ST. LOUIS—The American Optometric Association (AOA) said this week that it has expanded the catalog of continuing education and professional development courses available to doctors, paraoptometric staff and students via the EyeLearn platform. The AOA noted that it now “welcomes members to a greater, more accessible user-experience on the AOA EyeLearn Professional Development Hub after an all-encompassing overhaul makes obtaining continuing education (CE) and professional development easier than ever before.” The platform is home to more than 50 different CE and professional development courses for doctors, paraoptometrics and optometry students. AOA EyeLearn is adding new courses monthly to support the growth of contemporary optometry, the announcement noted.

AOA’s member-exclusive online learning platform and centralized education resource launched on Monday, Feb. 7, with an entirely new look and feel that promotes a user-friendly experience. The AOA EyeLearn overhaul reflects the AOA’s continued modernization of its educational opportunities, starting with the year-long curriculum of contemporary optometric CE and professional development available through AOA EyeLearn and accessible, in-person, at Optometry’s Meeting.

In addition to the catalog of doctor and paraoptometric courses, many available for AOA CE hours or Commission on Paraoptometric Certification (CPC) credit, the new learning management system allows AOA EyeLearn greater functionality to deliver:

  • Fully integrated, live webinars. Log in to AOA EyeLearn to participate in the #AskAOA webinar series or Paraoptometric Speaker Series. The integration makes it easier for members to register, attend and access recordable content—all in one place.

  • User-curated educational content. Customize your learning experience by searching the AOA EyeLearn catalog, flagging interesting courses or subject matter and adding them to your personalized account. Access those courses whenever it is easiest for you; users have start/stop functionality to control their learning speed. Additionally, the new platform tells users when new or timely courses are available.

  • Keep track of CE all in one place. Use a personalized AOA EyeLearn account as a CE wallet: complete AOA CE hours or CPC-credited courses inside AOA EyeLearn and the system automatically populates earned credits to your account. Users can upload CE earned outside of the AOA to keep record of their education all in one place.
“The new AOA EyeLearn platform is designed to be user-friendly and easy to use, so doctors, paraoptometrics or students can freely scan our catalog and find the education that speaks to their individual needs,” Brad Lane, OD, M.Ed., AOA Education Center Committee co-chair, said in the announcement. “The AOA EyeLearn has a wide range of education, from clinical and practice management pearls to staff training and professional development, that carries out the AOA’s prioritization of impactful, year-round education.”

There is a PDF guide set up to help professionals learn more about accessing the AOA EyeLearn Professional Development Hub, which is accessible here.