1. education
2. distance learning

Emerging Technology Pilot Grant Proposal: Cover Sheet
Project Title:
For fiscal year:
Principal Investigator:
UW Campus:
Campus L TDC Rep:
Date:
CHE-NET: Using technology to connect on-campus and in-practice
learning in Public Health
2009-2010
Robert Jecklin, M.P.H., Ph.D.
La Crosse
Jim Jorstad
June 10, 2009
Project Abstract
For over 30 years the undergraduate community health education program at UW-La Crosse has
required a full-time mentored practice experience during the final semester called the
preceptorship to help students transition from educational preparation to professional practice.
Meeting needs related to this transition requires that the program overcome the problems of
geographic, temporal, contextual, and conceptual distance between on-campus learning and the
in-practice learning of students in professional settings. Forty-five students in 2009-10 are
aligned with sites around the state, nation, and globe. In addition to geographic distance, student
retention of what was learned on campus is eroded with the passage of time. The varied contexts
for practice and the varied concepts associated with specific populations and health concerns all
require interpretation and adaptation of what was learned on campus. The emerging technology
in this proposal overcomes distance and creates reciprocating opportunities for influence
between on-campus and in-practice learning that is beneficial to both. Building on student
experience with blogs, websites, D2L, and Mediasite webcasting, the project introduces a Ning
social networking application called CHE-NET creating a rich media gallery of photo, video, and
audio. CHE-NET neutralizes distance by engaging faculty and students through blogging, group
formation, discussion, and other forms of interaction. CHE-NET compacts temporal distance by
creating a virtual time line that connects and encourages communication between students at
different points in the program curriculum sequence. CHE-NET also bridges campus learning
and the many specific practice settings, service populations, and health concerns experienced by
students off campus, and this allows all learners to better understand contextual differences and
interpret the different ways of applying theoretical concepts and principles learned in classes.
CHE-NET is evaluated by membership, the quality of participation, and the degree to which
participation connects the occurrence of on-campus and in-practice learning.
Project Narrative
NeedlProblem: For over thirty years community health education students have completed their
undergraduate education with a full-time mentored practice experience called a preceptorship;
the experiential learning of the preceptorship helps candidates transition from the role of student
to the role of practicing professional. This proj ect meets the transition needs of students by using
emerging technology in ways that overcome the problems of geographic, temporal, contextual,
and conceptual distance between on-campus and in-practice learning.
During the next year 45 students will be at sites around Wisconsin and at other sites in
Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, New Mexico, Colorado, British Columbia in Canada, and the
University of Southampton in the United Kingdom. The geographic distance between campus
and theses sites isolates in-practice learning from the influence of other students and faculty and
insulates on-campus learning from the influence of professional practice. Temporal distance
occurs with the passage of time eroding both the influence of on-campus learning on mentored
student practice and the influence of in-practice learning on faculty relevance. Contextual
distance exists between campus and workplace cultures; students and faculty must narrow this
gap through understanding and preparation. Conceptual distance is created when students trade
the more organized staging of a curriculum on campus for the more natural occurrence of
concepts in practice settings. Overcoming geographic, temporal, contextual, and conceptual
distance between on-campus and in-practice learning will improve both types of learning and
will more effectively meet the student need to transition to professional practice. Forty-five
students transition through the preceptorship during the next year; technology connects their
learning to an on-campus community of approximately 180 students and 8 faculty.
Activities and Work Plan: The following page summarizes significant activities, roles, and
work plan elements that will use technology to overcome varied forms of distance between oncampus and in-practice learning.
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Significant Activities: 1) Continue adapting the use of D2L, blogs, websites, and Mediasite
web casting as part of on-campus learning. 2) Use Ning social networking to create CRE-NET
for program students and faculty. 3) Develop activities and conventions in CRE-NET to
eliminate or minimize varied forms of distance between on-campus and in-practice learning;
examples include-a) use CRE-NET to engage majors early and often with other majors,
faculty, and resources like current course syllabi, faculty interests, calendar of important dates,
preceptorship sites, professional organizations, and links to resources beyond CRE-NET, b) use
CRE-NET to accumulate and make accessible rich media including photo, video, and audio files
that document both on-campus and in-practice learning, c) use CRE-NET to connect each
student to their preceptorship cohort before, during, and after the preceptorship, d) student
preceptee CRE-NET blogs will illustrate in-practice learning and allow interaction with oncampus students thereby merging the two types of learning. 4) Phase in faculty and student
involvement in CRE-NET over the course of a year.
Roles: Bob Jecklin (PI) will develop (.40 mo. August2009) CRE-NET in consultation with
program students/faculty and UW-L's educational technology staff. Re will phase-in and
maintain this effort as Coordinator of the Undergraduate Preceptorship Program. Re will
complete formative/summative evaluation and write-up for dissemination (.20 of June20 10).
Project Outcomes and Evaluation: Answer these questions in September, December and June.
Does CRE-NET exist and what features are functioning? Row many faculty/students are
members? What features ofCRE-NET are being used? What is the quantity and quality of rich
media in CRE-NET? In what ways does CRE-NET overcome: a) geographic distance between
campus faculty/students and student preceptees, b) temporal distance between past on-campus
learning and in-practice learning by preceptees, c) contextual distance between campus, health
care, public health, and many other practice settings, and d) conceptual distance between
generalized theoretical on-campus curriculum and application in a specific practice situation?
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Dissemination
If this proposal is funded, the Principal Investigator agrees to:
•
Present findings during a workshop for faculty at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
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Present findings during a Joint University of Wisconsin System Teaching Conference
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Make CRE-NET accessible to interested UWL and UWS faculty.
•
Submit at least one article for publication to a professional education journal.
•
Willing to present at UW-System Joint Technology Conference
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Budget and Budget Narrative
This proposal supports the improvement of ongoing instruction at the University of WisconsinLa Crosse and does not require support for the principal investigator to continue coordinating the
undergraduate preceptorship or for the essential support provided by Jim Jorstad, the University
of Wisconsin System's Learning Technology Development Council's representative on the La
Crosse campus or other consultation provided by students, staff, or other faculty. The proposal
does require the following support for:
$2,151.96
Summer contract for Principal Investigator to work .40 time during August of
2009 to develop the Ning social networking application that will be called CHENET. This will include selecting the features, incorporating current resources,
soliciting student and faculty input about basic conventions and activities, and
preparing basic orientation for faculty and student members.
No new costs As Coordinator of the Undergraduate Preceptorship, the Principal Investigator
will maintain and refine CHE-NET while gathering evaluation data in September,
December, and June.
No new costs Technical support for Mediasite use and off-campus students will continue to be
provided by Instructional Technology at UWL
$1,075.98
Summer contract for Principal Investigator to work .20 time in June of2010 to
analyze and interpret data collected during the academic year, and to create a
write-up, presentation, and website posting for dissemination to other faculty.
$1,436.44
Fringe benefits per the UWL Human Resource Office, 44.5%.
$4,664.38
Total Budget Requested
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