At Resuscitation Australia, we take our commitment to delivering high-quality mixed-mode Advanced Life Support (ALS) training seriously. To maintain the highest training standards, we mandate that all participants complete pre-course eLearning before attending face-to-face training, as set out in the Participant Code of Conduct.
This requirement is neither a formality nor punitive measure — it is an essential underpinning to ensure a standardised, quality ALS training experience for all participants, irrespective of which Accredited Course Centre facilitates their ALS course.
Our Quality Assurance Framework governs Resuscitation Australia’s accreditation systems and processes, and we do not permit any participant to be admitted to an ALS face-to-face training day without evidence of eLearning completion.
Fostering Optimal Learning Engagement
Resuscitation Australia is committed to fostering a learning environment that maximises engagement and enhances participant outcomes. Learning engagement is widely recognised as a multifaceted construct that consists of three key dimensions:
- Behavioural engagement: The effort, participation, and attention learners dedicate to training activities.
- Cognitive engagement: The learning strategies, problem-solving, and self-regulation techniques learners use to process and retain information.
- Emotional engagement: The interest, enthusiasm, and emotional investment learners bring to the learning process.
By mandating pre-course eLearning, Resuscitation Australia aims to enhance all three dimensions of engagement. Participants who complete the eLearning arrive at the face-to-face training better prepared, more confident, and more capable of fully engaging in hands-on, team-based scenarios.
The Role of Prior Knowledge in Enhancing Learning Outcomes
A strong foundation of prior knowledge has been shown to be critical to the learning process, as highlighted by Cognitive Load Theory. Prior knowledge reduces cognitive load, allowing participants to engage more effectively in complex, high-stakes learning environments.
Prior knowledge interacts with other learning variables to influence outcomes. If you’re a Clinical Educator, you’ll be familiar with the detrimental effects on the entire cohort where one or more participants is simply not prepared – or is noticeably less prepared in comparison to others.
Moreover, self-regulated learning has been found to further enhance the relationship between prior knowledge and learning engagement. For Resuscitation Australia’s ALS participants, this means that completing pre-course eLearning reduces cognitive load and enables more effective engagement in team-based resuscitation scenarios.
We believe that any participant who arrives unprepared not only compromises their own learning but also negatively impact their team’s performance. Thus, it is necessary not to admit any participant who has not completed the mandatory eLearning.
This is our steadfast quality assurance commitment to the ALS training sector, including the growing network of hospitals and health service organisations who rely upon Resuscitation Australia’s mixed-mode ALS training for their staff.
Cognitive Load and Help-Seeking Behaviour in ALS Training
Research has also demonstrated that prior knowledge is positively associated with learning engagement through its influence on cognitive load and help-seeking behaviour.
- Participants with greater prior knowledge and lower cognitive load engage in instrumental help-seeking, where they seek clarification to enhance their understanding—leading to better learning engagement.
- Participants with lower prior knowledge and higher cognitive load struggle to engage effectively in learning tasks and are more likely to avoid seeking help or engage in ineffective help-seeking behaviours, resulting in lower engagement and poor learning outcomes.
By mandating eLearning completion, Resuscitation Australia reduces the cognitive load for all participants, ensuring they are well-equipped to participate in high-fidelity, team-based simulations. Noting our ALS face-to-face training is wholly practical and ‘hands on’ in nature, this is a necessary precondition.
What do participants think?
We are incredibly grateful to ALS participants for their commitment to maintaining high standards in resuscitation training. Here’s some recent feedback we’ve received from participants about our blended learning approach to ALS and the role of mandatory eLearning:
ALS2 Recertification, Sydney, 15 February 2025
- To have the learning first, we gained the knowledge, the face to face learning, we gained the skill and experience.
- Very effective – having completed the traditional longer course previously – I think didactic material was more effectively covered in the online module.
- Thank you for the e learning much more effective than trying to cram it all in on the day.
- Mixed mode effective as I didn’t feel rushed to learn theory all on one day.
- Much more able to retain knowledge.
- It was delivered in a practical manner with much less stress and fatigue than previous courses.
ALS2, Melbourne, 15 February 2025
- Having done multiple ALS courses in the past, so online aspect is very helpful with a busy schedule.
- Much better to cover theory at my own pace.
- It meant that we only had to go into the course for 1 day! It was nice doing the elearning in our own time.
- Gave time for self-paced preparation with the consolidation in the face to face day.
By mandating that participants complete the pre-course eLearning prior to their face-to-face training, we ensure that every ALS participant arrives at their in-person training session well-prepared, confident, and ready to engage in high-quality, hands-on resuscitation training. The overwhelmingly positive feedback from participants reinforces the value of structured, pre-course eLearning in fostering deeper understanding, better retention, and a more effective team-based learning experience.
Interested in learning more about our ALS course offering? You can find participant information and resources here.
If you have any questions about our educational methodology or the design of our mixed-mode ALS courses, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
