Curriculum Innovation: ABCs of Child Neurology: An Article-Based Curriculum to Strengthen Outpatient Training Through...

Establishing a foundation of outpatient knowledge is key for child neurology residents as they prepare for careers shaped by evolving diagnostics and treatments. Although national recommendations define core didactic content, strategies for implementation vary widely. To address this gap, educators developed the ABCs of Child Neurology (ABCs), an asynchronous, article-based curriculum grounded in the Master Adaptive Learner framework.

On participation, learners will (1) develop competency in outpatient child neurology foundational principles and (2) cultivate self-directed learning behaviors through an asynchronous curriculum.

ABCs is mirrored after the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) Article-Based Continuing Certification program. It comprises 40 modules across 8 core outpatient topics, each featuring a high-yield clinical article and 5-item assessment. The curriculum was implemented during the 2024-2025 academic year for child neurology residents (PGY3-PGY5) at a single institution. Learner expectations include completing 1 module per month and scoring ≥80% on the assessment to receive credit. Evaluation follows the New World Kirkpatrick model, evaluating learner reaction and knowledge growth. Outcomes include module completion rates, aggregate performance on module assessments, and postmodule and postintervention surveys. Descriptive statistics and subgroup analyses by postgraduate year were performed.

Ten residents (100%) participated in the pilot. Overall completion rate was 97%, with individual rates ranging from 75% to 107%. Of 129 completed modules, 116 (89.9%) were passed on the first attempt. Mean assessment score was 4.4/5 (SD = 0.8), and median completion time was 43 minutes (IQR-17-470 minutes). Patient care was the most common motivator (41.9%). Postmodule survey ratings revealed 95.7% (mean = 4.5/5; SD = 0.6) of content as essential to practice and 94% (mean = 4.5/5; SD = 0.6) reporting likelihood to apply material. Ratings increased across training levels-PGY-3 = 4.0 (SD = 1.1), PGY-4 = 4.4 (SD = 0.8), and PGY-5 = 4.7 (SD = 0.6) (p = 0.008). Postintervention surveys indicated strong endorsement of the curriculum to colleagues (4.5/5; SD = 0.7; 90% rating 4 or 5).

Early work at a single institution supports the feasibility and quality of an asynchronous, article-based curriculum for outpatient child neurology education. Key lessons from the pilot included prioritizing usability to support sustained engagement and aligning content with clinical responsibilities. Future work will evaluate scalability across multiple institutions and explore qualitative insights to optimize integration of asynchronous curricula.