Pulse!! The Virtual Clinical Learning Lab sets a new trajectory in medical education and training by adapting game-based technologies to create challenging virtual-world learning environments that promote critical thinking and clinical skills in differential diagnosis. Learners navigate a three-dimensional virtual world in real time confronted by symptoms occurring in a whole-body virtual patient. Learners interact with virtual paramedical personnel, order tests, use medical devices and give patients hands-on treatment, as the learning platform provides intelligent feedback and evaluates performance. Pulse!! learning research shows that medical curricula and clinical training are delivered effectively in virtual space. Pulse!! technology promises to reduce real-world medical errors that lead to patient injury and death through iterative clinical education and training in virtual space. Videogame technologies are no longer just for entertainment. Pulse!! is a serious game with the serious purpose of saving lives by improving medical education.

Get more information about this program at http://www.sp.tamucc.edu/pulse/

Dr. Claudia McDonald
Associate Vice President for Special Projects
Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi

Dr. Claudia L. McDonald, a seasoned higher-education innovator, believes looming changes in medical education and practice demand creative technological responses grounded in sound research. McDonald, Associate Vice President for Special Projects at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, oversees the university’s Center for Virtual Medical Education, a leader in utilizing cutting-edge virtual-world technology. In 2004, McDonald conceived Pulse!! The Virtual Clinical Learning Lab. She currently serves on the Critical Issues Taskforce of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board advisory committee for distance and doctoral education. McDonald completed doctoral studies at the University of Texas at Austin in 1986.

Looking across the vast landscape that comprises eLearning development, it is easy to get caught up in the excitement of possibilities only to be disappointed when you see the price tag that goes with them. So what is realistically possible when it comes to the bottom line? How can we do more with less when it comes to developing eLearning? These questions and more will be explored and answered.

Tonia Dousay, TEEX

Ms. Tonia Dousay is the eLearning Manager for the Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX), a part of The Texas A&M University System. Ms. Dousay came to TEEX in 2001 as an instructional designer and has spent the last seven years working to advance the agency’s educational initiatives, to include increasing capacities to offer online training. Additionally, her experience in curriculum development and emerging technologies has helped guide the creation of eLearning in the agency. Ms. Dousay has been an active member of the American Society of Training and Development, Texas Distance Learning Association, and eLearning Guild for the past four years.

Dr. Mo’s session will present easy-to-follow ideas on how to use in-house resources to create effective e-learning course features.  Dr. Mo will show how to use sequenced photographs instead of expensive video shots for teaching procedures and scenarios.  He will also preview how to mix photographs and clipart for eye-catching screens you can build yourself, and how animated gifs and sound effects, many of which are available free online, can be used to spice up boring screens.  

Jim Moshinskie

Jim Moshinskie, PhD, better known as Dr. Mo, is a professor at Baylor University and Chief Learning Officer for Simply Interactive here in Austin. He is a Certified Performance Technologist (CPT) through the International Society of Performance Improvement, and has won all the major national awards in instructional design.  He is interested in technology-based training including e-learning and has produced over 300 courses for major corporations.  He has been teaching technology at Baylor University for over 15 years.

Dr. Moshinskie’s Conference Handout Doing MORE for LESS is available as an attachment below (please note that you have to be logged in to downlaod)