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Educational Technology for Health Practitioner Education

Course Number
CHL5617H
Series
5600 (Clinical Public Health)
Format
Lecture
Course Instructor(s)
Heather MacNeill, Kataryna Nemethy

Course Description

The course will increase the learners comfort level in using technology-enhanced teaching in healthcare. Through background theory, hands on usage, and practical application of technologies in course work, participants will understand the advantages/disadvantages and opportunities for utilizing technology in their teaching. Students will undertake projects preparing and utilizing technology enhanced curriculum for teaching in non-traditional, technology-enhanced environments. Collaborative constructivist approaches will be utilized to promote group learning in class and online. Learners will be primarily exposed to content creation (through WordPress™), social media (through Twitter™), asynchronous discourse (through Pepper™), and synchronous technologies (through Adobe Connect™ ) but will also have opportunities to explore other mediums.  For more information, please visit the MEDED TECH website.

Course Objectives

  1. Apply and adapt educational frameworks and theories for technology enhanced curriculum development in healthcare education
  2. Develop a comfort level with using various teaching technologies within the course (in particular WordPress™, Twitter™, Pepper™and Adobe Connect™) and knowledge of other mediums and software available.
  3. Analyze/evaluate the advantages and disadvantages (opportunities and limitations) of different types of technology and appropriately select different modalities to meet specific learning objectives
  4. Debate issues around online assessment and online theories
  5. Research and teach about a technology enhanced tool or software through Adobe Connect™
  6. Produce a proposal on how technology could be used to meet a personal educational objective or dilemma
  7. Consider practical application of technology in teaching (such as technological glitches and educational challenges such as authenticity, copyright, privacy, lurkers, assessment, etc.)

Methods of Assessment

Use of online technologies 50%
Educational technology online presentation 20%
Culminating project and presentation 30%

Requirements:

  1. Students MUST bring their own laptop computer with high speed internet capabilities and webcam/speaker capabilities for online synchronous communication (similar to Skype™)*
  2. Students MUST bring headset compatible with their own MAC or IBM based laptop.**
  3. Students must have basic computer skills, including comfort in using the internet, and online asynchronous discussion boards. Comfort in using synchronous methods of online communication such as Skype™ or Adobe Connect™ as well as social media such as Twitter™ is also encouraged prior to the course, but is not a requirement.
  4. As much of this course is dependent on constructivist learning techniques, participants must be able to attend all dates (with exceptions made for illness and unforeseen circumstances).
  5. Students must feel comfortable in using open access Twitter and WordPress accounts; however students are allowed to use a pseudonym or other name for this purpose. This is to create a collaborative environment and develop a skillset that is mindful that anything posted on the internet may be accessible to others.
  6. Students are encouraged to have access to a mobile learning device that will allow application “app” usage (such as an iPhone, iPad or android device) although this is not a prerequisite.

*If a student does not own a laptop computer, but still would like to participate in the course, a request for loan of a laptop can be made through the course director. However, there are a very limited number of laptops available, and permission for loan would need to be granted before registering for the course.
**If a student does not have a headset, a limited number of IBM compatible headsets will be available for rent, however please notify the course director in advance. MAC users will need to bring headset for first day of class.

Reading(s):
As assigned

Contact:

Email: familymed.grad@utoronto.ca

Prerequisites

Participants must be licensed in a recognized health profession or a senior trainee therein.