Recent News

Join us for the World Ophthalmic Education Colloquium (WOEC) series of symposia and workshops spotlighting a variety of educational techniques at the 2018 World Ophthalmology Congress, 16–19 June in Barcelona.

This month we would like to highlight two symposia: “Simulation for Teaching and Learning” on Sunday, 17 June, which will teach participants about surgical simulation and how to implement these low cost tools. “Less is More: Focused Workplace Placement Based Assessments (WPBA) in Busy Disciplines” on Tuesday, 19 June, will give examples of WPBA tools, and will teach participants the rationale and steps for implementation of WPBAs for their own programs.

We thank all the supporters of the ICO's Teaching the Teachers Initiative, including our 2018 WOEC sessions supporter Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, and the WOEC keynote luncheon supporter, the Alcon Foundation.

Learn more about the educator sessions and schedule during the WOEC. 

Register for the World Ophthalmology Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

These recently updated AAO Preferred Practice Pattern guidelines (“PPP”), focused on Pediatric Ophthalmology, are designed to identify characteristics and components of quality eye care.

Preferred Practice Pattern: Amblyopia

Preferred Practice Pattern: Esotropia and Exotropia

Preferred Practice Pattern: Pediatric Eye Evaluations

A new online course organized by the International Council of Ophthalmology will open for registration 23 March: Learning and Teaching Critical Thinking.

The ability to think critically is an advantageous skill and is key to being a successful professional. This 8-week course is designed to improve analytical abilities, help you be more impactful in your decisions, and for teachers to become better equipped to support students in developing their own critical thinking skills.

There is no fee for the course, but proof of purchase of the reading material is required.

Join us for the World Ophthalmic Education Colloquium (WOEC) series of symposia and workshops spotlighting a variety of educational techniques. The WOEC sessions are designed for a diverse audience, from trained educators to practicing ophthalmologists interested in education.

As part of the WOEC, the course “Beyond the Lecture: Using Concept Maps to Promote Deep Learning of Medical Knowledge” will cover evidence supporting the use of mind maps to stimulate deep learning. Participants will have a hands on experience on how to create concept maps and how to teach this skill.

The case study “Complex Cases of Problem Residents: Discussing Prevention and Remediation” discussion will equip educators and program directors with the appropriate tools to feel confident applying effective remediation plans to deal with a variety of difficult situations.

Funding for the 2018 World Ophthalmic Education Colloquium sessions is provided in part by Carl Zeiss Meditec AG. Funding for the keynote luncheon of World Ophthalmic Education Colloquium is provided in part by the Alcon Foundation. We thank all of the supporters of the International Council of Ophthalmology's Teaching the Teachers Initiative.

Orbis International has launched three new courses on their telemedicine platform, Cybersight.org. A free Cybersight.org user account is required to access the courses.

These courses combine narrative, medical art and images, and surgical videos to optimize the learning experience, with downloadable articles, guidelines and practice manuals for reference. Full blended-learning curricula are available for the courses, which allow educators and residency program directors to combine the online content with in-person hands-on skills training sessions.

Please join us at the APAO Congress for the following ICO co-sponsored sessions for educators and those interested in ophthalmic education:

• ICO Continuing Professional Development Course: Creating Learning Experiences with Impact
• Teaching Does Not Equal Learning: How Do We Know if They Have Learned?
• E-learning Principles and Resources
• Teaching Professionalism in the Busy Clinical Practice: A Global Perspective
• Are your Graduates and Training Programs Good? Models of Accreditation and Certification
• ICO Exams and Fellowship Symposium.

To support ophthalmic learning worldwide, the University of Utah’s John A. Moran Eye Center and the ICO have formed a new partnership.

Moran’s global teaching portal––Clinical Ophthalmology Resource for Education (CORE) International––now closely maps the ICO Residency Curriculum offering residents, no matter their country, access to lectures related to specific curriculum goals for every year of their ophthalmology residency. CORE and the ICO are also accumulating other lectures, videos, and resources to further support the education of residents.

CORE is a collection of ophthalmic education resources and is intended to be a boundary-free, permanent learning and reference tool, at no cost to the user.

The article, “The International Council of Ophthalmology 360-Degree Assessment Tool: Development and Validation,” has been published in the Canadian Journal of Ophthalmology.

The ICO 360° Assessment Tool is a multi-source feedback tool to assess and provide feedback to residents regarding their competence in “soft skills” such as interpersonal and communication skills and professionalism, as seen by different groups of people with whom the resident interacts (faculty, peer, allied ophthalmic personnel, and patients). This assessment was developed specifically for ophthalmology residents by the ICO Education team, and has been validated by a panel of international experts.