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Breaking down barriers to medical e-learning

Breaking down barriers to medical e-learning Bio-Algorithms and Med-Systems 2015; 11(2): 77­78 Editorial Andrzej A. Kononowicz* and Inga Hege DOI 10.1515/bams-2015-0012 The idea of using computers to improve the knowledge and skills of health providers and students is anything but new. It is fascinating to see that even in the 1960s, academic projects demonstrated how to technically implement virtual patients and piloted the systems with students [1]. Yet, the revolution was still to come and students had to wait a few decades before computers would be routinely used in their curricula [2]. Numerous barriers delayed widespread adoption, with various causes: not just technical but, maybe even more significantly, of organisational and cultural character [3]. However, we are now observing signs of e-learning moving from hype into the "plateau of productivity" [4]. The question has shifted from whether to use e-learning in medical education into how to do it effectively. This special issue of the Bio-Algorithms and Med-Systems journal on "E-learning Techniques in Medicine" addresses this challenge by discussing several ideas for breaking down the barriers that still hinder progress in the use of e-learning, including an often neglected aspect ­ student initiatives and perspectives. for the Bavarian Virtual University, which distributed the course across all medical schools in Bavaria for free [8]. Similar to this, but on a larger scale, Massive Open On-line Courses (MOOCs) spread the initial costs across many thousands of users as in the scenarios evaluated by Stathakarou et al. [9]. Lowering technical barriers for health-care educators Breaking down the financial barrier is independent of the challenge of addressing the technological barriers; these constrain the less computer-savvy teachers to the confines of ready-made e-learning products or long-lasting collaboration with technical specialists. Nowadays, user-friendly authoring tools can empower health-care educators to design their own computer simulations autonomously. This is, for instance, the goal of the CliniSpace environment by Heinrichs et al. [6]. The development of instructional guidelines can help those who are willing to use technology but are anxious about their ability to cope with the hardware and software setup required. Mahling et al. and Melton followed this trend, advising in their papers on how to configure a multimedia streaming system in a simulation centre [5] or how to author and publish an electronic book for mobile devices [7]. Promoting cost-effective practice The ever-recurring challenge in e-learning is the cost of investment. Mahling et al. tackle this issue by using inexpensive cameras and open-source tools to set up an audio/video feedback system for simulation training in medical education [5]. The authors of the CliniSpace system argue that virtual world simulations might, in some situations, be more economical than scenarios employing large simulation centres with computerised mannequins [6]. Melton, a medical student, uses standard tools to showcase the authoring process of an iBook to be used as a learning resource by his peers in their clinical internship [7]. Another cost-effective approach is to share e-learning resources in a virtual organisation as in the study by Vogel et al. In an inter-institutional approach, they designed a virtual patient-based course Leveraging integration in e-learning As diverse as articles in this special issue are, they underpin current popular trends in medical e-learning, such as MOOCs, high-fidelity simulations, mobile learning, or peer-teaching activities. They also highlight how these activities can be combined and integrated in an innovative way. For example, Stathakarou et al. researched on how virtual patients can be integrated in MOOCs [9]. Heinrichs et al. [6] show how the virtual patient technology may be combined with virtual clinical worlds into an immersive learning environment. 78Kononowicz and Hege: Breaking down barriers to medical e-learning Hege et al. discuss a different type of integration ­ not technical, but related to the role of e-learning in the medical curriculum. The authors have developed a virtual patient-based interdisciplinary assessment tool that helps in breaking down departmental barriers to horizontally integrate occupational medicine aspects into internal medicine and surgery computer-aided exams [10]. Where can we go from here? It has to be recognised that e-learning is not a one-time investment that can be purchased and left unattended to work on its own [11]. It is more about a continuous process of evolution responding to the needs of those devoted to high-quality medical education [12]. The future of e-learning will be about standardization enabling adaptation to individual needs. The point is not to fix on technology but carefully select those means that are most efficient in reaching the learning objectives. We are confident that e-learning techniques with their unique features will often prove to be the best solution. We hope that this special issue of the Bio-Algorithms and Med-Systems journal will provide a valuable resource for researchers, educators, and students who are interested in e-learning, and will support and inspire them in their own developments. Finally, we would like to thank all those who contributed to this special issue and hope we will meet again on the road to effective use of e-learning in medicine. Author contributions: All the authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this submitted manuscript and approved submission. Research funding: None declared. Employment or leadership: None declared. Honorarium: None declared. Competing interests: The funding organisation(s) played no role in the study design; in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; or in the decision to submit the report for publication. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Bio-Algorithms and Med-Systems de Gruyter

Breaking down barriers to medical e-learning

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References (13)

Publisher
de Gruyter
Copyright
Copyright © 2015 by the
ISSN
1895-9091
eISSN
1896-530X
DOI
10.1515/bams-2015-0012
Publisher site
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Abstract

Bio-Algorithms and Med-Systems 2015; 11(2): 77­78 Editorial Andrzej A. Kononowicz* and Inga Hege DOI 10.1515/bams-2015-0012 The idea of using computers to improve the knowledge and skills of health providers and students is anything but new. It is fascinating to see that even in the 1960s, academic projects demonstrated how to technically implement virtual patients and piloted the systems with students [1]. Yet, the revolution was still to come and students had to wait a few decades before computers would be routinely used in their curricula [2]. Numerous barriers delayed widespread adoption, with various causes: not just technical but, maybe even more significantly, of organisational and cultural character [3]. However, we are now observing signs of e-learning moving from hype into the "plateau of productivity" [4]. The question has shifted from whether to use e-learning in medical education into how to do it effectively. This special issue of the Bio-Algorithms and Med-Systems journal on "E-learning Techniques in Medicine" addresses this challenge by discussing several ideas for breaking down the barriers that still hinder progress in the use of e-learning, including an often neglected aspect ­ student initiatives and perspectives. for the Bavarian Virtual University, which distributed the course across all medical schools in Bavaria for free [8]. Similar to this, but on a larger scale, Massive Open On-line Courses (MOOCs) spread the initial costs across many thousands of users as in the scenarios evaluated by Stathakarou et al. [9]. Lowering technical barriers for health-care educators Breaking down the financial barrier is independent of the challenge of addressing the technological barriers; these constrain the less computer-savvy teachers to the confines of ready-made e-learning products or long-lasting collaboration with technical specialists. Nowadays, user-friendly authoring tools can empower health-care educators to design their own computer simulations autonomously. This is, for instance, the goal of the CliniSpace environment by Heinrichs et al. [6]. The development of instructional guidelines can help those who are willing to use technology but are anxious about their ability to cope with the hardware and software setup required. Mahling et al. and Melton followed this trend, advising in their papers on how to configure a multimedia streaming system in a simulation centre [5] or how to author and publish an electronic book for mobile devices [7]. Promoting cost-effective practice The ever-recurring challenge in e-learning is the cost of investment. Mahling et al. tackle this issue by using inexpensive cameras and open-source tools to set up an audio/video feedback system for simulation training in medical education [5]. The authors of the CliniSpace system argue that virtual world simulations might, in some situations, be more economical than scenarios employing large simulation centres with computerised mannequins [6]. Melton, a medical student, uses standard tools to showcase the authoring process of an iBook to be used as a learning resource by his peers in their clinical internship [7]. Another cost-effective approach is to share e-learning resources in a virtual organisation as in the study by Vogel et al. In an inter-institutional approach, they designed a virtual patient-based course Leveraging integration in e-learning As diverse as articles in this special issue are, they underpin current popular trends in medical e-learning, such as MOOCs, high-fidelity simulations, mobile learning, or peer-teaching activities. They also highlight how these activities can be combined and integrated in an innovative way. For example, Stathakarou et al. researched on how virtual patients can be integrated in MOOCs [9]. Heinrichs et al. [6] show how the virtual patient technology may be combined with virtual clinical worlds into an immersive learning environment. 78Kononowicz and Hege: Breaking down barriers to medical e-learning Hege et al. discuss a different type of integration ­ not technical, but related to the role of e-learning in the medical curriculum. The authors have developed a virtual patient-based interdisciplinary assessment tool that helps in breaking down departmental barriers to horizontally integrate occupational medicine aspects into internal medicine and surgery computer-aided exams [10]. Where can we go from here? It has to be recognised that e-learning is not a one-time investment that can be purchased and left unattended to work on its own [11]. It is more about a continuous process of evolution responding to the needs of those devoted to high-quality medical education [12]. The future of e-learning will be about standardization enabling adaptation to individual needs. The point is not to fix on technology but carefully select those means that are most efficient in reaching the learning objectives. We are confident that e-learning techniques with their unique features will often prove to be the best solution. We hope that this special issue of the Bio-Algorithms and Med-Systems journal will provide a valuable resource for researchers, educators, and students who are interested in e-learning, and will support and inspire them in their own developments. Finally, we would like to thank all those who contributed to this special issue and hope we will meet again on the road to effective use of e-learning in medicine. Author contributions: All the authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this submitted manuscript and approved submission. Research funding: None declared. Employment or leadership: None declared. Honorarium: None declared. Competing interests: The funding organisation(s) played no role in the study design; in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; or in the decision to submit the report for publication.

Journal

Bio-Algorithms and Med-Systemsde Gruyter

Published: Jun 15, 2015

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