Background: Students in Bowman Gray School of Medicine's innovative problem-based curriculum, the Parallel Curriculum (PC), spend eight weeks In the Intensive Community Experience (ICE) with community physicians at the end of their first year. During the ICE, they continue studying basic and clinical science learning Issues related to their patients' problems. This continued development of a knowledge base is the foundation for their continued studies and professional practice. Such self-directed learning has been shown to be a powerful approach, but that learning's quality depends on ready access to up-to-date information. Students at ICE sites distant from the Medical Center presently lack that ready access. Their community preceptors encounter similar difficulties in accessing information they need. This three-year project seeks to improve access to the resources of the Medical Center Library for students and preceptors at remote sites by supplying technology, training and support. Funds are requested to purchase computers, printers, and software, for training expenses for students and preceptors, and for salary support of project personnel. Project Objectives: (1) Train PC students and their community preceptors in information-access skills; (2) provide the technology to enable students and preceptors to connect electronically with the Medical Center Library's resources. Research Design and Methods: Training in identifying, requesting, and receiving appropriate information resources through readily available technology will be given to PC students and their preceptors prior to the ICE. Laptop computers and portable printers with communications and wordprocessing software will be sent with students assigned to ten remote ICE sites. Students will be required to use the enhanced information- access system to support their studies in the basic and clinical sciences during the ICE. Their preceptors will participate in project activities with their students. Support for students and preceptors during the ICE will be available from the Library and from project personnel. Pre- and post-experience measures of student and preceptor skills and logs of information systems technology usage will be collected and analyzed to assess the effectiveness of the training and of the technology. After revision based on formative evaluations, the training and loan of equipment will be repeated for a second student group.
