or less.
Major upgrades to HFMA’s learning management system (LMS) and course content would be noticeable to members who recently visited the Association’s learning center or earned one of its 11 certifications. The website is now easier to navigate and helps members find resources and track progress. Content has been updated to be more engaging.
“As part of the first phase of a three-year learning management system (LMS) transformation, these enhancements are designed to make learning more accessible, flexible and user-friendly for HFMA members,” said Michael McKenzie Grant, CPTD, MFA, HFMA’s director of learning experience.
A new content delivery approach
Grant pointed to two major transformations in how the content is delivered.
1 Instead of mostly text on screen, content is now delivered by digital avatars, interactive exercises and case studies. “These upgrades enable our members and learners to understand concepts covered in the material in a simulated, real-world environment,” Grant said.“The digital avatar feature is especially important for the YouTube generation,” he said. “[Users] want the video-based learning with the closed captioning; it’s the best of both worlds.”
Having avatars that look like real people increases learner engagement and simulates the diversity of people that HFMA members might be interacting with on the job, Grant said.
supplying content.
2 The 18 new bite-sized learning courses — which cover diverse topics such as the traits of successful leaders, cost-effective healthcare, patient experience and strategic financial issues — include interactive, video-based learning elements and can be completed in less than 15 minutes.
What’s new?
The new platform includes the following features.
Enhanced navigation and functionality. Members can expect a great experience whether logging in on a computer, smartphone or tablet. The new LMS is mobile-friendly and optimized for tablets and smartphones.
Modernized search feature. An improved search experience helps members find the courses, resources and educational content they’re looking for in seconds versus minutes among the seven learning formats available:
- Bite-sized learning
- Certifications
- Courses
- Live webinars
- On-demand webinars
- Premium industry reports
- Premium programs
between content and usability.
A more robust reporting option. The improved reporting function tracks employee coursework and HFMA certification completion for enterprise clients that mandate specific learning for new hires and employees undergoing performance reviews and for those like HFMA member Michele McGowan, who said the ability to track progress and flag assessment questions for review make the learning experience “smoother and less stressful.”
User-friendliness put to the test
McGowan, FHFMA, DBA, CPA, professor of healthcare administration at King’s college, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, concurred with Grant’s assessment of the LMS’s user-friendliness.
She noted that her first impression of the new LMS was that it looks more modern. “The design was cleaner, more professional and easier to navigate than the previous version,” McGowan said.
“What stands out to me here is the balance between content and usability. The HFMA platform combines a modern interface with interactive elements, case-based learning and shorter content segments that recognize how people learn.”
