FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS
·
Throughout this scenario, the terms network, Internet, internet-accessible, online, etc. are used interchangeably in describing an environment in which people have access to information stored on computers, without regard to time & place. This access might take place through the Internet or an Intranet or a wireless connection device or the telephone. Where appropriate, access privileges are provided for protected resources.
·
From your computer, wherever it is, you can find the materials you need for the educational activity in which you are involved. This capability helps to move education out of discrete boxes (college, professional school, residency, etc.) and enable true lifelong learning.
·
The right balance of in-person and computer mediated communication must be found. Education cannot be all ‘virtual’. This balance will vary by the nature of the activity, i.e., with the balance in clinical training favoring face-to-face interaction while the study of biological processes is done primarily though simulations and computer-based tutorials.
·
Health-professions students should be able to use the Internet to begin their training without leaving their home communities. The capability of computing & communication technologies to deliver high-quality learning experiences to a divers e audience is one of the most promising aspects of computer-mediated education.
·
THE DESIRABLE FUTURE
COMMUNICATION & ACCESS: Computer & audio/video linkages allow faculty to and students to interactat will when they are not geographically co-located. All curricular materials, for faculty & students, areaccessible at the user’s chosen workstation.
CURRICULUM: By mixing in-person teaching and self-guided use of computer based learning materials,health professions schools are able to expand the scope of their curricula to cover emergent topics and to buildnew bridges to curricula in other health professions schools. Appropriate emphasis on computer-mediatedclinical care and information management is inco rporated into required courses on communication,epidemiology, ethics, clinical research and clinical skills for all health-professions students. Many schools drawupon standardized clinical curriculum for each specialty & subspecialty; some are using a national corecurriculum for basic biological and information sciences. Learning outcomes for students whose coursesemploy these standardized curricula are pooled in databases that are used for outcomes research and qualityassessment by program administrators and accreditation agencies. Medical schools work with other professionsschools to provide interdisciplinary training to their students, using computer-based curriculummaterials and network-enhanced teamwork & group discussion. Teaching faculty work with media developersto modularize course content, updating and enriching it with simulations, learning aids, evaluation tools &information links to the Internet.
KNOWLEDGE, INFORMATION, DATA: Students learn from text sources that are continuously updatedwith best evidence. Computer-based instructional materials contain assessment components that continuouslytest students and alert their instructors to progress and problems. A distributed set of refereed digital learningresources created by instructional faculty, professional societies and others is accessible via the Internet thougha master index or portal. Some materials are free, others require fees or licensing, depending on the policies ofthe owner. There are e-business mechanisms that monitor the purchase, use and accounting for use of thesematerials. New legislation on intellectual property rights has clarified ownership issues for Internet-basedresources. All texts, class notes and other curriculum materials a student needs to complete a program areaccessible through a single, well-organized entry point. These materials include tools students can use to personalize and organize the contents to suit themselves.
The phrase ‘health professions schools’ is used throughout to emphasize the important relationships among schools of medicine, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry and allied health professions that can be enhanced by creative application of network-based programs & resources.