Healthcare (03/24/26) Cruz-Panesso, Ilian; Fuzeau, Lucie; Lécuyer, Brenda; et al.

Researchers investigated how learning occurs within Project ECHO, a widely used telementoring model for digital continuing professional development, and sought to develop a theory-informed framework for examining these learning processes. They conducted a conceptual analysis using situated learning, communities of practice, and cognitive apprenticeship to explore participation structures, distributed expertise, facilitation practices, and case-based dialogue within ECHO sessions. They then applied principles of constructive alignment to propose a process-oriented assessment approach consistent with CPD evaluation models such as Moore’s framework. Their analysis found that Project ECHO functions as a structured learning architecture in which participation, shared expertise, facilitation, and case discussions actively support learning, and they identified specific process indicators that make these learning dynamics more visible alongside traditional outcome-focused evaluations. The authors conclude that highlighting learning processes strengthens pedagogical alignment, faculty development, and assessment design in ECHO programs, and provides a process-oriented view of how learning develops in telementoring settings alongside traditional outcome-focused CPD models.

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