SimPad: New Technology for Medical Education

Over the years, technology has become vital to the growth of medical education.  Clearly, practicing learned medical knowledge on live patients is difficult and at times, unethical.  This is especially true for training in emergency medicine.  So, as instructors in this field, we learn to utilize technology to simulate patient scenarios in our teaching.  In this video, I discussed a new device, known as the SimPad, with Karlie Holzman, instructor, paramedic, and program coordinator at the Emergency Medicine Institute, a training center for the Lehigh Valley Health Network in Allentown, PA.  With this device, which communicates with various SimMan and SimBaby mannequins, it has become easier to customize teaching scenarios and even change those scenarios easily and in-the-moment, in an effort to improve the realistic nature of our simulation teaching environment.  We discuss the benefits and struggles she has encountered with the incorporation of this new technology in her adult curriculum.  Enjoy!!!

Audio / Video / Podcast: Pros and Cons for Adult Learners

As our lives have become so much more fast-paced and chaotic, and technology has become so much more pervasive in our lives, that it seems like a no-brainer that technology has become a staple within our world of education.  Digital media has become an important part of my own educational experience, through online video lectures, podcasts from a variety of medical sources, audio board review tapes, and more!  However, this format of learning is not limited to the medical environment; it's useful in every aspect of education you can imagine!  In my opinion, the pros far outweigh the cons, but here is a look at both sides of the coin!

Pros:

Podcasts allow students to "use their popular media and be critical thinkers and creators of knowledge across disciplines rather than sitting in the background as passive spectators to their own education" (King & Cox, 2011, p. 33).  Creates more engaged, independent lifelong learners.

Ability to use this digital media to build upon our academic expertise

Reach greater audiences as the digital media is "portable and globally shared" (King & Cox, 2011, p. 34)

Capability of content and delivery to be tailored to students' needs, whether if created by the teacher or if created by the students.

Variety of learning styles addressed, particularly with audio, but also when students create the technology (audio / video / podcast) "as a project development activity" (King & Cox, 2011, p. 37)

When this technology is used to post as student opinion publicly, it helps with student "empowerment through public expression of opinion [and deepens student effort for] research because of their public reputation" (King & Cox, 2011, p. 41)

Cons:

Availability of technology / devices that support the technology being used; Could limit to certain audiences.

Mere content review as opposed to there being "redesign of instruction" (King & Cox, 2011, p. 37), testing and feedback to learners, limiting what learners gain from the experience

Given the expansion of the use of digital media, copyright, patent, and intellectual property practices and law have continuously transformed (King & Cox, 2011, p. 46) such that staying up-to-date on these laws is important for creators of this digital media.  That being said, resources are easy-to-find, and readily available.  The "trickiest areas are permission, whether it be with music, voice, sound effects, etc" (King & Cox, 2011, p. 47).

Concern from some instructors regarding quality of instruction with digital media, as some "perceive they are more capable of connecting with students and assessing their understanding of content in traditional settings" (King & Cox, 2011, p. 52).

My Experience:

I really enjoy all forms of digital media to aid in my educational experience.  The biggest benefit I enjoy from the use of podcasting and videos is that I have a strong element of control in my own learning.  If I feel as though my in-classroom experience is lacking in any way, I rely on a number of resources to help me better understand the material.  Additionally, in my profession, content and knowledge base is continuously changing as medications change, research arises, and we better understand the art of medicine.  For this reason, I am forced to remain a lifelong learner if I want to excel at what I do.  Podcasts and video lectures, especially, help me maintain an up-to-date knowledge base since I do not currently work actively with residents in an academic institution.  Furthermore, I enjoy learning period. My favorite lectures are TEDTalks which help me explore content areas I may not normally know much about, and iTunesU which help me review / learn new skills I maybe had always wanted to learn, but never had time for in my formal education days.

A few examples from my stash:

EKG case lectures on YouTube from Dr. Amal Mattu

I just love TEDTalks!

I hope you enjoy creating and using all the different types of digital media in your learning experiences!

References:

King, K. & Cox, T. (2011). The Professor's Guide to Taming Technology. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.