Wednesday, April 30, 2008 - Today, in Banff, Alberta, Joyce Helmer and Dr. Lorraine Carter accepted an Award of Excellence from the Canadian Network for Innovation in Education (CNIE) on behalf of a collaboration that includes the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM), Cambrian College, Laurentian University School of Nursing and Laurentian University Instructional Media Centre, and Hôpital régional de Sudbury Regional Hospital. The award, presented for excellence in the use of educational technology and instructional design, recognizes the partners in an initiative called PocketSnips. The goal of the PocketSnips project is development of clinical teaching tools accessible through Professional Digital Assistants (PDAs) and desktop computers.

PocketSnips are short videos that provide instruction relative to different health-related procedures. The videos are accompanied by text-based auxiliary information. The learner audience for the project includes medical students, residents, nursing students, and other allied health professional.

There are currently 15 PocketSnips videos. Each video has been peer reviewed by content and procedural experts to ensure that it presents the best way of performing the procedure. There are plans to produce more PocketSnips videos since they are beneficial for clinical learning and field practice in the North.

Dr. David Topps, NOSM Director of eLearning, is excited about the benefits of PocketSnips for physicians, health-care providers, and patients, particularly in remote, Northern, and rural areas that may not have access to larger medical facilities. “Clinicians benefit by having immediate access to clearly communicated instructional video and textual information right at the point of care,” he said.

Joyce Helmer, Chair of the Wabnode Institute, Cambrian College and Section Leader for Clinical Education at NOSM’s East Campus, says the success of this project is due to the efforts of PocketSnips stakeholders to transform an idea into a practical instructional tool. “Every partner involved in the production of PocketSnips brought a distinctive perspective and set of strengths to the table. Being recognized by the Canadian Network for Innovation in Education is a real honour that we can proudly share.”

For the full story, read the Northern Ontario School of Medicine release.

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Reference:
Joyce Helmer
Chair, Wabnode Institute
Cambrian College
566-8101, extension 7653
joyce.helmer@cambriancollege.ca