Canadian Council on Learning | Conseil Canadien sur l'Apprentissage

The goal of the project was to demonstrate the feasibility of a community of practice and virtual learning (CPVL) in the context of front-line nursing in family medicine groups (FMG) in Quebec. A successful CPVL was established and conditions to foster a sustainable CPVL were identified. In the process of implementing this project, the Centre d’expertise en santé de Sherbrooke (CESS) developed the general consulting expertise that can be applied to CPVLs for other practice communities. Information about this service is available at www.expertise-sante.com/communaute-virtuelle-pratique.htm. A demo of the electronic discussion platform is also available on this site (in the section Communauté de pratique des infirmières GMF – not currently available in English). The project has already demonstrated capacity for ongoing sustainability through implementation of a member-funded CPVL for nurses specializing in emergency care. As a further testament to the success of the project, the Quebec Department of Health and Social Services has contacted the CESS in order to explore the possibility of supporting a CPVL for nurse navigators in oncology.

This project developed an effective model for moving new evidence-based research into a large system - in this case the Ontario School system, with over 100,000 teachers). It developed a sustaining partnership between the TeachADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) Research group and the Ontario Public Schools Demonstration schools. Project deliverables included: a curriculum for teaching students with ADHD, an online resource centre (available at: www.teachadhd.ca), training to 80 lead teachers, and an evaluation of the process as well as participant satisfaction. The project has proven to be sustainable as it has been replicated in Ontario resulting in an estimated reach of over 2000 teachers.

This project was designed to engage Aboriginal Youth in helping to solve the HIV/AIDS and HCV (Hepatitis C Virus) challenges in Northern BC. It involved implementation of three regional Youth Train-the-Trainer sessions on basic sexuality, HIV/AIDS and HCV. Aboriginal youth, aged 18-25 and involved in working with youth, participated in the intensive three day training sessions held in the Northern BC Communities of Terrace, Fort St. John and Prince George. They acquired the skills to deliver culturally appropriate presentations on safe sexuality and healthy lifestyles in their home communities. By engaging Aboriginal youth, the Task Force has created the community-based capacity to exchange knowledge on topics that are important and relevant to communities. Information about the project is available at www.healingourspirit.org/education.htm .

This project pioneered an innovative approach to the use of webinars to advance effective practices in school health promotion. The program of webinars engaged an audience of practitioners, researchers and officials in over 30 knowledge exchange sessions. Session topics included nutrition, aboriginal students, safety/bullying, physical activity, mental health and sexual health. Participant feedback on the sessions was very positive. The school health promotion webinar program is now ongoing and sustainable through a combination of registration/membership fees and small grants from a variety of funders. As a testament to the program’s success, other organizations such as the World Health Organization and the Public Health Agency of Canada are replicating this approach in the use of webinars. An example of a wiki developed to support a webinar presentation can be seen at: http://shwebinar-substanceabusepolicies.wetpaint.com/

This project featured a provincial forum to allow school communities to exchange knowledge resulting from implementation of the Living Schools program in Ontario. Over 150 participants attended the Healthy Schools Matter forum including partners from the Living School communities, members of the Living School Research Advisory Group and key leaders from education, public health, recreation, research, media, non-profit, private, and government sectors. Several key communication pieces were developed (see www.livingschool.ca) to transfer knowledge about Living Schools including: a video entitled Living School Works, a Living School presentation, a success stories booklet, a video and proceedings of the forum. In addition, a series of key success factors and recommendations for moving healthy schools forward in Ontario was developed. The knowledge gained through the Living Schools initiative in Ontario continues to be transferred in Ontario and across Canada. The knowledge has also been shared with the World Health Organization and the Pan-American Health Organization.

This project involved a collaboration of the Women's College Hospital with the Women's College Research Institute and the Ontario Women's Health Network to develop Women Wading through the Web: a Health Toolkit to guide women in navigating the confusing maze of health information on the web. This online toolkit provides information on: how to use the internet to search for health information, how to judge the quality of a health website, how to interpret medical research, and how to understand media and web-based health information. The toolkit was and continues to be extensively promoted to the media, to consumers and healthcare intermediaries and through speaking engagements. The toolkit is available at: www.womenshealthmatters.ca/toolkit/index.html

This project delivered continuing education programs to raise awareness of mental health care and to increase the use of the Canadian Collaborative Mental Health Initiative (CCMHI) Education Toolkit. E-learning strategies were used to disseminate the toolkit including: a website (www.ccmhi.ca/en/training.html) that hosts several dynamic resources; five teleseminars providing basic instruction about inter-professional education; and three webinars that use a train-the-trainer format to teach potential facilitators how to implement the toolkit. The project was successful in bringing together a range of health care providers, consumers, family members, caregivers and educators to enhance the delivery of mental health services in primary health care settings. The use of e-learning technology proved to be an effective strategy for increasing awareness about CCMHI resources and for creating a community of learners interested in collaborative mental health care.

This project aimed to raise seniors' health and safety awareness by developing health literacy modules on key topics (falls prevention, prevention of elder abuse and neglect, safety in the home, healthy eating, medication awareness, mental health, care giving and receiving, sleep problems, chronic diseases, and social interaction), delivery of training to senior volunteers as facilitators of the health literacy modules, and delivery of health literacy workshops throughout BC. Feedback from workshop participants has been very positive. To expand the project's reach, the Council of Senior Citizens Organization of BC (COSCO) has distributed its workshop materials to national and provincial health and seniors-related organizations. Information about the workshops is available at the COSCO website: www.coscobc.ca/.

This project included a variety of activities (web-based discussion forums about published research, roundtables, web publication of lessons learned that can have pan-Canadian applicability in remote and rural communities) to stimulate knowledge exchange between northern and southern region health and literacy practitioners, and with health and literacy policy decision-makers and researchers. It provided an opportunity for participants to build relationships and to engage in conversations that link research, practice, and policy development. Information on the project is available at: www.upperskeena.ca/storytellers/CCL%20research/ccl/index.html.

This project resulted in a website (in a blog platform) to serve as an educational hub about mental health issues. A variety of e-learning strategies provided on the website (podcasts, vodcasts, audio minutes, treatment guidelines, and teleseminars) were proven to be effective based on the feedback obtained at two focus groups the project conducted. Materials and resources resulting from the project are available at www.mentalhealthminute.com.