ASGE’s Online Education Takes a Leap Forward
System Selection and Implementation
ASGE turned to .orgSource for expertise and assistance with investing in a new and updated technology platform that would help lay the groundwork for the future of learning for ASGE. .orgSource guided the LMS vendor requirements, selection and oversight and developed project scope of work.
Overview
Since its founding in 1941, the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) has been dedicated to advancing patient care and digestive health by promoting excellence and innovation in gastrointestinal endoscopy. ASGE, with more than 15,000 members worldwide, promotes the highest standards for endoscopic training and practice, fosters endoscopic research, recognizes distinguished contributions to endoscopy, and is the foremost resource for endoscopic education. ASGE’s Mission Statement is: “To be the leaders in advancing patient care and digestive health by promoting excellence and innovation in endoscopy.”
The challenge
As endoscopists’ time for education experiences becomes more scare, ASGE members have been requesting a more modern online learning experience that accommodates today’s busy physician. In response to this need, ASGE sought a new Learning Management System (LMS) that could address critical features such as online/offline capabilities, ease of navigation, mobile device accessibility among other optimal functionality.
Other goals for implementing a new LMS included the ability for:
- Learners to claim CME credit and/or MOC points using a single platform—no longer using a separate claiming product after a CME or MOC qualifying activity is complete.
- Learners to access their complete learning history.
- Administrators to track and report on learner interaction with content, including benchmarking.
- Administrators to analyze course content and modify it based on learner performance/knowledge gaps.
- Administrators to streamline work and more easily build/reuse course content.
The Solution
ASGE turned to .orgSource for expertise and assistance with investing in a new and updated technology platform that would help lay the groundwork for the future of learning for ASGE. .orgSource guided the LMS vendor requirements, project scope of work and timelines, vendor selection and contract negotiations, vendor oversight during the implementation, and collaboration with representatives from multiple ASGE departments—including education, IT, finance, customer service and communications. .orgSource consultant Beth Welch served as ASGE’s interim LMS administrator and course designer.
“Beth has proven to be an invaluable resource to ASGE, to the LMS project, and to me as the project manager and LMS administrator,” says Jean Verdeyen, ASGE’s manager of eLearning and learning technology. “Throughout this project, Beth was continuously thinking ahead and proactively anticipating work; dug into testing content, learner records, and system functionality to ensure a smooth migration; was uber-responsive and efficient; and showed prudence in her judgment on how to use her time and ASGE dollars.
“She is a trusted consultant and partner. I know if I ask Beth to take something on, it will be done on time, it will be done right, and it will be done with the customer in mind.”
The Results
In March 2018, ASGE successfully transitioned from its old online learning platform to the new LMS named GI Leap (GI Learn Explore Advance Practice). GI Leap is a one-stop shop for the association’s full suite of educational offerings and members’ ASGE educational history. It is now easier for users to find educational content and access content on any device and also enjoy faster content delivery, especially for video-streaming. Most ASGE clinical and practice management educational opportunities are available on GI Leap. For courses, this includes faculty presentations, pre-work, videos, assessments, evaluations and course certificates.
“This project and the partners we have brought on to achieve success have been over the top in their attention to detail and support,” says ASGE’s Chief Learning Officer Ed Dellert.
ASGE volunteer leaders also were impressed with the outcome. “GI Leap is a fantastic leap into a new era of online learning for ASGE members. Great platform, easy to navigate,” says ASGE board member Klaus Mergener.
Colleen M. Schmitt, MD, MHS, FASGE, FACG, adds: “[GI Leap is] fun to navigate, speedy, [has] logical categories, multiple languages, and great content.”
Welch says the vendor’s (360Factor) “insightfulness, engagement and attention to detail were amazing throughout the entire process. Their platform is really exceptional in the depth and breadth of functionality it provides.”
Within the first week of GI Leap’s launch, more than 350 users actively engaged in eLearning content with purchases being made and processed, credit being claimed and users successfully navigating the new LMS with minimal issues. ASGE is now monitoring members’ access and navigation of the system to better understand how members are accessing educational materials, questions being asked, resources that are of interest and features that are being used. Next steps will also include the introduction of the iOS GI Leap App in May 2018—with the ability to use content offline—followed by the Android mobile version this summer.
