Current and Future Trends in Life Sciences Training: Questionnaire Study

Magagna, William; Wang, Nicole; Peck, Kyle L.

doi:10.2196/15877

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 29 publications

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“…Prior research has explored current and future trends in life sciences training [ 36 ], noting trends for more remote L&D initiatives. This study examined a more specific circumstance where life sciences L&D professionals faced unprecedented challenges, requiring a sudden and unexpected shift to remote work.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Learning Agility of Learning and Development Professionals in the Life Sciences Field During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Empirical Study

Peng¹,

Wang-Trexler²,

Magagna³

et al. 2022

Interact J Med Res

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Background The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the life sciences field worldwide. Life sciences organizations (eg, pharmaceutical and med-tech companies) faced a rapidly increasing need for vital medical products, patient support, and vaccine development. Learning and development (L&D) departments play a crucial role in life sciences organizations as they apply learning initiatives to organizational strategy within a constantly evolving sector. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the work of L&D professionals in life sciences organizations changed profoundly during the abrupt shift to remote work, since learning and training normally occur in a face-to-face environment. Given the complex and dynamic situation of the pandemic, both individuals and organizations needed to learn quickly and apply what they learned to solve new, unprecedented problems. This situation presents an opportunity to study how characteristics of learning agility were evidenced by life sciences organizations and individual employees in the remote working mode. Objective In collaboration with Life Sciences Trainers & Educators Networks (LTEN), this study investigated the responses and learning agility of L&D professionals and their organizational leadership within the life sciences sector to the work changes due to the pandemic. The study answered the following questions: (1) How did L&D professionals in the life sciences sector respond to the changes in their work environment during the COVID-19 pandemic? (2) How did L&D professionals in the life sciences sector demonstrate learning agility during remote working? Methods We adopted a mixed methods approach that included a semistructured interview and a survey. Participants who were life sciences or health care L&D practitioners and in relevant positions were recruited via email through the LTEN and its partner pharmaceutical, biotech, or medical devices organizations. Interviews with 12 L&D professionals were conducted between June and August 2020 through phone or online conferencing, covering 22 open-ended questions to stimulate ideas that could be explored further in the survey. The semistructured interview questions were grounded in theory on learning agility. In total, 4 themes were developed from the interviews, which formed the basis for developing the survey items. The subsequent survey regarding 4 specific themes was conducted from August to October 2020 using Qualtrics. Both interview and survey data were analyzed based on a learning agility framework. Results Findings revealed generally positive organizational and individual responses toward the changes brought about by the pandemic. Results also indicated that a disruptive crisis, such as the shift from working in the office to working from home (WFH), required professionals’ learning agility to both self-initiate their own learning and to support the learning agility of others in the organization. Conclusions This study was designed to better understand education and training in the life sciences field, particularly during the unique circumstances of the global COVID-19 pandemic. We put forward several directions for future research on the learning agility of L&D professionals in life sciences organizations.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Learning Agility of Learning and Development Professionals in the Life Sciences Field During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Empirical Study

Peng¹,

Wang-Trexler²,

Magagna³

et al. 2022

Interact J Med Res

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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Comparative Effectiveness of Health Communication Strategies in Nursing: A Mixed Methods Study of Internet, mHealth, and Social Media Versus Traditional Methods

Hamarash,

Ibrahim,

Yaas

et al. 2024

JMIR Nursing

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Background Effective communication is vital in health care, especially for nursing students who are the future of health care delivery. In Iraq’s nursing education landscape, characterized by challenges such as resource constraints and infrastructural limitations, understanding communication modalities is crucial. Objective This mixed methods study conducted in 2 nursing colleges aims to explore and compare the effectiveness of health communication on the web, through mobile health (mHealth) applications, and via social media among nursing students in Iraq. The research addresses a gap in understanding communication modalities specific to Iraq and explores the perspectives, experiences, and challenges faced by nursing students. Methods Qualitative interviews were conducted with a purposive sample (n=30), and a structured survey was distributed to a larger sample (n=300) representing diverse educational programs. The study used a nuanced approach to gather insights into the preferences and usage patterns of nursing students regarding communication modalities. The study was conducted between January 12, 2023, and May 5, 2023. Results Qualitative findings highlighted nursing students’ reliance on the web for educational materials, the significant role of mHealth applications in clinical skill development, and the emergence of social media platforms as community-building tools. Quantitative results revealed high-frequency web use (276/300, 92%) for educational purposes, regular mHealth application usage (204/300, 68%) in clinical settings, and active engagement on social media platforms (240/300, 80%). Traditional methods such as face-to-face interactions (216/300, 72%) and practical experiences (255/300, 85%) were preferred for developing essential skills. Conclusions The study underscores nursing students’ preference for an integrated approach, recognizing the complementary strengths of traditional and digital methods. Challenges include concerns about information accuracy and ethical considerations in digital spaces. The findings emphasize the need for curriculum adjustments that seamlessly integrate diverse communication modalities to create a dynamic learning environment. Educators play a crucial role in shaping this integration, emphasizing the enduring value of face-to-face interactions and practical experiences while harnessing the benefits of digital resources. Clear guidelines on professional behavior online are essential. Overall, the study expands the understanding of communication modalities among nursing students in Iraq and provides valuable insights for health care education stakeholders globally.

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Learning Agility of Learning and Development Professionals in the Life Sciences Field During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Empirical Study (Preprint)

Peng¹,

Wang-Trexler²,

Magagna³

et al. 2021

Preprint

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BACKGROUND COVID-19 pandemic has changed organizations around the world in many ways. Learning & Development (L&D) departments within organizations underwent profound changes during the abrupt shift to remote work, and as a result, envisioned and implemented new work and training practices. Given the complex and dynamic situation of the pandemic, both individuals and organizations needed to learn quickly and apply what they learned to solve new, unprecedented problems. This situation presents an opportunity to study how characteristics of learning agility were evidenced by organizations and individual employees during the abrupt shift to remote learning brought about by the global pandemic. OBJECTIVE In collaboration with the StudySite [name blinded], this study investigated the responses and learning agility of L&D professionals and their organizational leadership within the life-sciences sector to the work changes due to the pandemic. METHODS We adopted a mixed methods approach that included a semi-structured interview and a survey. Interviews were conducted through phone or online conferencing and lasted 30-60 minutes each, covering 22 questions to stimulate ideas that could be used in the survey. The subsequent survey consisted of 37 items regarding 4 specific themes. RESULTS Findings reveal generally positive organizational and individual responses towards the changes brought about by the pandemic. Results also indicate that a disruptive crisis, like the abrupt shift to remote working, required professionals’ learning agility to both self-initiate their own learning and to support the learning agility of others in the organization. CONCLUSIONS This is the second study in a series designed to better understand education and training in the life sciences on a macro level. We discussed several important directions for future research on learning agility of L&D professionals in life-sciences organizations.

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Current and Future Trends in Life Sciences Training: Questionnaire Study

Cited by 5 publications

References 29 publications

Learning Agility of Learning and Development Professionals in the Life Sciences Field During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Empirical Study

Learning Agility of Learning and Development Professionals in the Life Sciences Field During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Empirical Study

Comparative Effectiveness of Health Communication Strategies in Nursing: A Mixed Methods Study of Internet, mHealth, and Social Media Versus Traditional Methods

Learning Agility of Learning and Development Professionals in the Life Sciences Field During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Empirical Study (Preprint)

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