interactive?
What makes CET
We’re all familiar with
the requirement to gain
interactive CET points.
In fact, the interactive
requirement is half
our total requirement
for the CET cycle. But
what actually counts as
interactive CET? The
GOC recently issued
new advice to providers
to help explain it. It’s all
about interacting with
your peers.
Usually interactive
Things you physically attend are usually
interactive. This includes lectures,
workshops, lab tours and peer review
sessions. They are interactive by virtue
of the fact you attend and interact with
your peers. The provider has to record a
summary of the Q&A or discussion, but
there’s nothing extra for you to do to
earn interactive points.
The only exception is visual
recognition tests, often called poster
trails. These involve answering questions
on case histories with pictures. They
are only interactive if the provider
requires you to discuss each case with
a colleague and record a summary of
that discussion on your answer sheet.
Otherwise you’ll earn non-interactive
(also called general) points.
Sometimes interactive
Distance learning is not usually
interactive. So articles you read in
journals, videos you watch online
and modules you complete in an app
normally earn non-interactive CET
points. But there are exceptions. If
the distance learning requires you to
interact with your peers then interactive
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etCETera | June 2016
points can be awarded. Live webinars
with a Q&A, online modules followed
by a live discussion, distance learning
that forms part of a supervised course
of study leading to a qualification and
distance learning which requires you to
interact with a colleague can all carry
interactive points.
How can I tell?
Look out for the interactive symbol
when you complete CET. CET providers
are required by the GOC to use this
symbol to tell you the CET you’re
completing is worth interactive points,
in the same way they use the target
audience logos to show who CET is
approved for.
What about CET on cetpoints.com?
The GOC’s recent guidance means
that distance learning on the Eyecare
website is not currently interactive. But
we’re working to reintroduce interactive
distance learning this summer.
You can read the CET guide for
registrants and the principles and
requirements of the enhanced CET
scheme on the GOC website
(www.optical.org).
June 2016 | etCETera
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