Setting up effective online learning experiences

In discussing online learning, Boettcher and Conrad (2010) suggest several elements that are essential to a successful learner experience. The first is to develop the course site using quality metrics to ensure the site is well organized and meets educational standards for online learning. Using Quality Matters rubrics as a guide can help faculty create a quality online course (Boettcher & Conrad). Second, a course syllabus that clearly outlines course policies, learner expectations, course goals and outcomes, and the method of course communication is vital. Netiquette and communication guidelines establish expectations for the course that let students know where to post questions and contact the instructor or fellow learners as needed. Third, weekly lesson plans that outline course content, resources, and learning and assessment strategies should be in place before the course begins. The first several weeks of discussion forums should be created and ready for student interaction prior to the start of the course. Lastly, a short but thorough learner orientation to the course will help to smooth the transition into the course. Pratt and Palloff (Laureate Education, Inc., 2012) suggest developing a short video that explains important areas of the course site, instructor expectations, and directs students to review their technology to ensure they are prepared for online learning. 

Students new to online learning are often nervous and unsure of how a course will run, and what to expect from faculty. To decrease learner anxiety it is essential to have specific guidelines regarding learner to faculty, learner to learner, and learner to resource interaction (Boettcher & Conrad, 2010). In the online environment, learners come from varied backgrounds, multiple time zones, and with different operating systems and technologies. To reduce learner frustration and anxiety, and improve course satisfaction, faculty must develop clear guidelines and course expectations for students. A syllabus and/or short video presentation that outlines participation requirements, instructor feedback timelines and assignment deadlines helps to reduce student stress levels (Boettcher & Conrad). For example, discussion forums are one of the primary tools for collaborative learning in the online setting. A discussion board rubric provides students with the information needed to meet expectations related to this form of learning.

When setting up an online learning experience for adult learners, faculty should consider Knowles (1970) concepts on andragogy, and theories on constructivism (Merriam, Caffarella, & Baumgartner, 2007). Adult learners are often self-directed, and bring varied and vast life experiences to the learning environment. Andragogy and constructivist theorist believe adult learners want to learn useful information that is relevant to real life. Learning experiences should be authentic and designed to assist adult learners in the application of course content (Boettcher & Conrad, 2010). Adult learners want to apply new knowledge and skills immediately to real-world settings. In developing online learning experiences, using andragogical and constructivist frameworks will assist faculty in meeting the needs of adult learners. 

 

References:

Boettcher, J. V., & Conrad, R. (2010). The online teaching survival guide: Simple and

practical pedagogical tips. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

 

Knowles, M. (1970). What is andragogy. In M. Knowles, The modern practice of adult education: From pedagogy to andragogy (pp. 40-59). Retrieved from http://www.hospitalist.cumc.columbia.edu/downloads/cc4_articles/Education%20Theory/Andragogy.pdf

 

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2012). Launching the online learning

experience. Baltimore, MD: Author.

 

Merriam, S. B., Caffarella, R. S., & Baumgartner, L. M. (2007). Learning in adulthood: A comprehensive guide (3rd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass

 

Online Learning Communities

Vesley, Bloom, and Sherlock (2007) remark that attrition rates for distance learners is10-20 % higher than for learners in traditional classrooms. Strategies to address and reduce attrition rates have led to research on the impact of learning communities in the online setting. A literature review by Vesley, Bloom, and Sherlock revealed a clear relationship between retention, improved learning, and participation in learning communities. Pratt and Palloff (Laureate Education, Inc., 2012) further discuss the importance of developing online learning communities and offer ideas on how faculty can build strong online environments that support and encourage learning communities. 

Pratt and Palloff (Laureate Education, Inc., 2012) assert there are three main interconnecting elements that form effective online communities. The first two are people (learners) coming together for a common purpose, to learn. Course delivery or the process is the third element, which relates to engaging students through community building. Some essential elements of online community building are: 1) a strong instructor presence; the instructor needs to model appropriate online interaction by being present daily, and during the first two weeks, multiple times a day, 2) sending a welcome letter to students before the class begins, 3) having learners post introductions, sharing some personal interests, and 4) helping student get comfortable with the technology through course orientation (Laureate Education, Inc.; Vesley, Bloom, & Sherlock, 2007).

Pratt and Palloff (Laureate Education, Inc., 2012) further share that participation in learning communities increases student satisfaction with online learning and improves learning outcomes through co-creation of knowledge. Students feel a greater sense of community as they collaborate to problem-solve and develop new ideas (Vesley, Bloom, & Sherlock, 2007). In addition, instructors must become an equal member of the learning community, engaging students individually while facilitating student-student interaction. 

Sustaining a learning community requires effort from all stakeholders; faculty, administration, learners, and technical support. Ensuring the learning environment meets all accrediting standards requires support from all parties and is an on-going process. Furthermore, developing guidelines that outline the rules of engagement at the course and institutional level, demonstrate compliance with state and federal educational standards (Laureate Education, Inc., 2012). 

It is clear that developing and maintaining an active, engaged learning community takes effort, and a strong conviction for supporting student learning in the online environment. For faculty, key points include 1) modeling expected behaviors and interactions, 2) facilitating and encouraging student participation, 3) responding to students concerns in a timely manner, and 4) establishing and maintaining an atmosphere of open, safe communication (Vesley, Bloom, & Sherlock, 2007). This blog touches on a few essential elements in building and sustaining online learning communities. 

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2012). Online learning communities. Baltimore, MD: Author

Vesley, P., Bloom, L., & Sherlock, J. (2007). Key elements of building online community: Comparing faculty and student perceptions. MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 3(3). Retrieved from http://jolt.merlot.org/vol3no3/vesely.htm

EDUC 6179 Online Instructional Strategies for Adult Learners

Welcome Classmates and Dr. Maxwell:

This blog will transition from using educational technologies to enhance learning to reviewing and discussing online instructional strategies that engage adult learners.  Weekly topics will focus on building online learning communities, developing effective online learning experiences, using multimedia resources, understanding and avoiding plagiarism, creating effective assessment tools, and providing appropriate feedback to adult learners. I look forward to our dialogue about these issues.
Linda

Week 8 - Educational Technologies

In this final blog, I have chosen three technologies shared by classmates that I feel are beneficial to adult teaching and learning. Examples of how nurse educators can apply these technologies are included. 

URL: http://lectora.com/corporate-training-software/

Lectora is an authoring software program that allows educators to create lessons or entire courses for elearning. Shared by N. Herbert (2013, March 14), Lectora publishing allows educators to create class modules that present course content in a visually interesting way. In addition, formative assessment points can be imbedded in presentations to evaluate student comprehension of material.

I chose Lectora because it offers educators an easy and creative way to convert existing material, or develop new presentations, for elearning platforms. Instructors who already have PowerPoint presentations can quickly upload the file and transform the presentation into a more engaging, interactive learning tool. If starting from scratch, Lectora has a variety of templates to help educators get started.

In nursing education, Lectora can be used to develop and publish interactive presentations students can download to their mobile devices. Lectora has the flexibility to be added to an existing course management system such as Blackboard, or downloaded to a smartphone or tablet for convenient use by students. The "Question Creator" can be used to imbed interactive quizzes using drag and drop or hot spot type questions, which are more engaging for student users. Quizzes can be used for practice, as well as for points, and educators can track student use.  Although there is a cost associated with the full use of Lectora, a free 30-day trail is available, and there are tutorials and significant support to get educators started. 

The second educational tool beneficial to adult teaching and learning is Sheppard Software a free, online game site that helps students learn through gaming. Shared by D. McMillon (2013, April 2), Sheppard Software offers a plethora of educational games.

URL: http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/

Although geared to children, there are adult learning games already developed on the site for easy reference. For example, when teaching nursing students about stroke or heart disease, I can access and incorporate games like, "Stroke 101" or "Arrhythmia 101." The arrhythmia game is linked to a medical training and simulation site that offers a comprehensive interactive method of learning abnormal heart rhythms.

I chose Sheppard Software since it offers learning games in a free, open access forum. Students can access the site and learn through gaming, and educators can incorporate games into class lessons, or provide struggling students with links to specific games that may improve their learning through repetition. 

Besides using Sheppard Software to provide students with a fun way to learn about strokes or heart rhythms, math games on the site could be used as a review for nursing students having difficulty with drug calculations. A fraction tutorial is an entertaining and less intimidating method for nursing students to review fractions.

A final technology useful to nurse educators and nursing students is LinkedIn, shared by C. Hesher (2013, March 22).

URL: http://www.linkedin.com/

I chose LinkedIn because it is a professional social networking site that helps users showcase their expertise and build professional networks with like-minded individuals, while allowing the possibility to expand to other groups.  Students beginning a career in nursing can start using the resources available on LindedIn to create a portfolio, stay in touch with classmates, or ask questions of subject experts.

LinkedIn could be incorporated into nursing education by first, having students register on the site, and upload their resumes, and second, to search for and join a group of experts in a nursing field of interest. For example, if the student were interested in critical care or emergency room nursing, the student would join a group with this specific interest. As students approach graduation, they can begin their job search via LindedIn. Additionally, since 64% of LindedIn members are outside the United States, joining provides an excellent venue for networking globally with international nurses.

LindedIn's professional networking format is a great starting point for nursing students and new nurses to begin building career opportunities.

References:

Herbert, N. (2013, March 14). Lectora - Not the lecture you expected. [Web log comment]. Retrieved from http://nh67.blogspot.com/2013/03/lectora-not-lecture-you-expected.html

Hersher, C. (2013, March 22). Week 3 - Social networking technologies. [Web log comment]. Retrieved from http://carolynhesher.wordpress.com/2013/03/22/week-3-social-networking-technologies/

McMillon, D. (2013, April 2). HIM (Health information management) educational technologies. [Web log comment]. Retrieved from http://himedutech.blogspot.com/

Week 7 - Digital Citizenship

This week's discussion will review two technologies related to digital citizenship, ethical online behavior, and netiquette.

URL: http://digitalcitizenshiped.com/

As noted by Bonk (2009), open resources can lead to copyright issues and concerns. Educators can help students learn and understand the difference between free access and use, plagiarism, and copyright violations by creating fun learning lessons that focus on these important issues. Digital Citizenship and Creative Content is a free, open source curriculum for educators to help students learn more about intellectual property rights.  Educators must register on the site to use course content, and can receive email updates on course revisions. The website provides a program summary of this extensive curriculum for faculty to preview. Geared to middle and high school students, the program consists of four interactive units, each with 4-6 activities, using real-world applications that take multiple classes to complete. The first unit uses a high school Battle of the Bands setting as an introduction to unit activities.  Post secondary educators can adapt ideas presented in the curriculum to adult learning situations.  To teach information on intellectual property and creative rights, the activities address different types of digital media such as music, videos, writing, software, games, and online images. Program benefits state that the curriculum meets a number of national standards, including International Reading Association and National Educational Technology Standards. Numerous organizations endorse the curriculum including The International Society for Technical Education (ISTE).

As mentioned, the curriculum is quite extensive and provides multiple activities to engage students in learning the important aspects of copyright law and protection of creative content. Although geared to secondary students, adult educators can glean ideas from the program that apply to adult learners. For nursing students, an activity would be to interview college students to determine their general knowledge, attitudes, and misconceptions about copyrighted content, analyze the data and give a presentation of their findings. Nursing students could also interview a published nurse to learn about the benefits and challenges of the publication process.

Reference:

Bonk, C. J. (2009). The world is open: How web technology is revolutionizing education. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

URL: http://www.studygs.net/netiquette.htm

With our increasing use of email and mobile devices, users must learn how to interact respectfully in an electronic forum. Study Guides and Strategies is a website developed and maintained by Joe Lansberger M.A. that offers free open source learning guides on a variety of topics, one of which is communicating electronically and netiquette. This learning series begins with the "Ten Commandments of Email Netiquette," and continues to include resources for effective internet writing, copyright basics, and citation guides. The copyright resource takes the user to a Library of Congress site titled "Taking the Mystery out of Copyright," which is an interactive tool geared to primary students, and covers four main topics: 1) copyright exposed, 2) files on record, 3) reading the fine print, and 4) steps to copyright. The program uses a character named Cop E. Wright, a detective who takes student through the different sections. In addition, the site offers links to state specific educational standards related to copyright education. One distraction to the website is there are a number of ads along the borders. However, the information gleaned from using site resources can help students improve their ability to communicate electronically in a courteous and civil manner.

Adult educators can use websites like Study Guides and Strategies as a resource at the beginning of any online class to remind students of the nuances of proper electronic communication. In this age of texting and tweeting, learners may forget that emailing the instructor is very different from texting a friend. Requiring students to review information on email etiquette and other netiquette techniques can prevent negative situations from occurring during asynchronous discussion, or group interactions. During the first week of every online course, I require students to read a short article and discuss email etiquette guidelines for professionals in business and education. The discussion is usually lively and students respond that they appreciate the reminder and often learn something new. This initial activity sets the tone for the course, with the expectation that all communication will be profession and written in a respectful tone.

Week 6 - Open Educational Resources

This week I will briefly review two open educational resources that can enhance adult distance learning. The first one is Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching (MERLOT), and the second is Open Educational Resources (OER).

URL: http://www.merlot.org/merlot/index.htm

MERLOT is a free, open online community of resources designed primarily for faculty, staff and students of higher education.  Registered members share resources by posting activities to the site, allowing other members to review content. This offers peer-reviewed post-secondary resources for all to use and share. MERLOT's vision is to "improve the effectiveness of teaching and learning by increasing the quantity and quality of peer reviewed online learning materials that can be easily incorporated into ... courses" (MERLOT, 2013).

Membership is free. Educators join online communities to network with others in their specific areas of interest or a specific field.

In searching MERLOT for learning activities related to nursing education and found several tutorials posted by Dr. Margaret Hansen, from the University of San Francisco School of Nursing.  I have used Dr. Hansen's tutorial on arterial blood gas (ABG) analysis to assist students in learning and applying ABGs. The tutorial provides a general overview of acid-base balance, and mini-case studies to apply the theoretical information. Interested faculty can see when the original tutorial was posted and if it has been updated. Dr. Hansen last updated the tutorial on January 2013.

Other resources that might be incorporated into nursing education relate to math and medication calculations. Jeanne Sewell, Assistant Professor from Georgia College & State University submitted a tutorial titled "Dosage Calculations," that review general math concepts and help nursing students apply those concepts to calculating medication dosages. 

Reference:

Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching (2013). About us. Retrieved from http://taste.merlot.org/

URL: http://www.oercommons.org/

Open Educational Resource Commons is another educational website that supports the sharing of learning resources among educators.  Created in 2007, OER offers learning material for anyone and everyone to use, from simple syllabi to full open courses. As I searched this site, I was able to find 49 nursing resources such as case studies and activities for calculating medication dosages. You may notice I searched for math and dosage calculations resources on both the MERLOT and OER websites. Nursing students traditionally struggle with math concepts, especially applying fractions, decimals and percentages to medication calculations. Students have diverse learning styles; therefore, locating a variety of free, online resources for students is important. 

Another resource category on OER is case studies.  Two case studies to incorporate into nursing education are iron-deficiency anemia and one on thrombocytopenia. Case studies can be in-class group activities or completed individually prior to class. In addition, I found an electrocardiogram game that nursing students could play to help solidify knowledge on ECGs.

Week 5 - Games, Simulations and Virtual Environments

This week I took a quick look at two gaming resources that have the potential to promote learning in nursing education. The first site is a virtual environment where learners use avatars to complete medical care, and the second site provides games and other interactive learning tools to engage learners.

URL: http://www.innovationinlearning.com/products.html

Innovation in Learning, Inc. is a company that offers 3-D virtual environments for healthcare practitioners to practice technical skills and develop decision-making skills through virtual simulation. CliniSpace™ is a web-based interactive virtual environment for medical training and conferencing. CliniSpace™ virtual environments are outfitted with typical hospital equipment for use during multi-user case based virtual scenarios. In addition, the company developed DynaPatients™, which are avatar patients used in CliniSpace™ activities, or available through licensing for use in other virtual environments.

CliniSpace™ and DynaPatients™ provide a virtual environment that simulates real-world patient encounters. CliniSpace™ contains all the physical characteristics and equipment of the real world. Each learner creates an avatar and collaborates or interacts with other learners' avatars through voice or chat features (Stokowski, 2013).  Learners control their avatar's movements or responses through the computer keyboard or mouse. Using virtual case based scenarios, students learn how to treat a trauma patient with hypovolemic shock or a surgical patient who develops an infections and sepsis. Learning is experiential since students learn by doing procedure, making decisions, and interacting with other virtual healthcare providers.

One example of using virtual simulation in nursing education is assessing a patient with leg pain. View http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHNTicWvPik

A second example of using virtual worlds in nursing education is improving communication skills. View http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xt1JfKKELP8

Reference:

Stokowski, L. A. (2013, March). A digital revolution: Games, simulation, and virtual worlds in nursing education. Medscape. Retrieved from http://medscape.com/viewarticle/780819

URL: http://www.learningnurse.com/content/view/45/57/

Games in nursing education help to impart knowledge and promote retention of information. The Learning Nurse Resource Network™ is a web site that provides games, modules, simulations and other interactive resources to engage students and enhance learning.  This site provides multiple games on a variety of topics to support student learning. Games reinforce learning anytime, anywhere, and help to increase retention of material through repetition. Another benefit of learning through games is that students control the pace of learning. If a student needs reinforcement, he/she can replay the same game or scenario as often as needed. When students are ready to advance to a higher level, they move forward on their own accord. The games on The Learning Nurse Resource Network use repetition to reinforce medical terms, anatomy and physiology, and disease states such as cardiac or gastrointestinal disorders.

The game on cranial nerves could be incorporated into an anatomy and physiology course or a unit on nervous system disorders to help students remember the sensory and motor function of the cranial nerves. Secondly, educators can setup quiz options using the games to evaluate student learning. Students can use the site to compare their scores with other students. This may encourage or challenge students to do better and improve lower scores, motivating students to work harder, review material, and retake a quiz.