Tri-Rivers Center for Adult Education

The past several years have seen a dramatic change in the way technology is used in the classroom. Tri-Rivers Center for Adult Education has been in the fore-front of using technology in a variety of innovative ways to advance student learning.  This article highlights some of the ways technology is used at Tri-Rivers Center for Adult Education today to enhance training for our healthcare students.

In order to respond to the increasing use of technology in the healthcare field, today’s Licensed Practical Nursing students all receive some computer training. Our students go through a series of pre-assessment testing to ensure that all students enter their classes with a stable foundation of knowledge and skills. Our computer pre-assessment used to be in the form of a written multiple choice questionnaire; today we use an Internet-based software simulated assessment. Our students like this, since they get a chance to demonstrate that they know how to do the skill, and it makes for a more accurate gauge of their skill level. 

Technology is used in combination with instructor-led training to enhance class room instruction. We take advantage of secure sites on the Internet to communicate assignments, testing, and study resources to our students. Students can even “log-in” and check their current grade status and see what assignments are coming up.

The goal of technology use at Tri-Rivers Center for Adult Education is to enhance learning.  Just this school year we began to offer test preparation and review DVD’s for students to use to assist their studies. They have class time assigned to take practice tests to better prepare them for the NCLEX-PN® testing which they are required to pass for licensure. 

We use Virtual Clinical Excursion software which is a “virtual hospital” which allows students exposure to the hospital environment with interactive diagnostic questions, charting, patient care, etc. The program reinforces “good habits” such as you cannot enter or leave a patients room until you have “washed your hands”.  This program is used in conjunction with actual clinical site visits and assignments and enables students to have a variety of learning experiences.

We teach students how to search for information on the Internet and how to verify the accuracy of the information that they find. They learn how to use their local library’s Internet site to access databases of current and archived magazine articles.

Technology and learning have advanced to the stage where in addition to our traditional class offerings we now are able to offer a “Web-Centered Practical Nursing” program which is a pre-licensure program that allows adult students seeking advanced placement in our Ohio Board of Nursing approved program. We just completed our first class of the “Web-Centered Program” and we had a 100% pass rate for the NCLEX-PN® exam. This is an excellent example of technology assisting today’s students to achieve their desired life-long learning goals.