Learning Session Template

Contents

Author Guidance

Session Landing Page

Evidence-based subsections (context, definition, pathophysiology, clinical assessment and risk stratification, investigations, management (general and specific, pitfalls)

Clinical Cases

Post-test

Author Guidance

Thanks for your interest in submitting a learning session. These sessions are incredibly popular but we do recognise how much work is involved in producing them. We’ve tried to make the template as intuitive as possible; however if you still have questions please don’t hesitate to contact Chris on

Overview

Learning sessions contain a detailed landing page, evidence-based subsections which include interactive components, clinical cases, and a post-test. Please remember that users will be scored on their performance in the post-test, and the pass mark for this is 80%. Please remember that the session should contain all the relevant info for users to be able to successfully pass the post-test. The most common format for the post-test is between 5 to 10 MCQ questions; these can include images.

Embedded interactivity

You also have the option of including the following types of interactive content at any point throughout the evidence-based subsections:

  • MCQs (maximum of 5 questions please). These can be single best answer, multiple choice (i.e. more than one correct answer) or true or false (i.e. please select the statements which are true form the ones listed below).
  • SAQs (free text/narrative).

Please remember that users will not be graded or assessed on their performance in these questions, but they will be able to compare their answers to the correct or gold standard ones provided by the author[s] when they hit submit. These results will not be archived anywhere in a user’s portfolio. Each evidence-based subsection should include either an MCQ or an SAQ.

Other types of functionality

Feel free to include images, tables, videos, animations, slides etc. at relevant points throughout the session. This isn’t mandatory but it might help to produce a more effective session! Variety of presentation is key, and it stops things becoming too text-heavy.

You might find it useful to have a look at these sessions before you get writing. They are well-structured and they’ve continued to be popular with our users:

  • Breathlessness
  • Bradycardias
  • Sudden Visual Loss
  • Tachycardias in the Resuscitation Room
  • Syncope
  • Atraumatic Red Eye

Session structure

Every learning session should adhere to the following structure:

  • Session landing page details (author[s], image, description, duration, learning objectives etc.).
  • Evidence-based subsections (context, definition, pathophysiology, clinical assessment and risk stratification, investigations, management, pitfalls). Submissions must be informed by a consistent and contemporary evidence-base to be eligible for publication.
  • Clinical Cases
  • Post-test (replicates pre-test; this is the only part of the session that’s assessed).

Results & Re-takes

  • The full breakdown of a user’s results (i.e. both correct and incorrect answers) will be available in their profile on completion of the session.
  • The pass mark for the session is 80%
  • If a user wants to re-take the post-test they can navigate straight to it, they don’t have to re-take the whole session again.

RCEMReference

An accompanying session will also be published on RCEMReference, which is the VLE’s e-textbook. RCEMReference is designed as a point-of-care resource; the version published here will be the same as the learning session except that all assessable/interactive content is removed (i.e. it won’t contain the pre or post-test or any of the embedded MCQs/SAQs). Submission of an RCEMReference session is a mandatory requirement for publication.

Submission & peer review

Ideally the session will be reviewed by a consultant at the local level. The submission will be reviewed by a member of RCEMLearning’s Editorial Executive responsible for learning sessions. A publication date will be assigned and you’ll be issued with a certificate on publication which will confirm the date and title on publication, session type, curriculum codes and a recommended citation (the session will count as an official college e-publication).

Review cycle

Learning sessions are reviewed every two to three years. Authors and editors will be contacted in the first instance; if they are unresponsive the college’s e-learning Editorial Executive and Editorial Review Board will undertake the review.

Confidentiality & external resources

Please ensure the session is stripped of any patient-identifiable information. If possible when linking to external resources please ensure they are open access.

Session Landing Page

This is the ‘front page’ of the session and it will be the first thing users see.

Author[s] (please include name, grade & hospital)
Editor[s]: (please include name, grade & hospital)
Editorial Executive reviewer
Date signed off for build by creative lead
Reason[s] not signed off for build by creative lead
Session title
Curriculum Codes: Please see spreadsheet (will imminently be online!)
Date submitting author[s] suggest session should be reviewed (e.g. 1 year from publication, 2 years etc.)
Speciality key terms (please underline): / Cardiology, Critical Care, Endocrine,
Environmental, Infectious disease,
Metabolic, Neurology, Paediatrics, Trauma,
Vascular emergencies, Abdominal surgery,
Care of the Elderly. Diagnostics, ENT surgery,
Gastroenterology, Maxillofacial surgery,
Musculoskeletal, Ophthalmology,
Respiratory, Urology
Image: Please upload an image or let us know if you’re happy for us to provide one
Description: Please provide a 250 words max. abstract of the session here.
Duration: Please indicate anticipated completion time here (i.e. 45 mins, 60 mins etc.)
Pass mark / 80%
Learning objectives: After this session it is anticipated that users will be able to (please keep to 4-6 bullet points):
References: Please provide session references here in the Harvard format (author-date). Please provide footnotes in the session itself.
Additional resources (optional): Please provide references and links to further resources here if they are not cited or provided in the session.

Evidence-based subsections (context, definition, pathophysiology, clinical assessment and risk stratification, investigations, management (general and specific, pitfalls)

  • Perform a good literature search to make sure the session is underpinned by a strong evidence-base. It’s especially important to include relevant NICE guidelines and links tohigh-impact journals
  • Use short bullet points to break up each section.
  • Use boxes to provide short mini summaries
  • Have a ‘learning bite’ or key learning point for each sub-section
  • You can include MCQs and SAQs at any point in these sections. The suggested structure for these embedded interactive components is detailed below. Feel free to use a mix throughout but only use one type per section (i.e. MCQ in definition, SAQ in basic science etc.).
  • This session should be between 2000-3000 words long
  • Each part will be a page in its own right that users will click through, but feel free to add additional parts to each section if you feel it’s required.
  • Please cut and paste these boxes into the relevant section and complete.

MCQ structure:

Question / Answer options
Question text goes here / 5 MCQ options
There should only be one correct answer - so structured as a best of 5 MCQ. Please underline the correct answer.
If you do wish to have more than one correct answer, include reference to this, i.e. Which of the following are correct?

SAQ structure:

Case Scenario
A summary on how the patient presented in the ED and any relevant history and background info (up to 400 words)
Question 1
Gold standard answer (up to 200 words)

Context

Definition

Pathophysiology

Clinical assessment and risk stratification

Investigations

Management (general and specific)

Pitfalls

Clinical Cases

This section is aimed at self-assessment using clinical cases to:

  • Apply the knowledge in a clinical setting.
  • Link to the session’s learning outcomes (included on the landing page).
  • Please write the clinical cases as either SAQs or MCQs using the structure provided.
  • Please include a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 3. Each clinical case can have more than one question (i.e. 1 MCQ, 1 SAQ, 2 MCQs, 1 SAQ etc.)

Clinical case 1

MCQ structure:

Question / Answer options
Question 1 text goes here / 5 MCQ options
There should only be one correct answer - so structured as a best of 5 MCQ. Please underline the correct answer.
If you do wish to have more than one correct answer, include reference to this, i.e. Which of the following are correct?
Question 2 text goes here

SAQ structure:

Case Scenario
A summary on how the patient presented in the ED and any relevant history and background info (up to 400 words)
Question 1
In this question aim to focus on assessment, risk stratification or initial differential diagnosis
Gold standard answer (up to 200 words)

Clinical Case 2

As above

Post-test

The pre-test allows the learner to gauge their knowledge of the topic. The pass mark is 80% and a user will receive a certificate if they meet or exceed the pass mark.

Please write 5-10 questions related to the subject matter, with 4-5 options for each question. The questions should be structured so that they have one answer which is the ‘best of the 5 options’ given.

Ideally please give a mini scenario for each question with data if you wish (max 50 words for the scenario). This structure allows the candidate to evaluate the information and give a balanced risk view of the ‘best answer’ to the problem.

For a well-rounded quiz we suggest structuring the MCQs around the following domains. If you want 5 questions please have 1 for each domain, if you’d like 10 please come up with a couple for each:

  • Pathophysiology
  • Acute assessment/risk stratification
  • Diagnostics and investigations
  • Therapeutic options
  • Pearls, problems, and pitfalls

If you’re uploading images for this or any section of the session please upload and save the image in a way that allows easy identification (e.g. pre-test Q3 image 1, context image 1 etc.)

Question (minimum of 5, max of 10) / Answer options
1 / 5 MCQ options
There should only be one correct answer - so structured as a best of 5 MCQ. Please underline the correct answer.
If you do wish to have more than one correct answer, include reference to this, i.e. Which of the following are correct?
2
3
4
5

If you’d like to have more than 5 question in the pre-test then please extend the table but adhere to the same structure.

1