​London Losey, Family Home Visiting Training Coordinator, Minnesota Department of Health

This year, from February to June 2015, I participated in the E-Learning Institute (ELI), an e-learning mentoring program that empowers education and training professionals from health departments and public health organizations with the knowledge, skills, tools, and resources to create quality e-learning. This was the third year of the program, collaboratively launched and maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Public Health Foundation (PHF)

I, along with seven other colleagues who work in public health, developed short, 20-minute quick learn modules for learners in our respective topic areas. Over the next three months, we met virtually with peers and ELI mentors to overcome challenges we were experiencing and discuss e-learning topics such as:

• Training Needs Analysis;
• Content Development;
• Learner Assessment;
• Interface and Navigation;
• Interactivity; and
• Accessibility (508 compliance).
  

In June, my ELI colleagues and I presented our e-learning products to one another, PHF staff, and our mentors at CDC in Atlanta, Georgia. We received valuable feedback on our products and changes that could improve our quick learn modules.  As ELI participants, our aim is to have the e-learning modules posted on TRAIN by December 2015. 

Participating in ELI provided me with a wealth of information about e-learning. I was exposed to a new field and vocabulary (ex. responsive design), as well as a breadth of options to explore in selecting authoring tools and course interactivity. From the e-learning product development process, I now better understand my role and how to interact with content experts, which was previously a challenging part of my job. I also found value in the online discussion with mentors and peers; receiving feedback and support from peers who were experiencing similar obstacles was helpful.

As budgets tighten, learning styles change, and staff turnover, online learning serves a larger purpose in the public health arena. ELI creates the foundation for creating quality e-learning products in public health. I highly recommend applying to participate in ELI for public health professionals interested in developing and strengthening their e-learning skills. I guarantee you will be pleased with what you will be able to accomplish!