Technology enhanced learning in emergency medicine

Education is integral to the practice and delivery of Emergency Medicine in the UK. The staffing structures, the complexity of the workload and the need to deliver a service 24-hours a day require a high-quality learning environment. This thesis describes my work in using web-based technologies to enhance the learning experience of emergency medicine trainees and consultants. It describes three overlapping themes of innovation. Theme 1 describes the development of the BestBets approach to evidence-based medicine in emergency care. The papers and websites presented describe how the principles of evidence-based medicine were adapted, developed and published to provide a practical and pragmatic approach suitable for the acute care environment. Theme 2 describes how Virtual Learning Environments provided a solution to the challenges of teaching and learning with a chronologically and geographically distributed workforce. Theme 3 describes how I have used the latest social media technologies to enhance learning on a global scale. It describes how local learning can be shared amongst a diverse range of learners using social media tools. This theme charts how my projects on the St. Emlyn’s platform have advocated for the Free Open Access Medical Education movement. It also describes how I have created a symbiotic relationship between modern and traditional publishing mechanisms to promote the academic outputs of local and international publishing collaborations. In this thesis I describe the narrative of educational development alongside and in some cases in the mutual support of technological innovation. I reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of the learning narrative and also on the methodological approach to the analysis of the three main themes. Central to my work is how I have developed my skills to now lead the social media projects for the St.Emlyn’s group and in the establishment of my recognition as a leader in the area of technologically enhanced emergency medical education.