The challenges and opportunities in medical education for digital 'natives' and 'immigrants' in Scotland and abroad.
Although the digital revolution only started towards the end of the twentieth century, it has already dramatically shifted our world away from traditional industries and ushered in a new age of information. Virtually every aspect of our modern lives has either been transformed or challenged, including medical education. This article describes three of the important factors that are causing seismic changes in medical education in Scotland and abroad. The first is the new generation of 'digital natives' that are arriving in medical schools. In response, faculty members have had to become 'digital immigrants' and adapt their pedagogies. Second, the rise of social media has allowed the creation of virtual learning environments and communities that augment but also compete with traditional brick-and-mortar institutions. Finally, an ever-increasing range of e-learning resources promise freely accessible and up-to-date evidence, but their sheer volume and lack of standardisation will require careful curation.
General Practitioner and Senior Lecturer, School of Medicine, Griffith University & Menzies Health Institute, Australia carl_dewet@yahoo.co.uk.
Carl
C
de Wet
General Practitioner and Associate Professor in Primary Health Care, School of Medicine, Griffith University & Menzies Health Institute, Australia.
Michael
M
Yelland
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001292:Attitude to Computers; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends*; D003479:Curriculum; D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends*; D005180:Faculty, Medical; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D012606:Scotland / Q000453:epidemiology; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
digital age; faculty; health information technology; medical education