gms | German Medical Science

Background: For Universities the systematic, wide-range and sustainable use of new innovative technologies is necessary today. The potential such technologies provide build the basis for enhancing teaching and research. In this sense the Faculty of Medicine at the University of the Saarland created an IT infrastructure called CHELM to meet these requirements.

Methods: A structural plan featuring three levels was drawn up in order to establish CHELM. We differentiated between an organisational, a software oriented and a hardware oriented level. The organisation level comprises the link to all the Faculties of the University of the Saarland, realised via VISU (Virtual Saar University). This organizational level allows an integrative approach also to the Schools of the University Hospital. In the software oriented level various computer programmes are linked. The individual objects of consideration are learning applications, the communication media and the organisational IT. The hardware oriented level describes the structure of the server and the network and integrates a design concept for the computer learning rooms, a skills labs and a film studio.

Results: The Internet portal: www.chelm.uni-saarland.de acts as a vehicle for providing the following services to learners:

• systematic e-learning content
• case study based learning tools
• a feedback evaluation tool for all possible events
• an opportunity to run video conferences (virtual classroom)
• a software to apply for projects from study fees
• an access to other databases with medical e-learning content

Members of the teaching staff of the University as well as of the hospital schools are provided with access to specific software to develop new e-Learning tools.

Conclusions: The establishment of CHELM provides students and teachers an infrastructure that enhances communication between them and fosters curricula development. The implementation of a number of applications together with the integration of the Skills lab plays an increasing role in the Medical School of the University of the Saarland.