In the credit-based continuing education process, some opticians joined up with other opticians to form study clubs. These clubs were pre-approved and assigned credits, allowing the opticians to use these learning sessions for their education requirements.

In the new Continuing Competency Program (CCP), these study clubs will continue to be an excellent way to promote continuous education while meeting education requirements for the College - organizing relevant topics and materials for learning and then gathering with colleagues to review and foster discussion to further develop one's competencies.

Study Clubs & the New CCP

With the new CCP, you will no longer be accumulating credits, but your chosen activities for learning, like study clubs, may remain the same. The new CCP process for study club participants entails the following:

1) You and your fellow study club members will each start the CCP, by first completing the required assessment to determine which competencies you may need to address.
2) Based on those results, your study club group can determine which competencies are a priority for everyone to address, and then set learning goals within the program on how to develop in those areas.
3) Determine what activities your study club can do together to achieve those learning goals, make a plan, and start learning!

Study clubs being organized within the new CCP will no longer need to seek approval from the College in advance or need credits assigned. Participants can simply update their program online, and incorporate these meetings into their plan.

Tips for Study Clubs, in the new CCP
  • Ensure that the topic covered in your study club aligns with your goal.
Your assessment results will identify a competency you need to address, and you will create a specific goal to develop in that area. When choosing activities to study and discuss with your group, make sure the information covered in your study club aligns with that learning goal, so you are setting out to achieve the actual goal in your plan.
  • Find others that have similar assessment results, as you may need to develop the same competency. 
You may want to form study clubs with others based on your common goals. If you and your colleagues are working to develop the same competency, or have the same goal, a study club might be easier to arrange, and the materials more focused. You will also have partners to hold you accountable on achieving your shared goal!
  • Talk to your co-workers about possible workplace needs or improvement ideas.
There are certain competencies that you may need to work on from your assessment, that might relate to improving the systems or policies in your workplace. If you find that others share an interest in this area, a study club can be created with a shared goal in mind, benefiting the entire workplace.

Reflecting on Study Club Learning

Once the study club sessions are over and you have completed your goal, you will simply need to log back in to your program, and reflect on how it went in the 'Reflection' section. You may summarize your learning, reflect on whether or not you achieved your goal, or identify how you might use this learning in your practice. Once you've done this, you can mark your goal as complete, and move on to your next goal.

Online QA Management

Your study club details (including the topics for discussion, the timing of your meetings, any materials available, etc) can all be self-managed online within the program. You will just add it to your plan at your own convenience, and take action. The College will be able to review the information and can provide feedback or answer questions if necessary.

With the new CCP, study clubs will continue to be a valuable way to develop as an optician while meeting education requirements. When you have the chance to collaborate with other opticians, it can result in shared ideas about how to use the learned information and can provide much welcomed affirmation that you're on the right track.

Please contact the College and speak with Chris at (604) 742-6472 x 8601 if you have any questions about study clubs, or need guidance with the new program. He can also be reached at cdodge@cobc.ca.
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