, CAMH