Hi to everyone who may be interested in commenting. This week i have spent time thinking about my plan so I have included it...Any comments please would be most appreciated
Cheers Raewyn
Project Name: Development of online clinical resources to help nursing students link their theory with practical
Date: 3rd May 2008
Organisation: Nursing School Otago Polytechnic
Auther: Raewyn Lesa lecturer in School of Nursing. raewyn@tekotago.ac.nz
Executive Summary:
While students are in the hospital on clinical placement they are beginning to make a lot of links from their practical experience to the theory they have learnt at Polytechnic. I plan to develop an online resource for each ward that they can access. This resource will have animations, scenario's, quizzes, critical thinking exercises, links to journals and perhaps a discussion page where students can leave examples of what they have learnt while placed on that particular ward.
Project background:I became interested in developing this because of discussions with students when they were in clinical. They often said comments like... I wish I could have that information you gave earlier now, it would make more sense...Also recently I've become more aware of the limitations of lectures...I've noticed more and more they do not retain a lot of the information I have given them. To stimulate their learning I believe it helps if they can relate the theory to something they are experiencing. Having one site they can quickly access good quality resources that relate to the ward they are practising on, will offer supplemental learning for those students who choose to access it. It may suit different styles of learners.
Aims:
To provide an online supplemental resource for students who choose to access it when they are on clinical.
Objectives: Will use the online resources provided by LWW com, provided for the instructers using their text books (which we do). I have already been provided access and the representive will contact me on Friday to offer some advice on using it. Another lecturer working in the course has had some experience in this and has also offered assistance.
List of performance indicators (outcomes): As this will be a supplemental resource the mian outcome I will be measuring is student feedback about our course which will ask the question, "did they access the site and was it beneficial?"
Flexible learning analysis:
The perceived needs of the students I am targeting relate to a resource that is flexible to access time wise and location wise and meets a need of linking theory to clinical.
The type of flexible learning services I'm providing are mostly learning support strategies to compliment our use of lectures, labs and tutorials which we already offer.
Sustainability at this stage shouldn't be to much of an issue, however lecturer time will be the biggest issue. To address this I am going to develop this resource at a slow pace, starting with just one ward resource and evaluate this by seeking student feedback. Access and equity can be helped by encouraging the students to access the site at Polytechnic on Fridays or if they get some quiet time on the wards they can access online via the library or cafeteria.
This plan aligns with OP's stragtic direction of becoming excellent teachers and using flexible delivery to support this
My time line is to complete one ward resource by beginning of semester 2, so it is ready for my next lot of students. At this stage I shouldn't need to much of a budget but if I want to develop this fully, then next year I will need staff release time. I am unsure if there is any cost involved in using LWW Com but will be talking to the Rep on Friday and I may have more of an idea then. I am aware I may need more training but again until I embark on this journey, I am unsure what I may need
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2 comments:
Hello Raewyn,
Can I suggest that a step in this plan encompas some librarian service to explore what resources may (or may not) already exist beyond what the publisher can provide?
You do mention the resources on offer from the text book publishers and this is a good step. However, typically their copyright conditions will restrict the way in which you and your students can use those resources now and in the future. My question to them is usually something like: can I use these resources freely on the Internet so that my students, past students and potential students can all freely and easily access these resources at any time they need them? I guess we both know what the publishers will say to that, which is why I always suggest at least a thorough exploration of alternative resources that are out there.
So, my advice is to assign a portion of time exploring what appropriate resources may or may not exist that have copyrights that enable a maximum level of potential flexibility for both your teachers and your students uses (now and in the future), and to weigh those benefits up with not using the publishers resources. It would be a shame to go ahead and use the publisher's resources without full consideration of the implications, and then later discover that you are too heavily restricted in the way in which you can use them. Sometimes those restrictions are just plain unfare, and force us into a very poor standard of service to students and NZers.
If it turns out that nothing exists (at the time your project looked at least), and you have explored the full meaning of the restrictions that the publishers may impose, then you have a more informed reason on why you need to develop resources yourself, or accept the restrictions of the publishers.
Raewyn
it is great that you have some ready-made resources available to use with students. What you might like to think about is how you schedule in time for them to make use of the resources.
They are all formative and extra materials and I have found that unless students are given a clear reason and motivation for using them, they often do not bother.
Perhaps add in some strategies about how you will link the use of these resources into a summative activity - something for which they get credit. For example, you mention "a discussion page where students can leave examples of what they have learnt while placed on that particular ward."
You could make this part of a piece of reflective writing which they have to complete as a course assignment.
I am not sure from reading about the background of the plan whether the resources will make up part of one course which you teach, or be provided for all clinical-based courses.
My suggestion is to develop a pilot and do this for one course to start. build in a strategy for the development of a plan for how you will evaluate how students are using the resources (I can help you with this), then you can go on and adjust the approach and/or extend to other clinical courses.
So my questions are:
1. what is the course where you plan to use these resources in the first instance?
2. How could the materials be linked to a summative activity? So some more detail about how students are assessed in the course where you are going to use the resources would be good to know.
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