ALEXANDRIA, Va.—The Vision Council and Reed Exhibitions, co-owners of Vision Expo, report they are reimagining the Show’s continuing education offerings with the launch of VisionEd Direct, a new virtual continuing education platform offering on-demand accredited courses, and plans for a new education area to debut at Vision Expo East 2021. Built on the Quantum Optical platform, VisionEd Direct launches today with 10 hours of accredited education, including five hours of Council on Optometric Practitioner Education (COPE) courses and five hours of American Board of Opticianry (ABO) courses. The platform is open at education.visionexpo.com.

“Vision Expo has always been committed to delivering the highest caliber of education,” said Fran Pennella, vice president of Vision Expo at Reed Exhibitions. “Together with our partners at The Vision Council, we are doubling down on our efforts to offer the best in education throughout the year with the launch of an on-demand platform, which is more relevant and important than ever before in the new COVID-19 reality we are adapting to. We are proud to offer VisionEd Direct as a cutting-edge virtual option for the community to continue learning in between in-person events.”

VisionEd Direct courses are available on-demand and feature top educators from across the industry. The courses are priced at $15 per credit hour. As part of Vision Expo’s commitment to students, the courses are being offered to current students on a complimentary basis.

The easy-to-navigate VisionEd Direct platform features automatic grading, a virtual notepad for seamless note-taking, and electronic reporting of instant certificates. Furthermore, the platform stores all accreditation documentation as well as test history for easy access at any time.

“Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, we have worked diligently to keep the community connected and engaged. VisionEd Direct is the latest in a number of virtual offerings that we and our partners at Reed Exhibitions have rolled out to meet the demand for quality virtual programming and education during this challenging time for the optometric and optical communities,” said Mitch Barkley, vice president of Trade Shows and Events at The Vision Council.

“With an on-demand format featuring the same world-class educators typically present at Vision Expo each year, VisionEd Direct offers users access to an exceptional educational experience consistent with what they have come to expect from Vision Expo.”

The COPE accredited course offerings available on VisionEd Direct include:

Cases From Your Phone - Avoiding Perils of Telemedicine, taught by Marc Bloomenstein, OD

New Glaucoma Medications, taught by Michael Chaglasian, OD, FAAO

Diabetic Retinopathy - An Era of Change For Optometry, taught by Jay Haynie, OD, FAAO

Red Eyes - It’s just conjunctivitis...Or Is It? taught by Josh Johnston, OD, FAAO

Oral Pharmaceuticals in Anterior Segment Disease, taught by Blair Lonsberry, OD, MS, MEd

The ABO accredited course offerings on VisionEd Direct include:

Frame Board Management – Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow, taught by Jackie O’Keefe Lincoln, ABOC

Extraordinary Customer Service Models, taught by Joy Gibb, ABOC

Patient Communication and Sales Strategies, taught by Val Manso

Digital Eye Strain – What Every Optician and Technician Needs to Know, taught by Michael Vitale, ABOM, LDO, NCLEC

Innovations in Lens and Frame Technology, taught by Phernell Walker, MBA, ABOM

Complete course descriptions can be found at education.vision expo.com.

Additionally, The Vision Council and Reed Exhibitions plan to debut VisionEd, a rebranded, in-person education area dedicated to seminars, workshops and presentations, at Vision Expo East 2021, set to take place May 25-28, 2021 at the Javits Center in New York City. VisionEd is where attendees will hone their craft in courses led by renowned experts in clinical research, business, fashion and marketing. Additional details on VisionEd at Vision Expo East 2021 will be announced soon.