Let’s start with a refresher on the term “group live.” Under the current Statement on Standards for Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Programs (Standards), a group live program is defined as “synchronous learning in a group environment with real-time interaction of an instructor or subject matter expert that provides the required elements of attendance monitoring and engagement.”

When the Standards were revised in 2016, the most significant addition to the group live delivery method was the incorporation of engagement into the program. Per Standard No. 7, a group live program must include at least one element of engagement related to course content during each credit of CPE. If you offer a program for four CPE credits, you need to plan four engagement activities – one activity during each 50-minutes of content delivered. The instructor or facilitator plays a key role in leading and guiding the engagement activities.

Sponsors have discretion in the types of engagement activities to select. These engagement activities could include a group discussion, polling questions, instructor-posed questions with a period of reflection, the use of a case study, or learning by using games and simulations. If you plan to use a question and answer session as the engagement activity, the instructor should have questions prepared to use in the instance that participants do not ask any questions. Regardless of the chosen engagement element, you will need to document the element of engagement and how often it is used. Some sponsors include the description of the element of engagement in the program agenda, while other sponsors record the element of engagement in the instructor slides.