An Online Learning Community: What We Learned During the Design, Build, and Launch

While academic medicine and the medical professional have unique qualities, the issues surrounding self-directed learning and perceptions of social media for teaching and learning are universal. We believe that online learning communities can be a valuable resource for learners of almost any age, regardless of field of study, as long as the network tools are easy to use, the community is engaging, the content includes information valuable to its members, and there is support and guidance to help members manage their learning. This presentation will describe the steps taken to develop an online learning community for medical professionals. We will review outcomes for the first three months of implementation.