Achieving Mastery

AORN's Confidence-Based Learning (CBL) modules are different from most learning activities you've experienced. In traditional learning, you study the content and then take a post test.

In CBL, you are immediately presented with a series of questions, which you answer based not only on what you think the answer is, but how confident you are in the answer. It looks like a test, but really it's a learning process.

Each AORN CBL module contains 40-60 questions. You start with a subset of 10 questions. After submitting the answers to these questions, you receive immediate feedback. Responses are categorized as:

• Incorrect (You were sure or partially sure but answered incorrectly)
• Not Sure (You were not sure)
• Partially Sure (You were partially sure with the correct information)
• Correct (You were sure with the correct information)

After reading the explanations of the answers, you continue with another subset of 10 questions. Some questions are new; some are repeated. Questions are repeated to ensure that you understand and will retain the content.

To complete the module and achieve mastery, you must answer each question correctly at least twice. If you answer a question incorrectly, you will see it at least three more times. You must answer it correctly one time to get back to neutral, then two more times to ensure that you know the content.

You don't have to complete the module in one sitting. You can come back to it - your progress will be retained.

Once you have answered all of the questions confidently and correctly two times, you will achieve mastery for the particular module.

Post Mastery Diagnostic
If your facility has purchased a subscription, you can take advantage of another feature of CBL - the Post Mastery Diagnostic (PMD). Three months after completing a module, you will be assigned the PMD for that module. The PMD consists of all the questions from the module, which you answer in one sitting - more like a traditional test.

The purpose of the PMD is to test your retention of the original material. Your facility administrator can pull the results of the PMD from the reporting engine and follow up as needed.

Contact hours are based on completion of the original module(s). There are no contact hours for completion of the PMD. It is designed as a learning tool for you and your administrator.