12058

12058

General Session - Conference Presentation Only (20 minutes, no formal paper)

Yu-Chun Kuo, Arcadia University, Glenside, Pennsylvania, USA, yuchun100@gmail.com Jeanne Buckley, Arcadia University, Glenside, Pennsylvania, USA, BuckleyJ@arcadia.edu
 * Overcome the Distance: Integration of Technology Tools in Health Science Programs**

The purpose of this paper is to report on the experiences of implementing two types of technology tools to meet the needs of faculty in the Physical Therapy (PT) program at Arcadia University. The physical therapy program offers several courses and professional trainings to clinicians from other institutions across the country. To overcome the distance and time restrictions, it is imperative to utilize appropriate technology tools to reach remote learners and enhance collaboration among PT faculty and remote clinicians. Our library and instructional technology team assisted PT faculty in adopting the proper technologies in synchronous and asynchronous learning contexts. To fulfill faculty’s expectations, two targeted tools were selected, video conferencing and lecture-capture tools. The technology integration process involved interdisciplinary discussions and collaborations among faculty, information technology personnel, librarians, and the instructional technologist. The instructional design steps were partially included throughout the technology implementation process.

We will briefly introduce two technology tools (Polycom and Echo 360) used by the PT faculty. Polycom was used in a synchronous situation while Echo 360 was used in an asynchronous situation. Comparisons among these two tools will be illustrated including the advantages and disadvantages in the adoption process. We will share faculty’s perspectives on the adopted technologies, including their attitudes towards the selected tools, the benefits to the program, etc. In terms of instructional design, the collaboration process, encountered problems, and the potentials of applying these tools in health science education will be shared.

Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, All Audiences synchronous asynchronous distance