Beyond the Lecture: A Delphi Study of In-Person and Virtual Active Learning Techniques in Didactic Continuing Education.

Introduction: Despite evidence supporting active learning techniques to enhance learning, they are seldom used during large-group continuing education (CE) sessions. This project sought to describe which active learning techniques are acceptable, feasible, and with which learners are likely to engage.

Methods: Active learning techniques derived from a literature review were rated for two rounds by two Delphi panels, one composed of medical education experts (n = 10) and the other of CE attendees (n = 12). Each technique received five ratings: experts rated appropriateness for use in large-group didactic CE and feasibility for in-person and virtual use, and attendees rated their likelihood to engage in-person and virtually.

Results: Out of 30 active learning techniques, 13 (43%) received the highest ratings on all 5 measures. The remainder of the techniques did not achieve consensus on at least one measure. Only two techniques reached consensus for not being appropriate for large-group didactic CE.

Discussion: We provide consensus evidence for the feasibility, appropriateness, and likelihood to engage for a variety of active learning techniques. This list can serve as a guide for their implementation in large-group didactic education and as a starting point for future study.