Legality, the Web and nurse educators.

Nurse lecturers are becoming more aware of the opportunities that web 2.0 offers and are slowly moving into the world of cyber-teaching. However, few consider the legal ramifications of this new teaching trend and how vulnerable they may be when posting information or teaching materials to the World Wide Web. The purpose of this paper is to explore the legal issues inherent in the use of virtual learning technologies. This paper poses a number of questions that novices in the world of virtual learning technologies may wish to consider. The paper makes some recommendation which may help to ensure that not only can nurse educators fully exploit the opportunities offered by the World Wide Web but they can do so in a legally responsible manner.

[Simulation of laparoscopic surgery--four years' experience at the Department of Surgery of the University Hospital Marburg]. / Simulation endoskopischer Operationen - Vier Jahre Erfahrung an der Chirurgischen Universitätsklinik Marburg.

It is well known that learning curves are longer for laparoscopic surgery compared to open surgery. Recently, virtual reality (VR) simulation was developed as alternative to conventional training. Such a new training system makes it possible to offer a wide range of repeatable surgical situations, and thus, enable assessments based on direct observation of performance. During the last four years we did several studies using a VR simulator (LapSim). After a constructive validity study - discrimination between novices and experienced laparoscopic surgeons, we were able to show that advanced residents benefit most from a three-day practical course for laparoscopic surgery, while - in a further investigation - we found contrary to training at the Pelvitrainer that novices in laparoscopic surgery have the most benefit from VR training. Minimally invasive surgery is significantly more sophisticated for the surgeon than open surgery. While Research on laparoscopic surgery has focused primarily on the development and assessment of technical skills, non technical skills such as visual-spatial perception and stress coping has received much less attention. We showed that spatial perception as well as stress coping positively correlates with virtual laparoscopic skills. A high degree of spatial perception led to faster adaption to a non-stereo environment and correlated with high level of laparoscopic skills. Furthermore, Ineffective stress-coping strategies correlate with poor virtual laparoscopic performance. VR simulation seems to be a promising tool to improve laparoscopic skills in a modern apprenticeship model. According to patient safety, the development of this instrument for surgery should be advanced professionally just as a flight simulators in aviation.

E-learning tools for education: regulatory aspects, current applications in radiology and future prospects.

PURPOSE: E-learning, an abbreviation of electronic learning, indicates the provision of education and training on the Internet or the World Wide Web. The impact of networks and the Internet on radiology is undoubtedly important, as it is for medicine as a whole. The Internet offers numerous advantages compared with other mass media: it provides access to a large amount of information previously known only to individual specialists; it is flexible, permitting the use of images or video; and it allows linking to Web sites on a specific subject, thus contributing to further expand knowledge. Our purpose is to illustrate the regulatory aspects (including Internet copyright laws), current radiological applications and future prospects of e-learning. Our experience with the installation of an e-learning platform is also presented. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a PubMed search on the published literature (without time limits) dealing with e-learning tools and applications in the health sector with specific reference to radiology. The search included all study types in the English language with the following key words: e-learning, education, teaching, online exam, radiology and radiologists. The Fiaso study was referred to for the regulatory aspects of e-learning. RESULTS: The application of e-learning to radiology requires the development of a model that involves selecting and creating e-learning platforms, creating and technologically adapting multimedia teaching modules, creating and managing a unified catalogue of teaching modules, planning training actions, defining training pathways and Continuing Education in Medicine (CME) credits, identifying levels of teaching and technological complexity of support tools, sharing an organisational and methodological model, training the trainers, operators' participation and relational devices, providing training, monitoring progress of the activities, and measuring the effectiveness of training. Since 2004, a platform--LiveLearning--has been used at our university: this is a Web-oriented application, that is, an Internet software solution that users can access through a Web browser. The pages displayed by the browser are dynamically generated through interaction with a database that collects both data required for the application to work and data related to the courses provided. There are different approaches to developing applications that use databases to store information. The selected approach is based on a modular three-level architecture divided into presentation level, intermediate level, and data level. The LiveLearning platform includes modules to manage multimedia contents and to interface with the streaming server so that the student can access the training contents directly from the platform interfaces. Furthermore, the platform offers its users different modules: Teaching Units, Documents, Forums, and Chats. By appropriately combining these modules, customised training can be devised based on specific requirements. CONCLUSIONS: The increasing diffusion of continuous education will reduce the costs of e-learning and make this training method, which helps keep pace with technological progress, more attractive, with significant professional gains for radiologists.

Copyright law and distance nursing education.

The authors present essential information regarding the copyright law and online education. This information provides the reader specific aids to assist in designing and implementing distance education courses within the bounds of the Technology, Education, and Copyright Harmonization Act and fair use guidelines. From their research, the authors, who are distance education experts, offer a wide array of educational and legal data to inform nurse educators.

Student use of NABPLaw Online in a pharmacy laws project.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate students' frequency of use and degree of usefulness of NABPLaw Online, a pharmacy-specific, online, licensed resource produced by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP). METHODS: Students usage of various information resources, including NABPLaw Online were evaluated through (1) usage statistics gathered by NABP, (2) students' response to a questionnaire, and (3) citation analysis performed on students' project reports. RESULTS: Students used NABPLaw Online less frequently than other online tools, partly related to the relevance of the tool to their projects, and partly related to ease of use in comparison to other tools. CONCLUSIONS: Although it was not extensively used, NABPLaw Online represents a unique resource for students researching multistate aspects of pharmacy practice law.

Continuing dental education requirements for relicensure in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Mandatory continuing education (CE) is an almost universal requirement for relicensure of dentists in the United States. In recent years, computer-based methods have become more widely adopted as a vehicle for earning CE credits. To obtain a comprehensive overview of CE requirements in the United States, the authors conducted a survey on how computer-based CE methods are regulated. METHODS: The authors reviewed the dental statutes of 50 states and the District of Columbia regarding the license renewal period, required number of CE hours, limitations on clinical and nonclinical subjects, on-site versus independent-study courses, and other requirements regarding CE. RESULTS: The authors found that 45 states and the District of Columbia mandate CE for relicensure at this time. Most dentists were required to complete approximately 20 hours per year. Ten states specified a minimum number of clinical hours, 17 states limited nonclinical hours, and seven states placed constraints on both clinical and nonclinical CE. Sixty-five percent of states limited the number of CE credits that could be accumulated through independent study. Specific requirements for computer-based methods of earning CE credits were absent in general. CONCLUSIONS: State licensing boards across the United States have implemented comprehensive requirements for CE. Few, if any, provisions addressed computer-based methods of earning CE credits. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Given the increasing adoption of computer-based methods of earning CE credits, state dental boards and accrediting agencies may want to consider steps to improve the quality of computer-based methods of earning CE credits.

Licensing web-based nursing programs, courses, and course materials.

With the advent of the digital information age, schools of nursing are developing and using web-based programs, courses, and course materials to meet students' needs for access and high-quality learning experiences. In an attempt to maximize scant resources, including faculty, many schools are seeking grant funding, joining consortia, or forming partnerships that require sharing of web-based course materials. Entering such collaborative arrangements usually requires licensing agreements to transfer intellectual capital. This article explains licensing and the related concepts of intellectual property, copyright, and technology transfer. It also identifies the advantages and disadvantages of licensing and describes a licensing process.

Living with fair use and TEACH: a quest for compliance.

With the expansion of Web-based courses in nursing education, faculty members are faced with a greater responsibility to be copyright compliant. This article reviews the changes in copyright law. The Conference on Fair Use (CONFU), the passage of the Digital Millennium and Copyright Act (DMCA), the passage of the Technology Education and Copyright Harmonization (TEACH) Act, and recent legal cases will be discussed. The strategies and resources the authors used to secure copyright permission while designing a Web-based continuing education course will also be described.

[Multimedia preoperative patient information]. / Multimediale Patientenaufklärung in der Klinik.

Due to heavy workloads and shortage of staff, doctors often find it difficult to explain operations to their patients with the legally required detail and timing (in Germany, 24 h preop). This is however mandatory for obtaining informed consent. We developed a computer program that generates films explaining 24 common orthopedic operations and blood transfusion. They explain the operation, early postoperative phase, and benefits and risks to the patient. At our clinic, this program is used in daily routine and precedes the actual doctor-patient conversation for informed consent. We asked 300 patients about their satisfaction with the newly developed program. The multimedia presentation gives the patient more time, enough detail and clarity, and the chance to repeat parts of the film. For the doctor, it saves time. The time gap required in Germany between explanation and operation is thus easily adhered to. In case of legal problems, the film can be used for evidence. The use of this multimedia presentation to help in getting informed consent is improving workflow considerably.

Assistive technology for postsecondary students with learning disabilities.

An increasing number of students with learning disabilities are attending postsecondary institutions. To meet the educational demands of these students, support service providers will likely rely on assistive technology. This article lists types of assistive technology appropriate for use with persons with learning disabilities at the postsecondary level and discusses ways in which assistive technology enhances learning. Additionally, an overview of legislation that has had an impact on assistive technology at the postsecondary level is presented. Issues involving assistive technology programs at the postsecondary level are discussed. Postsecondary assistive technology program components, device selection, and training guidelines also are outlined.

A federal perspective on special education technology.

This article examines more than a decade of changes in special education research and in the use of technology. It discusses evolving research and projects funded by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and raises questions about the use of specific methodologies and about whether children with disabilities are being prepared for the world in which they will live. And, finally, it describes OSEP's Technology, Educational Media, and Materials strategic program agenda that will drive future planning and priorities.