During the past audit period, Registry staff have noted deficiencies within the elements of engagement and the documentation to support those procedures for the group live instructional delivery method.  The requirement to incorporate elements of engagement to group live programs was added during the 2016 revision of the Statement on Standards for Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Programs (Standards). Inclusion of this instructional practice was implemented to encourage participant involvement, fostering a deeper understanding and retention of the content.

The most common areas of non-compliance noted while reviewing applications and desk audits are:

1). Inadequate number of engagement activities

2). Frequency of the activities throughout the course is not sufficient 

3). Lack of documentation by the sponsor

For further guidance and to assist in proper implementation of the element of engagement, we would like to provide some examples and best practices so that you can remain compliant with the Standards. Let’s begin by reviewing the Standards covering elements of engagement.

S7-01. Required elements of engagement. A group live program must include at least one element of engagement related to course content during each credit of CPE (for example, group discussion, polling questions, instructor-posed question with time for participant reflection, or use of a case study with different engagement elements throughout the program).

Per Standard No. 7, a group live program must include at least one element of engagement related to course content during each credit of CPE. For example, if the learning activity is awarding three CPE credits, then the course must include three engagement activities. One engagement activity must be planned and presented during each 50-minute period. The example below reflects a course agenda including an element of engagement that has been scheduled during each hour of instruction.  

As noted in the Standards, the engagement activities used could include a group discussion, polling questions, instructor-posed questions with a period of reflection, the use of a case study, or learning by using games and simulations. As the sponsor, you have the discretion in selecting the types of activities that will work best for your program. 

If a Q&A session is planned as an element of engagement, the instructor must have questions prepared to prompt the audience in case the participants do not have any of their own questions. This ensures that interaction occurs among the instructor and audience.

Regardless of the chosen engagement element, the sponsor must document and maintain records of the engagement activities. To properly document the elements of engagement you should record the number of activities used, when the activities were presented during the course, and the types of activities used. There are different ways to accomplish this task. Some sponsors include the description of the element of engagement in the program agenda, while others record the element of engagement within the instructor slides. This documentation must be retained in accordance with Standard No. 24 to support compliance of the requirement.