Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #112618

Dana Barber Gonzales, PhD¹, Deborah L. Gangluff, ScD², John B. Wayne, PhD², and Deane Peck, RD³. (1) Family and Preventive Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 West Markham slot 530, Little Rock, AR 72205, 5016866593, isdm@comcast.net, (2) University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Public Health, 4301 West Markham #820, Little Rock, AR 72205, (3) Integrated Systems Development and Managment, 112 North Devon Avenue, Sherwood, AR 72120

Opportunities for rural health practitioners to continue their education are limited. Many rural practitioners need continuing education hours for licensure and others want to expand their education without extensive travel to college campuses. The faculty of the College of Public Health designed a series of six interdisciplinary online modules to promote interdisciplinary team training. The online modules are: interdisciplinary training; health issues; ethnic and cultural awareness; health care systems; research methods; health promotion and prevention best practice. The focus is on learning team building dynamics rather than pre-defined instructor/student roles. The emphasis is to facilitate self-directed learning through the use of the interdisciplinary model. As a facilitator, the instructor provides guidance and support to enable practitioners to become engaged and develop ownership in the learning process. The quality of the online experience is related to the discussion topic, type of discussion questions, and faculty (Blignaut & Trollip 2004). There are six criteria listed to provide the feedback framework: administrative, affective, other, corrective, informative, and Socratic. Each type will be discussed in the presentation. Practitioners with previous experience in an online course may need very little encouragement or support with respect to technology. For new participants to online learning with limited computer experience this can be a challenge (Palloff & Pratt, 2003, p. 67). New participants may need more encouragement by faculty before becoming actively engaged in discussions. In Brown's study of new online students more time was devoted to learning the course environment than in activities designed to build a sense of community. Students attend orientation led by faculty. The orientation provides an opportunity to practice navigating the online course. This includes discussion postings, email within the course, accessing online modules, and attaching electronic documents. A handbook provides guidelines for faculty during the facilitation process. This serves two purposes: 1) faculty understand their role in providing feedback; 2) faculty understand the commitment to participants. The faculty to move out of the traditional role to assist participants to become actively engaged, develop ownership of the learning process, integrate knowledge and experience, and to view learning as a life long process. We have not found any other interprofessional health education programs using this model. Interprofessional care relies on respect and understanding of other perspectives. In this model faculty and participants recognize the value of learning in a team environment. Evaluation results of faculty and participant experiences in the course will be presented.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the planning and implementation process
• Define the framework for faculty feedback to participants.
• Explain the faculty orientation and handbook.
• Understand the evaluation results of the program

Keywords: Distance Learning, Rural Health Care

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.