Creating a virtual “global community of learners” in radiation medicine through sound educational principles

Abstract

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), comprising 154 Member States, is an internationally recognised repository of knowledge in the radiation medicine domain (nuclear medicine, diagnostic radiology, radiation oncology, and medical radiation physics), as delivered through its Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications-Division of Human Health (NAHU). This paper discusses the goal and implementation strategy adopted by NAHU towards realising its educational vision, namely, to create a virtual global community of learners for radiation medicine professionals in IAEA’s Member States. The virtual community refers to a distance learning platform and resource made available to the IAEA’s Member States. Since 2008, NAHU has been explicitly integrating sound educational principles into the Division’s education and training programmes to accomplish this educational vision.

To translate the above educational vision into action, content, process, and information technology experts at NAHU have been involved in a collective effort to progressively focus on developing strategies for “reflective practice” by employing educational processes based on a continuous quality improvement philosophy: Plan-Do-Check-Act. This paper describes an ongoing effort in this direction, which entails several developmental stages utilising a set of awareness-raising and internally planned capacity building activities.

NAHU functions as a “learning organisation” that encourages a collaborative learning environment. NAHU also emphasises the development of reflective practice, critical thinking, and knowledge building through a virtual learning environment. By incorporating the practices of a learning organisation, this transformative strategy can prepare NAHU’s professional staff to build capacity in radiation medicine across the globe with the aim of minimising the gap in radiation medicine between the developed and developing countries.