An inexpensive distance learning solution for delivering high-quality live broadcasts.

Jeun BS, Javan R, Gay SB, Olazagasti JM, Bassignani MJ.
Department of Radiology, University of Virginia Health System, 1215 Lee St, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA. bjeun@virginia.edu

Radiographics. 2008 Sep-Oct;28(5):1251-8. Epub 2008 Jul 6.

Providing an adequate method of distance learning is a challenge faced by many multicenter residency programs. The delivery of live didactics over the Internet is a convenient means of providing a uniform and equivalent educational experience to residents at distant sites. An application called MedCast has been developed with use of existing technologies, without the need for costly commercial products or equipment. MedCast captures the presenter's computer screen and audio from a microphone source to produce a streaming video that is transmitted online and archived on a local server. Offsite residents can view broadcasts in real time or access archived conference sessions for later viewing. MedCast is available for download at no cost and offers several advantages, including a user-friendly graphical display interface, near-perfect preservation of image quality, and cost efficiency. Future plans include objective assessment of the efficacy of MedCast by comparing postlecture examinations to help evaluate for any differences between on- and offsite residents in terms of knowledge gained. A movie clip to supplement this article is available online at http://radiographics.rsnajnls.org/cgi/content/full/285085701/DC1. (c) RSNA, 2008.

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