AO Dialogue 2|10 The newsletter for the AO community
AO Education enters a new era
New initiatives fulfill AO’s mission as an innovator of high-quality educational activities and resources
Education is more than just a course
For nearly half of a century, surgeons and ORP have looked to AO as the leading provider of medical education, and to its traditional courses as the best way to avail of it. However, faced with fast-paced medical developments and mounting practice-based demands, there is a growing awareness at AO that offering courses is not enough. Urs Rüetschi, Director of AO Education (AOE), puts it best: “The needs in the healthcare environment are changing, with different pressures and a constant stream of new technologies and techniques adults seem to learn differently
than in the past and their educational needs patterns have changed.” If a surgeon has a problem today they may look for the solution in a book, on a website, or talk to colleagues. If they decide to attend a course, they would probably opt to prepare with eLearning or Internet-based resources, DVDs, or videos. To answer these demands AOE is adopting a “blended learning” approach —d ifferent learning methods assembled in a way that addresses the learner’s needs. [ continued on page 2 ]
Table of contents Education 1 SIGN 4 AOSEC 6 TK System Focus 8 AO Research Fund 12 Regional Highlights 18 Norbert Haas 24