Course-Source Highlights Importance of Rich Media to Health Sector E-Learning
DOWNLOAD THE EVENT PODCAST (mp3, 6.15MB)
"One of the difficulties of e-learning is that it can be rather static and linear," said Course-Source consultant Laurence Wilson at the latest in Course-Source's series of events promoting e-learning to the health sector, held in Manchester in early July. He is right, of course - if you can illustrate something with a short video clip, you're going to find it much easier to capture the learners' attention. The really good news however was that you don't have to spend a fortune creating high-quality video clips either – technology is so good now that they can be included on any budget.
Laurence Wilson's statement that "the days when only high-class visuals were acceptable have long gone" must have been great news for the 50-plus health professionals gathered at the event, professionals who a few years' ago may well be put off by the traditionally high costs involved in creating online 'broadcast quality' video content. But, as Laurence said, we've got so used now to seeing lower quality but nevertheless engaging video content on websites such as You Tube, that using amateur video learning content for a limited in-house audience is perfectly acceptable.
Surprisingly perhaps, former BBC cameraman and Director, Mike Mulvihill, agreed with Laurence on this point. Now the CEO of e-Origen.com, which creates bespoke video content, Mike suggested that any e-learner should be able to experience engaging, exciting, entertaining and sustaining e-learning programmes that make full use of rich media, such is its power. However, while both he and Laurence agreed there was no harm in 'doing it yourself' on small scale e-learning projects, both agreed it is far better to commission high quality professional material for projects with a wide distribution, or those intended for re-sale.
Martin Addison, Managing Director of Video Arts, offered another possibility on that front, pointing out that short video clips from the Video Arts digital content library are now available on licence. "Health professionals should make full use of these clips," he said, "because video is a powerful tool in the e-learning kit, one that appeals in particular appeal to the 'gaming' generation, the next generation of managers who are totally comfortable with Web 2.0 technology. "
This focus on rich media came amid general presentations on the day showing how Course-Source can manage end-to-end e-learning creation for organisations within the health sector; help health professionals create e-learning courses in-house; and re-sell them through the new HealthELearning.net portal launched by Course-Source earlier this year.
Comments received from participants on the day included:
Previous Events
Developing e-Learning in the Health Sector: Course-Source Hosts at the Royal Society of Medicine
Speakers at the Royal Society of Medicine event
DOWNLOAD THE EVENT PODCAST (mp3, 9.32MB)
The latest in Course-Source's series of presentations and networking meetings promoting e-learning within the health service, this event focused on rapid design, development and delivery.
Held at the Royal Society of Medicine on 3rd April 2008, the aim of the day was to show health professionals how easily they could create their own e-learning courses; the range and quality to be found in 'off-the-shelf' content; and what options exist for hosting courses either on Course-Source's hosted LMS, or for NHS professionals, Course-Source's new HealthELearning.net platform.
First up was Laurence Wilson, Head of Instructional Design with Course-Source and content creator of the award winning TACTICS e-learning project on Intra-operative Cell Salvage. His presentation stressed the importance of good design in successful e-learning, and he passed on various hints and tips to help delegates create, assess, organise and develop content. Notably, Laurence praised the use of mind mapping in designing e-learning, providing a useful background to the process in readiness for the next speaker, Robert Furnival of Mindjet.
Mindjet is the creator of MindManager, a mind mapping software tool enabling millions of individuals and teams to work smarter, think creatively and save time every day. Having just launched Mindjet Connect the day before the event, a collaborative tool invaluable for enabling several different individuals or teams to work together to create the map for e-learning training programmes, Robert was keen to demonstrate the project. Having seen it, there was general agreement among presenters and audience that such a software tool could prove invaluable on e-learning design projects involving not just several individuals or teams, but also multi-sector collaborators or stakeholders.
For anyone present who might have been put off creating in-house e-earning courses on the grounds the task would be too time-consuming, Mike Alcock's presentation on rapid development was a real eye-opener. The Managing Director of Atlantic Link, he used his software to create a basic e-learning course in just two minutes! By the time just twelve minutes had passed, Mike had added a video, a quiz and the content of a PowerPoint presentation. With a two-day course being all that is required to learn how to use Atlantic Link software, any "I don't have time to create e-learning" excuses appeared to have been blown out of the water.
However, Richard Norrie of FAST healthcare made the unarguable point that there is no point reinventing the wheel; if generic, off-the-shelf e-learning will get the job done, why not use it rather than create your own content? Dedicated to creating short, work-based, interactive and user-friendly e-learning for health professionals, FAST healthcare offers a range of learning products covering clinical, non-clinical, Care of the Elderly and Safeguarding Children. Richard gave a demonstration of FAST's latest course on the hot topic of Clostridium Difficile.
Finally, Course-Source's Ken Wood summed up the day, thanking the aforementioned Course-Source partners for their helpful presentations, and demonstrating how Course-Source can provide the LMS necessary to back up any kind of e-learning initiative, whether off-the-shelf or bespoke content. He also highlighted the many features and benefits to the NHS of the new Course-Source HealthELearning.net portal, encourage everyone to sign up to the free site.
Comments received from participants on the day included:
"Excellent venue, facilities and speakers"
"A highly valuable experience to meet like minded individuals"
"An interesting array of information, enough to open ones' mind and consider using something new"
"Good content, clearly demonstrated"
Health Sector Event Offers Unique Opportunity to Health Professionals
DOWNLOAD THE EVENT PODCAST (mp3, 8.08MB)
Course-Source's pioneering Health Sector Event, held at the BMA on April 26th, was the culmination of a vision Course-Source has had for some time, a vision to showcase the best of e-learning in the health sector.
"There's so much bad news circulating about the NHS," says Managing Director Mike Leeson, "that we at Course-Source wanted to offer some good news stories for a change!"
The event certainly delivered, with Keynote speaker Dr Philip Candy, Director of Education, Development and Training with NHS Connecting for Health, offered a fascinating glimpse into the role of e-learning within the National Programme for IT. He clearly believes e-learning has an invaluable role to play in people development and impacts positively on patient care. "It's a no-brainer that e-learning must be part of a blended solution," he said, adding it was important because "there are hardly any jobs within the NHS that won't be technically augmented at some stage in the future."
Many who attended our Health Sector Event found the event offered them a rare and valuable opportunity to get together with other health professionals to explore the potential of e-learning. It was clear some were facing technical problems, while others had difficulty finding funding for e-learning or getting management buy-in. However, having shared and debated these issues, they left keen to try a fresh approach and put their new-found knowledge to work.
Several delegates were particularly impressed with the case study presented by Laurence Wilson, editorial board member of UK Blood and Tissue Services, who made a clear case for the benefits of utilising e-learning as part of clinical training. His online course training medics in an alternative to blood transfusion, hosted on the Course-Source LMS, is now available in every hospital in the country and is saving hundreds of thousands of pounds as well as saving lives.
"E-learning offers a cost-effective way of delivering consistent, high-quality training to a wide audience using the latest engaging technology," says Mike Leeson. "I think this event showcased this very well and proved e-learning has a bright, secure future within the health sector."
Course-Source also held a similar Health Sector Event at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester in December 2007.