Going virtual for professional development: when to do it, how to do it well, and what don’t we know - a scoping review

Abstract Background: Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020 there has been a massive shift from in-person to virtual professional development. While the benefits of virtual sessions are obvious during a pandemic, there are many other benefits to virtual options, especially for professionals who live at great distances from the event and/or practice in resource-limited circumstances. Objective: In this scoping review, we describe the evidence for the benefits and drawbacks of virtual professional development. We describe the necessary components for successful conversion of in-person professional development to virtual events and how networking can be incorporated into virtual events successfully. Design: A literature search of peer-reviewed articles from 2000 through 2021 was undertaken using the databases PubMed, ERIC, and CINAHL. Results: Our review found that there was a significant decrease in both cost and environmental impact for virtual events, particularly for those participants who would have needed to travel long distances for in-person events. Combined simultaneous virtual and in-person sessions allowed participation from those who would have otherwise been unable to participate while still allowing the establishment of regional connections. Processes that led to successful conversion of in-person events included extensively testing and educating about the technology, training presenters on how to modify teaching for a virtual format and having facilitators moderate discussions. Networking was successful if participants either focused on a common project or had specific common interests; appropriate facilitations was also important for success. Conclusions: Advantages of virtual professional development, including reduced cost, reduced environment impact, and reaching attendees who would not otherwise be able to participate, should prompt ongoing use past the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding when and how to effectively use of virtual professional development options is important to reduce barriers to professional development participation and maximize advantages of the virtual environment.