The 3rd Jordanian Nursing

International Conference. April, 2010

Nursing Education Supercourse: Implications for Nursing Practice and Research Around the World

By: K. Salman, Dr.PH F. Linkov, PhD R. LaPorte, PhD

Technology and Nursing Education

The impact of technology on nursing education has been profound. As a result,

Teaching and research findings are no longer confined to certain schools or institutions -Information can be accessed on line through internet, emails, listservs, and conferencing.

Empowering nursing faculty to be creative in designing lectures that fit their students and healthcare communities (e.g. using Power Point)

Technology and Nursing Education

Computer use by nursing faculty has grown rapidly -From 1997 -2001 has increased by 15 hours/week (Chaffin &

Maddux, 2004) Technology improved students’ learning by adding

to the cognitive process needed to use information.

- Technology “amplifies, extends, and even reorganizes human mental power” (Norris, 2009)

Nurse educators are functioning as the “guide on the side” rather than the “sage on the stage” (Chaffin & Maddux, 2004).

-Technology enable students to be independent and more self-sufficient.

Supercourse Background

What is the Supercourse?How it is defined? Who developed it? When? Why?

What is the Supercourse?

www.pitt.edu/~super1: it is defined as an advanced “Model” or a “system” that translates science into the class room. Supercourse includes a library of over 4355 lectures on Public Health and Medicine shared for free by over 56000 members of Global health network from over 170 countries.

Who Developed it? When? Why?

It was developed by: Dr. Ronald LaPorte and his team.(Dr. LaPorte is a Professor at the Graduate

School of Public Health (GSPH)/Pitt University)

When? In 1999 Why? - To improve health training and research in

global health and prevention

-To share knowledge and expertise worldwide.

Teacher in Mexico

Teacher in Harrisburg

Teacher in London

Teacher in Pittsburgh

Teacher in San Francisco

Supercourse Model: Lecture Sharing

Teacher in Sydney

The Global Health Supercourse Update, 2009

It has taken flight!Faculty; net work of 56,000 from almost every

country in the world.Lectures; 4355 lectures from a highly

distinguished scientists including Nobel prize professionals

Languages; 11 different language representedCountries; 31 countries representedServers; There are 42 different mirrored servers

of the Supercourse. Mirrored server is a copy of the Supercourse content on a local computer.

Significance to Nursing

Nurses are the largest group of health professionals worldwide, they are over 12 million nurses and midwives (Retrieved March 22, 2010 from http://www.icn.ch/geneva)

The global shortage of qualified nursing faculty is escalating

Technological advancements have improved the quality and access to nursing education and research (The American Association of College of Nursing (AACN), 1999)

Significance to Nursing

Unique way to network Nursing scientists- First effort attempted to network Nursing scientist worldwide

Lack of nursing training in global health, prevention, and disaster preparedness.

Methodology

The following methodology was used to design the Nursing Suprcourse, researchers from Dept. of Epidemiology at the GSPH in collaboration with Nursing faculty and the Supercourse team; 1.Invited schools of Nursing World wide: by sending letters of invitation, words of mouth, e-mails, and other means of contacts.2.Contacted faculty/educator who expressed interest, and asked them to donate or share their best Power Point lectures3.Encouraged the focus on disaster preparedness and global disease prevention and health promotion4.Reviewed the donated lectures by the Supercourse team5.Published in the Supercourse website. 

The Implications of Nursing Supercourse on Education and Research

I. Information Sharing- •Through the Supercourse library of lectures, we can distribute nursing lectures and research findings

II. Time Saving •New Nursing instructors reduce preparation time and improve their lectures

III. Content Quality and Enhancement•High quality and readily usable contents make better Nursing teachers world wide

IV. Free Contents •The concept of library of lectures for all to

use in many ways similar to that of “freeware” or “open source software’ on the computer

V. Easy Access •Easy and accessible through the internet

and Power points. •Nursing faculties in developing countries have access to current scientific information which they would not normally have.

The Implications of Nursing Supercourse on Education and Research

Results

First project to establish standardized quality control mechanism for on-line lecturesGrowing number in the Supercourse library are dedicated to nursing For example Disaster Nursing Super-course (lectures) can be accessed at: http://www.pitt.edu/~super1/disasters/disastersnurse.htm

Summary and Conclusions

Nursing is the fastest growing profession worldwide

Nursing Supercourse is the inexpensive tool which facilitates the access to the ever-expanding quality knowledge base of information in teaching and research

Nursing Supercourse is an “answer” to the growing demand of qualified nursing professionals in education and research.

Nursing Supercourse is a tool that can offer a solution to the challenges of information sharing among educators and researchers.

Future Directions

During the next 2 years, we are planning to:-Contact schools of nursing worldwide-Double the amount of training in the area of Global Health and Prevention in schools of Nursing- Invite researchers to share their nursing research information.

NursingResearch

Teaching/Mentoring

Major Accomplishments of the Supercourse

Supercourse DVDs have been distributed to thousands of faculty members around the world, including nursing schools in Jordan.

Is there a Supercourse DVD at your school or hospital?

Future Directions of the Supercourse

If you would like to join the Supercourse Network, obtain a CD of the Supercourse or to contribute

a lecture, please contact Ronald LaPorte at: super1@pitt.edu,

Faina Linkov at:fyL1@pitt.edu, and Khlood Salman at: Salmank@duq.edu

Supercourse Address

http://www.pitt.edu/~super1/lecture/lec37501/index.htm

References

AACN White Paper: Distance technology in Nursing Education. (1999). Retrieved on March 23rd, 2010 from www.aacn.nche.edu.

Chaffin, A., & Maddux, C. (2004). Internet teaching methods for use in Baccalaureate Nursing education. CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing. Vol.22, No.3, 132-142.

Laporte, R. et al. (2009). Supercourse: Translation from Research to the Classroom (unpublished article)

Supercourse website at www.pitt.edu/~super1 accessed on March, 10th, 2009.

Questions?