Social Media and eLearning to augment learning in U.S. Army Medical Training in Emergency Medicine

1. Purpose: Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT's) perform their tasks better when they collaborate, and these tools enable them to do so.

1.1. Bandura (1977) proposed that the reproduction of learning experiences are directly correlated to retention.

1.2. Operant Conditioning as described by Skinner (1948) applies to the social media use as reinforced/ supported behavior leads to repeated behavior.

1.3. Learning occurs through control of the environment that the learners interact with (Marquardt & Waddill, 2004), so the tools that will be used are strategically chosen.

2. Program Competencies

2.1. Learners do well when they learn how to learn.  This applies to both their subject material and to the social media tools themselves.

2.2. Work groups will progress in teams that develop together and can work in tandem so that nobody falls behind in their proficiency.

2.3. The training may be in basic computer user interfacing, online communication and etiquette,  effective group problem solving techniques, and a variety of subject specific topics that the groups may identify as needing further consideration.

3. References

4. Motivational Considerations

4.1. Peers reinforce each other and build a sense of camaraderie as they learn.

4.2. People often compare themselves to others in unrealistic and often exaggerated ways.  Linking their learning to their networking with other people will establish realistic expectations and and give a more accurate portrayal of the true perspectives.

4.3. As people are motivated by intrinsic and extrinsic factors, both are positively reinforced by these learning experiences.

5. Ethics

5.1. The highest ethical standards will be used in this organization, and any malicious and/or illegal situations will be reported and properly handled.

5.2. EMT learners will be taught many unique ethical considerations that are relevant to the medical field and emergency management, and will discuss them in a judgement free open forum.

5.3. Each person's thoughts and ideas are unique in a social media environment, and promulgating ideas that are not one's own without expressed permission is prohibited.