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The cultural, legal and ethical aspects of medical practice in Canada can be problematic for International Medical Graduates (IMGs) to access and learn. The professional behaviours that depend on effective communication often challenge IMGs as they attempt to enter the Canadian medical system. The Communication and Cultural Competence Program provides a complex interactive web-based environment in which IMGs can learn and practice skills required to navigate these specific elements of medical practice. The educational design of this web site is based on the theory of knowledge building (Scardamalia & Bereiter, 2003). This paper examines how video simulation is used on the web site to support this design. Experiential simulation pedagogy, typically used in high-fidelity face-to-face encounters, is analyzed. Strategies to translate this pedagogy to an e-learning format to operationalize authentic knowledge building are described. Commentaries replace live facilitation and a communication tool, the Observation Guide, allows learners to participate in the simulation. This examination provides insight into the complexity involved in creating on-line resources that extend beyond clinical content repositories, illustrating the potential for web-based programs to provide reflective and recursive learning. A wide skill set with a broad base of support was necessary to create a virtual environment with depth and authenticity. Translating the process from live simulation to a mid-fidelity digital video format allowed for deeper understanding of how the unique skills of experienced simulators impact the educational process. This multi-dimensional e-learning platform has potential for teaching complex skills in medical programs. (Contains 2 footnotes.)

1Boy Crusoe

By Allan Eric

Also published as" A Yankee Crusoe" . A 15 year old hard working and studious farm boy finds the lure of adventure on the seas as a merchant seaman more than he can resist. This is his story. " I was born in a little town in the State of Maine, near the close of the Civil War. My boyhood life did not differ materially from that of the average farmer's son in the remote country districts of New England--except, perhaps, that I read more and thought more. Hard work on the rugged soil, two terms each year in the little yellow country schoolhouse, a day's fishing now and then filled the early years of my life full to over-flowing. " What he gets is enough excitement and adventure to overflow his wildest dreams. How he experiences disaster and uses his wits and knowledge to overcome every problem makes for a great read. - Summary by Phil Chenevert