In addition to profession-specific knowledge, continuing competence can be supported by understanding trends in the broader world, as this has the potential to positively impact physiotherapist practice.
For the past 14 years, Jane Hart of the Center for Learning and Performance Technologies has surveyed industry leaders involved in learning and education about the tools used to support their work. The annual survey identifies trends with existing technologies to support learning, professional collaboration, and education across sectors and identifies new and emerging technologies. This year, “2,369 votes were tallied from individuals working in 45 countries. 59% of respondents came from companies, businesses and non-profit making organizations, whilst 41% worked in education.”
The three lists are as follows:
- Top 100 Tools for Personal Learning (PL100). The top digital tools used by individuals for their own self-improvement, learning and development
- Top 100 Tools for Workplace Learning (WL100). The top digital tools used to design, deliver, enable and/or support learning in the workplace.
- Top 100 Tools for Education (Ed100). The top digital tools used by educators and students in colleges and universities.
Furthermore, the Top 200 list shows which technologies moved up or down on the rankings compared to previous years.
Hart’s survey took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has brought about sweeping changes “so the list(s) provides a unique look into how learning is being enabled and supported in these times.” She provides additional analysis and insights about this year’s survey.
In terms of the top five tools, YouTube and Zoom hold the top two spots for learning and meeting followed by Google Search, Microsoft Teams and PowerPoint for learning, collaboration and education.
What (if any of this) is relevant to physiotherapist professional practice?
Hart’s Top 200 list is presented for information and to build awareness of technologies to support learning and professional collaboration. These technologies are designed to support you to learn, work, teach and collaborate more effectively and efficiently as an individual and within your workplace.
Explore the list. There may be a technology you were aware of but needed a nudge to dig deeper into its features, or perhaps you are interested in a newcomer to the market that provides equivalent features for free compared to one that is subscriber-based. Some examples include:
- Professional and workplace group chats can be supported by What’s App or Microsoft Teams.
- Your next learning goal or project can be mindmapped using Freemind.
- Take a Coursera course on any subject i.e., health informatics, population health, accounting, Indigenous Canada, etc.
- Power up your next professional presentation with Kahoot or Mentimeter.
- Consider whether it is time to update forms and patient information sheets using the content development tool Ilovepdf.com which is free and seems to have similar features as the subscriber-based Adobe Acrobat.
Technology influences how we learn, work and collaborate. If exposure to any of these new technologies causes to you to change your professional practice and those changes result in meaningful and significant impacts in your personal competence and patient care and/or workplace practices, then you can use the experience for your 2021 Self-Selected Activity.
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