Over eighty nursing professors and instructional designers attended the 5th annual (and final) WI TECNE conference entitled E-Learning: Design, Delivery, Innovation, and Evaluation that was held on April 7-8, 2011. The conference opened at Lambeau Field with a presentation on how technology and health are similar and different between nursing and the NFL, presented by Dr. Janet Reilly, the WI TECNE Year 4 and 5 campus leader at the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay. Faculty from each of the four UW System campuses next presented on how they have used technology in e-learning over the past five years of the HRSA funded WI TECNE grant. Topics covered included using virtual gaming, problem-based learning, case scenario builder software and wikis in e-learning with nursing students. After a tailgate style dinner buffet, keynote speaker, Dr. Diane Skiba from the University of Colorado, addressed the group about new trends in technology in nursing education.
Friday’s WI TECNE session began at the Univeristy of Wisconsin, Green Bay campus with a presentation on sustainability and continuation of technology in nursing given by the WI TECNE Principal Investigator, Dr. Patti Brennan from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Evaluation results of the Year Five Scholars and the Khan Flexible Framework for E-Learning was hosted by Dr. Christine Vandenhouten from the University of Wisconsin in Green Bay. Dr. Eric Bauman and David Simkins, both from Madison, reviewed interface design strengths and areas for improvement for the five core nursing courses in the BSN@HOME program. Attendees also selected three break out sessions from a varitey of e-learning topics: student perspectives of online learning; faculty overload in e-learning; legal aspects of e-learning; the 2011 Horizon Report; virtual gaming; e-learning and Native American, African American and disabled students; and academic dishonesty in e-learning. Presenters hailed from universities and private companies in Washington D.C, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Dr. Badrul Khan was the closing keynote speaker. He reviewed the Flexible Framework for E-Learning and its international applications.
Photographs from the WI TECNE Conference can be found on the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay, Nursing Program’s FACEBOOK page in six albums. The link is: http://www.facebook.com/pages/University-of-Wisconsin-Green-Bay-Nursing-RN-to-BSN-Program/114010198661378