Extending a Blended Education Program to Native American High School Students in Alaska

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Distance Learning
• Health Sciences Librarianship

Background:

• The National Library of Medicine (NLM) sponsors a blended learning program.
• This program integrates synchronous distance learning with face-to-face instruction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the expansion of an NLM-sponsored blended learning program.
• To present challenges encountered during program expansion.

Main Methods:

• The expansion required close coordination between NLM, existing participants, and a candidate school.
• Key challenges included school identification, establishing contact, assessing connectivity, scheduling, and faculty identification.

Main Results:

• Expansion involved overcoming significant geographical distances and time zone differences.
• All identified challenges during the expansion process were successfully resolved.

Conclusions:

• Successful expansion of blended learning programs is feasible despite considerable logistical hurdles.
• Effective coordination and proactive problem-solving are crucial for extending educational programs across diverse locations.