virtual classroom
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Kip Thomas, PhD MBA Director, Healthcare Emergency Management Master of Science program at Boston University School of Medicine. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Kip Thomas, PhD MBA
Director, Healthcare Emergency Management
Master of Science program atBoston University School of Medicine
BU School of Medicine ResearchBoston University School of Medicine (BUSM) is a major research
institution, providing an exceptional environment for students interested in basic science, clinical investigation, or public health and health
services oriented research.
BUSM has 660 medical students, and a similar number of graduate students in the medical school actively engaged in the study of
medicine, biomedical and health sciences.
Graduate Medical SciencesGraduate Medical Sciences (GMS) is the graduate division at BU
School of Medicine. It offers doctoral and masters degree training in the basic sciences and many health sciences disciplines, including:
Master of ScienceHealthcare Emergency Management
The only Healthcare Emergency Management masters offered at a medical school
Utilizing a fully-synchronous virtual classroom, BU HEM prepares individuals to work across the spectrum of emergency and crisis management
Curriculum provides a broad perspective of biomedical sciences and health care
Diverse group of professional students:Doctors, Nurses, EMTs, Firefighters, Public Health and Public Safety Officers, members of
the armed services as well as GMS students from other programs
Traditional Classroom and Lecture Hall
Require geographic proximity
Demand time for commuting
Allow students to “hide”, i.e. sit in the back of the room
Less supportive of teacher-student interaction
Virtual ClassroomMegameeting is the virtual classroom used by the
Healthcare Emergency Mgmt Program.
Allows up to 16 streaming video/VoIP feeds
Easy to use interface
Low hardware/software requirements
Allows split-screen between Powerpoint and Megameeting
Continuous student-to-student and teacher-to-student communication over VoIP and text chat
Class in Megameeting
Adapting to the Virtual WorldWhen teaching classes virtually, it is necessary to recognize how to
work with students differently.
Virtual classrooms present their own issues such as:Managing bandwidth problems
Dealing with the internet at high-volume timesAcclimating students to a virtual environment
Students and lecturers need to be flexible enough to make adjustments like reducing frame rates, which effects video quality,
or even turning video off altogether.
The virtual classroom changes the dynamic even for traditional on-ground classroom settings.
Even when Healthcare Emergency Management students physically come to class, they choose to log onto Megameeting with their laptops.
Video conferencing in operational settings
In addition to using Megameeting for the Virtual Classroom, we have utilized its video conferencing capabilities in operational settings
•Field exercises in training and situational awareness
•Collaborative research meetings
•Student group projects outside of class
Doc-In-A-BoxWe used virtual conferencing software to allow a doctor in Ohio to assist an EMT in
Massachusetts in a simulated medical emergency. The doctor was able to evaluate the situation through video and audio, and further instruct the on-scene EMT.
Field ResearchDuring a school evacuation exercise in Sandwich, MA we used OuterLink hardware
and software, including GPS tracking devices and a command and control user interface, to achieve active on the ground telepresence.
