The field of adult education and thus continuing medical education, continuing education and continuing professional development is covered widely in research, literature, how-to books, peer reviewed articles and the lay press. The “Make It Stick”1 concept was top of mind at the ACEhp meeting, but do education professionals really know the tenets of adult learning? Are we just passing along the myths we’ve picked up along our own journeys?

You may have read about or have been involved in discussions related to the rising level of interest in our Alliance community on outcomes measurement and definitions. For example, the organizers of the Outcomes Standardization Project (OSP), each one a leader in our community, have initiated a laudable effort to explore, identify and then advocate for a common terminology within continuing education (CE). We concur that definitions should be agreed upon and shared broadly by stakeholders in our community so that we know what we are describing, aggregating and comparing when we are communicating about education activities and outcomes. If common definitions can be reached, then we are better enabled to further appreciate what “good” looks like, because medical education designers, supporters and providers—professionals in our community—need to have a shared response to the question, “What does good look like?”

Since I started medical school, I’ve grappled with how to help people with the inevitable stress of illness, operations and potential death. A huge challenge as a pediatrician and pediatric cardiologist is what to do when I don’t have answers–which happens more often than I’d like. Human beings can be unpredictable, and technology has its limits. The questions parents ask keep me up at night.

While the app may seem to be common place as it’s infiltrated every part of our lives from our first waking moment to our bedtime—checking email, purchasing an airline reservation, making bank deposits, listening to our latest book on Audible, watching a video on Amazon Prime or listening to a meditation on Calm to help quiet our minds after a hectic day—the app is still quite unique to serving a specific niche.

As we strive to provide the most innovative and engaging learning experiences for healthcare professionals, we should look at other industries for ideas and strategies. Given the accessibility of technology, organizations can find educational technology tools that fit any budget and resource availability. Innovation in educational technology can come from anywhere: even your child’s classroom.