The HVTI approach to online training curriculum development encourages hospice community input and flexibility in curriculum content. The following topics provide an overview of how the curriculum will be established:

• e-Learning technology - will it work?
• HVTI teaching methodology
• Course offerings overview
• Customizing courses for individual hospices
• Submitting courses for inclusion in HVTI curriculum

The concept of e-Learning (or online distance learning) is changing the face of education in institutions of higher learning and training methods in corporations. The manner in which students and teachers interact and the respective roles they play is changing dramatically. Distance learning has created a more collaborative approach to learning, where the students, through an interaction with one another, the instructor, and their environment, create knowledge and meaning.

Perhaps the most common debate about these new teaching methods is whether online distance learning (the virtual classroom) is as effective as the more conventional face-to-face classroom in achieving desired learning outcomes. A report [Phipps & Merisotis, 1999] by the Institute for Higher Education Policy titled "What's the Difference?" compared the learning outcomes of the two methods of learning. The researchers noted that "With few exceptions, the bulk of these writings suggest that the learning outcomes of students using technology at a distance are similar to the learning outcomes of students who participate in conventional classroom instruction."

Researchers have also discovered that collaboration and interaction of students in the virtual classroom can be very deep and introspective. The computer, being the primary tool for interaction, creates a more level playing field for introverts. Those who are shy or less apt to share their views with others face-to-face find less reluctance to doing so in the virtual classroom. The computer also forces one to think more carefully when responding to others (in e-mails for example), allowing one's thoughts to be more organized before passing them on to others.

The HVTI training philosophy encourages a combination of online "core" training in conjunction with "continuing education" training that is based around actual field work as a hospice volunteer.

To implement this training methodology, each course will have at least one facilitator. While the facilitator plays a role similar to that of a teacher or guide, such a role is not that with which most of us are familiar in the face-to-face classroom. Facilitators are described as such because their role is more of a coach than a teacher. Their role is to encourage dialog within the group of students by participating in discussions on the periphery and keeping the course on the track of the desired learning objectives. The facilitator is typically one who has direct experience as a hospice volunteer in the topic being taught. Depending upon the situation, this facilitator may be HVTI staff or staff from the hospice organization of the student.

The core coursework for a specific certification level is typically accomplished over approximately a 2-3 month period. The continuing education phase takes place over a 9-10 month period thereby completing the certification training phase.

Coursework does not necessarily have to be associated with attainment of a specific certification level. Volunteers can take courses to help broaden their knowledge of serving the dying at the bedside.

HVTI has completed its survey of the hospice community to define the specifics of the training curriculum. It is our goal to make this training program one that meets the needs of the hospice community.

While the survey responses we received from the hospice community will ultimately determine the structure of the hospice volunteer training curriculum, the following is a representative curriculum structure for the certification program discussed elsewhere on this website.

There are a variety of ways that HVTI can enhance and support hospice volunteer training programs.

• Customize courses to meet the unique needs of your organization
• Group coordinated training allows a hospice to train a group of volunteers simultaneously
• Group tuition rates are available to help reduce training costs
• The HVTI Preferred Hospice Program is a training subscription program that gives participating hospices special access privileges to the HVTI learning platform. These special access privileges give a hospice priority to the HVTI learning platform resources and course scheduling thereby offering the ultimate flexibility to train volunteers.

The planned course offerings for the various hospice volunteer certification levels will generally satisfy the needs of most hospice organizations. However, we understand that a hospice organization may have unique requirements for their training needs. The HVTI faculty and course development staff will work with hospices to develop customized course offerings and plan group training.

If you are a hospice professional, volunteer or educator that is interested in developing and submitting a training course for hospice volunteers for use on the HVTI learning platform, please submit a brief synopsis of the proposed course and your credentials to the HVTI faculty and we will review your request. Please e-mail your request to HVTI@healproject.org.