E- Learning Environments for Health Care: Advantages, Risks and Implications

The increasing diffusion of learning environments mediated by computers, or Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) (Wilson, 1996) is a phenomenon of enormous visibility and significance for the society and individuals living in the Information Era. In the health care context, there is no question that the diffusion of VLEs has profoundly changed education and practice. Medical training on "real" patients is no longer acceptable (Gallagher & Cates, 2004) and there is an increasing demand for simulation-based medical education. Continuing advances in Virtual Reality (VR) technology and computer-based Simulations Devices, available at increasingly lowcost have opened newfrontiers in teaching since the end of the 20th century. Disparities in medical information and education are a major determinant of health practice inequities in developing communities. The recent diffusion of the internet1 is facilitating the creation and circulation of "new" VLEs in the health-care field, that overcome traditional boundaries of "space", "time", and "place".Yet, online learning environments bring along huge opportunities for learning and knowledge exchange among multiple users in remote areas of the world, but also new barriers. The validity of the new internet mediated learning environments has still to be tested, especially for what concerns their ability to: (1) overcome "traditional boundaries" characterizing the learning experience and consequently change medical education and profession and (2) Help educate patients and "health seekers"