The Write-Once Publish Everywhere Approach for Continuing Education
Overview
The Write-Once Publish-Everywhere approach for the creation and delivery of educational content emphasises the Multi aspect of multimedia. With this approach, educators create educational content that can be easily published over a variety of media. The development process must be easily learned by front-line health care workers (peer-to-peer learning). Write-Once Publish-Everywhere modules enhance access to continuing education and can improve the learning experience. Our goal is to provide continuing education at the right time, the right place, and the right cost.
Since most physical rehabilitation interventions rely on vision and touch, multimedia content must be developed for successful knowledge transfer. To maintain the Write-Once Publish-Everywhere objective, audio, video, and text data are integrated into presentation software (Corel Presentations, PowerPoint, etc.). The accompanying text is written such that the presentation can "stand on its own" as an on-line reference but still be useful during an on-site presentation. Once the final presentation is complete, the presentation software is used to create handouts, slides, overheads, CD-ROM, web pages, streamed Internet media, video conferencing Whiteboard pages, and output for a laptop computer projector.
With this multi-faceted approach for providing educational services, rural healthcare providers can access information anytime while taking advantage of various levels of interactivity. For example, rural clinicians can reach a web site from home to learn about range of motion exercises for their clients. An on-line presentation could then be arranged at the community hospital, using the Internet video conferencing system, to review this material and discuss issues directly related to their clientele. On a subsequent mobile outreach team visit, an on-site workshop could be held for a larger group (i.e., including nursing home workers, home care, or attendants). The rural clinicians could review the printed or on-line materials as needed.
The Write-Once Publish-Everywhere approach creates a continuum of interactivity for accessing continuing education (thereby providing the best blend of interactivity, content options, and time flexibility). From an educator's perspective, multimedia content can be created and distributed without extensive investment in equipment, software, training, and publication time. As mentioned previously, healthcare continuing education activities are typically conducted on a peer-to-peer basis. The Write-Once Publish-Everywhere approach provides a mechanism for front-line healthcare workers to prepare their educational content such that it can be easily revised and easily presented in the most appropriate manner (i.e., used the appropriate medium for the education recipients without having to recreate the education content for each option).
Educational content produced using common presentation software also falls within the "learning objects" philosophy. Learning objects have been defined as:
"any digital resource that can be reused to support learning ... The main idea of 'learning objects' is to break educational content down into small chunks that can be reused in various learning environments, in the spirit of object-oriented programming".
"Learning objects are a new way of thinking about learning content. Traditionally, content comes in a several hour chunk. Learning objects are much smaller units of learning, typically ranging from 2 minutes to 15 minutes. These chunks are self-contained (each learning object can be taken independently), are reusable (a single learning object may be used in multiple contexts for multiple purposes), can be aggregated (learning objects can be grouped into larger collections of content, including traditional course structures), are tagged with metadata (every learning object has descriptive information allowing it to be easily found by a search)"
Write-Once Publish-Everywhere modules can be easily integrated into larger education programs, modified to the current audience's needs, formatted to a common style, and converted to a standards-based tagged format (XML, etc.).
Guidelines
Obtain Stakeholder Input
Developing Write-Once Publish-Everywhere modules takes more time than creating a typical PowerPoint presentation. To ensure that your work has the most impact, begin by surveying your stakeholders for topics of interest.
The Terry Fox Mobile Clinic outreach team uses an annual education objectives questionnaire and feedback forms from individual education sessions to develop a menu of educational topics. The most requested topics are the first to be offered as Write-Once Publish-Everywhere modules. On-line feedback forms are also used to obtain stakeholder input.
Develop Content
Tools
Most of the equipment used to create the electronic media for each Write-Once Publish-Everywhere module can be found in a modern office environment. Typical requirements include:
- Computer
- Pentium II or better, 10Gb hard drive, 128Mb RAM, 24x CD-ROM, 17" monitor
- Video Capture Card
- A card that connects your computer to a camcorder so that you can make digital video clips. Video capture capabilities may be integrated in your computer graphics cards (lower cost, user-friendly video capture software).
- Video / Photo devices
- Camcorder (analog or digital), digital camera or camera and photo scanner, web cam
- Desktop conferencing software
- Microsoft NetMeeting, Polycom ViaVideo, etc.
- Video and photo editing software
- Software for capturing, trimming, and saving video clips. Picture editing software is needed for digital pictures. RealProducer / Microsoft Media Producer is needed to create streaming media files.
- Office Suite Software
- Microsoft Office, Corel Office, etc.
- Microphone, sound card
- Record a digital audio track to support a presentation or as a "voice-over" for streaming media.
- Speaker-phone
- Conference quality speaker phone
Text
The health educator prepares the module's text such that the words can stand on their own as a web page. However, the text must also be effective as a presentation slide (i.e., as few words as possible). To maintain the "fewest words" requirement, work with a font size at or above 28 point. This will provide text that can be projected and easily read and will force the educator to be concise. Developing appropriate text is a critical component of a successful Write-Once Publish-Everywhere module.
Graphics
Since few words are used to describe a concept, supporting graphics are very important. Pictures or clipart should be used to emphasize and show the content. If you cannot find appropriate copyright-free pictures, use a digital camera or camcorder to create your own images. Video clips should be included in each situation where movement is an essential part of the module (i.e., learning how to move someone from a wheelchair onto a bed). Take extra effort to have good lighting for your images since poorly lit pictures do not display well on a computer projector or when reduced in size for a web page.
Peer review
All modules should be evidence-based and peer reviewed. Supporting documentation, the evidence, can be either listed on the module's web site or included on a slide at the end of the module. Peer review typically has two stages: a review by a panel of clinicians with expertise in the module's subject area and by the education specialists. These reviews ensured valid content, effective information presentation, and promoted applicability for community healthcare providers.
Publish
Use the "Save As" or "Export" tools in your office suite software to publish the media as:
- Multimedia pages on the World Wide Web (Web)
- Desktop Video/Data conferencing system presentations
- Projected from a laptop computer
- CD-ROM
- Internet streamed media (RealPlayer)
- Slides, overheads, or handouts
Additional work is usually needed to fine-tune the exported media before a module is ready for the end-user. This work includes minor formatting, inserting content into a company's web site interface, and setting timing for a streaming media voice track.
Verify
User / participant feedback can be collected using education session questionnaires (for in-person sessions) or using web-based forms. The feedback information can be used to improve on existing Write-Once Publish-Everywhere modules and identify future modules.