Description

A tele-network was set up between the Prince of Wales Hospital (PWH) and PolyU, which allowed students to gather in a classroom at PolyU to view the demonstration of clinical management of a patient by the clinical educator at PWH. Through this interactive teaching-learning method, students, university academics, clinical educators and patients were allowed to interact with each other instantly, and students could benefit from the direct discussion with clinical educators and interaction with patients.
 

Intended educational value

This approach facilitated student learning of case management and professional skills.
 

Example of application

The teleconference –clinical classes were incorporated into the tutorial sessions of the subject "Occupational Therapy for Physical Dysfunction I" for Year 2 students. Three classes were conducted during the 2007/2008 Semester 1 and two during 2008/09 Semester 1.
 

Evaluation/Comments

After the classes, students completed a questionnaire on the format of teaching, degree of interaction, level of clinical knowledge, professional skills and clinical reasoning learned; and six to eight students were selected for a "focus group" interview at the end of the semesters.

The evaluation found that the students responded positively, as follows:

• The method of teaching and learning was enjoyable and cost-effective,
• The interactive teleconference gave them direct and instant communication with the case therapist and the patient.
• The real-time case demonstration allowed them to learn about the common practice and clinical techniques used in an actual clinical setting, and it helped them understand the symptoms or clinical features for certain kinds of disabilities.
• The interaction with therapist helped to improve their critical thinking skills.
• Observing how the clinical educators interacted with patients during the demonstration further enhanced their professional behaviour.
• The classes helped their preparation of clinical placements, and would be particularly beneficial for learning in the event of a suspension of placements due to pandemics.

The opinions of the clinical educators, which were collected through a self-completed questionnaire, indicated that they held the following views:

• The method is cost-effective;
• The teleconference produced good communication among students, therapists and academic faculty members;
• The approach provided a favourable environment for students, patients and therapists, in which the patients and therapists stayed in the clinical setting while a large group of students observe the demonstrations without travelling and disturbing the routine of the clinical setting;
• Academic colleagues also communicated with the clinical educators on the current practice regime and specific case management, which reinforced updates on clinical practice and helped to bridge the gap between academic teaching and clinical practice.

Remarks

The videos obtained from the real-time recording of the whole teleconference process could form a database of professional demonstrations as supplementary teaching resources for the diagnoses covered in the syllabus.
 

Class photos:

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