Technology is rapidly changing the design, delivery and evaluation of nursing education and practice by increasing access and providing more effective methods of improving patient care and safety. The dynamic paradigm of technology-based education creates the challenge of training faculty in the use and delivery of new technologies and pedagogical techniques matched with learner needs. Individual schools, universities, or faculties may not have the technological or financial resources to meet all of these challenges. However, developing regional collaborative relationships to address the changing needs of nursing education is an effective strategy.
One such example is the Interprofessional Collaboration for Integrative Technologies in Education, or InCITE. InCITE was born with the vision to equip faculty with knowledge and skills required to move from traditional classroom instruction to technology based education and training. InCITE is a regional, multi-institutional collaborative of expert faculty from institutions across the Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho (WWAMI) region. InCITE collaboration develops innovative in-person and web-based training for faculty across all levels of nursing education in the use of simulation, clinical informatics, telehealth and distance learning technologies.
InCITE holds an annual faculty development workshop in early summer to train faculty in the design, implementation and evaluation of these technologies. Fifty invited faculty attended the first workshop held in June 2009 at the University of Washington and received training in distance learning and simulation. Next year's 2010 workshop will be held June 8 to 10, 2010 at Washington State University-Spokane and open to all faculty in the WWAMI region. Sessions in distance learning and two tracks of simulation (beginner and advanced) will be offered as well as new sessions on clinical informatics and telehealth. Separate from the annual workshop, additional onsite simulation trainings are being offered to clinics, hospitals, and community colleges in the rural or medically underserved areas (MUA's) in the WWAMI region.
InCITE's is also developing an online Technology Toolkit to be available in 2010 offering self-paced, interactive educational modules with recommendations and proven strategies for integrating various types of technology into the nursing curriculum. Topics include pedagogical approaches in teaching with technology, computer fundamentals, distance-learning options, clinical informatics, simulation, telehealth, and evaluation of technologies. The Toolkit will be a resource available to faculty and serves as a forum for community building and discussion.
Source: Liner, D. (Personal communication, November 15, 2009). Email:http://dliner.uwashington.edu.
For additional information related to InCITE or to register for the annual workshop next year in Spokane log ontohttp://www.son.washington.edu/portals/incite or email [email protected].
Submitted by: Robin Pattillo, PhD, RN, News Editor at[email protected].