Many industries are turning to eLearning for better training solutions. It’s easy to see why the technology is so appealing. According to SH!FT, eLearning increases knowledge retention rates by 25% to 60%. That’s compared to only 8% to 10% for in-person training.
Approximately 67% of companies offered mobile learning with smartphones in 2019.
Multinational technology corporation IBM saved $200 million after switching to eLearning. Paying for online training eliminated the need to pay for hotel stays, equipment, and travel. It also allowed employees to learn faster and more efficiently.
One of the reasons that eLearning is so appealing is its versatility. It works in any industry. Today’s ed tech has expanded to include more advanced methods, like augmented and virtual reality. This creates opportunities to recreate hands-on, real-life experiences without risk.
Healthcare organizations have noticed the benefits of eLearning. Many are adopting technology to improve training. Better trained medical professionals mean a better healthcare system for the rest of us.
How has eLearning helped shape the way healthcare workers are trained?
University of Nevada, Reno Introduces Marijuana Education Program
What was once considered a taboo subject in schools now has its own education program.
The University of Nevada, Reno has created a marijuana online training course. Students can earn non-credit certificates in cannabis education. Each program requires three eight-week online courses that are available through the cannabis career training company, Green Flower.
The programs cover all aspects of the cannabis business. Students can study agriculture and horticulture, policy and law, and medicine and healthcare applications.
The certificates can be earned to complement other credentials and give the learner advanced knowledge of the use of cannabis.
Approximately 10,000 workers currently make up the Nevada cannabis industry, according to the state’s Dispensary Association. The association also reported that the legal marijuana market reached a sales milestone when it exceeded $1 billion in the 2021 fiscal year.
The University of Nevada’s new program is completed entirely online, which eliminates any concerns about it violating federal law. Marijuana is still considered illegal at the federal level, even though many states have legalized it.
Nevada was the third U.S. state to approve the use of medical marijuana with the 1998 Nevada Medical Marijuana Act. The state voted to approve the use of recreational cannabis in 2016.
“We’ve been very careful to stress that this is strictly education about the industry because there’s a need,” explained interim vice provost for Extended Studies Jodi Herzik. “How do I say this nicely? The industry is changing. You can’t just have former potheads running the counter, you have to have educated professionals.”
According to Herzik, the university took a soft approach to launching the program, introducing it without significant promotion. A low-key introduction allowed them to ease into the program to make sure it is a good fit.
The demand for qualified cannabis workers is increasing, especially as recreational and medical marijuana use is legalized across the country.
Nepean Hospital and Vantari VR Partner to Create ICU Training Program
Nepean Hospital, a teaching facility in New South Wales, partnered with Vantari VR to bring virtual reality into its curriculum. The technology is expected to be launched on a new virtual training platform over the next three years.
The technology is expected to increase the proficiency of medical trainees and clinicians, with a focus on airway management. These are skills that are in high demand as the hospital faces a heavy COVID-19 case load.
“By integrating Vantari VR into our education program, trainees will already have advanced knowledge of the procedure before requiring clinician input. In addition, we hope Vantari VR will help our trainees have a more homogenous approach, as well as give repeated exposure to lesser performed procedures,” said Nepean Hospital VR Lead Dr. Rebecca Rowley.
Vantari VR modules cover most medical procedures. Steps are provided based on college guidelines. While the technology is focused on the ICU now, the developer expects to see it move into other areas of healthcare like anesthetics and emergency medicine.
“We’re thrilled to be working with a young, innovative department who have a strong interest in technology and simulation training. We’re also excited to work closely with Associate Professor Sam Orde and ICU Clinical Fellow Lead for VR Dr. Rebecca Rowley to establish new modules and validate them through research,” said Nishanth Krishnananthan, co-founder of Vantari VR.
Dr. Rowley expressed her thoughts about how beneficial virtual reality would have been when she was a new medical professional.
“I think back to the first time I was performing procedures on patients, and how useful it would have been to have prior VR exposure. While it does not replace hands-on supervised practice, it is an amazing adjunct that will hopefully accelerate learning and has the potential to improve safety.”
“I’m very much looking forward to developing our own module and can’t wait to see it in action. The technology has already evolved in the brief time we have been in partnership,” Rowley concluded.
Haptic Touch Makes Surgical Training Virtual Reality More Realistic
Virtual reality is becoming a fixture in surgical training. It allows medical students to practice procedures without placing a patient at risk.
FundamentalVR is taking the technology a step further by adding a haptic touch element to its Fundamental Surgery System. The haptic glove was demonstrated at the annual general meeting of the American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons. It was ranked among the best inventions by Time Magazine in 2018.
“When it comes to surgical training simulations, a sense of touch is a game-changer, but has traditionally only been possible with immobile equipment costing hundreds of thousands of dollars,” explained FundamentalVR CEO Richard Vincent.
“The Fundamental Surgery platform delivers highly sophisticated tactile feedback at a fraction of the cost through a software approach that can work with a range of haptic devices. Our platform currently works with haptic arms but is designed to evolve as hardware innovations allow new products such as HaptX Gloves to come to market. We are proud to work with industry leaders such as HaptX and are excited to demonstrate how HaptX Gloves integrated into our Surgical Haptics Intelligent Engine TM takes the sensation of surgery to an exciting new and natural level.”
The gloves are powered by microfluidic technology. Each glove has 130 tactile actuators that press against the user’s skin. This replicates the feeling of touch. A force feedback exoskeleton can apply up to four pounds of force per finger. Motion capture technology captures the user’s hand movements at a sub-millimeter level.
Surgeons can use their hands naturally while practicing in a virtual setting. Tactile feedback helps users develop muscle memory and skills needed to learn.
Education technology continues to expand. Every organization needs a reliable learning management system to get started. Visit LMS.org to read LMS reviews and learn more about the eLearning platforms that train tomorrow’s professionals.
