The long-term objective of this project is to increase the availability of proven academic training in the quantitative and methodological techniques of clinical research in accordance with the recommendations of the NIH Director's Panel on Clinical Research. The Clinical Research Training Program (formerly the Biometry Training Program) at Duke University Medical Center has offered a formalized academic program in the quantitative and methodological techniques of clinical research to clinical fellows and other health professionals since 1986. In a collaboration with the Warren G. Magnuson Clinical Center at NIH that was implemented this fall, this training program is currently offered to medical students, clinical fellows and other health professionals at NIH by means of interactive video- conferencing from Duke, supplemented by web-based instructional modules.
The specific aims of this proposal are: (1) to implement, and assess the effectiveness of, faculty development and curriculum delivery systems designed for effective distance learning; (2) to conduct randomized trial comparing two curriculum delivery models; (3) to expand the curriculum to another site utilizing the resulting curriculum delivery model(s); (4) to disseminate our findings with regard to faculty development and curriculum delivery with remote learners.
These specific aims will be accomplished through a systematic expansion, implementation and evaluation of the Clinical Research Training Program's distance learning initiative. Faculty development in the use of technology and the curriculum delivery systems used will be designed specifically for the subject matter in the curriculum and the unique needs of the distance learners participating in the program. The randomized trials will compare specified educational outcomes using two curriculum delivery models, one involving a combination of video-conferencing and web-based instructional modules and one that is totally web- based. The resulting curriculum model(s) will be exported to at least one additional site and findings regarding faculty development and curriculum delivery for training clinical researchers will be disseminated.
