A Pilot Project to Create a Mobile, Clinical Learning Environment for Medical and Nursing Students, Using Networked Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) to Support Learning in Clinical Practice

TitleA Pilot Project to Create a Mobile, Clinical Learning Environment for Medical and Nursing Students, Using Networked Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) to Support Learning in Clinical Practice
Faculty/College/UnitApplied Science
StatusCompleted
Duration1 Year
Initiation04/01/2004
Completion03/31/2005
Project Summary

The School of Nursing has over 300 nursing students engaged in supervised clinical practice in hospital and community settings around Vancouver. Likewise the Faculty of Medicine has over 200 medical students undertaking supervised clinical experience locally and remotely in the Prince George and Vancouver Island regions. There are currently few resources that support clinical learning in the practice setting, and help to contextualize and embed clinical knowledge in the workplace. A technological solution is suggested that will provide tools using the new generation of networked personal digital assistants (PDAs). This will include a mobile e-learning tool that promotes professional reflection (Chasin, 2001; Hochschuler 2001, Fischer et al. 2003) and enables students to immediately access clinical expertise and resources remotely.

This proposal seeks to fund the design, implementation and evaluation of a suite of PDA tools in a pilot study, with the involvement of nursing and medical students during the academic year of 2004-2005, to achieve the following objectives:

  • Demonstrate the potential use of mobile networked technologies to support and improve clinical learning.
  • Develop and evaluate a range of mobile PDA tools to promote reflective learning in practice and engage students in the process of knowledge translation.
  • Develop and evaluate a suite of pedagogic tools that help contextualize and embed clinical knowledge whilst in the workplace.
  • Evaluate the value of networked PDA resources to help prevent the isolation of students whilst engaged in clinical practicum.
Funding Details
Year 1: Project YearYear 1
Year 1: Funding Year2004/2005
Year 1: Project TypeSmall TLEF
Year 1: Principal InvestigatorBernie Garrett
Year 1: Funded Amount47,150
Year 1: Team Members

Bernie Garrett, Nursing, Faculty of Applied Science
Kendall Ho, Associate Dean, Continuing Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine
Cathryn Jackson, Director, Centre for Instructional Support, Faculty of Applied Science
Matthew Yedlin, Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science
Masigan Peterson, Student Representative
Nesreen Miniano, Student Representative