CECBEMS Standards and Requirements
for Virtual Instructor-Led Training (VILT) Continuing Education (CE)
Introduction
Virtual Instructor Led Training (VILT) is a learning model that utilizes online technology to
deliver educational programs in a virtual classroom. The instructor and student are in different
locations but have the ability to see teaching materials and verbally communicate during a live
session. Accreditation should be awarded to these programs when an organization is able to
provide such educational programs in compliance with the following standards.
Organizational Requirements
In order to support the growth in development, acceptance, and quality of EMS continuing
education using the VILT delivery method, the following policies are applicable to the
CECBEMS review and accreditation process for eligible organizations.
Eligible organizations are defined as an educational institution; a national, state, regional or
local agency or association; a nonprofit corporation; a hospital; a for-profit corporation, any
combination of the above or other appropriate CE provider which has been granted
organizational accreditation.
Organizational accreditation will be based on the applicant organization’s self-assessment of
their infrastructure and process for VILT course production, student support, and quality
management. The self-assessment will follow a schedule provided by CECBEMS and will
require submission of sample curricula.
Organizational accreditation may include a site visit by a CECBEMS team qualified to assess
compliance with VILT structure, process, and outcome requirements.
Program Requirements
CECBEMS will provide a template for presentation of the curriculum that requires applicants to
identify each learning objective and the following supporting information:
 The prerequisites required to understand the material related to a specific objective.
 The student learning objectives written at the appropriate level
 Demonstration of the intended delivery platform’s ability to provide synchronous
interaction between students and instructor.
 The instructional content related to each learning objective.
 Learning strategies and activities the program will utilize to facilitate meeting each
learning objective.
 Assessment measures for each learning objective (test questions and integrated exercises
for each learning objective should be presented). Test questions that simply require
student recall of the content by means of a rote memory response (the lowest cognitive
level or Bloom’s Knowledge level) shall be limited to no more than 25% of all test
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questions. All other questions must be written at Bloom’s Comprehension level or
above.
Current and credible references used to support instructional content for each learning
objective.
Descriptions of the rationale of any specific cut-off score for passing the assessment tool.
The number of hours and/or minutes required for the average person to complete the
lesson and the test items. This number must be based on a beta test of the lesson or course
using actual students.
Accredited organizations are not required to submit courses for CECBEMS review prior to
delivery. However, the learning objectives, instructional content, assessment tools and
quality improvement strategy must be documented and made available in the format
described above prior to the delivery of a course. Currently accredited organizations must
submit a separate application for approval of VILT training and CECBEMS reviewers must
approve demonstration lesson(s) before CECBEMS accreditation is awarded.
Failure by an accredited organization to submit this information may result in the suspension
or revocation of the organization’s accreditation. From time to time, CECBEMS will audit
course offerings that carry approved continuing education hours and may require the
individual course to be modified or discontinued based on that review.
Organizations are required to assure that the computer network and internet access equipment
needed to ensure advertised accessibility are maintained and supported properly.
Organizations must assure that test results, scores and other evaluation materials that are
electronically collected and/or stored are adequately protected with appropriate backup and
security from unauthorized access.
Delivery Platform Requirements
Instructors and students must be able to access the delivery platform using the public internet
and a commercially available web browser. All browsers, plug-ins and technical
requirements will be made available to participants prior to the class.
At a minimum, the delivery platform should support the real time presentation of
instructional graphics, interactive polling and instructor feedback.
Instructor/ learner interactions must be possible in real time via simultaneous visual and
audio communication during the session. Chat- based interfaces may be used for
housekeeping or support actions but all learning activities must support real time audio.
The delivery platform must track total time spent in the learning session and provide a
method of generating reports verifying attendance and activities for each participant.
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