title: Using online modules is a multi-modality teaching system: a high-touch high-tech approach to geriatric education.
abstract: Making geriatric education available to rural faculty/preceptors, students, and practitioners presents many challenges. Often the only options considered for educating those in the health professions about geriatrics are either traditional face-to-face courses or distance education programs. The purpose of this paper was to examine the use of Web-based modules or courses and other distance learning technology in concert with traditional learning modalities. The Mountain State Geriatric Education Center explored the use of a multi-modal approach within a high-touch, high-tech framework. Our findings indicate the following: it is important to start where participants are ready to begin; flexibility and variety are needed; soliciting evaluative feedback from participants is valuable; there is a need to integrate distance learning with more traditional modalities; and a high-tech, high-touch approach provides a format which participants find acceptable, accessible, and attractive. This assertion does not rule out the use of technology for distance education but rather encourages educators to take advantage of a wide range of modalities, traditional and technological, to reach rural practitioners, faculty, and students.
authors.affiliation: Mountain State Geriatric Education Center, Center on Aging, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA. sgainor@hsc.wvu.edu
authors.forename: Sara Jane
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Gainor
authors.forename: R Turner
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Goins
authors.forename: Lee Ann
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction / Q000379:methods*; D003479:Curriculum; D020375:Education, Distance / Q000379:methods*; D018961:Educational Technology; D005246:Feedback; D005853:Geriatrics / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019212:Multimedia / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009862:Online Systems / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration; D016730:Program Development / Q000379:methods; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods; D012424:Rural Population; D012986:Software Validation; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*; D014903:West Virginia