Sample records for online learning resource

  1. Online Resource-Based Learning Environment: Case Studies in Primary Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    So, Winnie Wing Mui; Ching, Fiona Ngai Ying

    2012-01-01

    This paper discusses the creation of learning environments with online resources by three primary school teachers for pupil's learning of science-related topics with reference to the resource-based e-learning environments (RBeLEs) framework. Teachers' choice of contexts, resources, tools, and scaffolds in designing the learning environments are…

  2. JointZone: Users' Views of an Adaptive Online Learning Resource for Rheumatology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maier, Pat; Armstrong, Ray; Hall, Wendy; Ng, Muan Hong

    2005-01-01

    This paper describes an online learning resource for rheumatology that was designed for a wide constituency of users including primarily undergraduate medical students and health professionals. Although the online resources afford an informal learning environment, the site was pedagogically designed to comply with the general recommendations of…

  3. Selection and Use of Online Learning Resources by First-Year Medical Students: Cross-Sectional Study

    PubMed Central

    Elliott, Kristine

    2017-01-01

    Background Medical students have access to a wide range of learning resources, many of which have been specifically developed for or identified and recommended to them by curriculum developers or teaching staff. There is an expectation that students will access and use these resources to support their self-directed learning. However, medical educators lack detailed and reliable data about which of these resources students use to support their learning and how this use relates to key learning events or activities. Objective The purpose of this study was to comprehensively document first-year medical student selection and use of online learning resources to support their bioscience learning within a case-based curriculum and assess these data in relation to our expectations of student learning resource requirements and use. Methods Study data were drawn from 2 sources: a survey of student learning resource selection and use (2013 cohort; n=326) and access logs from the medical school learning platform (2012 cohort; n=337). The paper-based survey, which was distributed to all first-year students, was designed to assess the frequency and types of online learning resources accessed by students and included items about their perceptions of the usefulness, quality, and reliability of various resource types and sources. Of 237 surveys returned, 118 complete responses were analyzed (36.2% response rate). Usage logs from the learning platform for an entire semester were processed to provide estimates of first-year student resource use on an individual and cohort-wide basis according to method of access, resource type, and learning event. Results According to the survey data, students accessed learning resources via the learning platform several times per week on average, slightly more often than they did for resources from other online sources. Google and Wikipedia were the most frequently used nonuniversity sites, while scholarly information sites (eg, online journals and scholarly databases) were accessed relatively infrequently. Students were more likely to select learning resources based on the recommendation of peers than of teaching staff. The overwhelming majority of the approximately 70,000 resources accessed by students via the learning platform were lecture notes, with each accessed an average of 167 times. By comparison, recommended journal articles and (online) textbook chapters were accessed only 49 and 31 times, respectively. The number and type of learning resources accessed by students through the learning platform was highly variable, with a cluster analysis revealing that a quarter of students accessed very few resources in this way. Conclusions Medical students have easy access to a wide range of quality learning resources, and while some make good use of the learning resources recommended to them, many ignore most and access the remaining ones infrequently. Learning analytics can provide useful measures of student resource access through university learning platforms but fails to account for resources accessed via external online sources or sharing of resources using social media. PMID:28970187

  4. An International Survey of Veterinary Students to Assess Their Use of Online Learning Resources.

    PubMed

    Gledhill, Laura; Dale, Vicki H M; Powney, Sonya; Gaitskell-Phillips, Gemma H L; Short, Nick R M

    Today's veterinary students have access to a wide range of online resources that support self-directed learning. To develop a benchmark of current global student practice in e-learning, this study measured self-reported access to, and use of, these resources by students internationally. An online survey was designed and promoted via veterinary student mailing lists and international organizations, resulting in 1,070 responses. Analysis of survey data indicated that students now use online resources in a wide range of ways to support their learning. Students reported that access to online veterinary learning resources was now integral to their studies. Almost all students reported using open educational resources (OERs). Ownership of smartphones was widespread, and the majority of respondents agreed that the use of mobile devices, or m-learning, was essential. Social media were highlighted as important for collaborating with peers and sharing knowledge. Constraints to e-learning principally related to poor or absent Internet access and limited institutional provision of computer facilities. There was significant geographical variation, with students from less developed countries disadvantaged by limited access to technology and networks. In conclusion, the survey provides an international benchmark on the range and diversity in terms of access to, and use of, online learning resources by veterinary students globally. It also highlights the inequalities of access among students in different parts of the world.

  5. CC-LR: Providing Interactive, Challenging and Attractive Collaborative Complex Learning Resources

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Caballé, S.; Mora, N.; Feidakis, M.; Gañán, D.; Conesa, J.; Daradoumis, T.; Prieto, J.

    2014-01-01

    Many researchers argue that students must be meaningfully engaged in the learning resources for effective learning to occur. However, current online learners still report a problematic lack of attractive and challenging learning resources that engage them in the learning process. This endemic problem is even more evident in online collaborative…

  6. Selection and Use of Online Learning Resources by First-Year Medical Students: Cross-Sectional Study.

    PubMed

    Judd, Terry; Elliott, Kristine

    2017-10-02

    Medical students have access to a wide range of learning resources, many of which have been specifically developed for or identified and recommended to them by curriculum developers or teaching staff. There is an expectation that students will access and use these resources to support their self-directed learning. However, medical educators lack detailed and reliable data about which of these resources students use to support their learning and how this use relates to key learning events or activities. The purpose of this study was to comprehensively document first-year medical student selection and use of online learning resources to support their bioscience learning within a case-based curriculum and assess these data in relation to our expectations of student learning resource requirements and use. Study data were drawn from 2 sources: a survey of student learning resource selection and use (2013 cohort; n=326) and access logs from the medical school learning platform (2012 cohort; n=337). The paper-based survey, which was distributed to all first-year students, was designed to assess the frequency and types of online learning resources accessed by students and included items about their perceptions of the usefulness, quality, and reliability of various resource types and sources. Of 237 surveys returned, 118 complete responses were analyzed (36.2% response rate). Usage logs from the learning platform for an entire semester were processed to provide estimates of first-year student resource use on an individual and cohort-wide basis according to method of access, resource type, and learning event. According to the survey data, students accessed learning resources via the learning platform several times per week on average, slightly more often than they did for resources from other online sources. Google and Wikipedia were the most frequently used nonuniversity sites, while scholarly information sites (eg, online journals and scholarly databases) were accessed relatively infrequently. Students were more likely to select learning resources based on the recommendation of peers than of teaching staff. The overwhelming majority of the approximately 70,000 resources accessed by students via the learning platform were lecture notes, with each accessed an average of 167 times. By comparison, recommended journal articles and (online) textbook chapters were accessed only 49 and 31 times, respectively. The number and type of learning resources accessed by students through the learning platform was highly variable, with a cluster analysis revealing that a quarter of students accessed very few resources in this way. Medical students have easy access to a wide range of quality learning resources, and while some make good use of the learning resources recommended to them, many ignore most and access the remaining ones infrequently. Learning analytics can provide useful measures of student resource access through university learning platforms but fails to account for resources accessed via external online sources or sharing of resources using social media. ©Terry Judd, Kristine Elliott. Originally published in JMIR Medical Education (http://mededu.jmir.org), 02.10.2017.

  7. Use of Online Learning Resources in the Development of Learning Environments at the Intersection of Formal and Informal Learning: The Student as Autonomous Designer

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lebenicnik, Maja; Pitt, Ian; Istenic Starcic, Andreja

    2015-01-01

    Learning resources that are used in the education of university students are often available online. The nature of new technologies causes an interweaving of formal and informal learning, with the result that a more active role is expected from students with regard to the use of ICT for their learning. The variety of online learning resources…

  8. Blended Teaching & Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pape, Liz

    2010-01-01

    Blended learning is using online tools to communicate, collaborate and publish, to extend the school day or year and to develop the 21st-century skills students need. With blended learning, teachers can use online tools and resources as part of their daily classroom instruction. Using many of the online tools and resources students already are…

  9. How online learning modules can improve the representational fluency and conceptual understanding of university physics students

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hill, M.; Sharma, M. D.; Johnston, H.

    2015-07-01

    The use of online learning resources as core components of university science courses is increasing. Learning resources range from summaries, videos, and simulations, to question banks. Our study set out to develop, implement, and evaluate research-based online learning resources in the form of pre-lecture online learning modules (OLMs). The aim of this paper is to share our experiences with those using, or considering implementing, online learning resources. Our first task was to identify student learning issues in physics to base the learning resources on. One issue with substantial research is conceptual understanding, the other with comparatively less research is scientific representations (graphs, words, equations, and diagrams). We developed learning resources on both these issues and measured their impact. We created weekly OLMs which were delivered to first year physics students at The University of Sydney prior to their first lecture of the week. Students were randomly allocated to either a concepts stream or a representations stream of online modules. The programme was first implemented in 2013 to trial module content, gain experience and process logistical matters and repeated in 2014 with approximately 400 students. Two validated surveys, the Force and Motion Concept Evaluation (FMCE) and the Representational Fluency Survey (RFS) were used as pre-tests and post-tests to measure learning gains while surveys and interviews provided further insights. While both streams of OLMs produced similar positive learning gains on the FMCE, the representations-focussed OLMs produced higher gains on the RFS. Conclusions were triangulated with student responses which indicated that they have recognized the benefit of the OLMs for their learning of physics. Our study shows that carefully designed online resources used as pre-instruction can make a difference in students’ conceptual understanding and representational fluency in physics, as well as make them more aware of their learning processes. In particular, the representations-focussed modules offer more advantages.

  10. Optional anatomy and physiology e-learning resources: student access, learning approaches, and academic outcomes.

    PubMed

    Guy, Richard; Byrne, Bruce; Dobos, Marian

    2018-03-01

    Anatomy and physiology interactive video clips were introduced into a blended learning environment, as an optional resource, and were accessed by ~50% of the cohort. Student feedback indicated that clips were engaging, assisted understanding of course content, and provided lecture support. Students could also access two other optional online resources, lecture capture recordings and an interactive atlas of anatomy, and individuals were tracked with respect to their access behavior, learning approach, and subject score. Deep learning was highest among those accessing the clips or atlas or those accessing more online resources, and thus self-regulatory skill development might be a useful approach to increase student access to optional online resources. Those who accessed clips, lecture capture recordings, or atlas achieved a significantly higher subject score than those who did not. When combinations of resources used were considered, we found an approximately linear relationship between number of resources accessed and subject score, with a 16% difference in score between those who accessed none or all of the resources. However, the low resource access rate suggests that academic advantage may not be simply due to the learning support offered by the resources. As students accessing the optional resources tended to be more self-regulated, it may be that it was the extra effort made with respect to other subject resources, rather than just the access to the online resources, that contributed to higher subject score. Further studies are required to establish the relationships between academic performance, optional online resource access, and deep learning.

  11. Stochastic Averaging for Constrained Optimization With Application to Online Resource Allocation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Tianyi; Mokhtari, Aryan; Wang, Xin; Ribeiro, Alejandro; Giannakis, Georgios B.

    2017-06-01

    Existing approaches to resource allocation for nowadays stochastic networks are challenged to meet fast convergence and tolerable delay requirements. The present paper leverages online learning advances to facilitate stochastic resource allocation tasks. By recognizing the central role of Lagrange multipliers, the underlying constrained optimization problem is formulated as a machine learning task involving both training and operational modes, with the goal of learning the sought multipliers in a fast and efficient manner. To this end, an order-optimal offline learning approach is developed first for batch training, and it is then generalized to the online setting with a procedure termed learn-and-adapt. The novel resource allocation protocol permeates benefits of stochastic approximation and statistical learning to obtain low-complexity online updates with learning errors close to the statistical accuracy limits, while still preserving adaptation performance, which in the stochastic network optimization context guarantees queue stability. Analysis and simulated tests demonstrate that the proposed data-driven approach improves the delay and convergence performance of existing resource allocation schemes.

  12. New perspectives on health professions students' e-learning: Looking through the lens of the "visitor and resident" model.

    PubMed

    Druce, Maralyn; Howden, Stella

    2017-07-01

    The growth of e-learning in health professional education reflects expansion of personal use of online resources. Understanding the user perspective in a fast-changing digital world is essential to maintain the currency of our approach. Mixed methods were used to investigate a cohort of postgraduate, e-learning healthcare students' perspectives on their use of online resources for personal and/or professional roles, via questionnaire and student-constructed diagrams, capturing use of online resources (underpinned by White's model of "resident" and "visitor" online engagement). Semistructured interviews explored the use and value of resources afforded via the online environment. The 45 study participants described a range of prior experiences with online resources in personal and professional capacities, but overall students tended to use online "tools" ("visitor" mode) rather than highly collaborative networks ("resident" mode). In relation to e-learning, the dominant interview theme was valuing knowledge transfer from the tutor and using "visitor" behaviors to maximize knowledge acquisition. Peer-learning opportunities were less valued and barriers to collaborative "resident" modes were identified. These findings help to inform e-learning course design to promote engagement. The results enable recommendations for use of the "Visitor and Residents" model and for planning activities that learners might utilize effectively.

  13. Blended Teaching and Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pape, Liz

    2010-01-01

    "Blended learning" is using online tools to communicate, collaborate, and publish, to extend the school day or year and to develop the 21st-century skills students need. With blended learning, teachers can use online tools and resources as part of their daily classroom instruction. Using many of the online tools and resources students already are…

  14. Engaging the Online Learner: Activities and Resources for Creative Instruction. Updated Edition

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Conrad, Rita-Marie; Donaldson, J. Ana

    2011-01-01

    This is a revision of the first title in Jossey-Bass' Online Teaching & Learning series. This series helps higher education professionals improve the practice of online teaching and learning by providing concise, practical resources focused on particular areas or issues they might confront in this new learning environment. This revision includes…

  15. Developing Online Learning Resources: Big Data, Social Networks, and Cloud Computing to Support Pervasive Knowledge

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Anshari, Muhammad; Alas, Yabit; Guan, Lim Sei

    2016-01-01

    Utilizing online learning resources (OLR) from multi channels in learning activities promise extended benefits from traditional based learning-centred to a collaborative based learning-centred that emphasises pervasive learning anywhere and anytime. While compiling big data, cloud computing, and semantic web into OLR offer a broader spectrum of…

  16. Motivational Factors in Self-Directed Informal Learning from Online Learning Resources

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Song, Donggil; Bonk, Curtis J.

    2016-01-01

    Learning is becoming more self-directed and informal with the support of emerging technologies. A variety of online resources have promoted informal learning by allowing people to learn on demand and just when needed. It is significant to understand self-directed informal learners' motivational aspects, their learning goals, obstacles, and…

  17. Health professional learner attitudes and use of digital learning resources.

    PubMed

    Maloney, Stephen; Chamberlain, Michael; Morrison, Shane; Kotsanas, George; Keating, Jennifer L; Ilic, Dragan

    2013-01-16

    Web-based digital repositories allow educational resources to be accessed efficiently and conveniently from diverse geographic locations, hold a variety of resource formats, enable interactive learning, and facilitate targeted access for the user. Unlike some other learning management systems (LMS), resources can be retrieved through search engines and meta-tagged labels, and content can be streamed, which is particularly useful for multimedia resources. The aim of this study was to examine usage and user experiences of an online learning repository (Physeek) in a population of physiotherapy students. The secondary aim of this project was to examine how students prefer to access resources and which resources they find most helpful. The following data were examined using an audit of the repository server: (1) number of online resources accessed per day in 2010, (2) number of each type of resource accessed, (3) number of resources accessed during business hours (9 am to 5 pm) and outside business hours (years 1-4), (4) session length of each log-on (years 1-4), and (5) video quality (bit rate) of each video accessed. An online questionnaire and 3 focus groups assessed student feedback and self-reported experiences of Physeek. Students preferred the support provided by Physeek to other sources of educational material primarily because of its efficiency. Peak usage commonly occurred at times of increased academic need (ie, examination times). Students perceived online repositories as a potential tool to support lifelong learning and health care delivery. The results of this study indicate that today's health professional students welcome the benefits of online learning resources because of their convenience and usability. This represents a transition away from traditional learning styles and toward technological learning support and may indicate a growing link between social immersions in Internet-based connections and learning styles. The true potential for Web-based resources to support student learning is as yet unknown.

  18. Health Professional Learner Attitudes and Use of Digital Learning Resources

    PubMed Central

    Chamberlain, Michael; Morrison, Shane; Kotsanas, George; Keating, Jennifer L; Ilic, Dragan

    2013-01-01

    Background Web-based digital repositories allow educational resources to be accessed efficiently and conveniently from diverse geographic locations, hold a variety of resource formats, enable interactive learning, and facilitate targeted access for the user. Unlike some other learning management systems (LMS), resources can be retrieved through search engines and meta-tagged labels, and content can be streamed, which is particularly useful for multimedia resources. Objective The aim of this study was to examine usage and user experiences of an online learning repository (Physeek) in a population of physiotherapy students. The secondary aim of this project was to examine how students prefer to access resources and which resources they find most helpful. Methods The following data were examined using an audit of the repository server: (1) number of online resources accessed per day in 2010, (2) number of each type of resource accessed, (3) number of resources accessed during business hours (9 am to 5 pm) and outside business hours (years 1-4), (4) session length of each log-on (years 1-4), and (5) video quality (bit rate) of each video accessed. An online questionnaire and 3 focus groups assessed student feedback and self-reported experiences of Physeek. Results Students preferred the support provided by Physeek to other sources of educational material primarily because of its efficiency. Peak usage commonly occurred at times of increased academic need (ie, examination times). Students perceived online repositories as a potential tool to support lifelong learning and health care delivery. Conclusions The results of this study indicate that today’s health professional students welcome the benefits of online learning resources because of their convenience and usability. This represents a transition away from traditional learning styles and toward technological learning support and may indicate a growing link between social immersions in Internet-based connections and learning styles. The true potential for Web-based resources to support student learning is as yet unknown. PMID:23324800

  19. Psychology Teaching Resources in the MERLOT Digital Learning Objects Catalog

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brinthaupt, Thomas M.; Pilati, Michelle L.; King, Beverly R.

    2008-01-01

    MERLOT (Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching) is a free multidisciplinary catalog of digital learning materials, peer reviews, learning assignments, and member comments designed to facilitate faculty instruction. The catalog's goal is to expand the quantity and quality of peer-reviewed online teaching materials. We…

  20. Assessing the Application of Three-Dimensional Collaborative Technologies within an E-Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McArdle, Gavin; Bertolotto, Michela

    2012-01-01

    Today, the Internet plays a major role in distributing learning material within third level education. Multiple online facilities provide access to educational resources. While early systems relied on webpages, which acted as repositories for learning material, nowadays sophisticated online applications manage and deliver learning resources.…

  1. The Online Learning Academy.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Taylor, Suzanne Liebowitz; McKay, Donald P.; Culp, Ann; Baumann, Stephen; Elinich, Karen

    This paper describes the Online Learning Academy (OLLA), a World Wide Web-based presence that supports the use of telecomputing in the classroom by: connecting teachers to each other and Internet educational resources; fostering the use of online resources and collaboration; encouraging and enabling the sharing of classroom experiences; and…

  2. Social Learning Preferences of Adult Women Learners in a Competency-Based Online Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lyman, Emily

    2013-01-01

    In this study a post-assessment survey was analyzed to seek for social learning preferences among women in a competency-based online learning environment. The survey asked what learning resources students used to prepare for the assessment. Each learning resource was given a relative sociability rating. This rating acts as the weighting for a…

  3. Self-assessed learning style correlates to use of supplemental learning materials in an online course management system.

    PubMed

    Halbert, Caitlin; Kriebel, Richard; Cuzzolino, Robert; Coughlin, Patrick; Fresa-Dillon, Kerin

    2011-01-01

    The benefit of online learning materials in medical education is not well defined. The study correlated certain self-identified learning styles with the use of self-selected online learning materials. First-year osteopathic medical students were given access to review and/or summary materials via an online course management system (CMS) while enrolled in a pre-clinical course. At the end of the course, students completed a self-assessment of learning style based on the Index of Learning Styles and a brief survey regarding their usage and perceived advantage of the online learning materials. Students who accessed the online materials earned equivalent grades to those who did not. However, the study found that students who described their learning styles as active, intuitive, global, and/or visual were more likely to use online educational resources than those who identified their learning style as reflective, sensing, sequential, and/or verbal. Identification of a student's learning style can help medical educators direct students to learning resources that best suit their individual needs.

  4. Introducing the ICF: the development of an online resource to support learning, teaching and curriculum design.

    PubMed

    Jones, Lester E

    2011-03-01

    The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) was adopted as one of the key models to support early health professional learning across a suite of new preregistration health science courses. It was decided that an online resource should be developed to enable students, course designers and teaching staff, across all disciplines, to have access to the same definitions, government policies and other supporting information on disability. As part of the comprehensive curriculum review, enquiry-based learning was adopted as the educational approach. Enquiry-based learning promotes deeper learning by encouraging students to engage in authentic challenges. As such, it was important that the online resource was not merely a site for accessing content, but enabled students to make decisions about where else to explore for credible information about the ICF. The selection of a host location that all students and staff could access meant that the resource could not be located in the existing online learning management system. Construction using software being trialled by the library at La Trobe University allowed for the required access, as well as alignment with an enquiry-based learning approach. Consultation for the content of the online resource included formal and informal working groups on curriculum review. The published version included resources from the World Health Organization, examples of research completed within different disciplines, a test of knowledge and a preformatted search page. The format of the online resource allows for updating of information, and feedback on the utilisation of the software has been used to enhance the student experience. The key issues for the development of this online resource were accessibility for students and staff, alignment with the adopted educational approach, consultation with all disciplines, and ease of modification of information and format once published. Copyright © 2010 Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. The Virtual Anatomy Laboratory: Usability Testing to Improve an Online Learning Resource for Anatomy Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Doubleday, Eldridge G.; O'Loughlin, Valerie D.; Doubleday, Alison F.

    2011-01-01

    An increasing number of instructors are seeking to provide students with online anatomy resources. Many researchers have attempted to identify associations between resource use and student learning but few studies discuss the importance of usability testing in resource design and modification. Usability testing provides information about ease of…

  6. Development of online instructional resources for Earth system science education: An example of current practice from China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dong, Shaochun; Xu, Shijin; Lu, Xiancai

    2009-06-01

    Educators around the world are striving to make science more accessible and relevant to students. Online instructional resources have become an integral component of tertiary science education and will continue to grow in influence and importance over the coming decades. A case study in the iterative improvement of the online instructional resources provided for first-year undergraduates taking " Introductory Earth System Science" at Nanjing University in China is presented in this paper. Online instructional resources are used to conduct a student-centered learning model in the domain of Earth system science, resulting in a sustainable online instructional framework for students and instructors. The purpose of our practice is to make Earth system science education more accessible and exciting to students, changing instruction from a largely textbook-based teacher-centered approach to a more interactive and student-centered approach, and promoting the integration of knowledge and development of deep understanding by students. Evaluation on learning performance and learning satisfaction is conducted to identify helpful components and perception based on students' learning activities. The feedbacks indicate that the use of online instructional resources has positive impacts on mitigating Earth system science education challenges, and has the potential to promote deep learning.

  7. Exploring the Effectiveness of Self-Regulated Learning in Massive Open Online Courses on Non-Native English Speakers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chung, Liang-Yi

    2015-01-01

    Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are expanding the scope of online distance learning in the creation of a cross-country global learning environment. For learners worldwide, MOOCs offer a wealth of online learning resources. However, such a diversified environment makes the learning process complicated and challenging. To achieve their…

  8. Editor's Choice 2008: Selected Online Learning Resources

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dringus, Laurie P.

    2008-01-01

    This article is an annual compilation of useful resources that pertain to the field of online learning and uses of the Internet for instructional delivery. Updates were made to this list since last year's publishing. Resources are organized into several categories, including texts, journals, and Web sites.

  9. Understanding Teacher Professional Learning through Cyber Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bates, Meg S.; Phalen, Lena; Moran, Cheryl

    2018-01-01

    Online professional learning websites provide a unique window into how teachers make self-directed choices about their own professional development. This study extends previous research on how teachers use online resource repositories to examine how teachers make choices about resource use on a professional learning website. The website, the…

  10. Online Collaborative Learning: Theory and Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roberts, Tim, Ed.

    2004-01-01

    "Online Collaborative Learning: Theory and Practice" provides a resource for researchers and practitioners in the area of online collaborative learning (also known as CSCL, computer-supported collaborative learning), particularly those working within a tertiary education environment. It includes articles of relevance to those interested in both…

  11. Implementing the Flipped Classroom in a Veterinary Pre-clinical Science Course: Student Engagement, Performance, and Satisfaction.

    PubMed

    Dooley, Laura M; Frankland, Sarah; Boller, Elise; Tudor, Elizabeth

    2018-01-01

    There has been a recent move toward active learning pedagogies in veterinary education, with increasing use of a blended approach that incorporates both online resources and live classroom sessions. In this study, an established veterinary pre-clinical course in introductory animal health was transitioned from a traditional didactic lecture delivery mode to a flipped classroom approach with core content delivered online. This study compared the experiences of two cohorts of students who studied the same course in the different formats in consecutive years. Online learning resources included short video segments and a variety of short problems and activities. Online materials were complemented with weekly small-group case-based learning classes facilitated by academic staff. A mixed methods evaluation strategy was applied using student grades, surveys, and focus groups to compare student academic performance, satisfaction, and engagement between the two cohorts. The flipped classroom cohort achieved significantly higher grades in the written answer section of the final examination. Student satisfaction with learning resources was also higher in this cohort. However, satisfaction with other aspects of the course was largely the same for both cohorts. This study revealed some of the challenges associated with achieving adequate student preparation for class using online resources. The outcomes of this study have implications for veterinary educators considering the design and development of new online learning resources.

  12. Learners' Preferences in Using Online Learning Resources

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Li, Sha; Leh, Amy; Fu, Yujian; Zhao, Xiang

    2009-01-01

    This article describes an action research in a graduate educational technology class. The study employed the Online Top-Down Modeling Model (Li & Liu, 2005) as a case in which the students used the learning resources from the course website to perform various learning activities. The findings of this research identify the students' eight…

  13. Understanding Online Knowledge Sharing: An Interpersonal Relationship Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ma, Will W. K.; Yuen, Allan H. K.

    2011-01-01

    The unique features and capabilities of online learning are built on the ability to connect to a wider range of learning resources and peer learners that benefit individual learners, such as through discussion forums, collaborative learning, and community building. The success of online learning thus depends on the participation, engagement, and…

  14. Environmental scan and evaluation of best practices for online systematic review resources.

    PubMed

    Parker, Robin M N; Boulos, Leah M; Visintini, Sarah; Ritchie, Krista; Hayden, Jill

    2018-04-01

    Online training for systematic review methodology is an attractive option due to flexibility and limited availability of in-person instruction. Librarians often direct new reviewers to these online resources, so they should be knowledgeable about the variety of available resources. The objective for this project was to conduct an environmental scan of online systematic review training resources and evaluate those identified resources. The authors systematically searched for electronic learning resources pertaining to systematic review methods. After screening for inclusion, we collected data about characteristics of training resources and assigned scores in the domains of (1) content, (2) design, (3) interactivity, and (4) usability by applying a previously published evaluation rubric for online instruction modules. We described the characteristics and scores for each training resource and compared performance across the domains. Twenty training resources were evaluated. Average overall score of online instructional resources was 61%. Online courses (n=7) averaged 73%, web modules (n=5) 64%, and videos (n=8) 48%. The top 5 highest scoring resources were in course or web module format, featured high interactivity, and required a longer (>5hrs) time commitment from users. This study revealed that resources include appropriate content but are less likely to adhere to principles of online training design and interactivity. Awareness of these resources will allow librarians to make informed recommendations for training based on patrons' needs. Future online systematic review training resources should use established best practices for e-learning to provide high-quality resources, regardless of format or user time commitment.

  15. E-learning resources for vascular surgeons: a needs analysis study.

    PubMed

    Mâtheiken, Seán J; Verstegen, Daniëlle; Beard, Jonathan; van der Vleuten, Cees

    2012-01-01

    To obtain the views of vascular surgeons about online resources in their specialty as a guide to future e-learning development. A focused questionnaire regarding e-learning resources in vascular surgery was circulated online. A combination of structured and open-ended questions addressed users' ranking of various resource types, examples of presently used websites, suggestions for future growth, and the opportunity to become actively involved in e-learning development. The responses were collected over a 4-week period and remained anonymous. The study was conducted online at http://www.vasculareducation.com as part of an ongoing project on e-learning for vascular surgeons by the Department of Educational Development and Research, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands. The survey population consisted of vascular surgeons and surgical trainees in Europe. The participants were contacted via their membership of the European Society for Vascular Surgery and national academic or administrative vascular surgical organizations. Demographic information was collected about clinical seniority and country of work. In all, 252 responses were obtained. Respondents favored the development of a variety of online resources in vascular surgery. The strongest demand was for illustrations and videos of surgical techniques, followed by an interactive calendar and peer-reviewed multiple-choice questions. Overall, 46% of respondents wished to contribute actively toward e-learning development, with consultants being more willing than trainees to do so. Members of the vascular surgical community value online resources in their specialty, especially for procedural techniques. Vascular surgeons would like to be actively involved in subsequent development of e-learning resources. Copyright © 2012 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Student Performance and Success Factors in Learning Business Statistics in Online vs. On-Ground Classes Using a Web-Based Assessment Platform

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shotwell, Mary; Apigian, Charles H.

    2015-01-01

    This study aimed to quantify the influence of student attributes, coursework resources, and online assessments on student learning in business statistics. Surveys were administered to students at the completion of both online and on-ground classes, covering student perception and utilization of internal and external academic resources, as well as…

  17. How 7th Grade Students Are Using Resources for Learning in an Online Science Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schafer-Mayse, Diane L.

    2015-01-01

    In this study, 7th grade students were observed completing a series of lessons in an online science course to explore their thinking and strategies for: (1) using curriculum resources for learning, (2) developing thinking and strategies for self-assessing "assessment readiness," and (3) exploring the relationship between resource use and…

  18. What Is the Impact of Online Resource Materials on Student Self-Learning Strategies?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dowell, David John; Small, Felicity A.

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to examine how students are incorporating online resources into their self-regulated learning strategies. The process of developing these learning strategies and the importance of these strategies has been widely researched, but there has been little empirical research into how the students are affected by online…

  19. Evaluating Online Resources in Terms of Learning Environment and Student Attitudes in Middle-Grade Mathematics Classes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Earle, James E.; Fraser, Barry J.

    2017-01-01

    The main objective of this research was to use learning environment and attitude scales in evaluating online resource materials for supporting a traditional mathematics curriculum. The sample consisted of 914 middle-school students in 49 classes. A second research focus was the validation of the chosen learning environment questionnaire, the…

  20. Tools That Matter: The Assessment of Online Resources for International Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Colón, Valeriana

    2015-01-01

    In the age of technology, educators are encouraged to incorporate online resources into their teaching, but the effectiveness of these resources on learning and the student perspective is rarely taken into consideration. A key aspect to the assessment of online resources for international students is the user's perspective. Culture has a…

  1. Web Applications That Promote Learning Communities in Today's Online Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reigle, Rosemary R.

    2015-01-01

    The changing online learning environment requires that instructors depend less on the standard tools built into most educational learning platforms and turn their focus to use of Open Educational Resources (OERs) and free or low-cost commercial applications. These applications permit new and more efficient ways to build online learning communities…

  2. "It's Just Reflex Now": German Language Learners' Use of Online Resources

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Larson-Guenette, Julie

    2013-01-01

    This study examined how often and to what extent university learners of German use online resources (e.g., online dictionaries and translators) in relation to German coursework, their motivations for use, and their beliefs about online resources and language learning. Data for this study consisted of open-ended surveys ("n" = 71) and face-to-face…

  3. Rural Districts Bolster Choices with Online Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown, Don

    2012-01-01

    All schools can benefit from giving students the option of online learning, but for many rural schools, online learning is a lifeline. In the past two years, Lane Education Service District in Oregon, USA, has developed online resources for 14 Lane County school districts, which vary in size from 170 students to as many as 17,000. Many of the…

  4. E-Learning in Massachusetts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Graziano, April

    2005-01-01

    This document presents some of the many ways schools are using online technologies. The report illustrates how Massachusetts educators are taking advantage of e-learning opportunities to improve student learning. Educators across the state are using online courses and resources, engaging in online events and projects, and showing interest in…

  5. Environmental scan and evaluation of best practices for online systematic review resources

    PubMed Central

    Parker, Robin M. N.; Boulos, Leah M.; Visintini, Sarah; Ritchie, Krista; Hayden, Jill

    2018-01-01

    Objective Online training for systematic review methodology is an attractive option due to flexibility and limited availability of in-person instruction. Librarians often direct new reviewers to these online resources, so they should be knowledgeable about the variety of available resources. The objective for this project was to conduct an environmental scan of online systematic review training resources and evaluate those identified resources. Methods The authors systematically searched for electronic learning resources pertaining to systematic review methods. After screening for inclusion, we collected data about characteristics of training resources and assigned scores in the domains of (1) content, (2) design, (3) interactivity, and (4) usability by applying a previously published evaluation rubric for online instruction modules. We described the characteristics and scores for each training resource and compared performance across the domains. Results Twenty training resources were evaluated. Average overall score of online instructional resources was 61%. Online courses (n=7) averaged 73%, web modules (n=5) 64%, and videos (n=8) 48%. The top 5 highest scoring resources were in course or web module format, featured high interactivity, and required a longer (>5hrs) time commitment from users. Conclusion This study revealed that resources include appropriate content but are less likely to adhere to principles of online training design and interactivity. Awareness of these resources will allow librarians to make informed recommendations for training based on patrons’ needs. Future online systematic review training resources should use established best practices for e-learning to provide high-quality resources, regardless of format or user time commitment. PMID:29632443

  6. First Year Learning Experiences of University Undergraduates in the Use of Open Educational Resources in Online Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Afolabi, Folashade

    2017-01-01

    This study investigated the first year University undergraduates' experiences in the use of open educational resources (OER) in online learning and their in-course achievement. The design selected for the study was survey and quasi-experimental. A total number of 106 University undergraduates participated in the study after a preliminary study was…

  7. Learners' Perceived Information Overload in Online Learning via Computer-Mediated Communication

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chen, Chun-Ying; Pedersen, Susan; Murphy, Karen L.

    2011-01-01

    Many studies report information overload as one of the main problems that students encounter in online learning via computer-mediated communication. This study aimed to explore the sources of online students' information overload and offer suggestions for increasing students' cognitive resources for learning. Participants were 12 graduate students…

  8. Mathematics and online learning experiences: a gateway site for engineering students

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Masouros, Spyridon D.; Alpay, Esat

    2010-03-01

    This paper focuses on the preliminary design of a multifaceted computer-based mathematics resource for undergraduate and pre-entry engineering students. Online maths resources, while attractive in their flexibility of delivery, have seen variable interest from students and teachers alike. Through student surveys and wide consultations, guidelines have been developed for effectively collating and integrating learning, support, application and diagnostic tools to produce an Engineer's Mathematics Gateway. Specific recommendations include: the development of a shared database of engineering discipline-specific problems and examples; the identification of, and resource development for, troublesome mathematics topics which encompass ideas of threshold concepts and mastery components; the use of motivational and promotional material to raise student interest in learning mathematics in an engineering context; the use of general and lecture-specific concept maps and matrices to identify the needs and relevance of mathematics to engineering topics; and further exploration of the facilitation of peer-based learning through online resources.

  9. Online Learning as a Strategic Asset. Volume I: A Resource for Campus Leaders. A Report on the Online Education Benchmarking Study Conducted by the APLU-Sloan National Commission on Online Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCarthy, Sally A.

    2009-01-01

    Online learning is a complex undertaking that holds great potential as a teaching and learning mode that public colleges and universities may strategically employ to achieve broad institutional priorities and contribute to the attainment of national goals. The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities- (APLU) Sloan National Commission on…

  10. Online to offline teaching model in optics education: resource sharing course and flipped class

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Xiaotong; Cen, Zhaofeng; Liu, Xiangdong; Zheng, Zhenrong

    2016-09-01

    Since the platform "Coursera" is created by the professors of Stanford University Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller, more and more universities have joined in it. From the very beginning, online education is not only about education itself, but also connected with social equality. This is especially significant for the economic transformation in China. In this paper the research and practice on informatization of optical education are described. Online to offline (O2O) education activities, such as online learning and offline meeting, online homework and online to offline discussion, online tests and online to offline evaluation, are combined into our teaching model in the course of Applied Optics. These various O2O strategies were implemented respectively in the autumn-winter small class and the spring-summer middle class according to the constructivism and the idea of open education. We have developed optical education resources such as videos of lectures, light transmission or ray trace animations, online tests, etc. We also divide the learning procedure into 4 steps: First, instead of being given a course offline, students will learn the course online; Second, once a week or two weeks, students will have a discussion in their study groups; Third, students will submit their homework and study reports; Fourth, they will do online and offline tests. The online optical education resources have been shared in some universities in China, together with new challenges to teachers and students when facing the revolution in the e-learning future.

  11. Evaluating the Use of Metaphor in Online Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Falconer, Liz

    2008-01-01

    Metaphor appears to be an innate tendency in human communication and can be shown to have significant potential when applied to the design of online learning environments. This paper describes and discusses an example of an online research methods learning resource that employs metaphoric navigation. Feedback from the tutors who design and…

  12. Key Words in Instruction. Online Learning and Virtual Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lamb, Annette; Callison, Daniel

    2005-01-01

    Online learning and virtual schools allow students to take classes any time and anywhere. These emerging learning environments require school library media specialists to expand their thinking about their resources and services. Creation of a virtual library can provide access to remote materials that enhance the experience of online learners.…

  13. Online information seeking practices of biology teachers and the perceived influences on instructional planning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Perrault, Anne Marie

    The purpose of this study was to examine biology teachers' perceptions of how their online information seeking practices influence their instructional planning. When teachers engage in activities to locate, evaluate, and use online information and resources, a myriad of inter-related and often inseparable consequences follows. These influences may be any combination of direct/indirect, desirable/undesirable, or anticipated/unanticipated (Rogers, 2003). This exploratory study collected baseline data regarding teachers' online practices and its influence on their practice. There were two phases of data collection in this study. Phase I was an online survey of more than seventy New York State biology teachers. The survey was intended to capture (1) a snapshot of the biology teachers' online information seeking practices during the summer and fall 2004, and (2) their perceptions regarding how their online practices influenced their instructional planning. In Phase II, ten study participants were interviewed in order to explore in greater detail the consequences of their online information seeking practices on their instructional planning. Four themes reflecting the consequences of teachers' information seeking practices emerged from the data analysis: Currency of Information; Sparking of Ideas and Gaining Personal Knowledge; Resource Management and the Role of Time; and Webs of Sharing. Each theme encompassed both the purposeful and the indirect actions by teachers to access knowledge and resources to refine and improve their instructional planning. This study's findings show that teachers are using a greater number and wider range of current and multi-modal resources than pre-Internet and they perceive this as an advantage in creating authentic, inquiry-based learning experiences. A notable discovery was of the under-use by teachers of educational online resources specifically designed to support teaching and learning activities (e.g., digital libraries, online databases, and listservs). This study's findings point to a recursive process in which teachers are engaged in ongoing online information seeking practices; continually learning and fostering new knowledge; integrating the learning into their instructional planning practices; changing their teaching strategies; and going back online to search for information and resources and begin the cycle again.

  14. International Students Using Online Information Resources to Learn: Complex Experience and Learning Needs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hughes, Hilary

    2013-01-01

    This paper reports the findings of a qualitative study that investigated 25 international students' use of online information resources for study purposes at two Australian universities. Using an expanded critical incident approach, the study viewed international students through an information literacy lens, as information-using learners. The…

  15. Clinical anatomy e-cases: a five-year follow-up of learning analytics.

    PubMed

    Perumal, Vivek; Butson, Russell; Blyth, Phil; Daniel, Ben

    2017-01-27

    This article explores the development and user experiences of a supplementary e-learning resource (clinical anatomy e-cases) for medical students, across a five-year teaching period. A series of online supplementary e-learning resources (the clinical anatomy e-cases) were developed and introduced to the regional and clinical anatomy module of the medicine course. Usage analytics were collected online from a cohort of third-year medical students and analysed to gain a better understanding of how students utilised these resources. Key results showed that the students used the supplementary learning resource during and outside regular teaching hours that includes a significant access during holidays. Analysis also suggested that the resources were frequently accessed during examination periods and during subsequent clinical study years (fourth or fifth years of medicine course). Increasing interest and positive feedback from students has led to the development of a further series of e-cases. Tailor-made e-learning resources promote clinical anatomy learning outside classroom hours and make supplementary learning a 24/7 task.

  16. Applying Learning Analytics for the Early Prediction of Students' Academic Performance in Blended Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lu, Owen H. T.; Huang, Anna Y. Q.; Huang, Jeff C. H.; Lin, Albert J. Q.; Ogata, Hiroaki; Yang, Stephen J. H.

    2018-01-01

    Blended learning combines online digital resources with traditional classroom activities and enables students to attain higher learning performance through well-defined interactive strategies involving online and traditional learning activities. Learning analytics is a conceptual framework and is a part of our Precision education used to analyze…

  17. Discovery and Use of Online Learning Resources: Case Study Findings

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Recker, Mimi M.; Dorward, James; Nelson, Laurie Miller

    2004-01-01

    Much recent research and funding have focused on building Internet-based repositories that contain collections of high-quality learning resources, often called "learning objects." Yet little is known about how non-specialist users, in particular teachers, find, access, and use digital learning resources. To address this gap, this article…

  18. A Security Framework for Online Distance Learning and Training.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Furnell, S. M.; Onions, P. D.; Bleimann, U.; Gojny, U.; Knahl, M.; Roder, H. F.; Sanders, P. W.

    1998-01-01

    Presents a generic reference model for online distance learning and discusses security issues for each stage (enrollment, study, completion, termination, suspension). Discusses a security framework (authentication and accountability, access control, intrusion detection, network communications, nonrepudiation, learning resources provider…

  19. A Comparative Analysis of Online Learning Materials Aimed toward Integrating Great Lakes Science into the K-8 Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eidietis, Laura; LaPorte, Elizabeth; Rutherford, Sandra

    2010-01-01

    We surveyed the use of Great Lakes online learning materials by a sample of K-8 teachers. Analyses tested for correlation of use with 1) whether teachers learned about the resources in pre- or in-service education, 2) geographical significance, and 3) whether teachers taught about the topics emphasized in the online learning materials. We compared…

  20. Out of sight, out of mind: Do repeating students overlook online course components?

    PubMed

    Holland, Jane; Clarke, Eric; Glynn, Mark

    2016-11-01

    E-Learning is becoming an integral part of undergraduate medicine, with many curricula incorporating a number of online activities and resources, in addition to more traditional teaching methods. This study examines physical attendance, online activity, and examination outcomes in a first-year undergraduate medical program. All 358 students who completed the Alimentary System module within the first semester of the program were included, 30 of whom were repeating the year, and thus the module. This systems-based, multidisciplinary module incorporated didactic lectures, cadaveric small group tutorials and additional e-Learning resources such as online histology tutorials. Significant differences were demonstrated in physical attendance and utilization of online resources between repeating students and those participating in the module for the first time. Subsequent analyses confirmed that physical attendance, access of online lecture resources, and utilization of online histology tutorials were all significantly correlated. In addition, both physical attendance and utilization of online resources significantly correlated with summative examination performance. While nonattendance may be due to a variety of factors, our data confirm that significant differences exist in both physical attendance and online activity between new entrants and repeating students, such that all students repeating a module or academic year should be routinely interviewed and offered appropriate supports to ensure that they continue to engage with the program. While the development of complex algorithmic models may be resource intensive, using readily available indices from virtual learning environments is a straightforward, albeit less powerful, means to identify struggling students prior to summative examinations. Anat Sci Educ 9: 555-564. © 2016 American Association of Anatomists. © 2016 American Association of Anatomists.

  1. Professional Learning of Observers, Collaborators, and Contributors in a Teacher-Created Online Community in Korea

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Seo, Kyounghye

    2014-01-01

    This study investigated professional learning taking place in a teacher-created online community. In particular, this aimed to explore how teachers at different levels of participation learn in an online community. The results showed that teachers usually began as observers, reading others' postings and using contributors' teaching resources, and…

  2. Online Learning Tools as Supplements for Basic and Clinical Science Education.

    PubMed

    Ellman, Matthew S; Schwartz, Michael L

    2016-01-01

    Undergraduate medical educators are increasingly incorporating online learning tools into basic and clinical science curricula. In this paper, we explore the diversity of online learning tools and consider the range of applications for these tools in classroom and bedside learning. Particular advantages of these tools are highlighted, such as delivering foundational knowledge as part of the "flipped classroom" pedagogy and for depicting unusual physical examination findings and advanced clinical communication skills. With accelerated use of online learning, educators and administrators need to consider pedagogic and practical challenges posed by integrating online learning into individual learning activities, courses, and curricula as a whole. We discuss strategies for faculty development and the role of school-wide resources for supporting and using online learning. Finally, we consider the role of online learning in interprofessional, integrated, and competency-based applications among other contemporary trends in medical education are considered.

  3. Online Learning Tools as Supplements for Basic and Clinical Science Education

    PubMed Central

    Ellman, Matthew S.; Schwartz, Michael L.

    2016-01-01

    Undergraduate medical educators are increasingly incorporating online learning tools into basic and clinical science curricula. In this paper, we explore the diversity of online learning tools and consider the range of applications for these tools in classroom and bedside learning. Particular advantages of these tools are highlighted, such as delivering foundational knowledge as part of the “flipped classroom” pedagogy and for depicting unusual physical examination findings and advanced clinical communication skills. With accelerated use of online learning, educators and administrators need to consider pedagogic and practical challenges posed by integrating online learning into individual learning activities, courses, and curricula as a whole. We discuss strategies for faculty development and the role of school-wide resources for supporting and using online learning. Finally, we consider the role of online learning in interprofessional, integrated, and competency-based applications among other contemporary trends in medical education are considered. PMID:29349323

  4. Distinguishing the Learning Approaches Adopted by Undergraduates in Their Use of Online Resources

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Knight, Jasper

    2010-01-01

    This article reports a study which sought to evaluate the different learning strategies adopted by students when accessing virtual learning environment (VLE)-hosted resources because, if student achievement corresponds to the learning strategy that is adopted whilst accessing VLE resources, directed tasks can be put in place that will encourage…

  5. Engaging Professional Learning in Online Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bell, Amani; Morris, Gayle

    2009-01-01

    Much of what is regarded as effective professional learning is that which is situated, incorporates a social dimension and enables practitioners to converge in and around authentic practice. This article describes an inter-university online learning resource for tutors which is underpinned by a practice based approach to professional learning. The…

  6. Involuntary Commitment Application: An Online Training Module

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Whitfield, Kimberly Y.

    2012-01-01

    The use of Web-based technology has enabled many government and corporate training divisions to reach more learners than ever before. Institutions are restructuring their budgets, obtaining funding from governments and foundations to fund resources needed to increase online learning offerings. While online learning is increasing, questions arise…

  7. Patterns of Discourse in Online Interaction: Seeking Evidence of the Collaborative Learning Process

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mohd Nor, Nor Fariza; Hamat, Afendi; Embi, Mohamed Amin

    2012-01-01

    Asynchronous communication by means of discussion forums plays an essential role in supporting collaborative learning. Online forums allow learners to ask questions, express their thoughts, share resources, and justify their opinions beyond the four walls of the classroom. Proponents of collaborative learning claim that this type of learning can…

  8. Tutors' opinions of suitability of online learning programmes in continuing professional development for midwives.

    PubMed

    Gould, Dinah; Papadopoulos, Irena; Kelly, Daniel

    2014-04-01

    Online learning is frequently used in continuing professional development for qualified nurses and midwives. It is frequently assumed that the same package is appropriate for different groups of learners and that by reducing the need for tutorial input, tutorial time is saved. We evaluated the suitability of an online learning resource for suitability in continuing professional development for midwives. Originally developed for use as part of a work-based package for a specific audience, there had always been plans for more general use of the resource with other groups of health workers. Sequential mixed methods study. English universities. Seventy university tutors. Online questionnaire and in-depth interviews. Tutors did not consider that the online learning materials would be suitable for a wider audience without significant adaptation. They thought that uptake would increase need for tutorial input. Our findings demonstrate the pitfalls of removing learning from the context of practice. Technology customised to meet the needs of one group of learners probably does not have the potential for transfer to another group without significant adaptation. Those responsible for designing e-learning should take into account the needs of all the different audiences for whom the resource is intended from the outset, with consideration for the context in which learning will be applied to practice and how students will be supported. If the same package is to be used by different audiences and in different settings, tutors and students will require explicit instructions of how they should use the resource and depth of knowledge and level of competency that should be attained at the conclusion of the programme. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Engaged Learning through Online Collaborative Public Relations Projects across Universities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smallwood, Amber M. K.; Brunner, Brigitta R.

    2017-01-01

    Online learning is complementing and even replacing traditional face-to-face educational models at colleges and universities across the world. Distance education offers pedagogical and resource advantages--flexibility, greater access to education, and increased university revenues. Distance education also presents challenges such as learning to…

  10. College Students, the GI Bill, and the Proliferation of Online Learning: A History of Learning and Contemporary Challenges

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McMurray, Andrew J.

    2007-01-01

    Recent developments in areas of online education and the modernization of the GI Bill of Rights in the form of the Montgomery GI Bill have served to enact an unparalleled era in the history of higher education. Now, more than ever, servicemen and servicewomen have both the financial resources and the technological resources to pursue higher…

  11. Access to Education with Online Learning and Open Educational Resources: Can They Close the Gap?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Geith, Christine; Vignare, Karen

    2008-01-01

    One of the key concepts in the right to education is access: access to the means to fully develop as human beings as well as access to the means to gain skills, knowledge and credentials. This is an important perspective through which to examine the solutions to access enabled by Open Educational Resources (OER) and online learning. The authors…

  12. Developing Online Problem-Based Resources for the Professional Development of Teachers of Children with Visual Impairment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McLinden, Mike; McCall, Steve; Hinton, Danielle; Weston, Annette; Douglas, Graeme

    2006-01-01

    This article presents a summary of the results from phase 1 of a two-phase research project. Drawing on the principles of problem-based learning (PBL), the aims of phase 1 were to design, develop and evaluate a set of flexible online teaching resources for use within a virtual learning environment. Participants in the project (n = 10) were…

  13. Investigating the Drivers of Student Interaction and Engagement in Online Courses: A Study of State-of-the-Art

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Purarjomandlangrudi, Afrooz; Chen, David; Nguyen, Anne

    2016-01-01

    Online learning has become a widespread method for providing learning at different levels of education. It has facilitated the learning in many ways and made it more flexible and available by providing learners with more opportunities to learn information, further access to different learning resources, and collaboration rather than face-to-face…

  14. Utilization of Online Educational Resources in Teaching: A Moderated Mediation Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kio, Su Iong; Lau, Meng Chan Virgina

    2017-01-01

    The study builds on a newly modified Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to substantiate the motivation and operation of teachers' utilization of online learning resources. A "Comprehensiveness" construct is proposed in the modified TAM to reflect the breadth and depth of rich online knowledge. This new construct serves as the mediator…

  15. Teaching Lab Science Courses Online: Resources for Best Practices, Tools, and Technology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jeschofnig, Linda; Jeschofnig, Peter

    2011-01-01

    "Teaching Lab Science Courses Online" is a practical resource for educators developing and teaching fully online lab science courses. First, it provides guidance for using learning management systems and other web 2.0 technologies such as video presentations, discussion boards, Google apps, Skype, video/web conferencing, and social media…

  16. Pedagogy and Practice in Museum Online Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Din, Herminia

    2015-01-01

    How best might museums harness the interactive capabilities of online environments to provide active teaching and learning experiences for diverse learners and communities? How can museums engage learners in ways that encourage them to visit the museum in person and/or further explore online resources? What should be the role of the museum in…

  17. Designing Online Assignments for Japanese Language Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tsurutani, Chiharu; Imura, Taeko

    2015-01-01

    An increasing number of language educators are taking a blended approach to their teaching in order to enhance students' learning experiences and outcomes. During recent years, online tools have become a valuable resource, aiding teachers in course delivery and assessment. Blended learning, which is campus-based learning supported by online…

  18. The value of online learning and MRI: finding a niche for expensive technologies.

    PubMed

    Cook, David A

    2014-11-01

    The benefits of online learning come at a price. How can we optimize the overall value? Critically appraise the value of online learning. Narrative review. Several prevalent myths overinflate the value of online learning. These include that online learning is cheap and easy (it is usually more expensive), that it is more efficient (efficiency depends on the instructional design, not the modality), that it will transform education (fundamental learning principles have not changed), and that the Net Generation expects it (there is no evidence of pent-up demand). However, online learning does add real value by enhancing flexibility, control and analytics. Costs may also go down if disruptive innovations (e.g. low-cost, low-tech, but instructionally sound "good enough" online learning) supplant technically superior but more expensive online learning products. Cost-lowering strategies include focusing on core principles of learning rather than technologies, using easy-to-learn authoring tools, repurposing content (organizing and sequencing existing resources rather than creating new content) and using course templates. Online learning represents just one tool in an educator's toolbox, as does the MRI for clinicians. We need to use the right tool(s) for the right learner at the right dose, time and route.

  19. Demonstrating DREAM: A Digital Resource Exchange about Music

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Upitis, Rena; Boese, Karen; Abrami, Philip C.

    2015-01-01

    The Digital Resource Exchange About Music (DREAM) is an online tool for exchanging information about digital learning tools for music education. DREAM was designed by our team to encourage music teachers to learn about digital resources related to learning to play a musical instrument, both in classroom and independent music studio settings. In…

  20. Understanding Motivational System in Open Learning: Learners' Engagement with a Traditional Chinese-Based Open Educational Resource System

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Huang, Wenhao David; Wu, Chorng-Guang

    2017-01-01

    Learning has embraced the "open" process in recent years, as many educational resources are made available for free online. Existing research, however, has not provided sufficient evidence to systematically improve open learning interactions and engagement in open educational resource (OER) systems. This deficiency presents two…

  1. Methods and Frequency of Sharing of Learning Resources by Medical Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Judd, Terry; Elliott, Kristine

    2017-01-01

    University students have ready access to quality learning resources through learning management systems (LMS), online library collections and generic search tools. However, anecdotal evidence suggests they sometimes turn to peer-based sharing rather than sourcing resources directly. We know little about this practice--how common it is, what sort…

  2. Improving health care professionals' feedback on communication skills: development of an on-line resource.

    PubMed

    Harrison, Gill; Hayden, Sheila; Cook, Viv; Cushing, Annie

    2012-09-01

    This project aimed to develop an open-access on-line resource to assist health care professionals in providing effective feedback on patient-centered clinical and communication skills. The collaborative nature of the development of this learning resource is outlined and evaluation of its use is discussed. An inter-professional team of teaching staff from two London Universities employed a researcher to interview experienced clinical and academic health care professionals and gather examples of difficult feedback situations. Material was used to develop short video clips illustrating some common challenges in giving feedback on clinical and communication skills. Initial evaluation following use of the scenarios in workshops was undertaken by means of a "talking wall" technique. Evaluation indicated that the resource enhanced the learning experience by providing realistic and challenging scenarios to focus discussion. Inter-professional working and piloting the use of the video scenarios in workshops enabled the improvement and refinement of an on-line staff development resource on feedback. The on-line resource is now available as an open access learning tool, with eight scenarios and guidelines for providing effective feedback in the academic or clinical setting. It can be used for self-study or as part of a group training session. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Investigating Students' Acceptance of a Statistics Learning Platform Using Technology Acceptance Model

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Song, Yanjie; Kong, Siu-Cheung

    2017-01-01

    The study aims at investigating university students' acceptance of a statistics learning platform to support the learning of statistics in a blended learning context. Three kinds of digital resources, which are simulations, online videos, and online quizzes, were provided on the platform. Premised on the technology acceptance model, we adopted a…

  4. Pupil Science Learning in Resource-Based e-Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    So, Wing-mui Winnie; Ching, Ngai-ying Fiona

    2011-01-01

    With the rapid expansion of broadband Internet connection and availability of high performance yet low priced computers, many countries around the world are advocating the adoption of e-learning, the use of computer technology to improve learning and teaching. The trend of e-learning has urged many teachers to incorporate online resources in their…

  5. Impact on learning of an e-learning module on leukaemia: a randomised controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Morgulis, Yuri; Kumar, Rakesh K; Lindeman, Robert; Velan, Gary M

    2012-05-28

    e-learning resources may be beneficial for complex or conceptually difficult topics. Leukaemia is one such topic, yet there are no reports on the efficacy of e-learning for leukaemia. This study compared the learning impact on senior medical students of a purpose-built e-learning module on leukaemia, compared with existing online resources. A randomised controlled trial was performed utilising volunteer senior medical students. Participants were randomly allocated to Study and Control groups. Following a pre-test on leukaemia administered to both groups, the Study group was provided with access to the new e-learning module, while the Control group was directed to existing online resources. A post-test and an evaluation questionnaire were administered to both groups at the end of the trial period. Study and Control groups were equivalent in gender distribution, mean academic ability, pre-test performance and time studying leukaemia during the trial. The Study group performed significantly better than the Control group in the post-test, in which the group to which the students had been allocated was the only significant predictor of performance. The Study group's evaluation of the module was overwhelmingly positive. A targeted e-learning module on leukaemia had a significant effect on learning in this cohort, compared with existing online resources. We believe that the interactivity, dialogic feedback and integration with the curriculum offered by the e-learning module contributed to its impact. This has implications for e-learning design in medicine and other disciplines.

  6. Integration of Traditional and E-Learning Methods to Improve Learning Outcomes for Dental Students in Histopathology.

    PubMed

    Ariana, Armin; Amin, Moein; Pakneshan, Sahar; Dolan-Evans, Elliot; Lam, Alfred K

    2016-09-01

    Dental students require a basic ability to explain and apply general principles of pathology to systemic, dental, and oral pathology. Although there have been recent advances in electronic and online resources, the academic effectiveness of using self-directed e-learning tools in pathology courses for dental students is unclear. The aim of this study was to determine if blended learning combining e-learning with traditional learning methods of lectures and tutorials would improve students' scores and satisfaction over those who experienced traditional learning alone. Two consecutive cohorts of Bachelor of Dentistry and Oral Health students taking the general pathology course at Griffith University in Australia were compared. The control cohort experienced traditional methods only, while members of the study cohort were also offered self-directed learning materials including online resources and online microscopy classes. Final assessments for the course were used to compare the differences in effectiveness of the intervention, and students' satisfaction with the teaching format was evaluated using questionnaires. On the final course assessments, students in the study cohort had significantly higher scores than students in the control cohort (p<0.01). Analysis of questionnaire results showed improved student satisfaction with the course in the study cohort. These findings suggest that the use of e-learning tools such as virtual microscopy and interactive online resources for delivering pathology instruction can be an effective supplement for developing dental students' competence, confidence, and satisfaction.

  7. Adapting Online Learning Resources for All: Planning for Professionalism in Accessibility

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McAndrew, Patrick; Farrow, Robert; Cooper, Martyn

    2012-01-01

    Online resources for education offer opportunities for those with disabilities but also raise challenges on how to best adjust resources to accommodate accessibility. Automated reconfiguration could in principle remove the need for expensive and time-consuming discussions about adaptation. On the other hand, human-based systems provide much needed…

  8. The Role of Online Homework in Low-Enrollment College Introductory Physics Courses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lazarova, Krassi

    2015-01-01

    Studying physics for nonphysics majors at college level is usually a process of learning new problem-solving skills and sometimes seems a frustrating experience. In an attempt to provide students with more learning resources, online homework was required to supplement the instruction. This study reveals the role of the online homework assignments…

  9. Online Comic in Mandarin Chinese's Vocabulary Learning: A Case Study of Budi Utama Multilingual School in Yogyakarta, Indonesia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wilujeng, Nuning Catur Sri; Lan, Yu-Ju

    2015-01-01

    This study was aimed to investigate (1) the improvement of CFL elementary-school students' skill in learning Mandarin Chinese (hereafter referred to as Mandarin) vocabulary through creating comic without online resources, creating online comics individually and collaboratively; (2) the CFL elementary-school students' attitude towards the…

  10. Intellectual Property Law Confers Rights in Respect of Online Distance Education, yet Most Learning Resources Are Still Free--Truth or Fiction?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mann, Bruce L.

    2009-01-01

    Educational technologists might well describe online distance education as "a series of instructional events over the Internet that find their expression as learning events in a student". As a legal construct however, "online distance education" is simply "the intellectual property of its owner". This description is…

  11. Navigation Support and Social Visualization for Personalized E-Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hsiao, I-Han

    2012-01-01

    A large number of educational resources is now made available on the Web to support both regular classroom learning and online learning. However, the abundance of available content produced at least two problems: how to help students to find the most appropriate resources and how to engage them into using these resources and benefit from them.…

  12. Web-Based Learning Materials for Higher Education: The MERLOT Repository

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Orhun, Emrah

    2004-01-01

    MERLOT (Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching) is a web-based open resource designed primarily for faculty and students in higher education. The resources in MERLOT include over 8,000 learning materials and support materials from a wide variety of disciplines that can be integrated within the context of a larger course.…

  13. Don't forget the learner: an essential aspect for developing effective hypermedia online learning in continuing medical education.

    PubMed

    Sandars, John; Homer, Matthew; Walsh, Kieran; Rutherford, Alaster

    2012-03-01

    There is increasing use of hypermedia online learning in continuing medical education (CME) that presents the learner with a wide range of different learning resources, requiring the learner to use self-regulated learning (SRL) skills. This study is the first to apply an SRL perspective to understand how learners engage with hypermedia online learning in CME. We found that the main SRL skills used by learners were use of strategies and monitoring. The increasing use of strategies was associated with increasing interest in the topic and with increasing satisfaction with the learning experience. Further research is recommended to understand SRL processes and its impact on learning in other aspects of hypermedia online learning across the different phases of medical education. Research is also recommended to implement and evaluate the learning impact of a variety of approaches to develop the SRL skills of hypermedia online learners in CME.

  14. Translating an academic module into an online resource.

    PubMed

    Howatson-Jones, I L

    Blended learning, which combines face-to-face sessions with online work, is used to provide flexible learning and courses for students who are geographically dispersed. Canterbury Christ Church University recognised the importance of developing an academic module for dispensing opticians across the UK and the requirement to address the needs of an increasingly diverse population of students. Following interest in the module from the Association of British Dispensing Opticians, a decision was made to reformat the module into an online resource. This article describes some of the pedagogical processes involved in developing the online resource. Quantitative and qualitative data are analysed to identify challenges and successes. The importance of developing an educational biography to achieve depth of understanding and thought is acknowledged. The article concludes that some face-to-face interaction is still necessary, not least for helping to reduce students' anxiety.

  15. Establishing a library of resources to help people understand key concepts in assessing treatment claims-The "Critical thinking and Appraisal Resource Library" (CARL).

    PubMed

    Castle, John C; Chalmers, Iain; Atkinson, Patricia; Badenoch, Douglas; Oxman, Andrew D; Austvoll-Dahlgren, Astrid; Nordheim, Lena; Krause, L Kendall; Schwartz, Lisa M; Woloshin, Steven; Burls, Amanda; Mosconi, Paola; Hoffmann, Tammy; Cusack, Leila; Albarqouni, Loai; Glasziou, Paul

    2017-01-01

    People are frequently confronted with untrustworthy claims about the effects of treatments. Uncritical acceptance of these claims can lead to poor, and sometimes dangerous, treatment decisions, and wasted time and money. Resources to help people learn to think critically about treatment claims are scarce, and they are widely scattered. Furthermore, very few learning-resources have been assessed to see if they improve knowledge and behavior. Our objectives were to develop the Critical thinking and Appraisal Resource Library (CARL). This library was to be in the form of a database containing learning resources for those who are responsible for encouraging critical thinking about treatment claims, and was to be made available online. We wished to include resources for groups we identified as 'intermediaries' of knowledge, i.e. teachers of schoolchildren, undergraduates and graduates, for example those teaching evidence-based medicine, or those communicating treatment claims to the public. In selecting resources, we wished to draw particular attention to those resources that had been formally evaluated, for example, by the creators of the resource or independent research groups. CARL was populated with learning-resources identified from a variety of sources-two previously developed but unmaintained inventories; systematic reviews of learning-interventions; online and database searches; and recommendations by members of the project group and its advisors. The learning-resources in CARL were organised by 'Key Concepts' needed to judge the trustworthiness of treatment claims, and were made available online by the James Lind Initiative in Testing Treatments interactive (TTi) English (www.testingtreatments.org/category/learning-resources).TTi English also incorporated the database of Key Concepts and the Claim Evaluation Tools developed through the Informed Healthcare Choices (IHC) project (informedhealthchoices.org). We have created a database of resources called CARL, which currently contains over 500 open-access learning-resources in a variety of formats: text, audio, video, webpages, cartoons, and lesson materials. These are aimed primarily at 'Intermediaries', that is, 'teachers', 'communicators', 'advisors', 'researchers', as well as for independent 'learners'. The resources included in CARL are currently accessible at www.testingtreatments.org/category/learning-resources. We hope that ready access to CARL will help to promote the critical thinking about treatment claims, needed to help improve healthcare choices.

  16. Establishing a library of resources to help people understand key concepts in assessing treatment claims—The “Critical thinking and Appraisal Resource Library” (CARL)

    PubMed Central

    Chalmers, Iain; Atkinson, Patricia; Badenoch, Douglas; Oxman, Andrew D.; Austvoll-Dahlgren, Astrid; Nordheim, Lena; Krause, L. Kendall; Schwartz, Lisa M.; Woloshin, Steven; Burls, Amanda; Mosconi, Paola; Hoffmann, Tammy; Cusack, Leila; Albarqouni, Loai; Glasziou, Paul

    2017-01-01

    Background People are frequently confronted with untrustworthy claims about the effects of treatments. Uncritical acceptance of these claims can lead to poor, and sometimes dangerous, treatment decisions, and wasted time and money. Resources to help people learn to think critically about treatment claims are scarce, and they are widely scattered. Furthermore, very few learning-resources have been assessed to see if they improve knowledge and behavior. Objectives Our objectives were to develop the Critical thinking and Appraisal Resource Library (CARL). This library was to be in the form of a database containing learning resources for those who are responsible for encouraging critical thinking about treatment claims, and was to be made available online. We wished to include resources for groups we identified as ‘intermediaries’ of knowledge, i.e. teachers of schoolchildren, undergraduates and graduates, for example those teaching evidence-based medicine, or those communicating treatment claims to the public. In selecting resources, we wished to draw particular attention to those resources that had been formally evaluated, for example, by the creators of the resource or independent research groups. Methods CARL was populated with learning-resources identified from a variety of sources—two previously developed but unmaintained inventories; systematic reviews of learning-interventions; online and database searches; and recommendations by members of the project group and its advisors. The learning-resources in CARL were organised by ‘Key Concepts’ needed to judge the trustworthiness of treatment claims, and were made available online by the James Lind Initiative in Testing Treatments interactive (TTi) English (www.testingtreatments.org/category/learning-resources).TTi English also incorporated the database of Key Concepts and the Claim Evaluation Tools developed through the Informed Healthcare Choices (IHC) project (informedhealthchoices.org). Results We have created a database of resources called CARL, which currently contains over 500 open-access learning-resources in a variety of formats: text, audio, video, webpages, cartoons, and lesson materials. These are aimed primarily at ‘Intermediaries’, that is, ‘teachers’, ‘communicators’, ‘advisors’, ‘researchers’, as well as for independent ‘learners’. The resources included in CARL are currently accessible at www.testingtreatments.org/category/learning-resources Conclusions We hope that ready access to CARL will help to promote the critical thinking about treatment claims, needed to help improve healthcare choices. PMID:28738058

  17. An Online Education Sourcebook.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carr, Victor; Locatis, Craig; Reid, John C.; Ullmer, Eldon; Weisberg, Michael

    This resource provides basic information on five selected topics related to creating and implementing online educational programs. "Adult Learning" (John C. Reid) provides an overview of general learning theories and discusses the characteristics of adult learners, strategies for taking advantage of adults' traits and motivations in…

  18. iMidwife: midwifery students' use of smartphone technology as a mediated educational tool in clinical environments.

    PubMed

    DeLeo, Annemarie; Geraghty, Sadie

    2017-12-18

    The increasing use of smartphone technology in health care provides midwifery students with unprecedented access to online resources that facilitates the optimal care of women and supports ongoing learning. A small pilot study was conducted in Western Australia, with 29 undergraduate and postgraduate midwifery students to explore the use of smartphone technology whilst in clinical practice. This study aimed to define the impact of smartphones in clinical decision-making and learning whilst in clinical areas, by midwifery students at the point of care. An online survey was used to collect data. Five consistent themes were identified from the results. Smartphone technology encourages self-directed learning, consolidation of theory, engagement through blended learning, complements online education in clinical practice and is a trend in the future of midwifery curriculum. Smartphones enhance the learning and mobility of supportive resources that consolidate midwifery students' clinical experience in workplace environments.

  19. The Web Resource Collaboration Center

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dunlap, Joanna C.

    2004-01-01

    The Web Resource Collaboration Center (WRCC) is a web-based tool developed to help software engineers build their own web-based learning and performance support systems. Designed using various online communication and collaboration technologies, the WRCC enables people to: (1) build a learning and professional development resource that provides…

  20. Student Learning and Instructor Investment in Online and Face-to-Face Natural Resources Courses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wuellner, Melissa R.

    2013-01-01

    Substantial growth in online education in the United States has prompted questions on the levels of student learning and satisfaction achieved and the amount of instructor time investment required in the online environment compared to the face-to-face (F2F) environment. To date, very few have studied these measurements in science courses, and none…

  1. Creating a Framework of a Resource-Based E-Learning Environment for Science Learning in Primary Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    So, Winnie W. M.

    2012-01-01

    Advancements in information and communications technology and the rapid expansion of the Internet have changed the nature and the mode of the presentation and delivery of teaching and learning resources. This paper discusses the results of a study aimed at investigating how five teachers planned to integrate online resources in their teaching of…

  2. Dentistry students' perceptions of learning management systems.

    PubMed

    Handal, B; Groenlund, C; Gerzina, T

    2010-02-01

    This paper reports an exploratory survey study about students' perceptions of learning management systems (LMS) at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Sydney. Two hundred and fifty-four students enrolled in the Bachelor of Dentistry and the Bachelor of Oral Health programmes participated in an online survey aimed at exploring their beliefs and attitudes as well as their preferences for eLearning tools. Results indicated a strong preference of students for using LMSs as resource repositories rather than for higher-order learning activities such as online discussion forums. This finding holds importance for consideration of the development of the educational resources modalities that support development of essential graduate attributes such as information literacy and collaborative learning.

  3. A Comparison of Educational Statistics and Data Mining Approaches to Identify Characteristics That Impact Online Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miller, L. Dee; Soh, Leen-Kiat; Samal, Ashok; Kupzyk, Kevin; Nugent, Gwen

    2015-01-01

    Learning objects (LOs) are important online resources for both learners and instructors and usage for LOs is growing. Automatic LO tracking collects large amounts of metadata about individual students as well as data aggregated across courses, learning objects, and other demographic characteristics (e.g. gender). The challenge becomes identifying…

  4. The First Shared Online Curriculum Resources for Veterinary Undergraduate Learning and Teaching in Animal Welfare and Ethics in Australia and New Zealand

    PubMed Central

    Johnson, Jane; Collins, Teresa; Degeling, Christopher; Fawcett, Anne; Fisher, Andrew D.; Freire, Rafael; Hazel, Susan J.; Hood, Jennifer; Lloyd, Janice; Phillips, Clive J. C.; Stafford, Kevin; Tzioumis, Vicky; McGreevy, Paul D.

    2015-01-01

    Simple Summary There is a need for teaching Animal Welfare and Ethics in veterinary schools and we are developing online resources to meet this need. In this paper we describe how we prioritized the development of these resources by polling experts in the field. Abstract The need for undergraduate teaching of Animal Welfare and Ethics (AWE) in Australian and New Zealand veterinary courses reflects increasing community concerns and expectations about AWE; global pressures regarding food security and sustainability; the demands of veterinary accreditation; and fears that, unless students encounter AWE as part of their formal education, as veterinarians they will be relatively unaware of the discipline of animal welfare science. To address this need we are developing online resources to ensure Australian and New Zealand veterinary graduates have the knowledge, and the research, communication and critical reasoning skills, to fulfill the AWE role demanded of them by contemporary society. To prioritize development of these resources we assembled leaders in the field of AWE education from the eight veterinary schools in Australia and New Zealand and used modified deliberative polling. This paper describes the role of the poll in developing the first shared online curriculum resource for veterinary undergraduate learning and teaching in AWE in Australia and New Zealand. The learning and teaching strategies that ranked highest in the exercise were: scenario-based learning; a quality of animal life assessment tool; the so-called ‘Human Continuum’ discussion platform; and a negotiated curriculum. PMID:26479241

  5. Impact on learning of an e-learning module on leukaemia: a randomised controlled trial

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background e-learning resources may be beneficial for complex or conceptually difficult topics. Leukaemia is one such topic, yet there are no reports on the efficacy of e-learning for leukaemia. This study compared the learning impact on senior medical students of a purpose-built e-learning module on leukaemia, compared with existing online resources. Methods A randomised controlled trial was performed utilising volunteer senior medical students. Participants were randomly allocated to Study and Control groups. Following a pre-test on leukaemia administered to both groups, the Study group was provided with access to the new e-learning module, while the Control group was directed to existing online resources. A post-test and an evaluation questionnaire were administered to both groups at the end of the trial period. Results Study and Control groups were equivalent in gender distribution, mean academic ability, pre-test performance and time studying leukaemia during the trial. The Study group performed significantly better than the Control group in the post-test, in which the group to which the students had been allocated was the only significant predictor of performance. The Study group’s evaluation of the module was overwhelmingly positive. Conclusions A targeted e-learning module on leukaemia had a significant effect on learning in this cohort, compared with existing online resources. We believe that the interactivity, dialogic feedback and integration with the curriculum offered by the e-learning module contributed to its impact. This has implications for e-learning design in medicine and other disciplines. PMID:22640463

  6. Collaborative Recommendation of E-Learning Resources: An Experimental Investigation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Manouselis, N.; Vuorikari, R.; Van Assche, F.

    2010-01-01

    Repositories with educational resources can support the formation of online learning communities by providing a platform for collaboration. Users (e.g. teachers, tutors and learners) access repositories, search for interesting resources to access and use, and in many cases, also exchange experiences and opinions. A particular class of online…

  7. The Massive Online Needs Assessment (MONA) to inform the development of an emergency haematology educational blog series.

    PubMed

    Chan, Teresa M; Jo, David; Shih, Andrew W; Bhagirath, Vinai C; Castellucci, Lana A; Yeh, Calvin; Thoma, Brent; Tseng, Eric K; de Wit, Kerstin

    2018-06-01

    Online educational resources are criticized as being teacher-centred, failing to address learner's needs. Needs assessments are an important precursor to inform curriculum development, but these are often overlooked or skipped by developers of online educational resources due to cumbersome measurement tools. Novel methods are required to identify perceived and unperceived learning needs to allow targeted development of learner-centred curricula. To evaluate the feasibility of performing a novel technique dubbed the Massive Online Needs Assessment (MONA) for the purpose of emergency haematology online educational curricular planning, within an online learning community (affiliated with the Free Open Access Medical education movement). An online survey was launched on CanadiEM.org using an embedded Google Forms survey. Participants were recruited using the study website and a social media campaign (utilizing Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, and a poster) targeting a specific online community. Web analytics were used to monitor participation rates in addition to survey responses. The survey was open from 20 September to 10 December 2016 and received 198 complete responses representing 6 medical specialties from 21 countries. Most survey respondents identified themselves as staff physicians (n = 109) and medical trainees (n = 75). We identified 17 high-priority perceived needs, 17 prompted needs, and 10 topics with unperceived needs through our MONA process. A MONA is a feasible, novel method for collecting data on perceived, prompted, and unperceived learning needs to inform an online emergency haematology educational blog. This methodology could be useful to the developers of other online education resources.

  8. Educational technology integration and distance learning in respiratory care: practices and attitudes.

    PubMed

    Hopper, Keith B; Johns, Carol L

    2007-11-01

    Educational technologies have had an important role in respiratory care. Distance learning via postal correspondence has been used extensively in respiratory care, and Internet-based distance learning is now used in the training of respiratory therapists (RTs), clinical continuing education, and in baccalaureate degree and higher programs for RTs and educators. To describe the current scope of respiratory care educational technology integration, including distance learning. To investigate online research potential in respiratory care. A probabilistic online survey of United States respiratory care program directors was conducted on educational technology practices and attitudes, including distance learning. A parallel exploratory study of United States respiratory care managers was conducted. One-hundred seventy-seven (53%) program directors participated. One-hundred twenty-eight respiratory care managers participated. For instructional purposes, the respiratory care programs heavily use office-productivity software, the Internet, e-mail, and commercial respiratory care content-based computer-based instruction. The programs use, or would use, online resources provided by text publishers, but there is a paucity. Many program directors reported that their faculty use personal digital assistants (PDAs), often in instructional roles. 74.6% of the programs offer no fully online courses, but 61.0% reported at least one course delivered partially online. The managers considered continuing education via online technologies appropriate, but one third reported that they have not/will not hire RTs trained via distance learning. Neither group considered fully online courses a good match for RT training, nor did they consider training via distance learning of comparable quality to on-campus programs. Both groups rated baccalaureate and higher degrees via distance learning higher if the program included face-to-face instruction. Online distance-learning participatory experience generally improved attitudes toward distance learning. There was a good match between manager RT expectations in office-productivity software and program instructional practices. Educational technologies have an important role in respiratory care. Online distance learning for baccalaureate and higher degrees in respiratory care is promising. Online distance learning in respiratory care must include face-to-face instruction. Distance-learning deployment in respiratory care will require resources. A follow-up probabilistic survey of United States respiratory care managers is needed. Online surveys conducted for respiratory care are promising, but neither less expensive nor easier than conventional means.

  9. A State for Excellence: New Jersey Boosts Learning Power with Online Video Resources

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Duff, Victoria; Sauer, Wendy; Gleason, Sonia Caus

    2011-01-01

    The New Jersey Department of Education supports all districts with a tool kit of valuable resources for planning and creating collaborative learning structures that focus on getting results for all students. This tool kit was the basis for the creation of Learning Forward's "Becoming a Learning School" (2009). The tool kit helps…

  10. Describing Online Learning Content to Facilitate Resource Discovery and Sharing: The Development of the RU LOM Core

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Krull, G. E.; Mallinson, B. J.; Sewry, D. A.

    2006-01-01

    The development of Internet technologies has the ability to provide a new era of easily accessible and personalised learning, facilitated through the flexible deployment of small, reusable pieces of digital learning content over networks. Higher education institutions can share and reuse digital learning resources in order to improve their…

  11. Moving beyond the White Cane: Building an Online Learning Environment for the Visually Impaired Professional.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mitchell, Donald P.; Scigliano, John A.

    2000-01-01

    Describes the development of an online learning environment for a visually impaired professional. Topics include physical barriers, intellectual barriers, psychological barriers, and technological barriers; selecting appropriate hardware and software; and combining technologies that include personal computers, Web-based resources, network…

  12. Barriers to Teaching Introductory Physical Geography Online

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ritter, Michael E.

    2012-01-01

    Learning geography online is becoming an option for more students but not without controversy. Issues of faculty resources, logistics, professional recognition, and pedagogical concerns are cited as barriers to teaching online. Offering introductory physical geography online presents special challenges. As a general education course, an…

  13. Use of Online Information Resources by RMIT University Economics, Finance, and Marketing Students Participating in a Cooperative Education Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Costa, Cathy

    2009-01-01

    This paper examines the use of online information resources by Economics, Finance, and Marketing 3rd year students in a cooperative education program and explores some possible factors and issues that influence how students use these resources. The nature of Work Integrated Learning (WIL) programs, the business information environment, and the…

  14. How 7th Graders Are Using Asynchronous Resources in an Online Science Course: A Mixed Methods Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schafer-Mayse, Diane L.

    2013-01-01

    In this study 7th grade students were observed completing a series of lessons in an online science course to explore their thinking and strategies for using curriculum resources for learning, to explore their thinking and strategies for self-assessing their readiness for lesson assessment, and to explore the relationship between resource use and…

  15. Integrating On-Line Technology into Teaching Activities to Enhance Student and Teacher Learning in a New Zealand Primary School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baskerville, Delia

    2012-01-01

    Continuing emphasis given to computer technology resourcing in schools presents potential for web-based initiatives which focus on quality arts teaching and learning, as ways to improve arts outcomes for all students. An arts e-learning collaborative research project between specialist on-line teacher/researchers and generalist primary teachers…

  16. A review of Computer Science resources for learning and teaching with K-12 computing curricula: an Australian case study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Falkner, Katrina; Vivian, Rebecca

    2015-10-01

    To support teachers to implement Computer Science curricula into classrooms from the very first year of school, teachers, schools and organisations seek quality curriculum resources to support implementation and teacher professional development. Until now, many Computer Science resources and outreach initiatives have targeted K-12 school-age children, with the intention to engage children and increase interest, rather than to formally teach concepts and skills. What is the educational quality of existing Computer Science resources and to what extent are they suitable for classroom learning and teaching? In this paper, an assessment framework is presented to evaluate the quality of online Computer Science resources. Further, a semi-systematic review of available online Computer Science resources was conducted to evaluate resources available for classroom learning and teaching and to identify gaps in resource availability, using the Australian curriculum as a case study analysis. The findings reveal a predominance of quality resources, however, a number of critical gaps were identified. This paper provides recommendations and guidance for the development of new and supplementary resources and future research.

  17. Queensland Museum Online Learning Resources

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bauer, Adriana

    2009-01-01

    This article evaluates three online educational resources on the Queensland Museum website in terms of their use of ICTs in science education; how they relate to the Queensland Middle School Science Curriculum and the Senior Biology, Marine Studies, Science 21 syllabuses; their visual appeal and level of student engagement; the appropriateness of…

  18. Assessing the Role of Online Technologies in Project-Based Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ravitz, Jason; Blazevski, Juliane

    2014-01-01

    This study examines the relationships between teacher-reported use of online resources, and preparedness, implementation challenges, and time spent implementing project- or problem-based learning, or approaches that are similar to what we call "PBL" in general. Variables were measured using self-reports from those who teach in reform…

  19. Expanding Academic Vocabulary with an Interactive On-Line Database

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Horst, Marlise; Cobb, Tom; Nicolae, Ioana

    2005-01-01

    University students used a set of existing and purpose-built on-line tools for vocabulary learning in an experimental ESL course. The resources included concordance, dictionary, cloze-builder, hypertext, and a database with interactive self-quizzing feature (all freely available at www.lextutor.ca). The vocabulary targeted for learning consisted…

  20. Web-Based Notes Is an Inadequate Learning Resource.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Amory, Alan; Naicker, Kevin

    Development of online courses requires the use of appropriate educational philosophies that discourage rote learning and passive transfer of information from teacher to learner. This paper reports on the development, use and evaluation of two second year Biology online software packages used by students in constructivist environments. The courses…

  1. Customization of Education through Online Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rayburn, Kalim

    2011-01-01

    The educational opportunities provided through connectivity to the internet that did not previously exist make way for many opportunities to expand curricular options. Through the use of technology and the internet students are able to receive education through a tailored learning approach delivered via online resources. The purpose of this study…

  2. Assessing a Collaborative Online Environment for Music Composition

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Biasutti, Michele

    2015-01-01

    The current pilot study tested the effectiveness of an e-learning environment built to enable students to compose music collaboratively. The participants interacted online by using synchronous and asynchronous resources to develop a project in which they composed a new music piece in collaboration. After the learning sessions, individual…

  3. Towards Networked Knowledge: The Learning Registry, an Infrastructure for Sharing Online Learning Resources

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Ashley; Hobson, Joe; Bienkowski, Marie; Midgley, Steve; Currier, Sarah; Campbell, Lorna M.; Novoselova, Tatiana

    2012-01-01

    In this article, the authors describe an open-source, open-data digital infrastructure for sharing information about open educational resources (OERs) across disparate systems and platforms. The Learning Registry, which began as a project funded by the U.S. Departments of Education and Defense, currently has an active international community…

  4. A Web-Based Learning and Assessment System To Support Flexible Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gardner, Lesley; Sheridan, D.; White, D.

    2002-01-01

    Describes the development of a computer-supported, Web-based learning system, CECIL, at the University of Auckland (New Zealand). Discusses the potential benefits that a university-wide resource management system may have in terms of educational flexibility, such as online learning for distance education, and resource sharing, as well as…

  5. Navigating the changing learning landscape: perspective from bioinformatics.ca

    PubMed Central

    Ouellette, B. F. Francis

    2013-01-01

    With the advent of YouTube channels in bioinformatics, open platforms for problem solving in bioinformatics, active web forums in computing analyses and online resources for learning to code or use a bioinformatics tool, the more traditional continuing education bioinformatics training programs have had to adapt. Bioinformatics training programs that solely rely on traditional didactic methods are being superseded by these newer resources. Yet such face-to-face instruction is still invaluable in the learning continuum. Bioinformatics.ca, which hosts the Canadian Bioinformatics Workshops, has blended more traditional learning styles with current online and social learning styles. Here we share our growing experiences over the past 12 years and look toward what the future holds for bioinformatics training programs. PMID:23515468

  6. Skipped Beats

    MedlinePlus

    ... Certification (MOC) Scientific Sessions Certified Education Courses & Online Learning Co-Sponsored & Endorsed Events Educational Resources Career Resources Job Board Fellowships & Program Directors IBHRE Exam Jobs at ...

  7. Atrial Flutter

    MedlinePlus

    ... Certification (MOC) Scientific Sessions Certified Education Courses & Online Learning Co-Sponsored & Endorsed Events Educational Resources Career Resources Job Board Fellowships & Program Directors IBHRE Exam Jobs at ...

  8. Evaluation of a multimedia online tool for teaching bronchial hygiene to physical therapy students.

    PubMed

    Silva, Cibele C B Marques da; Toledo, Sonia L P; Silveira, Paulo S P; Carvalho, Celso R F

    2012-01-01

    Advances in information technology have been widely used in teaching health care professionals. The use of multimedia resources may be important for clinical learning and we are not aware of previous reports using such technology in respiratory physical therapy education. Our approach was to evaluate a conventional bronchial hygiene techniques (BHTs) course with an interactive online environment, including multimedia resources. Previous developed audiovisual support material comprised: physiology, physiopathology and BHTs, accessible to students through the Internet in conjunction with BHTs classes. Two groups of students were compared and both attended regular classes: the on-line group (n=8) received access to online resources, while the control group (n=8) received conventional written material. Student's performance was evaluated before and after the course. A preliminary test (score 0 to 10) was applied before the beginning of the course, showing that the initial knowledge of both groups was comparable [online, 6.75 (SD=0.88) vs. control, 6.125 (SD=1.35); p>0.05]. Two weeks after the end of the course, a second test showed that the online group performed significantly better than the control group [respectively, 7.75 (SD=1.28) vs. 5.93 (SD=0.72); p>0.05]. The use of a multimedia online resource had a positive impact on student's learning in respiratory therapy field in which instrumental and manual resources are often used and can be explored using this technology.

  9. Preliminary Evidence of a Relationship between the Use of Online Learning and Academic Performance in a South African First-Year University Accounting Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Halabi, Abdel K.; Essop, Ahmed; Carmichael, Teresa; Steyn, Blanche

    2014-01-01

    This paper examines the relationship between the use of online learning resources and academic performance in an Accounting 1 course conducted at a South African Higher Education Institution. The study employed a quantitative analysis over three academic years comparing the collection of end of year marks and the time spent online. The results…

  10. Heart Rhythm Society

    MedlinePlus

    ... Certification (MOC) Scientific Sessions Certified Education Courses & Online Learning Co-Sponsored & Endorsed Events Educational Resources Career Resources Job Board Fellowships & Program Directors IBHRE Exam Jobs at ...

  11. Cyberlearning for Climate Literacy: Challenges and Opportunities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McCaffrey, M. S.; Buhr, S. M.; Gold, A. U.; Ledley, T. S.; Mooney, M. E.; Niepold, F.

    2010-12-01

    Cyberlearning tools provide cost and carbon-efficient avenues for fostering a climate literate society through online engagement with learners. With climate change education becoming a Presidential Priority in 2009, funding for grants from NSF, NASA and NOAA is leading to a new generation of cyberlearning resources that supplement existing online resources. This paper provides an overview of challenges and opportunities relating to the online delivery of high quality, often complex climate science by examining several existing and emerging efforts, including the Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN,) a National Science Digital Library Pathway, the development by CIRES Education and Outreach of the Inspiring Climate Education Excellence (ICEE) online course, TERC’s Earth Exploration Toolbook (EET,) DataTools, and EarthLab modules, the NOAA Climate Stewards Education Program (CSEP) that utilizes the NSTA E-Learning Center, online efforts by members of the Federation of Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP), UCAR’s Climate Discovery program, and the Climate Adaptation, Mitigation e-Learning (CAMeL) project. In addition, we will summarize outcomes of the Cyberlearning for Climate Literacy workshop held in Washington DC in the Fall of 2009 and examine opportunities for teachers to develop and share their own lesson plans based on climate-related web resources that currently lack built-in learning activities, assessments or teaching tips.

  12. Teaching Service Learning in the Geosciences: An On the Cutting Edge Workshop Report

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bruckner, M. Z.; Laine, E. P.; Mogk, D. W.; O'Connell, S.; Kirk, K. B.

    2010-12-01

    Service learning is an instructional method that combines community service and academic instruction within the context of an established academic course. It is a particularly effective approach that uses active and experiential learning to develop the academic skills required of a course of study and to simultaneously address authentic community needs. Service learning projects can energize and motivate students by engaging a sense of civic responsibility by working in concert with community partners. The geosciences provide abundant opportunities to develop service learning projects on topics related to natural hazards, resources, land use, water quality, community planning, public policy, and education (K-12 and public outreach). To explore the opportunities of teaching service learning in the geosciences, the On the Cutting Edge program convened an online workshop in February 2010. The goals of the workshop were to: 1) introduce the principles and practices of effective service learning instructional activities; 2) provide examples of successful service learning projects and practical advice about "what works;" 3) provide participants with the opportunity to design, develop, and refine their own service learning courses or projects; 4) develop collections of supporting resources related to the pedagogy of service learning; and 5) support a community of scholars interested in continued work on service learning in the geoscience curriculum. The workshop consisted of a series of web-based synchronous and asynchronous sessions, including presentations from experienced practitioners of service learning, panel discussions, threaded discussions, and editable web pages used to develop new material for the website. Time was also provided for small group and individual work and for participants to peer-review each others' service learning projects and to revise their own activities based on reviewer comments. Insights from the workshop were integrated into new web pages that can help others implement service learning projects in their own institutions and communities. Online resources developed by the workshop participants, conveners, and supporting staff include an assemblage of online and print resources, a searchable collection of peer-reviewed examples of service learning projects, a tutorial on using the "8-Block Model" to design and implement a service learning project, tips on finding service learning partners, advice on motivating students, departments and the community, and example assessment instruments. Faculty are encouraged to submit their own examples of additional service learning projects in the geosciences. The entire workshop program, resources and activities are available online at: http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/servicelearning/index.html

  13. Risk Factors and Prevention

    MedlinePlus

    ... Certification (MOC) Scientific Sessions Certified Education Courses & Online Learning Co-Sponsored & Endorsed Events Educational Resources Career Resources Job Board Fellowships & Program Directors IBHRE Exam Jobs at ...

  14. A Citation Analysis of Psychology Students' Use of Sources in Online Distance Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Weaver, Nancy Evans; Barnard, Estelle

    2015-01-01

    Reference lists from two assignments of psychology students in university-level online distance learning (ODL) were analyzed for number and type of sources and mark achieved. Most referenced were resources relevant to the assignment and provided by instructors. Use changed across assignments: Instructor sources were used more on the first…

  15. A Comparison of E-Learning in Scotland's Colleges and Secondary Schools: The Case of National Qualifications in "Core Skills"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davidson, J. K.; Elliot, D. L.

    2007-01-01

    This paper investigates and compares the utilization of online resources to support teaching and learning in two different educational sectors with overlapping student groups in Scotland: secondary schools and further education (FE) colleges. The online "Core Skills" materials included Numeracy, Communication, Information Technology…

  16. Best Practices in Digital Object Development for Education: Promoting Excellence and Innovation in Instructional Quality and Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reece, Amanda A.

    2016-01-01

    A program of development of online learning resources should provide content, resources, support and activities to promote excellence and innovation in instructional quality and assessment. This article provides details on five best practices in digital object development for teaching and learning. In addition, an evaluation of the learning object…

  17. Online Dissection Audio-Visual Resources for Human Anatomy: Undergraduate Medical Students' Usage and Learning Outcomes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Choi-Lundberg, Derek L.; Cuellar, William A.; Williams, Anne-Marie M.

    2016-01-01

    In an attempt to improve undergraduate medical student preparation for and learning from dissection sessions, dissection audio-visual resources (DAVR) were developed. Data from e-learning management systems indicated DAVR were accessed by 28% ± 10 (mean ± SD for nine DAVR across three years) of students prior to the corresponding dissection…

  18. Evaluation of an online three-dimensional interactive resource for undergraduate neuroanatomy education.

    PubMed

    Allen, Lauren K; Eagleson, Roy; de Ribaupierre, Sandrine

    2016-10-01

    Neuroanatomy is one of the most challenging subjects in anatomy, and novice students often experience difficulty grasping the complex three-dimensional (3D) spatial relationships. This study evaluated a 3D neuroanatomy e-learning module, as well as the relationship between spatial abilities and students' knowledge in neuroanatomy. The study's cross-over design divided the participants into two groups, each starting with tests for anatomy knowledge and spatial ability, followed by access to either the 3D online learning module or the gross anatomy laboratory. Participants completed a second knowledge test prior to accessing the other learning modality. Participants in both groups scored significantly higher on Quiz 1 than on the Pretest knowledge assessment (W = 47, P < 0.01; W = 30, P < 0.01). Students who initially accessed the 3D online resources scored significantly better on the Quiz 1 than students who accessed the gross anatomy resources (W = 397.5, P < 0.01). Scores significantly improved on Quiz 2 for participants who accessed the 3D learning module following exposure to the cadaveric resources (W = 94, P < 0.01). After exposure to both learning modalities, there were no significant differences between groups. Significant positive correlations were found between participants' spatial ability score and their performance on the Pretest, Quiz 1, and Quiz 2 assessments (r = 0.22, P = 0.04; r = 0.25, P = 0.02; r = 0.26, P = 0.02). These preliminary results found students appreciated working with the 3D e-learning module, and their learning outcomes significantly improved after accessing the resource. Anat Sci Educ 9: 431-439. © 2016 American Association of Anatomists. © 2016 American Association of Anatomists.

  19. All for one and one for all: understanding health professionals' experience in individual versus collaborative online learning.

    PubMed

    MacNeill, Heather; Telner, Deanna; Sparaggis-Agaliotis, Alexandra; Hanna, Elizabeth

    2014-01-01

    Computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) may facilitate continuing interprofessional education while overcoming barriers of time and place for busy health care professionals. The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences, advantages, and challenges of group versus individual online learning. Fifteen multidisciplinary health professionals participated in a 12-week online course on either diabetes or traumatic brain injury. This consisted of background e-modules and a longitudinal build-a-case exercise, done either individually or as a group. Focus group sessions exploring participants' experiences after course completion and at 4 months were conducted, transcribed, and analyzed for recurring themes. Participant reflection homework and video-recorded group sessions were used for triangulation of results. Individual learners appreciated the flexibility and control, but experienced decreased motivation. Group learners appreciated the immediate feedback from their co-learners and felt social pressure to come to the weekly sessions prepared but expressed challenges in determining group goal-setting for the session. Both groups felt they learned about interprofessional roles; however, group learners described a richer learning experience and understanding of interprofessional roles through the online collaboration exercise. The intense resources necessary for interprofessional CSCL, including time, faculty development, and technological issues, are described. CSCL is a valuable educational strategy in online learning. While individual online learning may be better suited for short and simple educational interventions such as knowledge acquisition, CSCL seems to allow for richer and deeper learning in complex and interprofessional educational experiences. However, strategies, resources, and faculty development required to enhance CSCL need to be addressed carefully. © 2014 The Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions, the Society for Academic Continuing Medical Education, and the Council on Continuing Medical Education, Association for Hospital Medical Education.

  20. The First Shared Online Curriculum Resources for Veterinary Undergraduate Learning and Teaching in Animal Welfare and Ethics in Australia and New Zealand.

    PubMed

    Johnson, Jane; Collins, Teresa; Degeling, Christopher; Fawcett, Anne; Fisher, Andrew D; Freire, Rafael; Hazel, Susan J; Hood, Jennifer; Lloyd, Janice; Phillips, Clive J C; Stafford, Kevin; Tzioumis, Vicky; McGreevy, Paul D

    2015-05-29

    The need for undergraduate teaching of Animal Welfare and Ethics (AWE) in Australian and New Zealand veterinary courses reflects increasing community concerns and expectations about AWE; global pressures regarding food security and sustainability; the demands of veterinary accreditation; and fears that, unless students encounter AWE as part of their formal education, as veterinarians they will be relatively unaware of the discipline of animal welfare science. To address this need we are developing online resources to ensure Australian and New Zealand veterinary graduates have the knowledge, and the research, communication and critical reasoning skills, to fulfill the AWE role demanded of them by contemporary society. To prioritize development of these resources we assembled leaders in the field of AWE education from the eight veterinary schools in Australia and New Zealand and used modified deliberative polling. This paper describes the role of the poll in developing the first shared online curriculum resource for veterinary undergraduate learning and teaching in AWE in Australia and New Zealand. The learning and teaching strategies that ranked highest in the exercise were: scenario-based learning; a quality of animal life assessment tool; the so-called 'Human Continuum' discussion platform; and a negotiated curriculum.

  1. An Online Knowledge Resource and Questionnaires as a Continuing Pharmacy Education Tool to Document Reflective Learning

    PubMed Central

    Budzinski, Jason W.; Pluye, Pierre; Grad, Roland M.; Repchinsky, Carol; Jovaisas, Barbara; Johnson-Lafleur, Janique

    2012-01-01

    Objective. To assess the use of an electronic knowledge resource to document continuing education activities and reveal educational needs of practicing pharmacists. Methods. Over a 38-week period, 67 e-mails were sent to 6,500 Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA) members. Each e-mail contained a link to an e-Therapeutics+ Highlight, a factual excerpt of selected content from an online drug and therapeutic knowledge resource. Participants were then prompted to complete a pop-up questionnaire. Results. Members completed 4,140 questionnaires. Participants attributed the information they learned in the Highlights to practice improvements (50.4%), learning (57.0%), and motivation to learn more (57.4%). Conclusions. Reading Highlight excerpts and completing Web-based questionnaires is an effective method of continuing education that could be easily documented and tracked, making it an effective tool for use with e-portfolios. PMID:22761523

  2. An online knowledge resource and questionnaires as a continuing pharmacy education tool to document reflective learning.

    PubMed

    Budzinski, Jason W; Farrell, Barbara; Pluye, Pierre; Grad, Roland M; Repchinsky, Carol; Jovaisas, Barbara; Johnson-Lafleur, Janique

    2012-06-18

    To assess the use of an electronic knowledge resource to document continuing education activities and reveal educational needs of practicing pharmacists. Over a 38-week period, 67 e-mails were sent to 6,500 Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA) members. Each e-mail contained a link to an e-Therapeutics+ Highlight, a factual excerpt of selected content from an online drug and therapeutic knowledge resource. Participants were then prompted to complete a pop-up questionnaire. Members completed 4,140 questionnaires. Participants attributed the information they learned in the Highlights to practice improvements (50.4%), learning (57.0%), and motivation to learn more (57.4%). Reading Highlight excerpts and completing Web-based questionnaires is an effective method of continuing education that could be easily documented and tracked, making it an effective tool for use with e-portfolios.

  3. Discovering online learning barriers: survey of health educational stakeholders in dentistry.

    PubMed

    Schönwetter, D; Reynolds, P

    2013-02-01

    Given the exponential explosion of online learning tools and the challenge to harness their influence in dental education, there is a need to determine the current status of online learning tools being adopted at dental schools, the barriers that thwart the potential of adopting these and to capture this information from each of the various stakeholders involved in dental online learning (administrators, instructors, students and software/hardware technicians). The aims of this exploratory study are threefold: first, to understand which online learning tools are currently being adopted at dental schools; second, to determine the barriers in adopting online learning in dental education; and third, to identify a way of better preparing stakeholders in their quest to encourage others at their institutions to adopt online learning tools. Seventy-two participants representing eight countries and 13 stakeholder groups in dentistry were invited to complete the online Survey of Barriers in Online Learning Education in Health Professional Schools. The survey was created for this study but generic to all healthcare education domains. Twenty participants completed the survey. demonstrated that many online learning tools are being successfully adopted at dental schools, but computer-based assessment tools are the least successful. Added to this are challenges of support and resources for online learning tools. Participants offered suggestions of creating a blended (online and face-to-face) tutorial aimed at assisting stakeholders to help their dental schools in adopting online learning tools The information from this study is essential in helping us to better prepare the next generation of dental providers in terms of adopting online learning tools. This paper will not only provide strategies of how best to proceed, but also inspire participants with the necessary tools to move forward as they assist their clients with adopting and sustaining online learning tools and models. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

  4. e-Mentoring Possibilities for Online Doctoral Students: A Literature Review

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Columbaro, Norina L.

    2009-01-01

    A growing number of adult learners invest time, energy, and financial resources in completing online doctoral degrees. Several factors, other than the program itself, influence a person's decision to pursue a degree online. Many choose online learning because they are faced with challenges often typical for adult learners that prohibit them from…

  5. An Administrator's Guide to Online Education. The USDLA Book Series on Distance Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shelton, Kaye, Ed.; Saltsman, George, Ed.

    2005-01-01

    An Administrator's Guide to Online Education is an essential resource for the higher education administrator. Unlike most books regarding online education, this book is not about teaching; it is about effectively administrating an online education program. Grounded in existing distance education theory, and drawing from best practices, current…

  6. DELIVERing Library Resources to the Virtual Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Secker, Jane

    2005-01-01

    Purpose: Examines a project to integrate digital libraries and virtual learning environments (VLE) focusing on requirements for online reading list systems. Design/methodology/approach: Conducted a user needs analysis using interviews and focus groups and evaluated three reading or resource list management systems. Findings: Provides a technical…

  7. LearnAlaska Portal

    Science.gov Websites

    ESS (Employee Self Service) E-Travel Online Login IRIS FIN/PROC Login IRIS HRM Login LearnAlaska SFOA SharePoint Site TRIPS (Traveler Integrated Profile System) Vendor Self Service (VSS) Resources Alaska & Resources Manuals Payment Detail Report Salary Schedules SFOA SharePoint Site (SOA Only) Training

  8. Starting Point: Pedagogic Resources for Teaching and Learning Economics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maier, Mark H.; McGoldrick, KimMarie; Simkins, Scott P.

    2012-01-01

    This article describes Starting Point: Teaching and Learning Economics, a Web-based portal that makes innovative pedagogic resources and effective teaching practices easily accessible to economists. Starting Point introduces economists to teaching innovations through 16 online modules, each containing a general description of a specific pedagogic…

  9. Value Creation in Online Communities for Educators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Booth, Sharon E.; Kellogg, Shaun B.

    2015-01-01

    The popularity and pervasiveness of online communities have led researchers and practitioners alike to closely examine the utility of online communities for supporting and facilitating professional learning. As economic constraints leave fewer resources available for professional development, educators in particular are examining the potential of…

  10. Practice makes perfect? The pedagogic value of online independent phonetic transcription practice for speech and language therapy students.

    PubMed

    Titterington, Jill; Bates, Sally

    2018-01-01

    Accuracy of phonetic transcription is a core skill for speech and language therapists (SLTs) worldwide (Howard & Heselwood, 2002). The current study investigates the value of weekly independent online phonetic transcription tasks to support development of this skill in year one SLT students. Using a mixed methods observational design, students enrolled in a year one phonetics module completed 10 weekly homework activities in phonetic transcription on a stand-alone tutorial site (WebFon (Bates, Matthews & Eagles, 2010)) and 5 weekly online quizzes (the 'Ulster Set' (Titterington, unpublished)). Student engagement with WebFon was measured in terms of the number of responses made to 'sparks' on the University's Virtual Learning Environment Discussion Board. Measures of phonetic transcription accuracy were obtained for the 'Ulster Set' and for a stand-alone piece of coursework at the end of the module. Qualitative feedback about experience with the online learning was gathered via questionnaire. A positive significant association was found between student engagement with WebFon and performance in the 'Ulster Set', and between performance in the 'Ulster Set' and final coursework. Students valued both online independent learning resources as each supported different learning needs. However, student compliance with WebFon was significantly lower than with the 'Ulster Set'. Motivators and inhibitors to engagement with the online resources were investigated identifying what best maximised engagement. These results indicate that while 'independent' online learning can support development of phonetic transcription skills, the activities must be carefully managed and constructively aligned to assessment providing the level of valance necessary to ensure effective engagement.

  11. Integrating Technology, Curriculum, and Online Resources: A Multilevel Model Study of Impacts on Science Teachers and Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ye, Lei

    2013-01-01

    This scale-up study investigated the impact of a teacher technology tool (Curriculum Customization Service, CCS), curriculum, and online resources on earth science teachers' attitudes, beliefs, and practices and on students' achievement and engagement with science learning. Participants included 73 teachers and over 2,000 ninth-grade students…

  12. Adult Learners' Use of Flexible Online Resources in a Blended Programme

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cornelius, Sarah; Gordon, Carole

    2009-01-01

    This paper presents a case study of a blended programme for adults and discusses findings from a mixed-methods investigative study of learners' and tutors' experiences of the programme. The programme employs a set of flexible online resources, which are activity-based and designed to provide choice in study routes and modes of learning. Our…

  13. Supporting Middle School Students' Online Reading of Scientific Resources: Moving beyond Cursory, Fragmented, and Opportunistic Reading

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zhang, M.

    2013-01-01

    The abundant scientific resources on the Web provide great opportunities for students to expand their science learning, yet easy access to information does not ensure learning. Prior research has found that middle school students tend to read Web-based scientific resources in a shallow, superficial manner. A software tool was designed to support…

  14. Pedagogic Effectiveness of Print, Interactive Multimedia, and Online Resources: A Case Study of IGNOU

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dikshit, Jyotsna; Garg, Suresh; Panda, Santosh

    2013-01-01

    In the present paper, the authors report on a comparative study on the pedagogic effectiveness of printed self-learning text with face-to-face tutorial support, interactive multimedia CD-ROM and online learning in an introductory computing module at the certificate level offered at Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), India. The study…

  15. Exploring Teacher Use of an Online Forum to Develop Game-Based Learning Literacy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barany, Amanda; Shah, Mamta; Foster, Aroutis

    2017-01-01

    Game-based learning researchers have emphasized the importance of teachers' game literacy and knowledge of pedagogical approaches involved in successfully adopting an instructional approach (Bell and Gresalfi, 2017). In this paper, we describe findings from an online resource that teachers used to generate a repository of games for use both during…

  16. On-Line Learning Materials for the Science Classroom: Design Methodology and Implementation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hoffman, Joseph L.; And Others

    The recent introduction of the Internet into classrooms provides an opportunity for learners to access a wide range of digital resources on the World Wide Web. The development of on-line learning materials can support inquiry-based activities for students as they pursue questions of interest, plan searches, and analyze their findings. This paper…

  17. Responding to Outreach and Training Challenges in Health Information: A Case Study from Africa

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chimalizeni, Michael; Chimwaza, Gracian; Chataira, Blessing; Msengezi, Chipo

    2014-01-01

    This article shares the experience and lessons learned by Information Training and Outreach Center for Africa (ITOCA) in rolling out an on-line distance learning course. Key objectives were to explore the efficacy of online courses in increasing skills and awareness of electronic resources access initiatives. This is in the context of responding…

  18. Decentering resources: a phenomenological study of interpretive pedagogies in patient education.

    PubMed

    Scheckel, Martha; Hedrick-Erickson, Jennifer

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this interpretive phenomenological study was to document an innovative approach to teaching patient education where RN-Bachelor of Science in Nursing students, through an online course, learned and applied the interpretive pedagogies in patient education. The online course was the educational intervention which laid the groundwork of the study. Data were then collected from 9 of 18 students who took the course and agreed to participate. Interviews were audiotaped face to face or by telephone and transcribed and interpreted for meanings. Two themes that emerged for teaching patient education included "Decentering Resources: Listening Through Questioning" and "Decentering Resources: Empowering Through Questioning." This study revealed that, as students learned the interpretive pedagogies, resources (brochures, handouts, videos, etc.) took on less importance in their patient education practice. They recognized how resources frequently impeded patient-nurse interactions in teaching and learning encounters. Once students understood that they were perhaps depending too much on resources, they began engaging in questioning practices where significant meanings of listening and empowering in patient education unfolded. This study encourages nurse educators to teach students interpretive pedagogies in patient education to promote pedagogical literacy, which preserves the time-honored tradition of working together with patients during teaching and learning encounters.

  19. How Do Clinicians Learn About Knowledge Translation? An Investigation of Current Web-Based Learning Opportunities

    PubMed Central

    Tieman, Jennifer J

    2017-01-01

    Background Clinicians are important stakeholders in the translation of well-designed research evidence into clinical practice for optimal patient care. However, the application of knowledge translation (KT) theories and processes may present conceptual and practical challenges for clinicians. Online learning platforms are an effective means of delivering KT education, providing an interactive, time-efficient, and affordable alternative to face-to-face education programs. Objective This study investigates the availability and accessibility of online KT learning opportunities for health professionals. It also provides an analysis of the types of resources and associated disciplines retrieved by a range of KT synonyms. Methods We searched a range of bibliographic databases and the Internet (Google advanced option) using 9 KT terms to identify online KT learning resources. To be eligible, resources had to be free, aimed at clinicians, educational in intent, and interactive in design. Each term was searched using two different search engines. The details of the first 100 websites captured per browser (ie, n=200 results per term) were entered into EndNote. Each site was subsequently visited to determine its status as a learning resource. Eligible websites were appraised for quality using the AACODS (Authority, Accuracy, Coverage, Objectivity, Date, Significance) tool. Results We identified 971 unique websites via our multiple search strategies. Of these, 43 were health-related and educational in intent. Once these sites were evaluated for interactivity, a single website matched our inclusion criteria (Dementia Knowledge Translation Learning Centre). Conclusions KT is an important but complex system of processes. These processes overlap with knowledge, practice, and improvement processes that go by a range of different names. For clinicians to be informed and competent in KT, they require better access to free learning opportunities. These resources should be designed from the viewpoint of the clinician, presenting KT’s multifaceted theories and processes in an engaging, interactive way. This learning should empower clinicians to contextualize and apply KT strategies within their own care settings. PMID:28705788

  20. Retrieving Online Language Learning Resources: Classification and Quality

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Krajcso, Zita; Frimmel, Ulrike

    2017-01-01

    Foreign language teachers and learners use digital repositories frequently to find appropriate activities for their teaching and learning activities. The question is: How can content providers support them in finding exactly what they need and in retrieving high quality resources? This question has been discussed in the literature and in the…

  1. Assessment of the Effectiveness of an Online Learning System in Improving Student Test Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Buttner, E. Holly; Black, Aprille Noe

    2014-01-01

    Colleges and universities, particularly public institutions, are facing higher enrollments and declining resources from state and federal governments. In this resource-constrained environment, faculty are seeking more efficient and effective teaching strategies to improve student learning and test performance. The authors assessed an online…

  2. Learning to use the Internet as a study tool: a review of available resources and exploration of students' priorities.

    PubMed

    Bond, Carol S; Fevyer, David; Pitt, Chris

    2006-09-01

    The Internet is a valuable information tool, but users often struggle to locate good quality information from within the vast amount of information available. The aim of the study was to identify the online information resources available to assist students develop Internet searching skills, and to explore the students' priorities in online guides. A qualitative approach was adopted with two phases. The first was a structured search of available online study skills resources. The second comprised 10 group interviews with a total of 60 students at all stages of five undergraduate health and social care related courses at a UK university. The study found that there were good online guides available, but that, perversely, the better guides tended to require the best searching skills to locate them. A few students were enthusiastic about using online support, however the majority felt that if they had the skills to locate such resources they wouldn't use a study guide to improve these skills, and if they did not have the skills they would not think of using an online guide to develop them. Students wanted assistance when they had problems or questions, rather than sites that offered structured learning experiences. Personal support rather than virtual support was also considered to be most important to the students in this study.

  3. Group dynamics and social interaction in a South Asian online learning forum for faculty development of medical teachers.

    PubMed

    Anshu; Sharma, M; Burdick, W P; Singh, T

    2010-04-01

    Group dynamics of online medical faculty development programs have not been analyzed and reported in literature. Knowledge of the types of content of posted messages will help to understand group dynamics and promote participation in an asynchronous learning environment. This paper assesses group dynamics and social interactivity in an online learning environment for medical teachers in the South Asian context. Participants of a medical education fellowship program conducted by the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER) Regional Institute at Christian Medical College, Ludhiana (CMCL) in India interact on a listserv called the Mentoring-Learning Web (ML-Web). Monthly topics for online discussion are chosen by fellows through a standard tool called "multi-voting". Fellows volunteer to moderate sessions and direct the pace of the discussion. We analyzed the content and process of the discussion of one particular month. The emails were categorized as those that reflected cognitive presence (dealing with construction and exploration of knowledge), teacher presence (dealing with instructional material and learning resources), and social presence, or were administrative in nature. Social emails were further classified as: affective, cohesive and interactive. Social emails constituted one-third of the total emails. Another one-quarter of the emails dealt with sharing of resources and teacher presence, while cognitive emails comprised 36.2% of the total. More than half of the social emails were affective, while a little less than one-third were cohesive. Social posts are an inevitable part of online learning. These posts promote bonding between learners and contribute to better interaction and collaboration in online learning. Moderators should be aware of their presence and use them as tools to promote interactivity.

  4. Evaluating Programs That Promote Climate and Energy Education-Meeting Teacher Needs for Online Resources

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lynds, S. E.; Buhr, S. M.

    2011-12-01

    The Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN) Pathway, is a National Science Digital Library (NSDL) Pathways project that was begun in 2010. The main goal of CLEAN is to generate a reviewed collection of educational resources that are aligned with the Essential Principles of Climate Science (EPCS). Another goal of the project is to support a community that will assist students, teachers, and citizens in climate literacy. A complementary program begun in 2010 is the ICEE (Inspiring Climate Education Excellence) program, which is developing online modules and courses designed around the climate literacy principles for use by teachers and other interested citizens. In these projects, we learn about teacher needs through a variety of evaluation mechanisms. The programs use evaluation to assist in the process of providing easy access to high quality climate and energy learning resources that meet classroom requirements. The internal evaluation of the CLEAN program is multidimensional. At the CLEAN resource review camps, teachers and scientists work together in small groups to assess the value of online resources for use in the classroom. The review camps are evaluated using observation and feedback surveys; the resulting evaluation reports provide information to managers to fine-tune future camps. In this way, a model for effective climate resource development meetings has been refined. Evaluation methods used in ICEE and CLEAN include teacher needs assessment surveys, teacher feedback at professional development opportunities, scientist feedback at resource review workshops, and regular analysis of online usage of resources, forums, and education modules. This paper will review the most successful strategies for evaluating the effectiveness of online climate and energy education resources and their use by educators and the general public.

  5. An analysis of learning in an online biology course for teachers and teacher candidates: A mixed methods approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lebec, Michael Thomas

    Due to discipline specific shortages, web-based learning has been proposed as a convenient way to upgrade the content knowledge of instructors interested in learning to teach science. Despite quantitative evidence that web-based instruction is equivalent to traditional methods, questions remain regarding its use. The efficiency and practicality of this approach with teachers in particular has not been extensively studied. This investigation examines learning in an online biology course designed to help teachers prepare for science certification exams. Research questions concern flow teachers learn biology in the online environment and how this setting influences the learning process. Quantitative and qualitative methodologies are employed in an attempt to provide a more complete perspective than typical studies of online learning. Concept maps, tests, and online discussion transcripts are compared as measures of assimilated knowledge, while interviews reflect participants' views on the course. Findings indicate that participants experienced gains in declarative knowledge, but little improvement with respect to conditional knowledge. Qualitative examination of concept maps demonstrates gaps in participants' understandings of key course ideas. Engagement in the use of online resources varied according to participants' attitudes towards online learning. Subjects also reported a lack of motivation to fully engage in the course due to busy teaching schedules and the absence of accountability.

  6. Online anatomy and physiology: piloting the use of an anatomy and physiology e-book-VLE hybrid in pre-registration and post-qualifying nursing programmes at the University of Salford.

    PubMed

    Raynor, Michael; Iggulden, Helen

    2008-06-01

    Anatomy and physiology (A&P) teaching and learning in nursing curricula poses problems for educators because of the often varying levels of students' background knowledge. This study reports on a pilot project that attempted to normalize these differentials by delivering A&P teaching using an online interactive e-book-virtual learning environment (VLE) hybrid. Evaluate the effectiveness of using an online interactive resource to deliver A&P teaching. Data were collected from pre-registration and post-qualifying students by questionnaire and observation, and from lecturers by structured interviews. Scale-up issues were identified and documented as part of support for the ongoing pilot. The pre-registration group encountered problems accessing the resource and yielded evidence to suggest that inexperienced learners require a high level of direction to use the resource effectively. The post-qualifying group benefited from the resource's interactive elements and 24/7 availability. There was clear evidence that the group were able to relate knowledge gained from the resource to practice. This hybrid has great potential to add value to A&P learning on nursing programmes at post-qualifying level. The resource could replace its printed equivalent; however, negotiations need to take place between institutions and publishers in order to resolve scale-up issues.

  7. Massive open online courses: a resource for health education in developing countries.

    PubMed

    Liyanagunawardena, Tharindu R; Aboshady, Omar A

    2017-01-01

    Developing countries are suffering from increasing burdens presented by both non-communicable and emerging infectious diseases. Health education is an important step to fight against these mostly preventable diseases. E-learning has been shown to be one of the tools that address some of the training challenges experienced in developing countries by supporting efficient content delivery, decreasing costs and increasing access. Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are a recent innovative presentation of online learning that have attracted millions of learners from all over the world. In this commentary, we propose MOOCs as a potential tool to offer a tremendous opportunity to fulfil the unmet training needs of the health sector in developing countries in two complementary ways: as a resource for training healthcare professionals; and as a resource for the general public. Potential barriers to accessing MOOCs and possible solutions are also discussed.

  8. Evaluating an Innovative eLearning Pain Education Interprofessional Resource: A Pre-Post Study.

    PubMed

    Watt-Watson, Judy; McGillion, Michael; Lax, Leila; Oskarsson, Jon; Hunter, Judith; MacLennan, Cameron; Knickle, Kerry; Victor, J Charles

    2018-06-20

    The challenges of moving the pain education agenda forward are significant worldwide, and resources, including online, are needed to help educators in curriculum development. Online resources are available but with insufficient evaluation in the context of prelicensure pain education. Therefore, this pre-post study examined the impact of an innovative eLearning model: the Pain Education Interprofessional Resource (PEIR) on usability, pain knowledge, beliefs, and understanding of pain assessment skills including empathy. Participants were students (N = 96) recruited from seven prelicensure health sciences programs at the University of Toronto. They worked through three multifaceted modules, developed by an interprofessional team, that followed a patient with acute to persistent postsurgical pain up to one year. Module objectives, content, and assessment were based on International Association for the Study of Pain Pain Curricula domains and related pain core competencies. Multimedia interactive components focused on pain mechanisms and key pain care issues. Outcome measures included previously validated tools; data were analyzed in SPSS. Online exercises provided concurrent individual feedback throughout all modules. The completion rate for modules and online assessments was 100%. Overall usability scores (SD) were strong 4.27/5 (0.56). On average, pain knowledge scores increased 20% (P < 0.001). The Pain Assessment Skills Tool was sensitive to differences in student and expert pain assessment evaluation ratings and was useful as a tool to deliver formative feedback while engaged in interactive eLearning about pain assessment. PEIR is an effective eLearning program with high student ratings for educational design and usability that significantly improved pain knowledge and understanding of collaborative care.

  9. Identifying Professional Development Needs of High School Teachers Tasked with Online Course Design

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lugar, Debbie J.

    2017-01-01

    To satisfy demand for online learning opportunities at the high school level, 3 school districts in the northeast United States established a consortium to share resources to develop and deliver online courses. High school teachers who volunteered to develop courses for the consortium attempted the task without previous training in online course…

  10. Digital curation and online resources: digital scanning of surgical tools at the royal college of physicians and surgeons of Glasgow for an open university learning resource.

    PubMed

    Earley, Kirsty; Livingstone, Daniel; Rea, Paul M

    2017-01-01

    Collection preservation is essential for the cultural status of any city. However, presenting a collection publicly risks damage. Recently this drawback has been overcome by digital curation. Described here is a method of digitisation using photogrammetry and virtual reality software. Items were selected from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow archives, and implemented into an online learning module for the Open University. Images were processed via Agisoft Photoscan, Autodesk Memento, and Garden Gnome Object 2VR. Although problems arose due to specularity, 2VR digital models were developed for online viewing. Future research must minimise the difficulty of digitising specular objects.

  11. Faculty experiences with providing online courses. Thorns among the roses.

    PubMed

    Cravener, P A

    1999-01-01

    This article presents a review of the literature summarizing faculty reports of their experiences with computer-mediated distance education compared with their traditional face-to-face teaching experiences. Both challenges and benefits of distance learning programs contrasted with classroom-based teaching are revealed. Specific difficulties and advantages identified by online faculty were categorized into four broad areas of impact on the teaching/learning experience: (a) faculty workload, (b) access to education, (c) adapting to technology, and (d) instructional quality. Challenges appear to be related predominantly to faculty workloads, new technologies, and online course management. Benefits identified by online educators indicate that computer-mediated distance education has high potential for expanding student access to educational resources, for providing individualized instruction, and for promoting active learning among geographically separated members of learning groups.

  12. Student Attitudes to Traditional and Online Methods of Delivery

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wong, Lily; Fong, Michelle

    2014-01-01

    Rapid developments in education technology have provided educators and students new options in a constantly changing, competitive teaching and learning environment. As the number of online teaching resources continue to increase, research into student attitudes toward traditional and online methods of delivery is important in order to determine…

  13. Applications of Online Instruction: An Overview for Teachers, Students with Mild Disabilities, and Their Parents.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Sean J.; Meyen, Edward L.

    2003-01-01

    This article describes online instruction in the context of online technologies, instructional environment, and home environment of students with disabilities. Topics covered include advantages, cost effectiveness, Web accessibility, universal design for learning, tools for accessing and organizing resources, tools for communication, learning…

  14. University Unbound! Higher Education in the Age of "Free"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harney, John O.

    2012-01-01

    Innovators and entrepreneurs are using technologies to make freely available the things for which universities charge significant money. MOOCs (massive open online courses), free online courses, lecture podcasts, low-cost off-the-shelf general education courses, online tutorials, digital collections of open learning resources, open badges--all are…

  15. Online Education Vendor Partners: When and How to Select One

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hoffman, Michael S.

    2012-01-01

    Higher education institutions are increasingly looking to online education as a means to broaden their market reach, increase student enrollments and ultimately realize increased tuition revenue. Many institutions, however, find that they have insufficient infrastructure resources to launch one or more fully online learning programs. A small…

  16. Physics Instructional Resource Usage by High-, Medium-, and Low-Skilled MOOC Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Balint, Trevor A.; Teodorescu, Raluca; Colvin, Kimberly; Choi, Youn-Jeng; Pritchard, David

    2017-01-01

    In this paper we examine how different types of participants in a physics Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) tend to use the existing course resources. We use data from the 2013 offering of the Massive Open Online Course 8.MReVx designed by the RELATE (REsearch in Learning Assessing and Tutoring Effectively) Group at the Massachusetts Institute of…

  17. The Virtual Maternity Clinic: a teaching and learning innovation for midwifery education.

    PubMed

    Phillips, Diane; Duke, Maxine; Nagle, Cate; Macfarlane, Susie; Karantzas, Gery; Patterson, Denise

    2013-10-01

    There are challenges for midwifery students in developing skill and competency due to limited placements in antenatal clinics. The Virtual Maternity Clinic, an online resource, was developed to support student learning in professional midwifery practice. Identifying students' perceptions of the Virtual Maternity Clinic; learning about the impact of the Virtual Maternity Clinic on the students' experience of its use and access; and learning about the level of student satisfaction of the Virtual Maternity Clinic. Two interventions were used including pre and post evaluations of the online learning resource with data obtained from questionnaires using open ended and dichotomous responses and rating scales. The pre-Virtual Maternity Clinic intervention used a qualitative design and the post-Virtual Maternity Clinic intervention applied both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Three campuses of Deakin University, located in Victoria, Australia. Midwifery students enrolled in the Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Midwifery and Graduate Diploma of Midwifery were recruited across three campuses of Deakin University (n=140). Thematic analysis of the pre-Virtual Maternity Clinic intervention (return rate n=119) related to students' expectations of this resource. The data for the post-Virtual Maternity Clinic intervention (return rate n=42) including open-ended responses were thematically analysed; dichotomous data examined in the form of frequencies and percentages of agreement and disagreement; and 5-rating scales were analysed using Pearson's correlations (α=.05, two-tailed). Results showed from the pre-Virtual Maternity Clinic intervention that students previously had placements in antenatal clinics were optimistic about the online learning resource. The post-Virtual Maternity Clinic intervention results indicated that students were satisfied with the Virtual Maternity Clinic as a learning resource despite some technological issues. The Virtual Maternity Clinic provides benefits for students in repeated observation of the practice of the midwife to support their professional learning and practice development. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. An Evaluation of Resource Development and Dissemination Activities Designed to Promote Problem-Based Learning at the University of Ulster

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hack, Catherine; McKillop, Aine; Sweetman, Sandra; McCormack, Jacqueline

    2015-01-01

    The transition from traditional instruction to a problem-based approach to learning requires many changes for educators and for students. The aim of this project was to develop an online problem-based learning (PBL) resource centre to provide academic staff from across the University with support in incorporating PBL in their curriculum design.…

  19. Googling in Anatomy Education: Can Google Trends Inform Educators of National Online Search Patterns of Anatomical Syllabi?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Phelan, Nigel; Davy, Shane; O'Keeffe, Gerard W.; Barry, Denis S.

    2017-01-01

    The role of e-learning platforms in anatomy education continues to expand as self-directed learning is promoted in higher education. Although a wide range of e-learning resources are available, determining student use of non-academic internet resources requires novel approaches. One such approach that may be useful is the Google Trends© web…

  20. Hook, Line and Canvas: Launching a Professional Development Program to Help Librarians Navigate the Still and Stormy Waters of Online Teaching and Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bliquez, Rebecca; Deeken, Lynn

    2016-01-01

    Professional development is critically important for librarians trying to establish an embedded presence in online and hybrid courses. The institutional learning management system (LMS) provides a medium for enhanced visibility of both library resources and librarians as instructional collaborators and curriculum designers. This case study…

  1. Teach Students to Dig for Understanding Using an Unexpected Technological Shovel

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lake, Susan E. L.

    2004-01-01

    Online genealogy tools is an unexpected resource as these tools not only serve valuable for genealogy research, but also can be used by students to learn about their country's past and learn to use primary materials to draw conclusions. Some of these Online sources like the 1880 census available at www.ancestry.com, www.thepastwhispers.com, which…

  2. Barriers to Self-Motivated Conceptual Music Learning: Activity Theory as a Framework for Comparing Dissimilar Cases

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schmidt-Jones, Catherine

    2018-01-01

    This paper describes the use of activity theory to compare dissimilar cases in a study of adult online music learners. The purpose of the study was to better understand the barriers that keep self-motivated users of online open education resources from experiencing successful independent learning. Eleven participants were given tutoring-style help…

  3. Student Engagement Patterns over the Duration of Level 1 and Level 3 Geography Modules: Influences on Student Attendance, Performance and Use of Online Resources

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stewart, Martyn; Stott, Tim; Nuttall, Anne-Marie

    2011-01-01

    Greater flexibility in delivery resulting from increased use of e-learning will inevitably change the way university students approach studying. Recent studies have examined relationships between attendance, online learning and performance but findings are inconclusive. One concern is that an unintended consequence of placing lecture resources…

  4. Review of online educational resources for medical physicists.

    PubMed

    Prisciandaro, Joann I

    2013-11-04

    Medical physicists are often involved in the didactic training of graduate students, residents (both physics and physicians), and technologists. As part of continuing medical education, we are also involved in maintenance of certification projects to assist in the education of our peers. As such, it is imperative that we remain current concerning available educational resources. Medical physics journals offer book reviews, allowing us an opportunity to learn about newly published books in the field. A similar means of communication is not currently available for online educational resources. This information is conveyed through informal means. This review presents a summary of online resources available to the medical physics community that may be useful for educational purposes.

  5. Online professional development for digitally differentiated nurses: An action research perspective.

    PubMed

    Green, J K; Huntington, A D

    2017-01-01

    Professional development opportunities for nurses are increasingly being offered in the online environment and therefore it is imperative that learning designers, nurse educators and healthcare organisations consider how best to support staff to enable Registered Nurses to capitalise on the resources available. Research participants explored educational strategies to support digitally differentiated nurses' engagement with professional development activities in an online environment through a participatory action research project that collected data over a 16 month period through six focus groups before being analysed thematically. The reality of work-based, e-learning while managing clinical workloads can be problematic however specific measures, such as having a quiet space and computer away from the clinical floor, access to professional development resources from anywhere and at any time, can be effective. A 'one-size-fits-all' approach to resources offered will not meet the needs of diverse staffing groups whereas heutagogical learning offers tangible benefits to Registered Nurses seeking professional development opportunities in this context. Apparent proficiency with technological skills may not reflect a Registered Nurse's actual ability in this environment and face-to-face support offered regularly, rather than remedially, can be beneficial for some staff. Implementing specific strategies can result in successful transition to the online environment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Online CKD education for medical students, residents, and fellows: training in a new era.

    PubMed

    Bhasin, Bhavna; Estrella, Michelle M; Choi, Michael J

    2013-07-01

    CKD and its complications are associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Studies have highlighted significant deficiencies in resident knowledge and awareness of CKD and its complications. There is a need to improve CKD education through medical school and residency. There is also a need to provide alternatives to traditional teaching methods to meet the challenges of learning in the context of work-hour restrictions and increasing workload among residents and fellows. Internet-based learning resources offer various educational tools, including websites, kidney blogs, online modules, and smartphone applications, which could potentially and efficiently advance CKD knowledge among medical trainees. In this review, we describe several online resources for CKD education that could be useful for medical students, residents, and fellows. Increased awareness of these tools and their utilization may significantly influence and hopefully improve the recognition and management of patients with CKD. Future studies may help evaluate the effectiveness of these online learning methods and their effect on CKD patient outcomes. In addition, in light of increased concern about nephrology workforce issues, the potential for these online tools to augment interest in nephrology careers should be investigated. Copyright © 2013 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Collaboration for Education with the Apple Learning Interchange

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Young, Patrick A.; Zimmerman, T.; Knierman, K. A.

    2006-12-01

    We present a progressive effort to deliver online education and outreach resources in collaboration with the Apple Learning Interchange, a free community for educators. We have created a resource site with astronomy activities, video training for the activities, and the possibility of interactive training through video chat services. Also in development is an online textbook for graduate and advanced undergraduate courses in stellar evolution, featuring an updatable and annotated text with multimedia content, online lectures, podcasts, and a framework for interactive simulation activities. Both sites will be highly interactive, combining online discussions, the opportunity for live video interaction, and a growing library of student work samples. This effort promises to provide a compelling model for collaboration between science educators and corporations. As scientists, we provide content knowledge and a compelling reason to communicate, while Apple provides technical expertise, a deep knowledge of online education, and a way for us to reach a wide audience of higher education, community outreach, and K-12 educators.

  8. Learning Tools for Knowledge Nomads: Using Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) in Web-based Learning Environments.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Loh, Christian Sebastian

    2001-01-01

    Examines how mobile computers, or personal digital assistants (PDAs), can be used in a Web-based learning environment. Topics include wireless networks on college campuses; online learning; Web-based learning technologies; synchronous and asynchronous communication via the Web; content resources; Web connections; and collaborative learning. (LRW)

  9. Exploring Learner Attitudes toward Web-Based Recommendation Learning Service System for Interdisciplinary Applications

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chen, Hong-Ren; Huang, Jhen-Gang

    2012-01-01

    The booming digital-content industry has resulted in an increasing number of e-learning Internet websites that provide online learning services. Recommendations for learning sites are used by diverse learners to identify the most appropriate learning resources. However, research into recommendations about learning has concentrated primarily on…

  10. Utilisation of internet resources for continuing professional development: a cross-sectional survey of general practitioners in Scotland.

    PubMed

    MacWalter, Gordon; McKay, John; Bowie, Paul

    2016-01-21

    Participation in continuing professional development (CPD) is a professional and regulatory expectation of general practitioners (GPs). Traditionally, CPD activity was undertaken face-to-face in educational settings, but internet based formats have found increasing favour. The need for doctors to use the internet for service and educational purposes is growing, particularly in support of specialty training and appraisal. We aimed to determine how GPs in Scotland utilise online resources in support of their CPD. This involved identifying which resources are used and how frequently, along with their preferences as to how and why they access these resources. A cross sectional study was undertaken using an online questionnaire to survey general practitioners across Scotland. Data were subjected to descriptive analysis and differences in attitudinal responses between groups and Fischer's exact tests were calculated. Three hundred and eighty-three GP responses were received, with the majority being female (n = 232, 60.6%) and GP partners (n = 236, 61.6%). The majority used the internet on three or more working days per week or more frequently (n = 361, 94.3%) with the three most common reasons being to obtain information for a patient (n = 358, 93.5%), answering a clinical question (n = 357, 93.2%) and CPD purposes (n = 308, 80.4%). Of 37 online resources used by respondents, the top five were SIGN Guidelines (n = 303, 79.3%), BMJ Learning (n = 279, 73.0%), NICE Guidelines (n = 255, 66.8%), GP Notebook (n = 243, 63.6%) and Google (n = 234, 61.3%). Low use of social media such as Facebook (n = 11, 2.9%) and Twitter (n = 11, 2.9%) was reported for CPD. A majority agreed that 'reading information online' (95.0%) and 'completing online learning modules' (87.4%) were the most valued online activities. Slow internet connections (n = 240, 62.7%), website access restrictions (n = 177, 46.2%) and difficulties logging into online CPD resources (n = 163, 42.6%) were reported barriers. Significant response differences (P < 0.05) were found between groups based on high volume online usage, gender and age. The majority of respondents had positive attitudes to using online resources for continuing professional development, and a preference for evidence-based and peer reviewed online resources. Information technology (IT) difficulties remain a barrier to effective utilisation. The findings have implications for future planning and design of online resources and IT infrastructure.

  11. Student Perceptions of Online Homework Use for Formative Assessment of Learning in Organic Chemistry.

    PubMed

    Richards-Babb, Michelle; Curtis, Reagan; Georgieva, Zomitsa; Penn, John H

    2015-11-10

    Use of online homework as a formative assessment tool for organic chemistry coursework was examined. Student perceptions of online homework in terms of (i) its ranking relative to other course aspects, (ii) their learning of organic chemistry, and (iii) whether it improved their study habits and how students used it as a learning tool were investigated. Our students perceived the online homework as one of the more useful course aspects for learning organic chemistry content. We found a moderate and statistically significant correlation between online homework performance and final grade. Gender as a variable was ruled out since significant gender differences in overall attitude toward online homework use and course success rates were not found. Our students expressed relatively positive attitudes toward use of online homework with a majority indicating improved study habits (e.g., study in a more consistent manner). Our students used a variety of resources to remediate incorrect responses (e.g., class materials, general online materials, and help from others). However, 39% of our students admitted to guessing at times, instead of working to remediate incorrect responses. In large enrollment organic chemistry courses, online homework may act to bridge the student-instructor gap by providing students with a supportive mechanism for regulated learning of content.

  12. Building Learning Communities: Foundations for Good Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davies, Alison; Ramsay, Jill; Lindfield, Helen; Couperthwaite, John

    2005-01-01

    The School of Health Sciences at the University of Birmingham provided opportunities for the development of student learning communities and online resources within the neurological module of the BSc Physiotherapy degree programme. These learning communities were designed to facilitate peer and independent learning in core aspects underpinning…

  13. Learning about Huntington's Disease

    MedlinePlus

    ... Links for Patient Care Education All About the Human Genome Project Fact Sheets Genetic Education Resources for Teachers ... Education Kit Online Genetics Education Resources Smithsonian NHGRI Genome ... Subjects Research Informed Consent for Genomics Research Intellectual ...

  14. Learning about Myotonic Dystrophy

    MedlinePlus

    ... Links for Patient Care Education All About the Human Genome Project Fact Sheets Genetic Education Resources for Teachers ... Education Kit Online Genetics Education Resources Smithsonian NHGRI Genome ... Subjects Research Informed Consent for Genomics Research Intellectual ...

  15. Online Continuing Medical Education in Saudi Arabia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alwadie, Adnan D.

    2013-01-01

    As the largest country in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia and its health care system are well positioned to embark on an online learning intervention so that health care providers in all areas of the country have the resources for updating their professional knowledge and skills. After a brief introduction, online continuing medical education is…

  16. Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Do Repeating Students Overlook Online Course Components?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Holland, Jane; Clarke, Eric; Glynn, Mark

    2016-01-01

    E-Learning is becoming an integral part of undergraduate medicine, with many curricula incorporating a number of online activities and resources, in addition to more traditional teaching methods. This study examines physical attendance, online activity, and examination outcomes in a first-year undergraduate medical program. All 358 students who…

  17. Supporting Access to Open Online Courses for Learners of Developing Countries

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nti, Kwame

    2015-01-01

    This paper examines how access to, and use of, open online courses may be enhanced for learners of developing countries from a learner perspective. Using analysis of the open education concept, factors that affect access to open educational resources content, and universal standards for delivering online learning, the author demonstrates that the…

  18. Online Metacognitive Tasks for EFL Distance Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Garcia-Sanchez, Soraya

    2016-01-01

    Online courses have benefited from the adequate use of digital resources that allow learners to be the center of their own learning process. More often online instructors not only aim at what students have to individually do but learners are also engaged in interacting with the educational community by means of a variety of metacognitive…

  19. Harvesting Alternative Credit Transfer Students: Redefining Selectivity in Your Online Learning Program Enrollment Leads

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Corlett, Bradly

    2014-01-01

    Several recent issues and trends in online education have resulted in consolidation of efforts for Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), increased Open Educational Resources (OER) in the form of asynchronous course repositories, with noticeable increases in governance and policy amplification. These emerging enrollment trends in alternative online…

  20. Post Graduations in Technologies and Computing Applied to Education: From F2F Classes to Multimedia Online Open Courses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marques, Bertil P.; Carvalho, Piedade; Escudeiro, Paula; Barata, Ana; Silva, Ana; Queiros, Sandra

    2017-01-01

    Promoted by the significant increase of large scale internet access, many audiences have turned to the web and to its resources for learning and inspiration, with diverse sets of skills and intents. In this context, Multimedia Online Open Courses (MOOC) consist in learning models supported on user-friendly web tools that allow anyone with minimum…

  1. Histology in 3D: development of an online interactive student resource on epithelium.

    PubMed

    Sieben, Anna; Oparka, Richard; Erolin, Caroline

    2017-04-01

    Epithelium is an important and highly specialised tissue type that makes up the lining of inner and outer surfaces of the human body. It is proposed that a self-study tool adds to efficient learning and lecturing on this complicated topic in medical curricula. This paper describes the development and evaluation of an online interactive 3D resource on epithelium for undergraduate medical students. A first evaluation was carried out by means of an online survey (n = 37). The resource was evaluated positively on the website in general, its visual contents and its value and potential for the medical curriculum.

  2. Learning about Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease

    MedlinePlus

    ... Links for Patient Care Education All About the Human Genome Project Fact Sheets Genetic Education Resources for Teachers ... Education Kit Online Genetics Education Resources Smithsonian NHGRI Genome ... Subjects Research Informed Consent for Genomics Research Intellectual ...

  3. India in the Knowledge Economy--An Electronic Paradigm

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bhattacharya, Indrajit; Sharma, Kunal

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to make a strong case for investing in information and communication technologies (ICT) for building up of quality human resource capital for economic upliftment of India. An attempt has been made to explore the possibilities of online learning (OL)/e-learning towards building up of quality human resources in…

  4. Enabling a Community of Practice: Results of the LSCHE Web Portal Survey

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hoff, Meagan A.; Hodges, Russ; Lin, Yuting; McConnell, Michael C.

    2017-01-01

    The study explored usage patterns of the Learning Support Centers in Higher Education (LSCHE) web portal, an open educational resource (OER) that serves learning support center professionals. Results of an online survey taken by LSCHE users (N = 41) tracked their self-reported usage and perceived value of resources on the web portal, which…

  5. Digital Literacy: A Prerequisite for Effective Learning in a Blended Learning Environment?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tang, Chun Meng; Chaw, Lee Yen

    2016-01-01

    Blended learning has propelled into mainstream education in recent years with the help of digital technology. Commonly available digital devices and the Internet have made access to learning resources such as learning management systems, online libraries, digital media, etc. convenient and flexible for both lecturers and students. Beyond the…

  6. Evolving from Course-Centric to Learning-Centric: Portfolios, Wikis, and Social Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Everhart, Deborah

    2006-01-01

    Teaching and learning strategies for using course management systems have evolved from basic "fill in the blank" models to interactive designs that encourage multi-formatted individual contributions and collaborative forms of learning. In keeping with the participatory development of online resources, web-based courses are shifting from…

  7. Do Open Educational Resources and Cloud Classroom Really Improve Students' Learning?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tsai, Chia-Wen; Shen, Pei-Di

    2014-01-01

    More and more educational institutions are using educational technologies and online learning materials to help students achieve satisfactory learning effects. However, not all teachers are able to prepare and design digital learning materials for students. This research attempted to empirically demonstrate the effects of applying open educational…

  8. Translating the Science of Measuring Ecosystems at a National Scale: NEON's Online Learning Portal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wasser, L. A.

    2015-12-01

    "Big Data" are becoming increasingly common in many fields. The National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) will collect data over the 30 years, using consistent, standardized methods across the United States. These freely available new data provide an opportunity for increased understanding of continental- and global scale processes such as changes in vegetation structure and condition, biodiversity and landuse. However, while "big data" are becoming more accessible and available, working with big data is challenging. New and potentially unfamiliar data types and associated processing methods, required to work with a growing diversity of available data take time and resources to learn. Analysis of these big datasets may further present a challenge given large file sizes, and uncertainty regarding best methods to properly statistically summarize and analyze results. Finally, resources that support learning these concepts and approaches, are distributed widely across multiple online spaces and may take time to find. This presentation will overview the development of NEON's collaborative University-focused online education portal. It will also cover content testing, community feedback and results from workshops using online content. Portal content is hosted in github to facilitate community input, accessibility version control. Content includes 1) videos and supporting graphics that explain key concepts related to NEON and related big spatio-temporal and 2) data tutorials that include subsets of spatio-temporal data that can be used to learn key big data skills in a self-paced approach, or that can be used as a teaching tool in the classroom or in a workshop. All resources utilize free and open data processing, visualization and analysis tools, techniques and scripts. All NEON materials are being developed in collaboration with the scientific community and are being tested via in-person workshops. Visit the portal online: www.neondataskills.org.

  9. M-Learning and Technological Literacy: Analyzing Benefits for Apprenticeship

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cortés, Carlos Manuel Pacheco; Cortés, Adriana Margarita Pacheco

    2014-01-01

    The following study consists on comparative literature review conducted by several researchers and instructional designers; for a wide comprehension of Mobile-Learning (abbreviated "M-Learning") as an educational platform to provide "anytime-anywhere" access to interactions and resources on-line, and "Technological…

  10. Review of online educational resources for medical physicists

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Medical physicists are often involved in the didactic training of graduate students, residents (both physics and physicians), and technologists. As part of continuing medical education, we are also involved in maintenance of certification projects to assist in the education of our peers. As such, it is imperative that we remain current concerning available educational resources. Medical physics journals offer book reviews, allowing us an opportunity to learn about newly published books in the field. A similar means of communication is not currently available for online educational resources. This information is conveyed through informal means. This review presents a summary of online resources available to the medical physics community that may be useful for educational purposes. PACS number: 87.10.‐e PMID:24257289

  11. A comparative analysis of online education resources for patients undergoing endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery.

    PubMed

    Fahey, Natalie; Patel, Vimal; Rosseau, Gail

    2014-12-01

    Endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery has become the most commonly performed surgical procedure for pituitary tumor removal. As such, there are many patient-oriented educational materials on the technique available online for members of the public who desire to learn more about the surgery. It has been recommended that educational resources be written to the national average reading level, which in the United States is between sixth and seventh grade. This study assesses the reading level of the educational materials currently available online for endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery and determines whether these resources are written at a suitable comprehension level for most readers. Sixteen patient educational resources describing endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery were identified online and assessed using 4 standard readability assessments. Patient educational resources written for endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery are written far above the recommended reading level of sixth grade. The online educational resources written for patients about endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery are above the recommended reading level for patient education materials. Further revisions to simplify these resources on endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery are needed to ensure that most patients can comprehend this important material and make informed decisions about their health care. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  12. Cytopathology whole slide images and adaptive tutorials for senior medical students: a randomized crossover trial.

    PubMed

    Van Es, Simone L; Kumar, Rakesh K; Pryor, Wendy M; Salisbury, Elizabeth L; Velan, Gary M

    2016-01-08

    Diagnostic cytopathology is an essential part of clinical decision-making. However, due to a combination of factors including curriculum reform and shortage of pathologists to teach introductory cytopathology, this area of pathology receives little or no formal attention in most medical school curricula. We have previously described the successful use of efficient and effective digital learning resources, including whole slide images (WSI) and virtual microscopy adaptive tutorials (VMATs), to teach cytopathology to pathology specialist trainees - a group that had prior exposure to cytopathology in their day to day practice. Consequently, in the current study we attempted to demonstrate the efficiency and efficacy of this eLearning resource in a cohort of senior medical students that was completely naïve to the subject matter (cytopathology). We evaluated both the quantitative and qualitative impact of these digital educational materials for learning cytopathology compared with existing resources (e-textbooks and online atlases). The senior medical students were recruited from The University of New South Wales Australia for a randomized cross-over trial. Online assessments, administered after each arm of the trial, contained questions which related directly to a whole slide image. Two categories of questions in the assessments (focusing on either diagnosis or identification of cellular features) were utilized to determine efficacy. User experience and perceptions of efficiency were evaluated using online questionnaires containing Likert scale items and open-ended questions. For this cohort of senior medical students, virtual microscopy adaptive tutorials (VMATs) proved to be at least as effective as existing digital resources for learning cytopathology. Importantly, virtual microscopy adaptive tutorials had superior efficacy in facilitating accurate diagnosis on whole slide images. Student perceptions of VMATs were positive, particularly regarding the immediate feedback, interactivity and equity of learning which this learning resource provides. Virtual microscopy adaptive tutorials have the potential to improve the efficacy of learning microscopic pathology for medical students. The enhanced learning experience provided by these eLearning tools merits further investigation of their utility for other cohorts, including specialist trainees.

  13. How Do Clinicians Learn About Knowledge Translation? An Investigation of Current Web-Based Learning Opportunities.

    PubMed

    Damarell, Raechel A; Tieman, Jennifer J

    2017-07-13

    Clinicians are important stakeholders in the translation of well-designed research evidence into clinical practice for optimal patient care. However, the application of knowledge translation (KT) theories and processes may present conceptual and practical challenges for clinicians. Online learning platforms are an effective means of delivering KT education, providing an interactive, time-efficient, and affordable alternative to face-to-face education programs. This study investigates the availability and accessibility of online KT learning opportunities for health professionals. It also provides an analysis of the types of resources and associated disciplines retrieved by a range of KT synonyms. We searched a range of bibliographic databases and the Internet (Google advanced option) using 9 KT terms to identify online KT learning resources. To be eligible, resources had to be free, aimed at clinicians, educational in intent, and interactive in design. Each term was searched using two different search engines. The details of the first 100 websites captured per browser (ie, n=200 results per term) were entered into EndNote. Each site was subsequently visited to determine its status as a learning resource. Eligible websites were appraised for quality using the AACODS (Authority, Accuracy, Coverage, Objectivity, Date, Significance) tool. We identified 971 unique websites via our multiple search strategies. Of these, 43 were health-related and educational in intent. Once these sites were evaluated for interactivity, a single website matched our inclusion criteria (Dementia Knowledge Translation Learning Centre). KT is an important but complex system of processes. These processes overlap with knowledge, practice, and improvement processes that go by a range of different names. For clinicians to be informed and competent in KT, they require better access to free learning opportunities. These resources should be designed from the viewpoint of the clinician, presenting KT's multifaceted theories and processes in an engaging, interactive way. This learning should empower clinicians to contextualize and apply KT strategies within their own care settings. ©Raechel A Damarell, Jennifer J Tieman. Originally published in JMIR Medical Education (http://mededu.jmir.org), 13.07.2017.

  14. Best practice recommendations for the development, implementation, and evaluation of online knowledge translation resources in rehabilitation.

    PubMed

    Levac, Danielle; Glegg, Stephanie M N; Camden, Chantal; Rivard, Lisa M; Missiuna, Cheryl

    2015-04-01

    The knowledge-to-practice gap in rehabilitation has spurred knowledge translation (KT) initiatives aimed at promoting clinician behavior change and improving patient care. Online KT resources for physical therapists and other rehabilitation clinicians are appealing because of their potential to reach large numbers of individuals through self-paced, self-directed learning. This article proposes best practice recommendations for developing online KT resources that are designed to translate evidence into practice. Four recommendations are proposed with specific steps in the development, implementation, and evaluation process: (1) develop evidence-based, user-centered content; (2) tailor content to online format; (3) evaluate impact; and (4) share results and disseminate knowledge. Based on KT evidence and instructional design principles, concrete examples are provided along with insights gained from experiences in creating and evaluating online KT resources for physical therapists. In proposing these recommendations, the next steps for research are suggested, and others are invited to contribute to the discussion. © 2015 American Physical Therapy Association.

  15. How to improve medical education website design.

    PubMed

    Sisson, Stephen D; Hill-Briggs, Felicia; Levine, David

    2010-04-21

    The Internet provides a means of disseminating medical education curricula, allowing institutions to share educational resources. Much of what is published online is poorly planned, does not meet learners' needs, or is out of date. Applying principles of curriculum development, adult learning theory and educational website design may result in improved online educational resources. Key steps in developing and implementing an education website include: 1) Follow established principles of curriculum development; 2) Perform a needs assessment and repeat the needs assessment regularly after curriculum implementation; 3) Include in the needs assessment targeted learners, educators, institutions, and society; 4) Use principles of adult learning and behavioral theory when developing content and website function; 5) Design the website and curriculum to demonstrate educational effectiveness at an individual and programmatic level; 6) Include a mechanism for sustaining website operations and updating content over a long period of time. Interactive, online education programs are effective for medical training, but require planning, implementation, and maintenance that follow established principles of curriculum development, adult learning, and behavioral theory.

  16. Creating Online Community: A Response to the Needs of 21st Century Faculty Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cohn, Jenae; Stewart, Mary K.; Theisen, Cara Harwood; Comins, Dan

    2016-01-01

    Centers for teaching and learning (CTL) have traditionally relied upon on-campus programming to support faculty professional development, but as increasing numbers of faculty access resources and collaborate online, CTLs could do more to build online community. To meet this challenge, our team developed a website, EdTech Commons, which features…

  17. Online Distributed Learning Over Networks in RKH Spaces Using Random Fourier Features

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bouboulis, Pantelis; Chouvardas, Symeon; Theodoridis, Sergios

    2018-04-01

    We present a novel diffusion scheme for online kernel-based learning over networks. So far, a major drawback of any online learning algorithm, operating in a reproducing kernel Hilbert space (RKHS), is the need for updating a growing number of parameters as time iterations evolve. Besides complexity, this leads to an increased need of communication resources, in a distributed setting. In contrast, the proposed method approximates the solution as a fixed-size vector (of larger dimension than the input space) using Random Fourier Features. This paves the way to use standard linear combine-then-adapt techniques. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that a complete protocol for distributed online learning in RKHS is presented. Conditions for asymptotic convergence and boundness of the networkwise regret are also provided. The simulated tests illustrate the performance of the proposed scheme.

  18. IAEA programs in empowering the nuclear medicine profession through online educational resources.

    PubMed

    Pascual, Thomas Nb; Dondi, Maurizio; Paez, Diana; Kashyap, Ravi; Nunez-Miller, Rodolfo

    2013-05-01

    The International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) programme in human health aims to enhance the capabilities in Member States to address needs related to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases through the application of nuclear techniques. It has the specific mission of fostering the application of nuclear medicine techniques as part of the clinical management of certain types of diseases. Attuned to the continuous evolution of this specialty as well as to the advancement and diversity of methods in delivering capacity building efforts in this digital age, the section of nuclear medicine of the IAEA has enhanced its program by incorporating online educational resources for nuclear medicine professionals into its repertoire of projects to further its commitment in addressing the needs of its Member States in the field of nuclear medicine. Through online educational resources such as the Human Health Campus website, e-learning modules, and scheduled interactive webinars, a validation of the commitment by the IAEA in addressing the needs of its Member States in the field of nuclear medicine is strengthened while utilizing the advanced internet and communications technology which is progressively becoming available worldwide. The Human Health Campus (www.humanhealth.iaea.org) is the online educational resources initiative of the Division of Human Health of the IAEA geared toward enhancing professional knowledge of health professionals in radiation medicine (nuclear medicine and diagnostic imaging, radiation oncology, and medical radiation physics), and nutrition. E-learning modules provide an interactive learning environment to its users while providing immediate feedback for each task accomplished. Webinars, unlike webcasts, offer the opportunity of enhanced interaction with the learners facilitated through slide shows where the presenter guides and engages the audience using video and live streaming. This paper explores the IAEA's available online educational resources programs geared toward the enhancement of the nuclear medicine profession as delivered by the section of nuclear medicine of the IAEA. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. From Exam to Education: The Math Exam/Education Resources

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bruni, Carmen; Koch, Christina; Konrad, Bernhard; Lindstrom, Michael; Moyles, Iain; Thompson, Will

    2016-01-01

    The Math Exam/Education Resources (MER) is an open online learning resource hosted at The University of British Columbia (UBC), aimed at providing mathematics education resources for students and instructors at UBC. In this paper, there will be a discussion of the motivation for creating this resource on the MediaWiki platform, key features of the…

  20. Factors Influencing the Internet Resource Users' Satisfaction: An Analytical Study on Omani Undergraduate Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sriram, B.

    2016-01-01

    The internet resources are one of the important knowledge sharing tools in day-to-day business processes. These internet resources have greater impact on education field too. The learning processes have become comparatively easy due to these electronic resources. The online resources help the students to acquire the required knowledge through…

  1. Identifying Engagement Patterns with Video Annotation Activities: A Case Study in Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mirriahi, Negin; Jovanovic, Jelena; Dawson, Shane; Gaševic, Dragan; Pardo, Abelardo

    2018-01-01

    The rapid growth of blended and online learning models in higher education has resulted in a parallel increase in the use of audio-visual resources among students and teachers. Despite the heavy adoption of video resources, there have been few studies investigating their effect on learning processes and even less so in the context of academic…

  2. A Comparative Study on Various Vocabulary Knowledge Scales for Predicting Vocabulary Pre- Knowledge

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zou, Di; Xie, Haoran; Rao, Yanghui; Wong, Tak-Lam; Wang, Fu Lee; Wu, Qingyuan

    2017-01-01

    The world has encountered and witnessed the great popularity of various emerging e-learning resources such as massive open online courses (MOOCs), textbooks and videos with the development of the big data era. It is critical to understand the characteristics of users to assist them to find desired and relevant learning resources in such a large…

  3. OWL (On-Lie Webstories for Learning): A Unique Web-based Literacy Resource for Primary/Elementary Children.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Juliebo, Moira; Durnford, Carol

    2000-01-01

    Describes Online Webstories for Learning (OWL), a Web-based resource for elementary school literacy education that was initially developed for use in the United Kingdom. Discusses the importance of including narrative, how OWL is being adapted for use in other countries, and off-line class activities suggested as part of OWL. (Contains 8…

  4. Mobilizing Learning Resources in a Transnational Classroom: Translocal and Digital Resources in a Community Technology Center

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Noguerón-Liu, Silvia

    2014-01-01

    Drawing from transnational and activity theory frameworks, this study analyzes the ways translocal flows shape learning in a community technology center serving adult immigrants in the US Southwest. It also explores students' constructions of the transnational nature of the courses they took, where they had access to both online and face-to-face…

  5. Improving the Effectiveness and Efficiency of Teaching Large Classes: Development and Evaluation of a Novel e-Resource in Cancer Biology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hejmadi, Momna V.

    2007-01-01

    This paper describes the development and evaluation of a blended learning resource in the biosciences, created by combining online learning with formal face-face lectures and supported by formative assessments. In order to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of teaching large classes with mixed student cohorts, teaching was delivered through…

  6. Planning for the Digital Classroom and Distributed Learning: Policies and Planning for Online Instructional Resources

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McGee, Patricia; Diaz, Veronica

    2005-01-01

    In an era of state budget cuts and a tight economy, distributed learning is often seen as a way to address the needs of colleges and universities looking for additional revenue sources. Likewise, budding virtual universities, consortia, and corporate partnerships are now providing new ways for institutions to share resources across campuses. The…

  7. "Teachers Flipping Out" beyond the Online Lecture: Maximising the Educational Potential of Video

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thomson, Andrew; Bridgstock, Ruth; Willems, Christiaan

    2014-01-01

    While video is recognised as an important medium for teaching and learning in the digital age, many video resources are not as effective as they might be, because they do not adequately exploit the strengths of the medium. Presented here are some case studies of video learning resources produced for various undergraduate courses in a university…

  8. Facilitating interprofessional evidence-based practice in paediatric rehabilitation: development, implementation and evaluation of an online toolkit for health professionals.

    PubMed

    Glegg, Stephanie M N; Livingstone, Roslyn; Montgomery, Ivonne

    2016-01-01

    Lack of time, competencies, resources and supports are documented as barriers to evidence-based practice (EBP). This paper introduces a recently developed web-based toolkit designed to assist interprofessional clinicians in implementing EBP within a paediatric rehabilitation setting. EBP theory, models, frameworks and tools were applied or adapted in the development of the online resources, which formed the basis of a larger support strategy incorporating interactive workshops, knowledge broker facilitation and mentoring. The highly accessed toolkit contains flowcharts with embedded information sheets, resources and templates to streamline, quantify and document outcomes throughout the EBP process. Case examples relevance to occupational therapy and physical therapy highlight the utility and application of the toolkit in a clinical paediatric setting. Workshops were highly rated by learners for clinical relevance, presentation level and effectiveness. Eight evidence syntheses have been created and 79 interventions have been evaluated since the strategy's inception in January 2011. The toolkit resources streamlined and supported EBP processes, promoting consistency in quality and presentation of outputs. The online toolkit can be a useful tool to facilitate clinicians' use of EBP in order to meet the needs of the clients and families whom they support. Implications for Rehabilitation A comprehensive online EBP toolkit for interprofessional clinicians is available to streamline the EBP process and to support learning needs regardless of competency level. Multi-method facilitation support, including interactive education, e-learning, clinical librarian services and knowledge brokering, is a valued but cost-restrictive supplement to the implementation of online EBP resources. EBP resources are not one-size-fits-all; targeted appraisal tools, models and frameworks may be integrated to improve their utility for specific sectors, which may limit them for others.

  9. The Use of Open Educational Resources in Online Learning: A Study of Students' Perception

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harsasi, Meirani

    2015-01-01

    Universitas Terbuka (UT) is Indonesia's higher education institution which implements distance education system. The term distance implies that learning is not performed face-to-face but there is geographically separation between students and teacher. Therefore, UT must provide many kinds of learning modes and learning support. To facilitate…

  10. Professional Learning in the Digital Age: The Educator's Guide to User-Generated Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Swanson, Kristen

    2013-01-01

    Discover how to transform your professional development and become a truly connected educator with user-generated learning! This book shows educators how to enhance their professional learning using practical tools, strategies, and online resources. With beginner-friendly, real-world examples and simple steps to get started, the author shows how…

  11. Challenging Hegemonies in Online Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Godwin-Jones, Robert

    2012-01-01

    In Western countries today, instructed language learning in higher education normally includes use of the Web: as a resource in face-to-face classes, as an equal partner in instructional delivery in hybrid courses, or as the primary teaching and learning environment in distance learning. Most often today this is enabled through use of a learning…

  12. A Methodology to Obtain Learning Effective Laboratories with Learning Management System Integration

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ruano, Ildefonso; Gamez, Javier; Dormido, Sebastian; Gomez, Juan

    2016-01-01

    Online laboratories are useful and valuable resources in high education, especially in engineering studies. This work presents a methodology to create effective laboratories for learning that interact with a Learning Management System (LMS) to achieve advanced integration. It is based on pedagogical aspects and considers not only the laboratory…

  13. Methods and Strategies: Making the Climate Connection

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Larson, Bruce

    2010-01-01

    This article presents classroom resources for teaching both weather and climate along with background resources for teachers who want to beef up their own knowledge in the subjects. In addition, the author proposes learning progressions that teachers can use to guide their instruction. (Contains 13 online resources.)

  14. Climate Discovery Online Courses for Educators from NCAR

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Henderson, S.; Ward, D. L.; Meymaris, K. K.; Johnson, R. M.; Gardiner, L.; Russell, R.

    2008-12-01

    The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) has responded to the pressing need for professional development in climate and global change sciences by creating the Climate Discovery online course series. This series was designed with the secondary geoscience educator in mind. The online courses are based on current and credible climate change science. Interactive learning techniques are built into the online course designs with assignments that encourage active participation. A key element of the online courses is the creation of a virtual community of geoscience educators who exchange ideas related to classroom implementation, student assessment, and lessons plans. Geoscience educators from around the country have participated in the online courses. The ongoing interest from geoscience educators strongly suggests that the NCAR Climate Discovery online courses are a timely and needed professional development opportunity. The intent of NCAR Climate Discovery is to positively impact teachers' professional development scientifically authentic information, (2) experiencing guided practice in conducting activities and using ancillary resources in workshop venues, (3) gaining access to standards-aligned lesson plans, kits that promote hands-on learning, and scientific content that are easily implemented in their classrooms, and (4) becoming a part of a community of educators with whom they may continue to discuss the challenges of pedagogy and content comprehension in teaching climate change in the Earth system context. Three courses make up the Climate Discovery series: Introduction to Climate Change; Earth System Science - A Climate Change Perspective; and Understanding Climate Change Today. Each course, instructed by science education specialists, combines geoscience content, information about current climate research, hands-on activities, and group discussion. The online courses use the web-based Moodle courseware system (open- source software similar to Blackboard and webCT), utilizing its features to promote dialogue as well as provide rich online content and media. A key element of the online courses is the development and support of an online learning community, an essential component in successful online courses. Interactive learning techniques are built into the course designs with assignments that encourage active participation. Educators (both formal and informal) use the courses as a venue to exchange ideas and teaching resources. A unique feature of the courses is the emphasis on hands-on activities, a hallmark of our professional development efforts. This presentation will focus on the lessons learned in the development of the three online courses and our successful recruitment and retention efforts.

  15. Learning Essential Terms and Concepts in Statistics and Accounting

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Peters, Pam; Smith, Adam; Middledorp, Jenny; Karpin, Anne; Sin, Samantha; Kilgore, Alan

    2014-01-01

    This paper describes a terminological approach to the teaching and learning of fundamental concepts in foundation tertiary units in Statistics and Accounting, using an online dictionary-style resource (TermFinder) with customised "termbanks" for each discipline. Designed for independent learning, the termbanks support inquiring students…

  16. Remember the days in the old school yard: from lectures to online learning.

    PubMed

    Reynolds, P A; Mason, R; Eaton, K A

    2008-04-26

    Claims have been made that the traditional classroom/lecture-room mode of teaching is under threat with the future being purely online-based. There is no doubt that the impact of ICT systems and services have and will continue to transform teaching practice. From PowerPoint slides introduced to enliven lectures to virtual reality models accessed remotely, technology is bringing about new educational paradigms. The result is the emergence of new forms of distance learning with terms such as flexible learning, blended learning and full online instruction. All are making major contributions to the student experience, allowing access to more information and greater resources as well as opportunities for learning in a manner and timescale that is more attuned to their aims, abilities and lifestyles. In dental education the transition is providing undergraduates, postgraduates and CPD students with a greater variety of courses, access to more expertise and the opportunity for lifetime learning.

  17. Play It, Learn It, Make It Last: Developing an Online Game to Create Self-Sufficient Library Information Users.

    PubMed

    Boyce, Lindsay M

    2016-01-01

    Library orientation at an academic health sciences library consisted of a five-minute overview within new student orientation. Past experience indicated this brief presentation was insufficient for students to learn about library resources. In 2014, an effort was made to supplement orientation by developing an online game aimed at enabling students to become self-sufficient through hands-on learning. A gaming model was chosen with expectations that competition and rewards would motivate students. Although the pilots suffered from low participation rates, the experience merits further research into the potential of a broader model of online library instruction in the health sciences environment.

  18. Academic interventions for students in introductory biology while concurrently enrolled in developmental courses: An action research study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barnes, William D.

    Each fall semester, approximately half of the students enrolled in the introductory biology course of a small rural college are concurrently enrolled in at least one developmental education math or English course. The resulting grades of D, F and Withdraw for this cohort will be as high as 50% for those enrolled in one developmental course and 65% for those enrolled in two. The purpose of this study was to provide academic interventions such as use of online supplemental learning materials and resources, as well as to emphasize the Campus Tutoring and Learning Center (CTLC) as a resource, for students in the introductory biology course in order to analyze the impact on the learning outcomes of the developmental students. The approach used was an action research model utilizing a pretest-posttest experimental design with the treatment group receiving weekly reminders regarding the availability and value of utilizing the CTLC and the control group receiving only an initial invitation to visit the CTLC. The results found a statistically significant effect ( p < .05) on student use of the CTLC in the treatment group as compared to the control. This suggests that faculty emphasis of campus learning resources can have a positive impact on student behavior. The effect of online supplemental learning materials and resources, including use of the CTLC, on student learning outcomes was found to be statistically insignificant ( p > .05).

  19. MIS On-Line.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thomson, Nancy S.; Echeverria, Donna Rose; Mills, Bob

    This paper describes the resources, processes and outcomes involved in the development of an introductory Management Information Systems (MIS) course designed to utilize as many of the technologies as possible to redefine the teaching/learning paradigm. The MIS-Online project at Northwest Missouri State University encompasses the available campus…

  20. A Comparison of Student Outcomes and Student Satisfaction in Three MBA Human Resource Management Classes Based on Traditional vs. Online Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gibson, Jane Whitney

    2008-01-01

    The author taught three MBA Human Resource Management classes in the spring term of 2007 at a large private university in Florida. Two of the classes were taught in a 100% online format while the third was taught off campus in a university-owned building in Orlando where students met in a face-to-face, weekend setting. This traditional class was…

  1. The MAGIC of Web Tutorials: How One Library (Re)Focused Its Delivery of Online Learning Objects on Users

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hess, Amanda Nichols

    2013-01-01

    Oakland University (OU) Libraries undertook an assessment of how to leverage its resources to make online tutorials more focused on users' needs. A multi-part assessment process reconsidered Web tutorials offerings through the lenses of faculty and staff feedback, literature review, and an analysis of other universities' online tutorial offerings.…

  2. The Use of MERLOT in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cooper, Scott

    2005-01-01

    The referatory, Multimedia Educational Resources for Learning and Online Teaching (MERLOT), contains links to 1300 electronic teaching resources in biology and chemistry. Approximately 20% have been peer reviewed, and most have user comments or assignments attached. In addition to being a source of educational resources, the MERLOT project seeks…

  3. Using Websites Wisely

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coiro, Julie; Fogleman, Jay

    2011-01-01

    Online resources can deepen student learning--if teachers design the right tasks and learner supports. In this article, the authors look at instructional websites teachers will want to use with their students. They focus on three types of web-based learning environments--(1) informational reading systems; (2) interactive learning systems; and (3)…

  4. Real-Time Collaboration of Virtual Laboratories through the Internet

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jara, Carlos A.; Candelas, Francisco A.; Torres, Fernando; Dormido, Sebastian; Esquembre, Francisco; Reinoso, Oscar

    2009-01-01

    Web-based learning environments are becoming increasingly popular in higher education. One of the most important web-learning resources is the virtual laboratory (VL), which gives students an easy way for training and learning through the Internet. Moreover, on-line collaborative communication represents a practical method to transmit the…

  5. Quantifying the Reuse of Learning Objects

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Elliott, Kristine; Sweeney, Kevin

    2008-01-01

    This paper reports the findings of one case study from a larger project, which aims to quantify the claimed efficiencies of reusing learning objects to develop e-learning resources. The case study describes how an online inquiry project "Diabetes: A waste of energy" was developed by searching for, evaluating, modifying and then…

  6. Learning Objects, Repositories, Sharing and Reusability

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Koppi, Tony; Bogle, Lisa; Bogle, Mike

    2005-01-01

    The online Learning Resource Catalogue (LRC) Project has been part of an international consortium for several years and currently includes 25 institutions worldwide. The LRC Project has evolved for several pragmatic reasons into an academic network whereby members can identify and share reusable learning objects as well as collaborate in a number…

  7. Teaching, Learning, and Sharing Openly Online

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Byrne, W. Ian; Roberts, Verena; LaBonte, Randy; Graham, Lee

    2015-01-01

    Open learning is becoming a critical focus for K-12 technology-supported programs as the importance of digital literacy and digital freedoms for all learners grows. This article describes current open learning policy, open educational resources and potential implications for open practice and ends with suggestions for future research in open…

  8. MEDICOL: online learning in medicine and dentistry.

    PubMed

    Broudo, Marc; Walsh, Charlene

    2002-09-01

    MEDICOL (Medicine and Dentistry Integrated Curriculum Online) provides a variety of Web-based resources that act as important adjuncts to all the teaching components of the medical and dental undergraduate curriculum. It uses WebCT, a course-management system, to provide the following educational functions: (1) track students' progress and present course information such as time-tables, learning objectives, handout materials, images, references, course assignments, and evaluations; (2) promote student-to-student and student-to-instructor interactions (through e-mail and bulletin boards); and (3) deliver self-directed learning components, including weekly self-assessment quizzes that provide immediate feedback and multimedia learning modules (clinical skills, radiology, evidence-based medicine, etc.). The University of British Columbia Faculties of Medicine and Dentistry feature a problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum in which students access many of the same tools they will utilize in their professional practice. In the PBL curriculum, students must access the relevant clinical data and educational resources. A MEDICOL site has also been developed for medical students to use during their rural family practice, a four- to six-week experience in the summer after their second year. This site has been designed to be a supplemental learning environment for not only these students, but also for their physician preceptors. It is intended to foster communication among participants, bring new resources to the rural setting, and allow preceptors to develop their Internet skills with the help of students who are already familiar with the electronic environment. The MEDICOL sites enable the exchange of information about the learning issues between, as well as within, tutorial groups. MEDICOL also provides students with faculty-reviewed resources that are listed online; multimedia presentations; and access to histology, radiology, and pathology images through an online image database. Each week, students have access to a new interactive and automatically graded self-assessment quiz for individual study. These quizzes test learning objectives from tutorial, lecture, and lab material for each week of the curriculum and are modeled after summative examinations held twice each year. Question authors provide immediately accessible quality feedback to students. A comprehensive quiz databank of approximately 1,500 questions has been attained. WebCT enables MEDICOL to deliver anonymous, online program-evaluation questionnaires during clinical clerkships (resulting in a 99% response rate after a few e-mail reminders), with easy and timely data collection and reporting methods. Summative assessments have also been delivered through MEDICOL. Use statistics indicate that over 90% of students regularly use the MEDICOL sites and have found them helpful. University of British Columbia medical school enrollment will increase because of collaborations with campuses and medical centers across the province. MEDICOL will likely play an increased role in distance learning by continuing to deliver the resources already described, as well as facilitating synchronous communications (e.g., PBL chat rooms) and teaching (e.g., video-streamed lectures) to students located across the province.

  9. Strategic Resource Use for Learning: A Self-Administered Intervention That Guides Self-Reflection on Effective Resource Use Enhances Academic Performance.

    PubMed

    Chen, Patricia; Chavez, Omar; Ong, Desmond C; Gunderson, Brenda

    2017-06-01

    Many educational policies provide learners with more resources (e.g., new learning activities, study materials, or technologies), but less often do they address whether students are using these resources effectively. We hypothesized that making students more self-reflective about how they should approach their learning with the resources available to them would improve their class performance. We designed a novel Strategic Resource Use intervention that students could self-administer online and tested its effects in two cohorts of a college-level introductory statistics class. Before each exam, students randomly assigned to the treatment condition strategized about which academic resources they would use for studying, why each resource would be useful, and how they would use their resources. Students randomly assigned to the treatment condition reported being more self-reflective about their learning throughout the class, used their resources more effectively, and outperformed students in the control condition by an average of one third of a letter grade in the class.

  10. New Technologies, Same Ideologies: Learning from Language Revitalization Online

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wagner, Irina

    2017-01-01

    Ease of access, production, and distribution have made online technologies popular in language revitalization. By incorporating multimodal resources, audio, video, and games, they attract indigenous communities undergoing language shift in hopes of its reversal. However, by merely expanding language revitalization to the web, many language…

  11. The Case of the Unhappy Sports Fan: Embracing Student-Centered Learning and Promoting Upper-Level Cognitive Skills through an Online Dispute Resolution Simulation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ponte, Lucille M.

    2006-01-01

    Pedagogical experts contend that students learn best when they are actively involved in and responsible for their own learning. In a student-centered learning environment, the instructor ideally serves primarily as a learning resource or facilitator. With the guidance of the instructor, students in active learning environments strive for…

  12. Revenues and E-Learning: Do Universities Need an Online Presence?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Byrd, Jennings; Mixon, Phillip

    2012-01-01

    In this paper, we examine the role of e-learning enrolments in revenue functions for four-year public universities. Many universities have moved into e-learning as a resource to overcome the funding shortfall which has been an outcome of the recent economic climate. It is hypothesised that an e-learning presence will enhance revenues for…

  13. A Case Study of the Dynamics of Scaffolding among ESL Learners and Online Resources in Collaborative Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hsieh, Yi Chin

    2017-01-01

    Collaborative learning has been widely applied in education, and has been seen as conducive to student learning. The advent of technology and its applications in education have also greatly enhanced the classroom learning environment, leading to increasing research attention on the combination of technology and collaboration. The case study…

  14. How 'blended' is blended learning?: students' perceptions of issues around the integration of online and face-to-face learning in a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) health care context.

    PubMed

    Glogowska, Margaret; Young, Pat; Lockyer, Lesley; Moule, Pam

    2011-11-01

    This paper explores students' perceptions of blended learning modules delivered in a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) health care context in the UK. 'Blended learning' is the term used to describe a hybrid model of learning where traditional face-to-face teaching approaches and newer electronic learning activities and resources are utilised together. A new model of CPD for health care practitioners based on a blended learning approach was developed at a university in the south west of England. As part of the evaluation of the new modules, a qualitative study was conducted, in which 17 students who had experienced the modules were interviewed by telephone. Three main themes emerged from the interviews relating to the 'blended' nature of the blended learning modules. These were i) issues around the opportunities for discussion of online materials face-to-face; ii) issues of what material should be online versus face-to-face and iii) balancing online and face-to-face components. Teaching staff engaged in the development of blended learning courses need to pay particular attention to the ways in which they develop and integrate online and face-to-face materials. More attention needs to be paid to allowing opportunity for students to come together to create a 'community of inquiry'. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Mobile learning to improve mathematics teachers mathematical competencies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hendrayana, A.; Wahyudin

    2018-01-01

    The role of teachers is crucial to the success of mathematics learning. One of the learning indicator is characterized by the students’ improved mathematical proficiency. In order to increase that, it is necessary to improve the teacher’s mathematical skills first. For that, it needs an innovative way to get teachers close to easily accessible learning resources through technology. The technology can facilitate teachers to access learning resources anytime and anywhere. The appropriate information technology is mobile learning. Innovations that can make teachers easy to access learning resources are mobile applications that can be accessed anytime and anywhere either online or offline. The research method was research development method. In preliminary analysis, subjects consist of teachers and lecturers in professional teacher education program. The results that the teachers ready to adopt mobile-learning for the improvement of their skills.

  16. Students' perceptions of a blended learning pharmacy seminar course in a Caribbean school of pharmacy.

    PubMed

    Extavour, Rian Marie; Allison, Gillian L

    2018-04-01

    Blended learning (BL) integrates face-to-face and online instructional methods, with applications in pharmacy education. This study aimed to assess pharmacy students' perceptions of BL in a pharmacy seminar course at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine campus, Trinidad and Tobago. Topics based on the use of medicines and public health were presented by student groups during live seminars, supplemented with online activities. An online survey of students' perceptions was administered at the end of the course. The usefulness of learning resources and course activities were assessed using 5-point Likert-like scales (1 = not helpful to 5 = very helpful). The effectiveness of the instructor, blended delivery, time value, and development of critical-thinking were rated on a 5-point Likert scale for agreement (1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree). Topics that were most instructive and additional topics of interest were also identified. Approximately 51% of students (37/72) completed the questionnaire; 73% were female and mean age was 24 years. The learning resources and most course activities were generally helpful (median = 4) in facilitating learning. There was strong agreement (median = 5) on the ease of navigating the online platform, and instructor encouraging interest in pharmacy issues. Students agreed (median = 4) that the course facilitated critical thinking, the BL approach was effective, and the time spent was worthwhile. The most instructive topics included medication errors, antibiotic resistance, and medicines in children and the elderly. BL in pharmacy seminars is a valuable approach to engage students learning about pharmacy and public health. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Examining the Real Merits of the Virtual Microscope

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hennessy, Ronan; Meere, Pat; Ho, Timsie; Menuge, Julian; Tyrrell, Shane; Kamber, Balz; Higgs, Bettie; Kelley, Simon

    2017-04-01

    The Geoscience e-Laboratory (GeoLAB) project is a cooperative digital petrological microscopy technology enhanced learning (TEL) resource development project involving the four main university geoscience teaching centres in Ireland. Collaborating with the Open University (UK), a new digital library of petrographic thin sections has been added to the Virtual Microscope for Earth Sciences (VMfES) online repository. The collection was compiled with a view to introducing high-quality samples to teaching programmes in a manner that hitherto was limited by sample and microscope availability and cost and the temporal limits of laboratory access. The project has proceeded to explore the pedagogical implications of using the Virtual Microscope in teaching programmes. Online assessments and self-guided exercises developed using applications such as Google Forms have been introduced into programmes at each centre, and complimented by tutorial and interactive videos designed to support self-guided learning. The GeoLab project is reporting on the pedagogical implications of providing students with unimpeded access to high-quality petrographic learning resources during the term of semester and in advance of student assessments. Additionally, the project is collating data on the perceptions of both teachers and learners to using online learning media in mineralogy and petrology programmes, and if there are benefits therein to the more traditional styles of petrology and microscopy teaching and learning.

  18. Interpolated memory tests reduce mind wandering and improve learning of online lectures.

    PubMed

    Szpunar, Karl K; Khan, Novall Y; Schacter, Daniel L

    2013-04-16

    The recent emergence and popularity of online educational resources brings with it challenges for educators to optimize the dissemination of online content. Here we provide evidence that points toward a solution for the difficulty that students frequently report in sustaining attention to online lectures over extended periods. In two experiments, we demonstrate that the simple act of interpolating online lectures with memory tests can help students sustain attention to lecture content in a manner that discourages task-irrelevant mind wandering activities, encourages task-relevant note-taking activities, and improves learning. Importantly, frequent testing was associated with reduced anxiety toward a final cumulative test and also with reductions in subjective estimates of cognitive demand. Our findings suggest a potentially key role for interpolated testing in the development and dissemination of online educational content.

  19. Interpolated memory tests reduce mind wandering and improve learning of online lectures

    PubMed Central

    Szpunar, Karl K.; Khan, Novall Y.; Schacter, Daniel L.

    2013-01-01

    The recent emergence and popularity of online educational resources brings with it challenges for educators to optimize the dissemination of online content. Here we provide evidence that points toward a solution for the difficulty that students frequently report in sustaining attention to online lectures over extended periods. In two experiments, we demonstrate that the simple act of interpolating online lectures with memory tests can help students sustain attention to lecture content in a manner that discourages task-irrelevant mind wandering activities, encourages task-relevant note-taking activities, and improves learning. Importantly, frequent testing was associated with reduced anxiety toward a final cumulative test and also with reductions in subjective estimates of cognitive demand. Our findings suggest a potentially key role for interpolated testing in the development and dissemination of online educational content. PMID:23576743

  20. Use of an automated learning management system to validate nursing competencies.

    PubMed

    Dumpe, Michelle L; Kanyok, Nancy; Hill, Kristin

    2007-01-01

    Maintaining nurse competencies in a dynamic environment is not an easy task and requires the use of resources already strained. An online learning management system was created, and 24 annual competencies were redesigned for online validation. As a result of this initiative, competencies have been standardized across many disciplines and are completed in a more timely manner, nurses and managers are more satisfied with this method of annual assessments, and cost savings have been realized.

  1. General relativity in upper secondary school: Design and evaluation of an online learning environment using the model of educational reconstruction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kersting, Magdalena; Henriksen, Ellen Karoline; Bøe, Maria Vetleseter; Angell, Carl

    2018-06-01

    Because of its abstract nature, Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity is rarely present in school physics curricula. Although the educational community has started to investigate ways of bringing general relativity to classrooms, field-tested educational material is rare. Employing the model of educational reconstruction, we present a collaborative online learning environment that was introduced to final year students (18-19 years old) in six Norwegian upper secondary physics classrooms. Design-based research methods guided the development of the learning resources, which were based on a sociocultural view of learning and a historical-philosophical approach to teaching general relativity. To characterize students' learning from and interaction with the learning environment we analyzed focus group interviews and students' oral and written responses to assigned problems and discussion tasks. Our findings show how design choices on different levels can support or hinder understanding of general relativity, leading to the formulation of design principles that help to foster qualitative understanding and encourage collaborative learning. The results indicate that upper secondary students can obtain a qualitative understanding of general relativity when provided with appropriately designed learning resources and sufficient scaffolding of learning through interaction with teacher and peers.

  2. Development and evaluation of online video teaching resources to enhance student knowledge of livestock handling.

    PubMed

    Klupiec, C; Pope, S; Taylor, R; Carroll, D; Ward, M H; Celi, P

    2014-07-01

    To evaluate the effectiveness of online audiovisual materials to support the acquisition of animal handling skills by students of veterinary and animal science. A series of video clips (Livestock Handling modules) demonstrating livestock handling procedures was created and delivered online to students enrolled in the Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney. The effectiveness of these modules for supporting student learning was evaluated via an online survey. The survey also sought feedback on how students could be better prepared for handling livestock. The survey indicated that students found the videos a useful part of their learning experience, particularly by familiarising them with correct handling procedures and emphasising the importance of safety when handling livestock. Students also highlighted that online delivery supported flexible learning. Suggested improvements of the Livestock Handling modules centred around broadening the content of the videos and improving the user-friendliness of online access. Student feedback regarding how the Faculty could better prepare them for livestock handling was dominated by requests for more opportunities to practise animal handling using live animals. The Livestock Handling audiovisual tool is a valuable supplementary resource for developing students' proficiency in safe and effective handling of livestock. However, the results also clearly reveal a perception by students that more hands-on experience is required for acquisition of animal handling skills. These findings will inform future development of the Faculty's animal handling program. © 2014 Australian Veterinary Association.

  3. The Complete Step-by-Step Guide to Designing and Teaching Online Courses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thormann, Joan; Zimmerman, Isa Kaftal

    2012-01-01

    In this valuable resource, experts share deep knowledge including practical "how-to" and preventive trouble-shooting tips. Instructors will learn about course design and development, instructional methods for online teaching, and student engagement and community building techniques. The book contains successful teaching strategies, guidance for…

  4. News

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2003-07-01

    Meetings: Physics Teachers@CERN 2003 Education Group Annual Conference: Observations by a first-time participant... Summer Workshop: Making Music Competition: Physics in the fast lane Bristol Festival of Physics: Ice cream ice-breakers Online Resources: Old favourites go online UK Curriculum: What does society want? UK Curriculum: Assessment of Science Learning 14-19 Forthcoming Events

  5. Lifelong Learning: Skills and Online Resources

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lim, Russell F.; Hsiung, Bob C.; Hales, Deborah J.

    2006-01-01

    Objective: Advances in information technology enable the practicing psychiatrist's quest to keep up-to-date with new discoveries in psychiatry, as well as to meet recertification requirements. However, physicians' computer skills do not always keep up with technology, nor do they take advantage of online search and continuing education services.…

  6. Evaluating Online Tutorials for University Faculty, Staff, and Students: The Contribution of Just-in-Time Online Resources to Learning and Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brill, Jennifer; Park, Yeonjeong

    2011-01-01

    The effective integration of current technologies in teaching and research is a high priority for today's universities. To support the technology skills of university faculty, staff, and students, the subject university's office for faculty training and support, provides free, 24/7 access to a collection of online technology tutorials leased from…

  7. Facilitating interaction, communication and collaboration in online courses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McNeil, Sara G.; Robin, Bernard R.; Miller, Robert M.

    2000-07-01

    As the Internet evolves into a truly world wide communications medium, the roles of faculty and students at institutions of higher learning are changing. Traditional face-to-face classes are being converted to an online setting, where materials from syllabi to lectures to assignments are available at the click of a mouse. New technological options are challenging and changing the very nature of teaching as faculty migrate from being deliverers of information to facilitators and mentors. Students are also undergoing a transformation from passive recipients to participants in an active learning environment. Interactions are at the heart of this revolution as students and faculty create new methodologies for the online classroom. New types of interactions are emerging between faculty and students, between students and other students and between students and the educational resources they are exploring. As the online teaching and learning environment expands and matures, new social and instructional interactions are replacing the traditional occurrences in face-to-face classrooms. New communication options are also evolving as a critical component of the online classroom. The shift from a synchronous to an asynchronous communication structure has also had a significant impact on the way students and faculty interact. The use of e-mail, listservs and web-based conferencing has given teachers and learners new flexibility and has fostered a climate where learning takes place wherever and whenever it is convenient. HyperGroups, a communication tool that was developed at the University of Houston, allows students and faculty to seamlessly participate in course-related discussions and easily share multimedia resources. This article explores the many issues associated with facilitating interaction, communication and collaboration in online courses.

  8. Designing for Ab Initio Blended Learning Environments: Identifying Systemic Contradictions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ó Doinn, Oisín

    2017-01-01

    In recent years, Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) has become more accessible than ever before. This is largely due to the proliferation of mobile computing devices and the growth of open online language-learning resources. Additionally, since the beginning of the millennium there has been massive growth in the number of students studying…

  9. Reuse, Repurposing and Learning Design--Lessons from the DART Project

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bond, Stephen T.; Ingram, Caroline; Ryan, Steve

    2008-01-01

    Digital Anthropological Resources for Teaching (DART) is a major project examining ways in which the use of online learning activities and repositories can enhance the teaching of anthropology and, by extension, other disciplines. This paper reports on one strand of DART activity, the development of customisable learning activities that can be…

  10. Active Learning with Interactive Videos: Creating Student-Guided Learning Materials

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baker, Ariana

    2016-01-01

    Distance learning programs across the country continue to grow and evolve. In order to support these programs, librarians are often expected to convert face-to-face classes and reference sessions to the online environment. Due to the necessity of explaining information literacy concepts and demonstrating the access and use of library resources,…

  11. Incorporating Blogs into the Syllabus: Making Their Space a Learning Space

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Glass, Richard; Spiegelman, Marsha

    2008-01-01

    The growth of online resources and the advances in Web 2.0 technology are changing the information landscape and impacting teaching and learning. While information literacy has been recognized as a critical component of undergraduate learning, little if any discipline-specific research is done in the lower division mathematics/computer science…

  12. Recasting Distance Learning with Network-Enabled Open Education: An Interview with Vijay Kumar

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morrison, James L.; Kumar, Vijay

    2008-01-01

    In an interview with James Morrison, "Innovate's" editor-in-chief, Vijay Kumar describes how rethinking distance learning as network-enabled open education can catalyze a whole new set of learning opportunities. The growing open-education movement has made an increasing number and variety of resources freely available online, including everything…

  13. Why Reinvent the Wheel when Earth Science Resources Are Already Available? The GEOTREX and STEGO Resource Banks

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Williams, Maggie

    2012-01-01

    The "issue" of there being only limited time available to teachers for the development of teaching and learning resources has been with us a long time. This article outlines the rationale behind the development of online teaching resources that are freely available on the Earth Science Teachers' Association (ESTA) website and introduces readers to…

  14. Online Knowledge-Based Model for Big Data Topic Extraction.

    PubMed

    Khan, Muhammad Taimoor; Durrani, Mehr; Khalid, Shehzad; Aziz, Furqan

    2016-01-01

    Lifelong machine learning (LML) models learn with experience maintaining a knowledge-base, without user intervention. Unlike traditional single-domain models they can easily scale up to explore big data. The existing LML models have high data dependency, consume more resources, and do not support streaming data. This paper proposes online LML model (OAMC) to support streaming data with reduced data dependency. With engineering the knowledge-base and introducing new knowledge features the learning pattern of the model is improved for data arriving in pieces. OAMC improves accuracy as topic coherence by 7% for streaming data while reducing the processing cost to half.

  15. Aging and the Arts Online: Lessons Learned From Course Development and Implementation.

    PubMed

    Eaton, Jacqueline

    2016-01-01

    With the recent move toward competency-based gerontology education, incorporating humanities and arts will be necessary for accreditation. This article describes the pedagogical approaches and lessons learned during 5 years of development and implementation of an asynchronous online course in Aging and the Arts. Fifty graduate and undergraduate students participated in the course over five semesters. Discipline diversity increased subsequent to designation as a fine arts general education course. Students expressed appreciation for multimedia resources, an initial fear of creating a wiki, and online redundancy was reduced through increased community engagement that also augmented application in real-world settings. The visual nature of arts and aging lends itself to a compelling and interactive online course experience that can be adapted to synchronous, hybrid, and face-to-face formats. Opportunities for community engaged learning will increase as art programs for older adults become more prevalent.

  16. The gap between medical faculty's perceptions and use of e-learning resources.

    PubMed

    Kim, Kyong-Jee; Kang, Youngjoon; Kim, Giwoon

    2017-01-01

    e-Learning resources have become increasingly popular in medical education; however, there has been scant research on faculty perceptions and use of these resources. To investigate medical faculty's use of e-learning resources and to draw on practical implications for fostering their use of such resources. Approximately 500 full-time faculty members in 35 medical schools across the nation in South Korea were invited to participate in a 30-item questionnaire on their perceptions and use of e-learning resources in medical education. The questionnaires were distributed in both online and paper formats. Descriptive analysis and reliability analysis were conducted of the data. Eighty faculty members from 28 medical schools returned the questionnaires. Twenty-two percent of respondents were female and 78% were male, and their rank, disciplines, and years of teaching experience all varied. Participants had positive perceptions of e-learning resources in terms of usefulness for student learning and usability; still, only 39% of them incorporated those resources in their teaching. The most frequently selected reasons for not using e-learning resources in their teaching were 'lack of resources relevant to my lectures,' 'lack of time to use them during lectures,' and 'was not aware of their availability.' Our study indicates a gap between medical faculty's positive perceptions of e-learning resources and their low use of such resources. Our findings highlight the needs for further study of individual and institutional barriers to faculty adoption of e-learning resources to bridge this gap.

  17. Exploring the value of technology to stimulate interprofessional discussion and education: a needs assessment of emergency medicine professionals.

    PubMed

    Riley, Jennifer; McGowan, Melissa; Rozmovits, Linda

    2014-06-30

    The emergency department (ED) is an environment fraught with increasing patient volumes, competing priorities, fluctuating information, and ad hoc interprofessional clinical teams. Limited time is available to reflect on and discuss clinical experiences, policies, or research with others on the involved team. Online resources, such as webcasts and blogs, offer an accessible platform for emergency shift workers to engage in interprofessional discussion and education. Our objective was to explore the current opportunities for shared learning and discussion and to discover the potential of online resources to foster and facilitate interprofessional education within an academic tertiary emergency department community. A qualitative study using semistructured interviews was conducted to solicit participants' views of the current culture of IPE in the ED, the potential value of introducing new online resources and technology in support of IPE, and possible barriers to uptake. Participation was voluntary and participants provided verbal informed consent. Online resources discussed included webcasts, interactive discussion forums, websites, and dashboard with links to central repositories. Identified barriers to uptake of new online resources were an unwillingness to "work" off-shift, a dislike of static one-directional communication, concerns with confidentiality, and the suggestion that new resources would be used by only a select few. Owing to the sensitive dynamics of emergency medicine-and the preference among its professional staff to foster interprofessional discussion and education through personal engagement, in an unhurried, non-stressful environment-introducing and investing in online resources should be undertaken with caution.

  18. Asynchronous learning: student utilization out of sync with their preference.

    PubMed

    Lew, Edward K; Nordquist, Erik K

    2016-01-01

    Asynchronous learning is gaining popularity. Data are limited regarding this learning method in medical students rotating in emergency medicine (EM). In EM, faculty time is limited to give in-person lectures. The authors sought to create an online curriculum that students could utilize as an additional learning modality. The goal was to evaluate effectiveness, participation, and preference for this mode of learning. We developed five online, narrated PowerPoint presentations. After orientation, access to the online curriculum was provided to the students, which they could review at their leisure. One hundred and seven fourth-year medical students participated. They reported the curriculum to be of high quality. Pretest scores were similar for those that viewed all lectures - compliant group (CG) (9.5 [CI 4.8-14.1]) and those that did not view any - non-compliant group (NCG) (9.6 [CI 5.9-13.4]). There was no statistical significant difference in posttest scores between the groups although there was improvement overall: CG 14.6 (CI 6.9-22.1); NCG 11.4 (CI 5.7-17.1). A majority (69.2%) favored inclusion of asynchronous learning, but less than a quarter (22.4%) reported viewing all five modules and more than a third (36.4%) viewed none. Despite student-expressed preference for an online curriculum, they used the online resource less than expected. This should give pause to educators looking to convert core EM topics to an online format. However, when high-quality online lectures are utilized as a learning tool, this study demonstrates that they had neither a positive nor a negative impact on test scores.

  19. Democratizing data science through data science training.

    PubMed

    Van Horn, John Darrell; Fierro, Lily; Kamdar, Jeana; Gordon, Jonathan; Stewart, Crystal; Bhattrai, Avnish; Abe, Sumiko; Lei, Xiaoxiao; O'Driscoll, Caroline; Sinha, Aakanchha; Jain, Priyambada; Burns, Gully; Lerman, Kristina; Ambite, José Luis

    2018-01-01

    The biomedical sciences have experienced an explosion of data which promises to overwhelm many current practitioners. Without easy access to data science training resources, biomedical researchers may find themselves unable to wrangle their own datasets. In 2014, to address the challenges posed such a data onslaught, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched the Big Data to Knowledge (BD2K) initiative. To this end, the BD2K Training Coordinating Center (TCC; bigdatau.org) was funded to facilitate both in-person and online learning, and open up the concepts of data science to the widest possible audience. Here, we describe the activities of the BD2K TCC and its focus on the construction of the Educational Resource Discovery Index (ERuDIte), which identifies, collects, describes, and organizes online data science materials from BD2K awardees, open online courses, and videos from scientific lectures and tutorials. ERuDIte now indexes over 9,500 resources. Given the richness of online training materials and the constant evolution of biomedical data science, computational methods applying information retrieval, natural language processing, and machine learning techniques are required - in effect, using data science to inform training in data science. In so doing, the TCC seeks to democratize novel insights and discoveries brought forth via large-scale data science training.

  20. Democratizing data science through data science training

    PubMed Central

    Van Horn, John Darrell; Fierro, Lily; Kamdar, Jeana; Gordon, Jonathan; Stewart, Crystal; Bhattrai, Avnish; Abe, Sumiko; Lei, Xiaoxiao; O’Driscoll, Caroline; Sinha, Aakanchha; Jain, Priyambada; Burns, Gully; Lerman, Kristina; Ambite, José Luis

    2017-01-01

    The biomedical sciences have experienced an explosion of data which promises to overwhelm many current practitioners. Without easy access to data science training resources, biomedical researchers may find themselves unable to wrangle their own datasets. In 2014, to address the challenges posed such a data onslaught, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched the Big Data to Knowledge (BD2K) initiative. To this end, the BD2K Training Coordinating Center (TCC; bigdatau.org) was funded to facilitate both in-person and online learning, and open up the concepts of data science to the widest possible audience. Here, we describe the activities of the BD2K TCC and its focus on the construction of the Educational Resource Discovery Index (ERuDIte), which identifies, collects, describes, and organizes online data science materials from BD2K awardees, open online courses, and videos from scientific lectures and tutorials. ERuDIte now indexes over 9,500 resources. Given the richness of online training materials and the constant evolution of biomedical data science, computational methods applying information retrieval, natural language processing, and machine learning techniques are required - in effect, using data science to inform training in data science. In so doing, the TCC seeks to democratize novel insights and discoveries brought forth via large-scale data science training. PMID:29218890

  1. Building Interactivity in Higher Education to Support Student Engagement in Spatial Problem Solving and Programming

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gulland, E.-K.; Veenendaal, B.; Schut, A. G. T.

    2012-07-01

    Problem-solving knowledge and skills are an important attribute of spatial sciences graduates. The challenge of higher education is to build a teaching and learning environment that enables students to acquire these skills in relevant and authentic applications. This study investigates the effectiveness of traditional face-to-face teaching and online learning technologies in supporting the student learning of problem-solving and computer programming skills, techniques and solutions. The student cohort considered for this study involves students in the surveying as well as geographic information science (GISc) disciplines. Also, students studying across a range of learning modes including on-campus, distance and blended, are considered in this study. Student feedback and past studies reveal a lack of student interest and engagement in problem solving and computer programming. Many students do not see such skills as directly relevant and applicable to their perceptions of what future spatial careers hold. A range of teaching and learning methods for both face-to-face teaching and distance learning were introduced to address some of the perceived weaknesses of the learning environment. These included initiating greater student interaction in lectures, modifying assessments to provide greater feedback and student accountability, and the provision of more interactive and engaging online learning resources. The paper presents and evaluates the teaching methods used to support the student learning environment. Responses of students in relation to their learning experiences were collected via two anonymous, online surveys and these results were analysed with respect to student pass and retention rates. The study found a clear distinction between expectations and engagement of surveying students in comparison to GISc students. A further outcome revealed that students who were already engaged in their learning benefited the most from the interactive learning resources and opportunities provided.

  2. An Online Bioinformatics Curriculum

    PubMed Central

    Searls, David B.

    2012-01-01

    Online learning initiatives over the past decade have become increasingly comprehensive in their selection of courses and sophisticated in their presentation, culminating in the recent announcement of a number of consortium and startup activities that promise to make a university education on the internet, free of charge, a real possibility. At this pivotal moment it is appropriate to explore the potential for obtaining comprehensive bioinformatics training with currently existing free video resources. This article presents such a bioinformatics curriculum in the form of a virtual course catalog, together with editorial commentary, and an assessment of strengths, weaknesses, and likely future directions for open online learning in this field. PMID:23028269

  3. Interactional Coherence in Asynchronous Learning Networks: A Rhetorical Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Potter, Andrew

    2008-01-01

    Numerous studies have affirmed the value of asynchronous online communication as a learning resource. Several investigations, however, have indicated that discussions in asynchronous environments are often neither interactive nor coherent. The research reported sought to develop an enhanced understanding of interactional coherence, argumentation,…

  4. Efficacy of an Online Resource for Teaching Interpersonal Problem Solving Skills to Women Graduate Students in Engineering

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bekki, Jennifer M.; Bernstein, Bianca; Fabert, Natalie; Gildar, Natalie; Way, Amy

    2014-01-01

    Interpersonal problem solving skills allow engineers to prevent interpersonal difficulties more effectively and to manage conflict, both of which are critical to successful participation on teams. This research provides evidence that the "Career"WISE online learning environment can improve those skills among women in engineering graduate…

  5. Is Identical Really Identical? An Investigation of Equivalency Theory and Online Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lapsley, Ruth; Kulik, Brian; Moody, Rex; Arbaugh, J. B.

    2008-01-01

    This study investigates the validity of equivalency theory among 63 students by comparing two introductory upper-division human resource management courses: one taught online, the other in a traditional classroom. Commonalities included same term, same professor, and identical assignments/tests in the same order, thus allowing a direct comparison…

  6. Engaging Middle School Students with Technology: Using Real-Time Data to Test Predictions in Aquatic Ecosystems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Adams, Lisa G.

    2011-01-01

    Take advantage of teen internet savvy and redirect students' online travels toward exploration of our environment through streaming real-time data (RTD). Studies have shown that using RTD adds relevancy to students' learning experiences and engages them in scientific investigations. (Contains 14 online resources and 5 figures.)

  7. An Inclusive Approach to Online Learning Environments: Models and Resources

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rutherford, Aline Germain; Kerr, Barbara

    2008-01-01

    The impact of ever-increasing numbers of online courses on the demographic composition of classes has meant that the notions of diversity, multiculturality and globalization are now key aspects of curriculum planning. With the internationalization and globalization of education, and faced with rising needs for an increasingly educated and more…

  8. Breaking down Online Teaching: Innovation and Resistance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hannon, John

    2009-01-01

    The term "innovation" is associated mainly with change in practice using educational technology. This paper explores the question of why innovations in online teaching and learning in higher education break down or deliver less than they promise: why they are so resource intensive, so prone to breakdown, and why they often fail to live…

  9. Kids and Credibility: An Empirical Examination of Youth, Digital Media Use, and Information Credibility

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Flanagin, Andrew J.; Metzger, Miriam J.

    2010-01-01

    How well do children navigate the ocean of information that is available online? The enormous variety of Web-based resources represents both opportunities and challenges for Internet-savvy kids, offering extraordinary potential for learning and social connection but little guidance on assessing the reliability of online information. This book…

  10. Web Usage Mining: Application to an Online Educational Digital Library Service

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Palmer, Bart C.

    2012-01-01

    This dissertation was situated in the crossroads of educational data mining (EDM), educational digital libraries (such as the National Science Digital Library; http://nsdl.org), and examination of teacher behaviors while creating online learning resources in an end-user authoring system, the Instructional Architect (IA; http://ia.usu.edu). The…

  11. Guidelines for Selecting Quality K-12 Online Courses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rothschild, Mimi

    2005-01-01

    This article presents guidelines formulated by Learning By Grace, Inc., one of the nation's leading providers of online resources for homeschoolers, and is intended to help home educators navigate the multitude of available choices so that they will be better equipped to select the provider that offers the curriculum and services most suited to…

  12. In Search of the Best On-Line Degree Programs in Human Resources.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kirk, James J.; Waltemyer, Holly

    The advent of the Internet, the World Wide Web, and global infrastructures for e-learning are revolutionizing how colleges and universities deliver degree programs to adult students. Benefits of on-line degree programs to working adults include flexibility, convenience, and time and cost savings. New technologies that greatly affect how online…

  13. Medical student use of digital learning resources.

    PubMed

    Scott, Karen; Morris, Anne; Marais, Ben

    2018-02-01

    University students expect to use technology as part of their studies, yet health professional teachers can struggle with the change in student learning habits fuelled by technology. Our research aimed to document the learning habits of contemporary medical students during a clinical rotation by exploring the use of locally and externally developed digital and print self-directed learning resources, and study groups. We investigated the learning habits of final-stage medical students during their clinical paediatric rotation using mixed methods, involving learning analytics and a student questionnaire. Learning analytics tracked aggregate student usage statistics of locally produced e-learning resources on two learning management systems and mobile learning resources. The questionnaire recorded student-reported use of digital and print learning resources and study groups. The students made extensive use of digital self-directed learning resources, especially in the 2 weeks before the examination, which peaked the day before the written examination. All students used locally produced digital formative assessment, and most (74/98; 76%) also used digital resources developed by other institutions. Most reported finding locally produced e-learning resources beneficial for learning. In terms of traditional forms of self-directed learning, one-third (28/94; 30%) indicated that they never read the course textbook, and few students used face-to-face 39/98 (40%) or online 6/98 (6%) study groups. Learning analytics and student questionnaire data confirmed the extensive use of digital resources for self-directed learning. Through clarification of learning habits and experiences, we think teachers can help students to optimise effective learning strategies; however, the impact of contemporary learning habits on learning efficacy requires further evaluation. Health professional teachers can struggle with the change in student learning habits fuelled by technology. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The Association for the Study of Medical Education.

  14. Beyond Barriers: Encouraging Teacher Use of Feedback Resources. A Report from the Teacher Feedback Resources Project

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morgan, Nicholas; Killion, Joellen

    2018-01-01

    This report investigates factors that drive teachers to embrace or challenge the use of products and services designed to support improvements in practice. Key elements of the study include: (1) Technology-based resources studied include those designed for video observations, peer feedback and collaboration, online professional learning, and…

  15. Surgery 101: evaluating the use of podcasting in a general surgery clerkship.

    PubMed

    White, J S; Sharma, N; Boora, P

    2011-01-01

    Provision of learning resources online is rapidly becoming a feature of medical education. This study set out to determine how medical students engaged in a 6-week clerkship in General Surgery would make use of a series of audio podcasts designed to meet their educational objectives. Patterns of use and student learning styles were determined using an anonymous survey. Of the 112 students, 93 responded to the survey (83%); 68% of students reported listening to at least one podcast (average number: six). While students reported listening in a variety of time and places, the majority of students reported listening on a computer in dedicated study time. Of the listeners, 84% agreed the podcasts helped them learn core topics, and over 80% found the recordings interesting and engaging. This study demonstrates that podcasts are an acceptable learning resource for medical students engaged in a surgery clerkship, and can be integrated into existing study habits. We believe that podcasting can help us cater to busy students with a range of learning styles. We have also shown that a free online resource developed by one school can reach a global audience many times larger than its intended target: to date, the 'Surgery 101' podcast series has been downloaded more than 160,000 times worldwide.

  16. Online English Learning Using Internet for English-as-a-Foreign-Language Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wang, Lih-Ching Chen; Dalton, David W.

    Learning to communicate in English is an essential tool to access many resources via worldwide networks in the global society. Like students from many other countries, students in Taiwan study English for years, but lack opportunities to practice. For English-as-a-Second-Language students, the World Wide Web provides a learning environment in…

  17. ALTEC Learning Games: Successful Integration of Learning and Gaming

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bacon, Melanie A.; Ault, Marilyn M.

    2009-01-01

    Of the 53 million K-12 students in the United States, 93%, or 51 million, of them play video games (Etuk, 2008). ALTEC Learning Games utilize the excitement of video games to engage students and provide teachers authentic online resources that reinforce skills in math and language arts. Our recent work was partially supported by a partnership with…

  18. Encouraging Students to Think Strategically when Learning to Solve Linear Equations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Robson, Daphne; Abell, Walt; Boustead, Therese

    2012-01-01

    Students who are preparing to study science and engineering need to understand equation solving but adult students returning to study can find this difficult. In this paper, the design of an online resource, Equations2go, for helping students learn to solve linear equations is investigated. Students learning to solve equations need to consider…

  19. University of Central Florida and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities: Blended Learning Toolkit

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    EDUCAUSE, 2014

    2014-01-01

    The Blended Learning Toolkit supports the course redesign approach, and interest in its openly available clearinghouse of online tools, strategies, curricula, and other materials to support the adoption of blended learning continues to grow. When the resource originally launched in July 2011, 20 AASCU [American Association of State Colleges and…

  20. NGSS aligned Earth science resources and professional development programs from the Exploratorium.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Muller, E.

    2016-12-01

    The Exploratorium is a museum of science, art and human perception located in San Francisco, CA. The Exploratorium has been offering resources and professional development to primary and secondary teachers since 1972. We focus on inquiry based, hands-on learning, with an emphasis on Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) implementation. This brief, invited presentation will feature the programs and online resources developed by the Exploratorium's "Institute for Inquiry" and "Teacher Institute" that may help formal and informal educators engage, implement and promote three dimensional learning in the Earth Sciences.

  1. Recruitment of Older Adult Patient-Caregiver Dyads for an Online Caregiver Resource Program: Lessons Learned.

    PubMed

    Nahm, Eun-Shim; Orwig, Denise; Resnick, Barbara; Magaziner, Jay; Bellantoni, Michele; Sterling, Robert

    2012-01-12

    Hip fracture is a significant health problem for older adults and generally requires surgery followed by intensive rehabilitation. Informal caregivers (CGs) can provide vital assistance to older adults recovering from hip fracture. Caregiving is a dyadic process that affects both CGs and care recipients (CRs). In a feasibility study, we assessed the effects of using a theory-based online hip fracture resource program for CGs on both CGs and CRs. In this article, we discuss our recruitment process and the lessons learned. Participants were recruited from six acute hospitals, and CGs used the online resource program for 8 weeks. A total of 256 hip fracture patients were screened, and 164 CRs were ineligible. CG screening was initiated when CRs were determined to be eligible. Among 41 eligible dyads, 36 dyads were recruited. Several challenges to the recruitment of these dyads for online studies were identified, including a low number of eligible dyads in certain hospitals and difficulty recruiting both the CR and the CG during the short hospital stay. Field nurses often had to make multiple trips to the hospital to meet with both the CR and the CG. Thus, when a subject unit is a dyad recruited from acute settings, the resources required for the recruitment may be more than doubled. These challenges could be successfully alleviated with careful planning, competent field staff members, collaboration with hospital staff members, and efficient field operations.

  2. Creating an Online Library To Support a Virtual Learning Community.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sandelands, Eric

    1998-01-01

    International Management Centres (IMC), an independent business school, and Anbar Electronic Intelligence (AEI), a database publisher, have created a virtual library for IMC's virtual business school. Topics discussed include action learning; IMC's partnership with AEI; the virtual university model; designing virtual library resources; and…

  3. Lost in Interaction in IMS Learning Design Runtime Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Derntl, Michael; Neumann, Susanne; Oberhuemer, Petra

    2014-01-01

    Educators are exploiting the advantages of advanced web-based collaboration technologies and massive online interactions. Interactions between learners and human or nonhuman resources therefore play an increasingly important pedagogical role, and the way these interactions are expressed in the user interface of virtual learning environments is…

  4. What Size Is Your Digital Footprint?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hewson, Kurtis

    2013-01-01

    The Professional Learning Network (PLN) is gaining momentum in the education lexicon. It records and reflects the personal development of a community of learners--primarily online through a variety of platforms and social networks--in which educators share resources, provide support, introduce and debate ideas and celebrate learning. These…

  5. Developing nursing and midwifery students' capacity for coping with bullying and aggression in clinical settings: Students' evaluation of a learning resource.

    PubMed

    Hogan, Rosemarie; Orr, Fiona; Fox, Deborah; Cummins, Allison; Foureur, Maralyn

    2018-03-01

    An innovative blended learning resource for undergraduate nursing and midwifery students was developed in a large urban Australian university, following a number of concerning reports by students on their experiences of bullying and aggression in clinical settings. The blended learning resource included interactive online learning modules, comprising film clips of realistic clinical scenarios, related readings, and reflective questions, followed by in-class role-play practice of effective responses to bullying and aggression. On completion of the blended learning resource 210 participants completed an anonymous survey (65.2% response rate). Qualitative data was collected and a thematic analysis of the participants' responses revealed the following themes: 'Engaging with the blended learning resource'; 'Responding to bullying' and 'Responding to aggression'. We assert that developing nursing and midwifery students' capacity to effectively respond to aggression and bullying, using a self-paced blended learning resource, provides a solution to managing some of the demands of the clinical setting. The blended learning resource, whereby nursing and midwifery students were introduced to realistic portrayals of bullying and aggression in clinical settings, developed their repertoire of effective responding and coping skills for use in their professional practice. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. The gap between medical faculty’s perceptions and use of e-learning resources

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Kyong-Jee; Kang, Youngjoon; Kim, Giwoon

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT Background: e-Learning resources have become increasingly popular in medical education; however, there has been scant research on faculty perceptions and use of these resources. Objective: To investigate medical faculty’s use of e-learning resources and to draw on practical implications for fostering their use of such resources. Design: Approximately 500 full-time faculty members in 35 medical schools across the nation in South Korea were invited to participate in a 30-item questionnaire on their perceptions and use of e-learning resources in medical education. The questionnaires were distributed in both online and paper formats. Descriptive analysis and reliability analysis were conducted of the data. Results: Eighty faculty members from 28 medical schools returned the questionnaires. Twenty-two percent of respondents were female and 78% were male, and their rank, disciplines, and years of teaching experience all varied. Participants had positive perceptions of e-learning resources in terms of usefulness for student learning and usability; still, only 39% of them incorporated those resources in their teaching. The most frequently selected reasons for not using e-learning resources in their teaching were ‘lack of resources relevant to my lectures,’ ‘lack of time to use them during lectures,’ and ‘was not aware of their availability.’ Conclusions: Our study indicates a gap between medical faculty’s positive perceptions of e-learning resources and their low use of such resources. Our findings highlight the needs for further study of individual and institutional barriers to faculty adoption of e-learning resources to bridge this gap. PMID:28621242

  7. Understanding Digital Learning and Its Variable Effects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Means, B.

    2016-12-01

    An increasing proportion of undergraduate courses use an online or blended learning format. This trend signals major changes in the kind of instruction students receive in their STEM courses, yet evidence about the effectiveness of these new approaches is sparse. Existing syntheses and meta-analyses summarize outcomes from experimental or quasi-experimental studies of online and blended courses and document how few studies incorporate proper controls for differences in student characteristics, instructor behaviors, and other course conditions. The evidence that is available suggests that on average blended courses are equal to or better than traditional face-to-face courses and that online courses are equivalent in terms of learning outcomes. But these averages conceal a tremendous underlying variability. Results vary markedly from course to course, even when the same technology is used in both. Some research suggests that online instruction puts lower-achieving students at a disadvantage. It is clear that introducing digital learning per se is no guarantee that student engagement and learning will be enhanced. Getting more consistently positive impacts out of learning technologies is going to require systematic characterization of the features of learning technologies and associated instructional practices as well as attention to context and student characteristics. This presentation will present a framework for characterizing essential features of digital learning resources, implementation practices, and conditions. It will also summarize the research evidence with respect to the learning impacts of specific technology features including spaced practice, immediate feedback, mastery learning based pacing, visualizations and simulations, gaming features, prompts for explanations and reflection, and tools for online collaboration.

  8. Hermeneutics as a Methodological Resource for Understanding Empathy in On-Line Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Walshaw, Margaret; Duncan, Wayne

    2015-01-01

    Hermeneutics is both a philosophical tradition and a methodological resource. In this qualitative study, hermeneutics provided, simultaneously, a framework and a methodology for understanding empathy in synchronous multimedia conferencing. As a framework for the design of the study, hermeneutics supported the overriding objective to understand the…

  9. Usage Data as Indicators of OER Utility

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mardis, Marcia A.; Ambavarapu, Chandrahasa R.

    2017-01-01

    A key component of online and blended learning content, open educational resources, (OER) are heralded in a global movement toward high-quality, affordable, accessible, and personalized education. However, stakeholders have expressed concern about scaling OER use due to a lack of means to ensure a fit between learner, resource, and task. Usage…

  10. Recognizing Excellence: From Macro to Micro to Nano

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dassler, Troy

    2011-01-01

    This column features profiles of award-winning science programs and teachers. In this month's issue the author shares his experience of working with a university researcher. Third-grade students benefit from this relationship and learn about the nanoscale through up-to-date science equipment. (Contains 1 resource and 10 online resources.)

  11. Online Knowledge-Based Model for Big Data Topic Extraction

    PubMed Central

    Khan, Muhammad Taimoor; Durrani, Mehr; Khalid, Shehzad; Aziz, Furqan

    2016-01-01

    Lifelong machine learning (LML) models learn with experience maintaining a knowledge-base, without user intervention. Unlike traditional single-domain models they can easily scale up to explore big data. The existing LML models have high data dependency, consume more resources, and do not support streaming data. This paper proposes online LML model (OAMC) to support streaming data with reduced data dependency. With engineering the knowledge-base and introducing new knowledge features the learning pattern of the model is improved for data arriving in pieces. OAMC improves accuracy as topic coherence by 7% for streaming data while reducing the processing cost to half. PMID:27195004

  12. Reading and Studying on the Screen: An Overview of Literature towards Good Learning Design Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nichols, Mark

    2016-01-01

    As distance education moves increasingly towards online provision, and because of the benefits provided by online approaches, students will be expected to engage with more resources available on screen. Contemporary forms of reading from the screen include reading from tablet devices, LCD monitors, and smartphones. However, print remains the…

  13. Building Fictional Ethos: Analysing the Rhetorical Strategies of Persona Design for Online Role Play

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Doerr-Stevens, Candance

    2011-01-01

    This article presents a qualitative case study that uses discourse and social semiotic analysis methods in order to examine the rhetorical construction of fictional personas within an online role play used for learning in the college classroom. Of special focus are the differing patterns of semiotic resource use (for example, language and…

  14. Teaching Mathematics Online in the European Area of Higher Education: An Instructor's Point of View

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Juan, Angel A.; Steegmann, Cristina; Huertas, Antonia; Martinez, M. Jesus; Simosa, J.

    2011-01-01

    This article first discusses how information technologies are changing the way knowledge is delivered at universities worldwide. Then, the article reviews some of the most popular learning management systems available today and some of the most useful online resources in the areas of Mathematics and Statistics. After that, some long-term…

  15. Comparing Technology-Related Teacher Professional Development Designs: A Multilevel Study of Teacher and Student Impacts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Walker, Andrew; Recker, Mimi; Ye, Lei; Robertshaw, M. Brooke; Sellers, Linda; Leary, Heather

    2012-01-01

    This article presents a quasi-experimental study comparing the impact of two technology-related teacher professional development (TTPD) designs, aimed at helping junior high school science and mathematics teachers design online activities using the rapidly growing set of online learning resources available on the Internet. The first TTPD design…

  16. OpenCourseWare Resources for Advanced High School Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carson, Steve

    2008-01-01

    In 2000, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) faculty first proposed putting the course materials from all 1,800 MIT classes online, free of charge. The idea behind MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW) was to use the Internet for more than just distance learning. When MIT began placing the course materials online in 2002 and 2003, the audience…

  17. Narrated Video Clips Improve Student Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stephens, Philip J.

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to determine whether viewing narrated video clips improves student learning. The study was conducted with undergraduate, mostly Biology majors, in an Animal Physiology course held in successive semesters. When both classes were given the same face-to-face lectures and identical online resources their performance on an…

  18. E-Learning Development in Higher Education: Maximising Efficiency--Maintaining Quality.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jones, Deborah; Sims, Rod

    Many tertiary institutions in Australia provide support to develop online teaching and learning resources, an environment characterized by demands from students for quality face-to-face and distance education, staff concern over workloads, institutional budgeting constraints and an imperative to use management systems. There also remains a…

  19. Automatic Recommendations for E-Learning Personalization Based on Web Usage Mining Techniques and Information Retrieval

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Khribi, Mohamed Koutheair; Jemni, Mohamed; Nasraoui, Olfa

    2009-01-01

    In this paper, we describe an automatic personalization approach aiming to provide online automatic recommendations for active learners without requiring their explicit feedback. Recommended learning resources are computed based on the current learner's recent navigation history, as well as exploiting similarities and dissimilarities among…

  20. Purposeful Exploratory Learning with Video Using Analysis Categories

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Colasante, Meg

    2016-01-01

    There is still much to be learnt about best practices in leveraging digital resources for learning in higher education. Research on student interactions with online video indicates such practices are as minimal as setting passive-receptive viewing through to teacher-structured purposeful engagement. This position paper focuses on teacher-set…

  1. Collaboration Creation: Lessons Learned from Establishing an Online Professional Learning Community

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gray, Colin; Smyth, Keith

    2012-01-01

    This paper describes the design, implementation, evaluation and further refinement of an ELGG-based social networking site to support professional development activity, project group and special interest groups, and the discussion and sharing of educational experiences and resources across Edinburgh Napier University in the United Kingdom.…

  2. Webquests in Social Studies Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vanguri, Pradeep R.; Sunal, Cynthia Szymanski; Wilson, Elizabeth K.; Wright, Vivian H.

    2004-01-01

    WebQuests provide the opportunity to combine technology with educational concepts and to incorporate inquiry-based learning. WebQuests also have the ability to integrate on-line resources with student-centered, activity-based learning. Three courses in the College of Education at The University of Alabama and at West Virginia University…

  3. Elements of Engagement: A Model of Teacher Interactions via Professional Learning Networks

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Krutka, Daniel G.; Carpenter, Jeffrey P.; Trust, Torrey

    2016-01-01

    In recent years, many educators have turned to participatory online affinity spaces for professional growth with peers who are more accessible because of reduced temporal and spatial constraints. Specifically, professional learning networks (PLNs) are "uniquely personalized, complex systems of interactions consisting of people, resources, and…

  4. Teaching about the Earth Online: Faculty-Sourced Guidance from InTeGrate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McDaris, J. R.; Bralower, T. J.; Anbar, A. D.; Leinbach, A.

    2017-12-01

    Teaching online is growing in acceptance within the higher education community and its accessibility creates an opportunity to reach students from diverse backgrounds with geoscience content. There is a need to develop best practices for teaching about Earth online as new technologies, pedagogical approaches, and teaching materials that incorporate societal issues and data emerge. In response to this need, the InTeGrate: Teaching about Earth for a Sustainable Future project convened a workshop of interdisciplinary faculty who teach about the Earth online, in a variety of contexts, to develop consensus best-practices, collect online resources, and develop teaching materials to share with the rest of the community. Workshop participants generated five broad categories of guidance for faculty teaching online: develop communication and a sense of community among class participants, stimulate student engagement, develop activity frameworks that scale with class size, include information literacy in the curriculum explicitly, and employ effective management and assessment techniques. Many of the best practices highlighted by the group are not unique to teaching online, but teaching online rather than face-to-face affects how they are or can be implemented. The suite of webpages developed from this work showcase specific strategies in each area, underpinned by examples drawn from the experiences of the participants. This resource can provide a wealth of advice for faculty seeking help for teaching online. Faculty can also provide feedback on the strategies and add their own experiences to the collection. Participants also worked together in teams to develop new or revise existing teaching resources to make available via the InTeGrate website. In addition, they shared insights about online resources they use in their teaching and class management and developed plans for an online repository for next-generation, interactive educational materials and tools for creating them. All of the best practices guidance, teaching materials, and online resources from the workshop can be found via the InTeGrate website - http://serc.carleton.edu/integrate/workshops/online_learning/index.html.

  5. Rotation as a course: lessons learned from developing a hybrid online/on-ground approach to general surgical resident education.

    PubMed

    Maddaus, Michael A; Chipman, Jeffrey G; Whitson, Bryan A; Groth, Shawn S; Schmitz, Connie C

    2008-01-01

    To improve the consistency and the quality of resident education on clinical rotations, 5 surgical rotations (thoracic, bariatrics, surgical oncology, pediatrics, and critical care) were restructured "as courses" with learning objectives, educational activities (online and on-ground), pretests, posttests, and oral examinations. University surgical training program in a large metropolitan area, which serves approximately 65 residents per year. The online course management system, WebCT/VISTA (Blackboard Inc., Washington, DC), was used to build 5 online course sites. To engage and garner support from faculty, several organizational change tactics and resources were employed, such as Grand Rounds presentations, a faculty retreat, consultation and support from professional staff, and the use of residents as reviewers and codevelopers. To support resident use of the online sites, a designated education coordinator provided individual and group orientation sessions and employed weekly tracking and reminder systems; completion of pretests and posttests was mandated. Between 6 and 8 learning modules were created per rotation, with over 50 reading assignments (collectively) and 45 online presentations. Since July 2006, 53 residents have completed a total of 106 rotations on these services. Preliminary results from a longitudinal study suggest that the hybrid approach is well received and effective when fully executed, but that online course materials are used by residents only if they feel that the faculty members are truly engaged and actively promoting the site. Changing the culture of learning on rotation to include learning objectives, assessment, and integrated online/on-ground activities takes significant leadership, resident input, professional staff support, faculty engagement, and time.

  6. Examining Value Change in MOOCs in the Scope of Connectivism and Open Educational Resources Movement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ozturk, Hayriye Tugba

    2015-01-01

    Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) came to prominence with Open Educational Resources Movement (OERM). It was based upon the idea of libre in removal of some permission barriers and gratis in removing the price barrier (Suber, 2008) in learning resources. In line with the theoretical underpinnings of OERM, MOOCs embody primary characteristics of…

  7. Evaluation of Keyphrase Extraction Algorithm and Tiling Process for a Document/Resource Recommender within E-Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mangina, Eleni; Kilbride, John

    2008-01-01

    The research presented in this paper is an examination of the applicability of IUI techniques in an online e-learning environment. In particular we make use of user modeling techniques, information retrieval and extraction mechanisms and collaborative filtering methods. The domains of e-learning, web-based training and instruction and intelligent…

  8. A University's Strategic Adoption Process of an PBL-Aligned eLearning Environment: An Exploratory Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blackburn, Greg

    2017-01-01

    Much has been written about the promise and peril of technology in education. This paper presents an empirical study that explores how technology can play a pivotal role in student learning and how teaching staff can adopt innovative technology-based approaches in the creation of interactive online problem-based learning (PBL) resources, allowing…

  9. Blended Learning and Curriculum Renewal across Three Medical Schools: The Rheumatology Module at the University of Otago

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stebbings, Simon; Bagheri, Nasser; Perrie, Kellie; Blyth, Phil; McDonald, Jenny

    2012-01-01

    In response to the challenges created by the implementation of a new medical school curriculum at the University of Otago in 2008, we aimed to develop a blended learning course for teaching rheumatology within the existing musculoskeletal course. We developed a multimedia online learning resource structured to support class based problem-based…

  10. Predicting Students' Attitudes towards Advertising on a University Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ogba, Ike-Elechi; Saul, Neil; Coates, Nigel F.

    2012-01-01

    Most if not all UK universities and many in other parts of the world support their student learning via a virtual learning environment (VLE). Online resources are going to be increasingly important to students as the internet is very much part of their lives. However, the VLE will require ongoing investment to keep pace with technological…

  11. Building an Online Library for Interpretation Training: Explorations into an Effective Blended-Learning Mode

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chan, Clara Ho-yan

    2014-01-01

    This paper reports on a blended-learning project that aims to develop a web-based library of interpreting practice resources built on the course management system Blackboard for Hong Kong interpretation students to practise outside the classroom. It also evaluates the library's effectiveness for learning, based on a case study that uses it to…

  12. Engaging Students as Partners in Developing Online Learning and Feedback Activities for First-Year Fluid Mechanics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown, Alan

    2018-01-01

    Much learning takes place outside of formal class settings, yet students starting in higher education are not always well equipped with independent learning skills, appropriate self-knowledge or the required levels of intrinsic motivation This project used students as partners to develop resources that could be used by first-year undergraduates in…

  13. How Useful Is YouTube in Learning Heart Anatomy?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Raikos, Athanasios; Waidyasekara, Pasan

    2014-01-01

    Nowadays more and more modern medical degree programs focus on self-directed and problem-based learning. That requires students to search for high quality and easy to retrieve online resources. YouTube is an emerging platform for learning human anatomy due to easy access and being a free service. The purpose of this study is to make a quantitative…

  14. Attitudes to the Rights and Rewards for Author Contributions to Repositories for Teaching and Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bates, Melanie; Loddington, Steve; Manuel, Sue; Oppenheim, Charles

    2007-01-01

    In the United Kingdom over the past few years there has been a dramatic growth of national and regional repositories to collect and disseminate resources related to teaching and learning. Most notable of these are the Joint Information Systems Committee's Online Repository for [Learning and Teaching] Materials as well as the Higher Education…

  15. Using multimedia and peer assessment to promote collaborative e-learning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barra, Enrique; Aguirre Herrera, Sandra; Ygnacio Pastor Caño, Jose; Quemada Vives, Juan

    2014-04-01

    Collaborative e-learning is increasingly appealing as a pedagogical approach that can positively affect student learning. We propose a didactical model that integrates multimedia with collaborative tools and peer assessment to foster collaborative e-learning. In this paper, we explain it and present the results of its application to the "International Seminars on Materials Science" online course. The proposed didactical model consists of five educational activities. In the first three, students review the multimedia resources proposed by the teacher in collaboration with their classmates. Then, in the last two activities, they create their own multimedia resources and assess those created by their classmates. These activities foster communication and collaboration among students and their ability to use and create multimedia resources. Our purpose is to encourage the creativity, motivation, and dynamism of the learning process for both teachers and students.

  16. Teacher Characteristics Associated with Responsiveness and Exposure to Consultation and On-line Professional Development Resources

    PubMed Central

    Downer, Jason T.; Locasale-Crouch, Jennifer; Hamre, Bridget; Pianta, Robert

    2014-01-01

    This paper is a natural follow-up to intent-to-treat findings indicating that the MyTeachingPartner Consultancy, inclusive of on-line video resources and web-mediated consultation, improved the quality of pre-k teachers’ interactions with children. This study takes a close look at implementation fidelity within the effective MTP Consultancy condition over both years of implementation, in order to learn more about the ingredients of professional development that may have contributed to the success of the intervention. Variation in teachers’ responsiveness (e.g., ratings of Consultancy worth) and exposure to the intervention (e.g., number of consultation cycles completed) are examined, with particular interest in the identification of teacher factors that may serve as supports or barriers to successfully implementing consultation supports and on-line professional development resources. PMID:25419081

  17. Designing Online Resources in Preparation for Authentic Laboratory Experiences

    PubMed Central

    Boulay, Rachel; Parisky, Alex; Leong, Peter

    2013-01-01

    Professional development for science teachers can be benefited through active learning in science laboratories. However, how online training materials can be used to complement traditional laboratory training is less understood. This paper explores the design of online training modules to teach molecular biology and user perception of those modules that were part of an intensive molecular biology “boot camp” targeting high school biology teachers in the State of Hawaii. The John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii had an opportunity to design and develop professional development that prepares science teachers with an introduction of skills, techniques, and applications for their students to conduct medical research in a laboratory setting. A group of 29 experienced teachers shared their opinions of the online materials and reported on how they used the online materials in their learning process or teaching. PMID:24319698

  18. Teaching mathematics online in the European Area of Higher Education: an instructor's point of view

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Juan, Angel A.; Steegmann, Cristina; Huertas, Antonia; Martinez, M. Jesus; Simosa, J.

    2011-03-01

    This article first discusses how information technologies are changing the way knowledge is delivered at universities worldwide. Then, the article reviews some of the most popular learning management systems available today and some of the most useful online resources in the areas of Mathematics and Statistics. After that, some long-term experiences regarding the teaching of online courses in those areas at the Open University of Catalonia are discussed. Finally, the article presents the results of a large-scale survey performed in Spain that aims to reflect instructors' opinions and feelings about potential benefits and challenges of teaching mathematics online, as well as the role of emergent technologies in the context of the European Area of Higher Education. Therefore, this article contributes to the existing literature as an additional reference point, one based on our long-term experience in a large-scale online environment, for discussions involving mathematical e-learning.

  19. Social argumentation in online synchronous communication

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Angiono, Ivan

    In education, argumentation has an increasing importance because it can be used to foster learning in various fields including philosophy, history, sciences, and mathematics. Argumentation is also at the heart of scientific inquiry. Many educational technology researchers have been interested in finding out how technologies can be employed to improve students' learning of argumentation. Therefore, many computer-based tools or argumentation systems have been developed to assist students in their acquisition of argumentation skills. While the argumentation systems incorporating online debating tools present a good resource in formal settings, there is limited research revealing what argumentative skills students are portraying in informal online settings without the presence of a moderator. This dissertation investigates the nature of argumentative practices in a massively multiplayer online game where the system successfully incorporates the authentic use of online synchronous communication tools and the patterns that emerge from the interplay between a number of contextual variables including synchronicity, interest, authenticity, and topical knowledge.

  20. Paediatric musculoskeletal matters (pmm)--collaborative development of an online evidence based interactive learning tool and information resource for education in paediatric musculoskeletal medicine.

    PubMed

    Smith, Nicola; Rapley, Tim; Jandial, Sharmila; English, Christine; Davies, Barbara; Wyllie, Ruth; Foster, Helen E

    2016-01-05

    We describe the collaborative development of an evidence based, free online resource namely 'paediatric musculoskeletal matters' (pmm). This resource was developed with the aim of reaching a wide range of health professionals to increase awareness, knowledge and skills within paediatric musculoskeletal medicine, thereby facilitating early diagnosis and referral to specialist care. Engagement with stakeholder groups (primary care, paediatrics, musculoskeletal specialties and medical students) informed the essential 'core' learning outcomes to derive content of pmm. Representatives from stakeholder groups, social science and web development experts transformed the learning outcomes into a suitable framework. Target audience representatives reviewed the framework and their opinion was gathered using an online survey (n = 74) and focus groups (n = 2). Experts in paediatric musculoskeletal medicine peer reviewed the content and design. User preferences informed design with mobile, tablet and web compatible versions to facilitate access, various media and formats to engage users and the content presented in module format (i.e. Clinical assessment, Investigations and management, Limping child, Joint pain by site, Swollen joint(s) and Resources). We propose that our collaborative and evidence-based approach has ensured that pmm is user-friendly, with readily accessible, suitable content, and will help to improve access to paediatric musculoskeletal medicine education. The content is evidence-based with the design and functionality of pmm to facilitate optimal and 'real life' access to information. pmm is targeted at medical students and the primary care environment although messages are transferable to all health care professionals involved in the care of children and young people.

  1. Teaching Astronomy Online

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Radnofsky, Mary L.; Bobrowsky, Matthew

    This article is intended to provide an overview of the practical, pedagogical, and philosophical considerations in designing a Web-based astronomy course, and to demonstrate the educational benefits that such online courses can afford students. Because online students need to take more responsibility for their learning, faculty must make course expectations extremely clear. Online education allows for increased student participation and equal access to college by such groups as the military, the handicapped, full-time employees, and rural and senior citizens. Teaching the sciences online--especially astronomy--gives students more time to think critically about new information. This article also includes tools, checklists, and resources helpful for introducing faculty to online course development in astronomy.

  2. How Do Learning Outcomes, Assessments and Student Engagement in a Fully Online Geoscience Laboratory Compare to Those Of The Original Hands-on Exercise?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jones, F. M.

    2015-12-01

    In a third year geoscience elective for BSc majors, we adapted several active f2f learning strategies for an equivalent fully online version of the course. In particular, we converted a hands-on laboratory including analysis and interpretation of hand-specimens, sketching results and peer-to-peer discussion of scientific implications. This study compares learning outcomes in both formats and describes resources that make engaging, effective and efficient learning experiences for large classes in an asynchronous online environment. Our two hypotheses are: 1) a hands-on geology lab exercise can be converted for efficient fully online use without sacrificing feedback and assessment opportunities; 2) students find either the f2f or DE versions equally effective and enjoyable as learning experiences. Key components are an authentic context, interactive resources including sketching, strategies that enable efficient assessment and feedback on solo and group work, and asynchronous yet productive interaction with peers. Students in the f2f class handle real rock and fossil specimens, work with peers in the lab and classroom, and deliver most results including annotated figures on paper. DE students complete identical tasks using interactive high resolution figures and videos of specimens. Solo work is first delivered for automated assessment and feedback, then students engage asynchronously in small groups to improve results and discuss implications. Chronostratigraphy and other interpretations are sketched on prepared template images using a simple open-source sketching app that ensures equal access and consistent results that are efficient to assess by peers and instructors. Learning outcomes based on subsequent quizzes, sketches, and lab results (paper for f2f students and automated data entry for DE students), show that f2f and online students demonstrate knowledge and scientific interpretations of comparable quality. Effective engagement and group work are demonstrated for f2f students using video and survey data, and for DE students using learning management system tracking data and similar survey data. Finally, these initiatives are shown to be scalable to classes of many students by comparing the time required for instructors to run and grade the lab in both settings.

  3. Comparing Online and In-Person Delivery Formats of the OSHA 10-Hour General Industry Health and Safety Training for Young Workers.

    PubMed

    Shendell, Derek G; Milich, Lindsey J; Apostolico, Alexsandra A; Patti, Alexa A; Kelly, Siobhan

    2017-05-01

    Seven school districts or comprehensive high schools were enrolled in online OSHA 10-hour General Industry or Construction health and safety training via CareerSafe to determine the feasibility of online training for students, given limited resources for in-person trainings. A two-campus school district was analyzed comparing OSHA 10 for General Industry across in-person, supervisor-level teachers as authorized trainers, and online course formats. The online training courses were completed by 86 of 91 students, while another 53 of 57 students completed in-person training. Both groups completed identical OSHA-approved quizzes for "Introduction to OSHA," the initial 2-h module consistently provided in OSHA 10 courses across topics and formats. Results indicated teacher supervision was critical, and girls had higher online course completion rates, overall quiz scores, and never failed. Though both cohorts passed, in-person had significantly higher scores than online; both struggled with two questions. Online OSHA 10 for General Industry can be an efficient learning tool for students when limited resources prevent widespread availability of in-person courses.

  4. BenMAP-CE Training Materials

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Are you interested in learning more about how to operate the BenMAP-CE program? A variety of training resources are available, including self-paced exercises, online interactive modules and instructor-led training.

  5. C-FERST

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The Community-Focused Exposure and Risk Screening Tool (C-FERST) is an online tool which provides access to resources that can help communities learn more about their environmental issues, and explore exposure and risk reduction options.

  6. Improving clinical communication of students with English as a second language (ESL) using online technology: a small scale evaluation study.

    PubMed

    Rogan, Fran; San Miguel, Caroline

    2013-09-01

    Increasingly, students with English as a second language (ESL) are enrolled in nursing degrees in English speaking countries (Wang et al., 2008). However, they may be at risk of clinical practice failure due to communication difficulties associated with unfamiliar linguistic and cultural factors (Guhde, 2003). This paper describes and evaluates an innovation to assist ESL nursing students at an Australian university develop their clinical communication skills and practice readiness by providing online learning resources, using podcast and vodcast technology, that blend with classroom activities and facilitate flexible and independent learning. The innovation builds on an intensive clinical language workshop program called 'Clinically Speaking' which has evolved through a cyclical process of ongoing research to produce resources in response to students' learning needs. Whilst uptake of the resources was modest, students of ESL as well as English speaking backgrounds (ESB) found the resources improved their clinical preparation and confidence by increasing their understanding of expectations, clinical language and communication skills. The innovation, developed with a modest budget, shows potential in developing ESL and ESB students' readiness for clinical communication, enabling them to engage in clinical practice to develop competency standards required of nursing graduates and registration authorities. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. A comparison of online versus on-site training in health research methodology: a randomized study.

    PubMed

    Aggarwal, Rakesh; Gupte, Nikhil; Kass, Nancy; Taylor, Holly; Ali, Joseph; Bhan, Anant; Aggarwal, Amita; Sisson, Stephen D; Kanchanaraksa, Sukon; McKenzie-White, Jane; McGready, John; Miotti, Paolo; Bollinger, Robert C

    2011-06-17

    Distance learning may be useful for building health research capacity. However, evidence that it can improve knowledge and skills in health research, particularly in resource-poor settings, is limited. We compared the impact and acceptability of teaching two distinct content areas, Biostatistics and Research Ethics, through either on-line distance learning format or traditional on-site training, in a randomized study in India. Our objective was to determine whether on-line courses in Biostatistics and Research Ethics could achieve similar improvements in knowledge, as traditional on-site, classroom-based courses. Volunteer Indian scientists were randomly assigned to one of two arms. Students in Arm 1 attended a 3.5-day on-site course in Biostatistics and completed a 3.5-week on-line course in Research Ethics. Students in Arm 2 attended a 3.5-week on-line course in Biostatistics and 3.5-day on-site course in Research Ethics. For the two course formats, learning objectives, course contents and knowledge tests were identical. Improvement in knowledge immediately and 3-months after course completion, compared to baseline. Baseline characteristics were similar in both arms (n = 29 each). Median knowledge score for Biostatistics increased from a baseline of 49% to 64% (p < 0.001) 3 months after the on-site course, and from 48% to 63% (p = 0.009) after the on-line course. For the on-site Research Ethics course, median score increased from 69% to 83% (p = 0.005), and for the on-line Research Ethics course from 62% to 80% (p < 0.001). Three months after the course, median gains in knowledge scores remained similar for the on-site and on-line platforms for both Biostatistics (16% vs. 12%; p = 0.59) and Research Ethics (17% vs. 13%; p = 0.14). On-line and on-site training formats led to marked and similar improvements of knowledge in Biostatistics and Research Ethics. This, combined with logistical and cost advantages of on-line training, may make on-line courses particularly useful for expanding health research capacity in resource-limited settings.

  8. A digital library of radiology images.

    PubMed

    Kahn, Charles E

    2006-01-01

    A web-based virtual library of peer-reviewed radiological images was created for use in education and clinical decision support. Images were obtained from open-access content of five online radiology journals and one e-learning web site. Figure captions were indexed by Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) codes, imaging modality, and patient age and sex. This digital library provides a new, valuable online resource.

  9. Open Data as Open Educational Resources: Towards Transversal Skills and Global Citizenship

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Atenas, Javiera; Havemann, Leo; Priego, Ernesto

    2015-01-01

    Open Data is the name given to datasets which have been generated by international organisations, governments, NGOs and academic researchers, and made freely available online and openly-licensed. These datasets can be used by educators as Open Educational Resources (OER) to support different teaching and learning activities, allowing students to…

  10. MOOCs Feasibility Study: Demand among Teachers in Rural Ghana

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnston, Jamie

    2016-01-01

    Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are a relatively new, low-cost resource that hold potential for improving learning in developing nations where resources are constrained and teacher expertise can be limited. However, little information currently exists about the effectiveness of leveraging MOOCs as a vehicle for teacher training. The aim of…

  11. Development of L2 Interactional Resources for Online Collaborative Task Accomplishment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Balaman, Ufuk; Sert, Olcay

    2017-01-01

    Technology-mediated task environments have long been considered integral parts of L2 learning and teaching processes. However, the interactional resources that the learners deploy to complete tasks in these environments have remained largely unexplored due to an overall focus on task design and outcomes rather than task engagement processes. With…

  12. Links to Learning: Recommended Websites for Your World History Class

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wangerin, Laura

    2012-01-01

    Technology offers three major benefits to world history teachers: an online supply of supplemental resources; access to creative tools; and the opportunity for students to collaborate. These three positive contributions vary in the degree of involvement they require of students. Supplemental resources offer or display information, but often lack a…

  13. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) for Physics - and for You?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pritchard, David E.

    2014-03-01

    We will describe several of the currently available Massive Open Online Courses in Physics-the topics, level, author, and special features of each. Then we will discuss the interesting demographics of the students taking them, presenting evidence showing that students of widely different initial skills and students of all major demographic groups learn at least as much conceptual knowledge as students in a traditional classroom. We will present MOOC research on student habits, use of eTexts and other resources, and indicate what resources impart measured learning. We'll describe a collectivistic MOOC where you can help develop instructional and assessment resources that will be in a library for future use by you and other teachers. Many of these resources are designed for blending with on-campus introductory courses in college or Advanced Placement courses in High School. They will ultimately be displayed in a searchable library with lots of useful information from which you can assemble your own course in the free and open edX.org platform (or simply download them for in-class use). We Acknowledge support from NSF, a Google Faculty Award, and MIT.

  14. Aggregate-Then-Curate: How Digital Learning Champions Help Communities Nurture Online Content

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Whitworth, Andrew; Garnett, Fred; Pearson, Diana

    2012-01-01

    Informational resources are essential for communities, rooting them in their own history, helping them learn and solve problems, giving them a voice in decisionmaking and so on. For digital inclusion and inclusion in the informational and democratic processes of society more generally it is essential that communities retain the skills, awareness…

  15. Learning from Transitioning to New Technology That Supports Online and Blended Learning: A Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lock, Jennifer; Johnson, Carol

    2017-01-01

    Transitioning from one technology to another within educational institutions is complex and multi-faceted, and requires time. Such a transition involves more than making the new technology available for use. It requires knowing the people involved, designing differentiated support structures, and integrating various resources to meet their…

  16. Localizing OER in Afghanistan: Developing a Multilingual Digital Library for Afghan Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oates, Lauryn; Hashimi, Jamshid

    2016-01-01

    The Darakht-e Danesh ("knowledge tree") Online Library is the first open educational resource (OER) initiative in Afghanistan, established to enhance teacher subject-area knowledge, access and use of learning materials, and to foster more diverse teaching methodologies in order to improve learning outcomes in Afghan classrooms. This…

  17. Library and Archives of Canada Collections as Resources for Classroom Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sly, Gordon

    2006-01-01

    This article promotes the online use of primary documents from Library and Archives of Canada (LAC) collections by high school students conducting historical inquiry into a major historic event in Canada's past. It outlines a unit of seven history lessons that the author wrote for the "Learning Centre" at…

  18. Adolescents' Computer Mediated Learning and Influences on Inter-Personal Relationships

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miloseva, Lence; Page, Tom; Lehtonen, Miika; Marelja, Jozefina; Thorsteinsson, Gisli

    2010-01-01

    This study reports the findings of the several projects initiated at the Faculty of Education, Goce Delcev University, Stip, to investigate the motivation skills, but is uniquely specific to as inter, personal relationships and resources that influence the learner's participation in the teaching/learning process in the context of online-learning…

  19. The Fusion of Learning Theory and Technology in an Online Music History Course Redesign

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Scarnati, Blase; Garcia, Paula

    2008-01-01

    Teaching today's students requires an integration of learner-centered pedagogy with innovative technological resources. In this article, Blase Scarnati and Paula Garcia describe the redesign of a junior-level music history course guided by learner-centered principles and driven by a fusion of stimulating technology-based learning tools and…

  20. Online Student Induction: A Case Study of the Use of Mass Customization Techniques

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Phillips, Marion; Hawkins, Rachel; Lunsford, Jane; Sinclair-Pearson, Andrew

    2004-01-01

    New technology within Open and Distance learning (ODL) provides new opportunities for the delivery of learner support resources. Mass customization techniques offer the advantages of efficient production combined with the development of a learning experience precisely tailored for the individual's study requirements. In this article, we discuss…

  1. Towards Individualized Online Learning: The Design and Development of an Adaptive Web Based Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Inan, Fethi A.; Flores, Raymond; Ari, Fatih; Arslan-Ari, Ismahan

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to document the design and development of an adaptive system which individualizes instruction such as content, interfaces, instructional strategies, and resources dependent on two factors, namely student motivation and prior knowledge levels. Combining adaptive hypermedia methods with strategies proposed by…

  2. Increasing Students' Science Writing Skills through a PBL Simulation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown, Scott W.; Lawless, Kimberly A.; Rhoads, Christopher; Newton, Sarah D.; Lynn, Lisa

    2016-01-01

    Problem-based learning (PBL) is an instructional design approach for promoting student learning, in context-rich settings. GlobalEd 2 (GE2) is PBL intervention that combines face-to-face and online environments into a 12-week simulation of international negotiations of science advisors on global water resource issues. The GE2 environment is…

  3. Learning and Assessment with Images: A View of Cognitive Load through the Lens of Cerebral Blood Flow

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Loftus, Jay J.; Jacobsen, Michele; Wilson, Timothy D.

    2017-01-01

    Understanding the relationship between cognitive processing and learner performance on tasks using digital media has become increasingly important as the transition towards online learning programs increases. Determining the impact of implementation of instructional resources is often limited to performance outcomes and comparisons to the status…

  4. E-learning in Multicultural Environments: An Analysis of Online Flight Attendant Training

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    de Brito Neto, Jose Felix; Smith, MaryJo; Pedersen, David

    2014-01-01

    Throughout the first decade of this century, financial challenges in the airline industry compelled airlines to maximize competitive advantage through a focus on human resource management. Consequently, e-learning gained increasing attention as it imparted knowledge on an asynchronous and global basis with substantially reduced costs. However,…

  5. Mining for preparatory processes of transfer learning in a blended course

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ng, K.; Hartman, K.; Goodkin, N.; Wai Hoong Andy, K.

    2017-12-01

    585 undergraduate science students enrolled in a multidisciplinary environmental sustainability course. Each week, students were given the opportunity to read online materials, answer multiple choice and short answer questions, and attend a three-hour lecture. The online materials and questions were released one week prior to the lecture. After each week, we mined the student data logs exported from the course learning management system and used a model-based clustering algorithm to divide the class into six groups according to resource access patterns. The patterns were mostly based on the frequency with which a student accessed the items in the growing set of online resources and whether those resources were relevant to the upcoming exam. Each exam was self-contained—meaning the second exam did not reference content taught during the first half of the course. The exam items themselves were intentionally designed to provide a mix of recall, application, and transfer items. Recall items referenced facts and examples provided during the lectures and course materials. Application items asked students to solve problems using the methods shown during lecture. Transfer items asked students to use what they had learned to analyze new data sets and unfamiliar problems. We then used a log-likelihood analysis to determine if there were differences in item accuracy on the exams by resource pattern clusters. We found students who deviated from the majority of student access patterns by accessing prior material during the recess break before new material had been assigned and introduced performed significantly more accurately on the transfer items than the other cluster groups. This finding fits with the concept of Preparation for Future Learning (Bransford & Schwartz, 1999) which suggests learners can be strategic about their learning to prepare themselves to complete new tasks in the future. Our findings also suggest that using learning analytics to call attention activity during expected lulls in a course might be a productive method of predicting future performance. Bransford, J. D., & Schwartz, D. L. (1999). Rethinking transfer: A simple proposal with multiple implications. In A. Iran-Nejad & P. D. Pearson (Eds.), Review of research in education, 24 (pp. 61-101). Washington, DC: American Educational Research Association

  6. Bilingual asynchronous online discussion groups: design and delivery of an eLearning distance study module for nurse academics in a developing country.

    PubMed

    Lewis, Peter A; Mai, Van Anh Thi; Gray, Genevieve

    2012-04-01

    The advent of eLearning has seen online discussion forums widely used in both undergraduate and postgraduate nursing education. This paper reports an Australian university experience of design, delivery and redevelopment of a distance education module developed for Vietnamese nurse academics. The teaching experience of Vietnamese nurse academics is mixed and frequently limited. It was decided that the distance module should attempt to utilise the experience of senior Vietnamese nurse academics - asynchronous online discussion groups were used to facilitate this. Online discussion occurred in both Vietnamese and English and was moderated by an Australian academic working alongside a Vietnamese translator. This paper will discuss the design of an online learning environment for foreign correspondents, the resources and translation required to maximise the success of asynchronous online discussion groups, as well as the rationale of delivering complex content in a foreign language. While specifically addressing the first iteration of the first distance module designed, this paper will also address subsequent changes made for the second iteration of the module and comment on their success. While a translator is clearly a key component of success, the elements of simplicity and clarity combined with supportive online moderation must not be overlooked. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. A literature review of empirical research on learning analytics in medical education

    PubMed Central

    Saqr, Mohammed

    2018-01-01

    The number of publications in the field of medical education is still markedly low, despite recognition of the value of the discipline in the medical education literature, and exponential growth of publications in other fields. This necessitates raising awareness of the research methods and potential benefits of learning analytics (LA). The aim of this paper was to offer a methodological systemic review of empirical LA research in the field of medical education and a general overview of the common methods used in the field in general. Search was done in Medline database using the term “LA.” Inclusion criteria included empirical original research articles investigating LA using qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methodologies. Articles were also required to be written in English, published in a scholarly peer-reviewed journal and have a dedicated section for methods and results. A Medline search resulted in only six articles fulfilling the inclusion criteria for this review. Most of the studies collected data about learners from learning management systems or online learning resources. Analysis used mostly quantitative methods including descriptive statistics, correlation tests, and regression models in two studies. Patterns of online behavior and usage of the digital resources as well as predicting achievement was the outcome most studies investigated. Research about LA in the field of medical education is still in infancy, with more questions than answers. The early studies are encouraging and showed that patterns of online learning can be easily revealed as well as predicting students’ performance. PMID:29599699

  8. A literature review of empirical research on learning analytics in medical education.

    PubMed

    Saqr, Mohammed

    2018-01-01

    The number of publications in the field of medical education is still markedly low, despite recognition of the value of the discipline in the medical education literature, and exponential growth of publications in other fields. This necessitates raising awareness of the research methods and potential benefits of learning analytics (LA). The aim of this paper was to offer a methodological systemic review of empirical LA research in the field of medical education and a general overview of the common methods used in the field in general. Search was done in Medline database using the term "LA." Inclusion criteria included empirical original research articles investigating LA using qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methodologies. Articles were also required to be written in English, published in a scholarly peer-reviewed journal and have a dedicated section for methods and results. A Medline search resulted in only six articles fulfilling the inclusion criteria for this review. Most of the studies collected data about learners from learning management systems or online learning resources. Analysis used mostly quantitative methods including descriptive statistics, correlation tests, and regression models in two studies. Patterns of online behavior and usage of the digital resources as well as predicting achievement was the outcome most studies investigated. Research about LA in the field of medical education is still in infancy, with more questions than answers. The early studies are encouraging and showed that patterns of online learning can be easily revealed as well as predicting students' performance.

  9. An adaptive signal-processing approach to online adaptive tutoring.

    PubMed

    Bergeron, Bryan; Cline, Andrew

    2011-01-01

    Conventional intelligent or adaptive tutoring online systems rely on domain-specific models of learner behavior based on rules, deep domain knowledge, and other resource-intensive methods. We have developed and studied a domain-independent methodology of adaptive tutoring based on domain-independent signal-processing approaches that obviate the need for the construction of explicit expert and student models. A key advantage of our method over conventional approaches is a lower barrier to entry for educators who want to develop adaptive online learning materials.

  10. Use of online clinical videos for clinical skills training for medical students: benefits and challenges.

    PubMed

    Jang, Hye Won; Kim, Kyong-Jee

    2014-03-21

    Multimedia learning has been shown effective in clinical skills training. Yet, use of technology presents both opportunities and challenges to learners. The present study investigated student use and perceptions of online clinical videos for learning clinical skills and in preparing for OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination). This study aims to inform us how to make more effective us of these resources. A mixed-methods study was conducted for this study. A 30-items questionnaire was administered to investigate student use and perceptions of OSCE videos. Year 3 and 4 students from 34 Korean medical schools who had access to OSCE videos participated in the online survey. Additionally, a semi-structured interview of a group of Year 3 medical students was conducted for an in-depth understanding of student experience with OSCE videos. 411 students from 31 medical schools returned the questionnaires; a majority of them found OSCE videos effective for their learning of clinical skills and in preparing for OSCE. The number of OSCE videos that the students viewed was moderately associated with their self-efficacy and preparedness for OSCE (p < 0.05). One-thirds of those surveyed accessed the video clips using mobile devices; they agreed more with the statement that it was convenient to access the video clips than their peers who accessed the videos using computers (p < 0.05). Still, students reported lack of integration into the curriculum and lack of interaction as barriers to more effective use of OSCE videos. The present study confirms the overall positive impact of OSCE videos on student learning of clinical skills. Having faculty integrate these learning resources into their teaching, integrating interactive tools into this e-learning environment to foster interactions, and using mobile devices for convenient access are recommended to help students make more effective use of these resources.

  11. Evaluating a blended-learning course taught to different groups of learners in a dental school.

    PubMed

    Pahinis, Kimon; Stokes, Christopher W; Walsh, Trevor F; Cannavina, Giuseppe

    2007-02-01

    The purpose of this study was to present and evaluate a blended-learning course developed for undergraduate (B.D.S.), postgraduate, and diploma (hygiene and therapy) students at the University of Sheffield School of Clinical Dentistry. Blended learning is the integration of classroom face-to-face learning with online learning. The overall methodology used for this study was action research. The data were collected using three processes: questionnaires to collect contextual data from the students taking the course; a student-led, nominal group technique to collect group data from the participants; and a non-participant observer technique to record the context in which certain group and individual behaviors occurred. The online component of the course was accepted as a valuable resource by 65 percent of those responding. While online information-sharing occurred (31 percent of the students posted in forums), there was no evidence of online collaboration, with only 8 percent replying to forum postings. Accessibility of the online environment was one of the main concerns of the students at the nominal group sessions. Differences regarding overall engagement with the course between the student groups (years) were observed during the sessions. The majority of the students were satisfied with the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) course. No statistically significant differences between males and females were found, but there were differences between different student cohorts (year groups).

  12. Student engagement in pharmacology courses using online learning tools.

    PubMed

    Karaksha, Abdullah; Grant, Gary; Anoopkumar-Dukie, Shailendra; Nirthanan, S Niru; Davey, Andrew K

    2013-08-12

    To assess factors influencing student engagement with e-tools used as a learning supplement to the standard curriculum in pharmacology courses. A suite of 148 e-tools (interactive online teaching materials encompassing the basic mechanisms of action for different drug classes) were designed and implemented across 2 semesters for third-year pharmacy students. Student engagement and use of this new teaching strategy were assessed using a survey instrument and usage statistics for the material. Use of e-tools during semester 1 was low, a finding attributable to a majority (75%) of students either being unaware of or forgetting about the embedded e-tools and a few (20%) lacking interest in accessing additional learning materials. In contrast to semester 1, e-tool use significantly increased in semester 2 with the use of frequent reminders and announcements (p<0.001). The provision of online teaching and learning resources were only effective in increasing student engagement after the implementation of a "marketing strategy" that included e-mail reminders and motivation.

  13. Student Engagement in Pharmacology Courses Using Online Learning Tools

    PubMed Central

    Karaksha, Abdullah; Grant, Gary; Anoopkumar-Dukie, Shailendra; Nirthanan, S. Niru

    2013-01-01

    Objective. To assess factors influencing student engagement with e-tools used as a learning supplement to the standard curriculum in pharmacology courses. Design. A suite of 148 e-tools (interactive online teaching materials encompassing the basic mechanisms of action for different drug classes) were designed and implemented across 2 semesters for third-year pharmacy students. Assessment. Student engagement and use of this new teaching strategy were assessed using a survey instrument and usage statistics for the material. Use of e-tools during semester 1 was low, a finding attributable to a majority (75%) of students either being unaware of or forgetting about the embedded e-tools and a few (20%) lacking interest in accessing additional learning materials. In contrast to semester 1, e-tool use significantly increased in semester 2 with the use of frequent reminders and announcements (p<0.001). Conclusion. The provision of online teaching and learning resources were only effective in increasing student engagement after the implementation of a “marketing strategy” that included e-mail reminders and motivation. PMID:23966728

  14. Massive Open Online Courses in Public Health

    PubMed Central

    Gooding, Ira; Klaas, Brian; Yager, James D.; Kanchanaraksa, Sukon

    2013-01-01

    Massive open online courses (MOOCs) represent a new and potentially transformative model for providing educational opportunities to learners not enrolled in a formal educational program. The authors describe the experience of developing and offering eight MOOCs on a variety of public health topics. Existing institutional infrastructure and experience with both for-credit online education and open educational resources mitigated the institutional risk and resource requirements. Although learners are able to enroll easily and freely and do so in large numbers, there is considerable variety in the level of participation and engagement among enrollees. As a result, comprehensive and accurate assessment of meaningful learning progress remains a major challenge for evaluating the effectiveness of MOOCs for providing public health education. PMID:24350228

  15. Online and Certifiable Spectroscopy Courses Using Information and Communication Tools. a Model for Classrooms and Beyond

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Krishnan, Mangala Sunder

    2015-06-01

    Online education tools and flipped (reverse) class models for teaching and learning and pedagogic and andragogic approaches to self-learning have become quite mature in the last few years because of the revolution in video, interactive software and social learning tools. Open Educational resources of dependable quality and variety are also becoming available throughout the world making the current era truly a renaissance period for higher education using Internet. In my presentation, I shall highlight structured course content preparation online in several areas of spectroscopy and also the design and development of virtual lab tools and kits for studying optical spectroscopy. Both elementary and advanced courses on molecular spectroscopy are currently under development jointly with researchers in other institutions in India. I would like to explore participation from teachers throughout the world in the teaching-learning process using flipped class methods for topics such as experimental and theoretical microwave spectroscopy of semi-rigid and non-rigid molecules, molecular complexes and aggregates. In addition, courses in Raman, Infrared spectroscopy experimentation and advanced electronic spectroscopy courses are also envisaged for free, online access. The National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL) and the National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology (NMEICT) are two large Government of India funded initiatives for producing certified and self-learning courses with financial support for moderated discussion forums. The learning tools and interactive presentations so developed can be used in classrooms throughout the world using flipped mode of teaching. They are very much sought after by learners and researchers who are in other areas of learning but want to contribute to research and development through inter-disciplinary learning. NPTEL is currently is experimenting with Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) strategy, but with proctored and certified examination processes for large numbers in some of the above courses. I would like to present a summary of developments in these areas to help focus classroom (online and offline) learning of Molecular spectroscopy.

  16. The WEB 2.0 induced paradigm shift in the e-learning and the role of crowdsourcing in dental education.

    PubMed

    Thurzo, A; Stanko, P; Urbanova, W; Lysy, J; Suchancova, B; Makovnik, M; Javorka, V

    2010-01-01

    Authors evaluated the effect of the WEB 2.0 environment on dental education and estimated the difference in retention of knowledge by cephalometric analysis in orthodontics between conventional education and off-line e-learning. Five years of experience with complex web-based e-learning system allowed the evaluation by retrospective analysis and on-line questionnaire. The results revealed the current trends in on-line behavior of students based on the WEB 2.0 innovative technologies like Ajax. Results confirmed an increasing number of resources with a rising frequency of e-learning materials. The study confirmed that e-learning of the same subject is more efficient in immediate examination after the lecture with even better results after 12 and 24 months against the control group (Tab. 3, Fig. 1, Ref. 26).

  17. The development and evaluation of online stories to enhance clinical learning experiences across health professions in rural Australia.

    PubMed

    Paliadelis, Penny Susan; Stupans, Leva; Parker, Vicki; Piper, Donella; Gillan, Pauline; Lea, Jackie; Jarrott, Helen Mary; Wilson, Rhonda; Hudson, Judith N; Fagan, Anthea

    2015-01-01

    Clinical placement learning experiences are integral to all health and medical curricula as a means of integrating theory into practice and preparing graduates to deliver safe, high-quality care to health consumers. A growing challenge for education providers is to access sufficient clinical placements with experienced supervisors who are skilled at maximising learning opportunities for students. This paper reports on the development and evaluation of an innovative online learning program aimed at enhancing student and clinical supervisors' preparedness for effective workplace-based learning. The evidence-based learning program used 'story-telling' as the learning framework. The stories, which were supported by a range of resources, aimed to engage the learners in understanding student and supervisor responsibilities, as well as the expectations and competencies needed to support effective learning in the clinical environment. Evaluation of this program by the learners and stakeholders clearly indicated that they felt authentically 'connected' with the characters in the stories and developed insights that suggested effective learning had occurred.

  18. A Practical Guide To Developing Effective Web-based Learning

    PubMed Central

    Cook, David A; Dupras, Denise M

    2004-01-01

    OBJECTIVE Online learning has changed medical education, but many “educational” websites do not employ principles of effective learning. This article will assist readers in developing effective educational websites by integrating principles of active learning with the unique features of the Web. DESIGN Narrative review. RESULTS The key steps in developing an effective educational website are: Perform a needs analysis and specify goals and objectives; determine technical resources and needs; evaluate preexisting software and use it if it fully meets your needs; secure commitment from all participants and identify and address potential barriers to implementation; develop content in close coordination with website design (appropriately use multimedia, hyperlinks, and online communication) and follow a timeline; encourage active learning (self-assessment, reflection, self-directed learning, problem-based learning, learner interaction, and feedback); facilitate and plan to encourage use by the learner (make website accessible and user-friendly, provide time for learning, and motivate learners); evaluate learners and course; pilot the website before full implementation; and plan to monitor online communication and maintain the site by resolving technical problems, periodically verifying hyperlinks, and regularly updating content. CONCLUSION Teaching on the Web involves more than putting together a colorful webpage. By consistently employing principles of effective learning, educators will unlock the full potential of Web-based medical education. PMID:15209610

  19. Personal and Shared Experiences as Resources for Meaning Making in a Philosophy of Science Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Arvaja, Maarit

    2012-01-01

    The aim of this case study was to explore health-education students' personal and collaborative meaning making activities during an online science philosophy course in the higher-education context. Through applying the dialogical perspective for learning, the focus was on studying how different contextual resources were used in building…

  20. A Flexible e-Learning Resource Promoting the Critical Reading of Scientific Papers for Science Undergraduates

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Letchford, Julie; Corradi, Hazel; Day, Trevor

    2017-01-01

    An important aim of undergraduate science education is to develop student skills in reading and evaluating research papers. We have designed, developed, and implemented an on-line interactive resource entitled "Evaluating Scientific Research literature" (ESRL) aimed at students from the first 2 years of the undergraduate program. In this…

  1. The Use of the Webcam for Teaching a Foreign Language in a Desktop Videoconferencing Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Develotte, Christine; Guichon, Nicolas; Vincent, Caroline

    2010-01-01

    This paper explores how language teachers learn to teach with a synchronous multimodal setup ("Skype"), and it focuses on their use of the webcam during the pedagogical interaction. First, we analyze the ways that French graduate students learning to teach online use the multimodal resources available in a desktop videoconferencing (DVC)…

  2. Perception and Practice of Taiwanese EFL Learners' Making Vocabulary Flashcards on "Quizlet"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chien, Chin-Wen

    2013-01-01

    The new generation is digital natives and they enjoy using the latest technology such as online resources, mobile phones, and applications. Linking technology and English learning can be an alternative to motivate the new generation to learn English. The participants in this study included 76 freshmen in a university in Taiwan. The major data in…

  3. Improving K-12 Online Learning: Information Literacy Skills for Teacher Candidates

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ntuli, Esther; Kyei-Blankson, Lydia

    2016-01-01

    Research indicates the need for teachers to be able to locate, evaluate, and use Internet resources in their teaching and learning processes. In addition, the Common Core State Standards require that students are able to think critically and know how to search and use alternative views and perspectives in their assignments. These skills are…

  4. Fostering Independent Learning and Engagement for Postgraduate Students: Using a Publisher-Supplied Software Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blount, Yvette; McNeill, Margot

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: As educational technologies are more widely adopted in higher education teaching and learning, publishers often include online resources to accompany their textbook offerings. The purpose of this paper is to report the results of a study forming part of a larger ongoing evaluation of the third party software product WileyPLUS.…

  5. Self-Paced Interactive Multimedia Courseware: A Learning Support Resource for Enhancing Electronic Theses and Dissertations Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Essel, Harry Barton; Osei-Poku, Patrick; Tachie-Menson, Akosua; Opoku-Asare, Nana Afia

    2016-01-01

    Submission of Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) by postgraduate students has become a common phenomenon in learning environments globally. The purpose of ETDs is to train postgraduate students as knowledge workers in online publishing and also extend their skills beyond word processing. The challenge however, is that many postgraduate…

  6. PATRON: Using a Multimedia Digital Library for Learning and Teaching in the Performing Arts.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lyon, Elizabeth

    The creation and application of a multimedia digital library to support learning and teaching in the performing arts is described. PATRON (Performing Arts Teaching Resources Online) delivers audio, video, music scores, dance notation, and theater scripts to the desktop via an innovative Web-based interface. Digital objects are linked subjectively…

  7. Introducing New Cultural and Technological Approaches into Institutional Practice: An Experience from Geography

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Durham, Helen; Arrell, Katherine

    2007-01-01

    With increasing international collaboration in the delivery of higher education e-learning programmes, the requirement for changes in institutional practice needs to be considered in relation to the creation of shared online resources. A group of academic and learning technologists involved in a US/UK project experimented with technology and a new…

  8. Business Models Associated with Distance Learning in Higher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wang, Shouhong; Wang, Hai

    2017-01-01

    Textbook prices are continuously rising in higher education. This paper analyzes a business model which makes commercial textbooks more expensive, and explains why this issue tends to be more severe in the field of distance learning in higher education. It reports a case of adoption of open educational resources (OER) textbook for an online course…

  9. WebQuest on Conic Sections as a Learning Tool for Prospective Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kurtulus, Aytac; Ada, Tuba

    2012-01-01

    WebQuests incorporate technology with educational concepts through integrating online resources with student-centred and activity-based learning. In this study, we describe and evaluate a WebQuest based on conic sections, which we have used with a group of prospective mathematics teachers. The WebQuest entitled: "Creating a Carpet Design Using…

  10. Case Study Using Online Homework in Undergraduate Organic Chemistry: Results and Student Attitudes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Parker, Laurie L.; Loudon, G. Marc

    2013-01-01

    Managing student needs for effective learning in a large-enrollment, introductory organic chemistry course can be a challenging task. Because instructor time is at a premium, it is imperative to find resources that engage the students in active learning and provide them with feedback about their understanding of course content. Appropriately…

  11. NSDL K-12 Science Literacy Maps: A Visual Tool for Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Payo, Robert

    2008-01-01

    Given the massive amount of science and mathematics content available online, libraries working with science teachers can become lost when attempting to select material that is both compelling for the learner and effective in addressing learning goals. Tools that help educators identify the most appropriate resources can be a great time saver.…

  12. Seeing the Wood for the Trees

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ritchie, Meabh

    2010-01-01

    This article is an informal description of a forest school outdoor programme designed to boost emotional literacy, inclusion and attainment of secondary school pupils with a range of learning and behavioural difficulties. (Contains 2 online resources.)

  13. Daily Bread for Our Eyes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coy, Mary

    2008-01-01

    In this article, the author shares an activity she introduced to her students. In this activity, students recognize the beauty of their own neighborhood and learn about cropping a photo for better composition. (Contains 1 online resource.)

  14. Election Fever

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Strom, Erich

    2012-01-01

    Kids learn by doing, which, experts agree, is the only real way to teach citizenship. This article presents election-year activities that stress action. These activities will show students what it means to be a good citizen. (Contains 6 online resources.)

  15. 'Think Baby': online learning for student health visitors.

    PubMed

    Appleton, Jane V; Harris, Margaret; Kelly, Cat; Huppe, Irmgard

    2014-06-01

    'Think Baby' is an innovative online learning resource which has been developed to help student health visitors (and other specialist community public health nurses) build their skills in observing and assessing mother-infant interactions. The project's development and pilot work was funded by a small grant from the Higher Education Academy. It builds on the findings of the team's previous research, which found health visitors' initial training had left them ill-prepared to assess the intricacies of mother-infant relationships. The 'Think Baby' project sought to develop online training resources for student health visitors using video footage of mothers and babies to illustrate different types of interactions. A small group of student health visitors were engaged in reviewing and evaluating the materials and considering their acceptability. Once developed, the materials were piloted with student health visitors from three universities, community practice teachers and a health visitor academic, and they were then adapted for wider roll out. 'Think Baby' enables student health visitors to develop their core skills in assessment, which is really important in identifying when early help and support are needed for mothers and infants.

  16. Online formative assessments: exploring their educational value

    PubMed Central

    NAGANDLA, KAVITHA; SULAIHA, SHARIFAH; NALLIAH, SIVALINGAM

    2018-01-01

    Introduction: Online formative assessments (OFA’s) have been increasingly recognised in medical education as resources that promote self-directed learning. Formative assessments are used to support the self-directed learning of students. Online formative assessments have been identified to be less time consuming with automated feedback. This pilot study aimed to determine whether participation and performance in online formative assessments (OFA’s) had measurable effects on learning and evaluate the students’ experience of using the OFA’s in the department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted among fourth year medical students (n=92) during their seven week postings in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Five sets of online formative assessments in the format of one best answers (OBA), Objective structured practical examination (OSPE) and Short answer question (SAQ) with feedback were delivered over five weeks through the online portal. The mean scores of the end of posting summative exam (EOP) of those who participated in the assessments (OFA users) and of those who did not (non-OFA users) were compared, using Students t test. The frequency of tool usage was analysed and satisfaction surveys were utilized at the end of the course by survey questionnaire using the five point Likert scale. Results: The mean scores of the students in end of posting summative examination marks for students who had participated in the online formative assessment (OFA users) and for those who had not (non OFA users) showed no significant difference in all the three components OBA, SAQ and OSPE (p=0.902, 0.633, 0.248). Majority of the students perceived that OFAs fulfilled the stated aims and objectives and so they would persuade their peers to participate in the OFAs. Conclusions: Online formative assessments are perceived as tools that promote self-directed learning, improved knowledge and tailor learning for individual learning needs and style. PMID:29607332

  17. Global application of disorders of sex development-related electronic resources: e-learning, e-consultation and e-information sharing.

    PubMed

    Muscarella, Miriam; Kranenburg-van Koppen, Laura; Grijpink-van den Biggelaar, Kalinka; Drop, Stenvert L S

    2014-01-01

    The past 20 years have seen proliferation of electronic (e) resources that promote improved understanding of disorders of sex development (DSD): e-learning for physicians and trainees, e-consultation between clinicians, and e-information for families and affected individuals. Recent e-learning advances have emerged from the European Society for Pediatric Endocrinology's online learning portal for current physicians and trainees. Developed with attention to developing clinical competencies incorporating learning theory, and presenting material that represents international best practice, this e-learning portal offers advances in training, making information more accessible for clinicians and trainees. Multiple levels of instruction, authentic case examples, collaborative forums for physicians and trainees, individualized feedback and user-friendly tools represent advances in trainee and physician learning that can take place in any location. e-consultation is an emerging tool that aims to connect physicians with specialists experienced in DSD care. Although it faces logistical challenges, e-consultation carries the potential to improve DSD care, especially in remote areas with limited access to DSD specialists. e-information for families and patients of all ages is widely accessible online, often with focus on DSD biology, medical care, and psychological and social support. e-information tools aid self-management and support of those affected by DSD. Efforts to improve these resources should aim to map information to individual users, incorporate optimally clear nomenclature, and continue as a 'shared enterprise' of clinicians, affected individuals, families and researchers. Improving the quality of DSD-related e-learning and e-information and developing e-consultation carries the potential to transform DSD care and support for patients, families and physicians worldwide. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  18. Supporting online learning with games

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yao, JingTao; Kim, DongWon; Herbert, Joseph P.

    2007-04-01

    This paper presents a study on Web-based learning support systems that is enhanced with two major subsystems: a Web-based learning game and a learning-oriented Web search. The Internet and theWeb may be considered as a first resource for students seeking for information and help. However, much of the information available online is not related to the course contents or is wrong in the worse case. The search subsystem aims to provide students with precise, relative and adaptable documents about certain courses or classes. Therefore, students do not have to spend time to verify the relationship of documents to the class. The learning game subsystem stimulates students to study, enables students to review their studies and to perform self-evaluation through a Web-based learning game such as a treasure hunt game. During the challenge and entertaining learning and evaluation process, it is hoped that students will eventually understand and master the course concepts easily. The goal of developing such a system is to provide students with an efficient and effective learning environment.

  19. Emotional experiences of preservice science teachers in online learning: the formation, disruption and maintenance of social bonds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bellocchi, Alberto; Mills, Kathy A.; Ritchie, Stephen M.

    2016-09-01

    The enactment of learning to become a science teacher in online mode is an emotionally charged experience. We attend to the formation, maintenance and disruption of social bonds experienced by online preservice science teachers as they shared their emotional online learning experiences through blogs, or e-motion diaries, in reaction to videos of face-to-face lessons. A multi-theoretic framework drawing on microsociological perspectives of emotion informed our hermeneutic interpretations of students' first-person accounts reported through an e-motion diary. These accounts were analyzed through our own database of emotion labels constructed from the synthesis of existing literature on emotion across a range of fields of inquiry. Preservice science teachers felt included in the face-to-face group as they watched videos of classroom transactions. The strength of these feelings of social solidarity were dependent on the quality of the video recording. E-motion diaries provided a resource for interactions focused on shared emotional experiences leading to formation of social bonds and the alleviation of feelings of fear, trepidation and anxiety about becoming science teachers. We offer implications to inform practitioners who wish to improve feelings of inclusion amongst their online learners in science education.

  20. Assessing segmentation processes by click detection: online measure of statistical learning, or simple interference?

    PubMed

    Franco, Ana; Gaillard, Vinciane; Cleeremans, Axel; Destrebecqz, Arnaud

    2015-12-01

    Statistical learning can be used to extract the words from continuous speech. Gómez, Bion, and Mehler (Language and Cognitive Processes, 26, 212-223, 2011) proposed an online measure of statistical learning: They superimposed auditory clicks on a continuous artificial speech stream made up of a random succession of trisyllabic nonwords. Participants were instructed to detect these clicks, which could be located either within or between words. The results showed that, over the length of exposure, reaction times (RTs) increased more for within-word than for between-word clicks. This result has been accounted for by means of statistical learning of the between-word boundaries. However, even though statistical learning occurs without an intention to learn, it nevertheless requires attentional resources. Therefore, this process could be affected by a concurrent task such as click detection. In the present study, we evaluated the extent to which the click detection task indeed reflects successful statistical learning. Our results suggest that the emergence of RT differences between within- and between-word click detection is neither systematic nor related to the successful segmentation of the artificial language. Therefore, instead of being an online measure of learning, the click detection task seems to interfere with the extraction of statistical regularities.

  1. Evaluation of an E-learning resource on approach to the first unprovoked seizure.

    PubMed

    Le Marne, Fleur A; McGinness, Hannah; Slade, Rob; Cardamone, Michael; Balbir Singh, Shirleen; Connolly, Anne M; Bye, Ann Me

    2016-09-01

    To develop and evaluate an online educational package instructing paediatricians and trainees in the diagnosis and management of a first unprovoked seizure in children. The E-learning content was created following a comprehensive literature review that referenced current international guidelines. Rigorous consultation with local paediatric neurologists, paediatricians and epilepsy nurses was undertaken. A series of learning modules was created and sequenced to reflect steps needed to achieve optimal diagnosis and management in a real-life situation of a child presenting with a paroxysmal event. Paediatric registrars and advanced trainees from the Sydney Children's Hospitals Network were assessed before and after using the E-learning Resource. Measures included general epilepsy knowledge, case-based scenario knowledge; self-rated measures of satisfaction with instruction and confidence regarding clinical approach to the child with first unprovoked seizure; and open ended questions evaluating the usefulness of the E-learning resource. Performance on measures of general epilepsy knowledge and on the seizure-related case scenarios improved significantly following completion of the E-learning as did self-rated satisfaction with instruction and confidence across all aspects of managing first seizure. The E-learning resource has been validated as a useful educational resource regarding the first afebrile unprovoked seizure for paediatricians. © 2016 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (The Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

  2. Simulating Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Markowitz, Dina; Holt, Susan

    2011-01-01

    Students use manipulative models and small-scale simulations that promote learning of complex biological concepts. The authors have developed inexpensive wet-lab simulations and manipulative models for "Diagnosing Diabetes," "A Kidney Problem?" and "A Medical Mystery." (Contains 5 figures and 3 online resources.)

  3. Tracking Migratory Animals: Going Online for Environmental Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coulter, Bob

    1997-01-01

    Describes a project in which students pick a migratory animal and track it during migration using internet resources. Employs background readings, authentic research data, and questions to experts to enable students to have meaningful learning experiences. (DDR)

  4. Using Microsoft Excel to teach statistics in a graduate advanced practice nursing program.

    PubMed

    DiMaria-Ghalili, Rose Ann; Ostrow, C Lynne

    2009-02-01

    This article describes the authors' experiences during 3 years of using Microsoft Excel to teach graduate-level statistics, as part of the research core required by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing for all professional graduate nursing programs. The advantages to using this program instead of specialized statistical programs are ease of accessibility, increased transferability of skills, and reduced cost for students. The authors share their insight about realistic goals for teaching statistics to master's-level students and the resources that are available to faculty to help them to learn and use Excel in their courses. Several online sites that are excellent resources for both faculty and students are discussed. Detailed attention is given to an online course (Carnegie-Mellon University Open Learning Initiative, n.d.), which the authors have incorporated into their graduate-level research methods course.

  5. Engaging students as partners in developing online learning and feedback activities for first-year fluid mechanics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brown, Alan

    2018-01-01

    Much learning takes place outside of formal class settings, yet students starting in higher education are not always well equipped with independent learning skills, appropriate self-knowledge or the required levels of intrinsic motivation This project used students as partners to develop resources that could be used by first-year undergraduates in fluid mechanics, using activities and receiving feedback through the virtual learning environment (VLE), in order to build these three attributes of independent learners. While there were significant benefits to the students who developed the resources, the target students saw much lower benefits as a result of poorer than expected engagement. The challenge this research presents is to develop activities that maximise engagement in large classes, as well as develop appropriate independent learning skills.

  6. Open Online Courses in Public Health: experience from Peoples-uni.

    PubMed

    Heller, Richard F; Zurynski, Robert; Barrett, Alan; Oaiya, Omo; Madhok, Rajan

    2017-01-01

    Open Online Courses (OOCs) are offered by Peoples-uni at http://ooc.peoples-uni.org to complement the courses run on a separate site for academic credit at http://courses.peoples-uni.org. They provide a wide range of online learning resources beyond those usually found in credit bearing Public Health courses. They are self-paced, and students can enrol themselves at any time and utilise Open Educational Resources free of copyright restrictions.  In the two years that courses have been running, 1174 students from 100 countries have registered and among the 1597 enrolments in 14 courses, 15% gained a certificate of completion. Easily accessible and appealing to a wide geographical and professional audience, OOCs have the potential to play a part in establishing global Public Health capacity building programmes.

  7. Open Online Courses in Public Health: experience from Peoples-uni

    PubMed Central

    Heller, Richard F.; Zurynski, Robert; Barrett, Alan; Oaiya, Omo; Madhok, Rajan

    2017-01-01

    Open Online Courses (OOCs) are offered by Peoples-uni at http://ooc.peoples-uni.org to complement the courses run on a separate site for academic credit at http://courses.peoples-uni.org. They provide a wide range of online learning resources beyond those usually found in credit bearing Public Health courses. They are self-paced, and students can enrol themselves at any time and utilise Open Educational Resources free of copyright restrictions.  In the two years that courses have been running, 1174 students from 100 countries have registered and among the 1597 enrolments in 14 courses, 15% gained a certificate of completion. Easily accessible and appealing to a wide geographical and professional audience, OOCs have the potential to play a part in establishing global Public Health capacity building programmes. PMID:28491283

  8. Googling in anatomy education: Can google trends inform educators of national online search patterns of anatomical syllabi?

    PubMed

    Phelan, Nigel; Davy, Shane; O'Keeffe, Gerard W; Barry, Denis S

    2017-03-01

    The role of e-learning platforms in anatomy education continues to expand as self-directed learning is promoted in higher education. Although a wide range of e-learning resources are available, determining student use of non-academic internet resources requires novel approaches. One such approach that may be useful is the Google Trends © web application. To determine the feasibility of Google Trends to gain insights into anatomy-related online searches, Google Trends data from the United States from January 2010 to December 2015 were analyzed. Data collected were based on the recurrence of keywords related to head and neck anatomy generated from the American Association of Clinical Anatomists and the Anatomical Society suggested anatomy syllabi. Relative search volume (RSV) data were analyzed for seasonal periodicity and their overall temporal trends. Following exclusions due to insufficient search volume data, 29 out of 36 search terms were analyzed. Significant seasonal patterns occurred in 23 search terms. Thirty-nine seasonal peaks were identified, mainly in October and April, coinciding with teaching periods in anatomy curricula. A positive correlation of RSV with time over the 6-year study period occurred in 25 out of 29 search terms. These data demonstrate how Google Trends may offer insights into the nature and timing of online search patterns of anatomical syllabi and may potentially inform the development and timing of targeted online supports to ensure that students of anatomy have the opportunity to engage with online content that is both accurate and fit for purpose. Anat Sci Educ 10: 152-159. © 2016 American Association of Anatomists. © 2016 American Association of Anatomists.

  9. The effect of e-learning on the quality of orthodontic appliances

    PubMed Central

    Schorn-Borgmann, Stephanie; Lippold, Carsten; Wiechmann, Dirk; Stamm, Thomas

    2015-01-01

    Purpose The effect of e-learning on practical skills in medicine has not yet been thoroughly investigated. Today’s multimedia learning environment and access to e-books provide students with more knowledge than ever before. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of online demonstrations concerning the quality of orthodontic appliances manufactured by undergraduate dental students. Materials and methods The study design was a parallel-group randomized clinical trial. Fifty-four participants were randomly assigned to one of the three groups: 1) conventional lectures, 2) conventional lectures plus written online material, and 3) access to resources of groups one and two plus access to online video material. Three orthodontic appliances (Schwarz Plate, U-Bow Activator, and Fränkel Regulator) were manufactured during the course and scored by two independent raters blinded to the participants. A 15-point scale index was used to evaluate the outcome quality of the appliances. Results In general, no significant differences were found between the groups. Concerning the appliances, the Schwarz Plate obtained the highest scores, whereas the Fränkel Regulator had the lowest scores; however, these results were independent of the groups. Females showed better outcome scores than males in groups two and three, but the difference was insignificant. Age of the participants also had no significant effect. Conclusion The offer that students could use additional time and course-independent e-learning resources did not increase the outcome quality of the orthodontic appliances. The advantages of e-learning observed in the theoretical fields of medicine were not achieved in the educational procedures for manual skills. Factors other than e-learning may have a higher impact on manual skills, and this should be investigated in further studies. PMID:26346485

  10. The effect of e-learning on the quality of orthodontic appliances.

    PubMed

    Schorn-Borgmann, Stephanie; Lippold, Carsten; Wiechmann, Dirk; Stamm, Thomas

    2015-01-01

    The effect of e-learning on practical skills in medicine has not yet been thoroughly investigated. Today's multimedia learning environment and access to e-books provide students with more knowledge than ever before. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of online demonstrations concerning the quality of orthodontic appliances manufactured by undergraduate dental students. The study design was a parallel-group randomized clinical trial. Fifty-four participants were randomly assigned to one of the three groups: 1) conventional lectures, 2) conventional lectures plus written online material, and 3) access to resources of groups one and two plus access to online video material. Three orthodontic appliances (Schwarz Plate, U-Bow Activator, and Fränkel Regulator) were manufactured during the course and scored by two independent raters blinded to the participants. A 15-point scale index was used to evaluate the outcome quality of the appliances. In general, no significant differences were found between the groups. Concerning the appliances, the Schwarz Plate obtained the highest scores, whereas the Fränkel Regulator had the lowest scores; however, these results were independent of the groups. Females showed better outcome scores than males in groups two and three, but the difference was insignificant. Age of the participants also had no significant effect. The offer that students could use additional time and course-independent e-learning resources did not increase the outcome quality of the orthodontic appliances. The advantages of e-learning observed in the theoretical fields of medicine were not achieved in the educational procedures for manual skills. Factors other than e-learning may have a higher impact on manual skills, and this should be investigated in further studies.

  11. Online Learning: Experiences and Perceptions of Gifted Middle School Students, Their Parents, and Principals

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Buescher, Susan H.

    2013-01-01

    The 2001 No Child Left Behind Act's focus on raising standardized test scores for underachieving students has created a national education system where teacher time and resources are often not directed to students in the top percentiles and those identified as gifted and talented. As resources for gifted students continue to be limited,…

  12. Plug Your Users into Library Resources with OpenSearch Plug-Ins

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baker, Nicholas C.

    2007-01-01

    To bring the library catalog and other online resources right into users' workspace quickly and easily without needing much more than a short XML file, the author, a reference and Web services librarian at Williams College, learned to build and use OpenSearch plug-ins. OpenSearch is a set of simple technologies and standards that allows the…

  13. Developing a Livebinder as Teaching Resource in Family & Consumer Sciences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miller, Cynthia L.

    2015-01-01

    The primary purpose of this paper is to explain how a digital tool, "LiveBinder," can be used for organizing online content and learning. The article explains why this digital tool should be utilized as a teaching resource and describes common uses. It also addresses how LiveBinders can be organized using shelves. A model LiveBinder of…

  14. What Leads People to Keep on E-Learning? An Empirical Analysis of Users' Experiences and Their Effects on Continuance Intention

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rodríguez-Ardura, Inma; Meseguer-Artola, Antoni

    2016-01-01

    User retention is a major goal for higher education institutions running their teaching and learning programmes online. This is the first investigation into how the senses of presence and flow, together with perceptions about two central elements of the virtual education environment (didactic resource quality and instructor attitude), facilitate…

  15. Interactivity in the Teaching and Learning of Foreign Languages: What It Means for Resourcing and Delivery of Online and Blended Programmes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tudini, Vincenza

    2018-01-01

    University students who enrol in foreign language (FL) programmes are motivated by various needs, but in particular the need to achieve communicative fluency, which generally requires interaction with others. This study therefore explores the notion of 'interactivity,' as conceptualised in second language learning theories and how it might be…

  16. Making It Real: Project Managing Strategic e-Learning Development Processes in a Large, Campus-Based University

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ward, Mary-Helen; West, Sandra; Peat, Mary; Atkinson, Susan

    2010-01-01

    The University of Sydney is a large, research-intensive, campus-based Australian University. Since 2004 a strategic initiative of project-based eLearning support has been creating teams of non-academic and academic staff, who have worked together to develop online resources to meet identified needs. The University's aims in continuing to provide…

  17. Responsive eLearning exercises to enhance student interaction with metabolic pathways.

    PubMed

    Roesler, William J; Dreaver-Charles, Kristine

    2018-05-01

    Successful learning of biochemistry requires students to engage with the material. In the past this often involved students writing out pathways by hand, and more recently directing students to online resources such as videos, songs, and animated slide presentations. However, even these latter resources do not really provide students an opportunity to engage with the material in an active fashion. As part of an online introductory metabolism course that was developed at our university, we created a series of twelve online interactive activities using Adobe Captivate 9. These activities targeted glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, the pentose phosphate pathway, glycogen metabolism, the citric acid cycle, and fatty acid oxidation. The interactive exercises consisted of two types. One involved dragging objects such as names of enzymes or allosteric modifiers to their correct drop locations such as a particular point in a metabolic pathway, a specific enzyme, and so forth. A second type involved clicking on objects, locations within a pathway, and so forth, in response to a particular question. In both types of exercises, students received feedback on their decisions in order to enhance learning. The student feedback received on these activities was very positive, and indicated that they found them to increase their confidence in the material and that they had learned the key principles of each pathway. © 2018 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 46(3):223-229, 2018. © 2018 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

  18. The effectiveness of online pain resources for health professionals: a systematic review with subset meta-analysis of educational intervention studies.

    PubMed

    Liossi, Christina; Failo, Alessandro; Schoth, Daniel E; Williams, Glyn; Howard, Richard F

    2018-04-01

    Online educational interventions are increasingly developed for health professionals and students, although graduate and undergraduate medical curricula often contain limited information about how to assess and manage pain. This study reviews the literature on the effectiveness of pain-related online educational resources. Studies were identified through a search of Medline, PsychINFO, Web of Science, CINAHL, PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and OpenGrey databases. Search terms included 3 concept blocks: (1) type of intervention-online education, computer-based, e-learning, web-based, and internet-based; (2) population-pediatrician, physician, nurse, psychologist, and medical; and (3) outcome-pain*. Thirty-two studies (13 randomised controlled trials, 5 nonrandomised controlled trials, and 14 single-group pre-post studies) were included. Ten provided data for inclusion in a series of between-groups meta-analyses. After intervention, participants receiving online instruction had significantly greater knowledge compared with those receiving training as usual/alternative training (Hedges' g = 0.80, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.12-1.49), and students had significantly greater skills compared with students receiving training as usual (g = 1.34, CI: 0.38-2.30). No significant differences were found for confidence/competence (g = 0.02, CI: -0.79 to 0.84) or attitudes/beliefs (g = 0.16, CI: -0.48 to 0.79). Although online educational resources show promise in improving learner knowledge, considerable heterogeneity exists between studies in quality, design, educational content, and outcomes. Furthermore, methodologically robust RCTs are required to establish the effectiveness of online educational interventions and a greater understanding of the key features of successful online resources, including cognitive interactivity. Few studies assessed health outcomes for patients, remaining a major priority for future investigations.

  19. The National Climate Assessment: A Treasure Trove for Education, Communications and Outreach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McCaffrey, M.; Berbeco, M.; Connolly, R.; Niepold, F., III; Poppleton, K. L. I.; Cloyd, E.; Ledley, T. S.

    2014-12-01

    Required by Congress under the Global Change Act of 1990 to inform the nation on the findings of current climate research, the Third U.S. National Climate Assessment (NCA), released in May 2014, is a rich resource for climate change education, communications and outreach (ECO). Using a website design with mobile applications in mind, NCA takes advantage of mobile learning technology which is revolutionizing how, when and where learning occurs. In an effort to maximize the "teachable moments" inherent in the assessment, a community of experts from the National Center for Science Education and the CLEAN Network, working under the auspices of the National Climate Assessment Network (NCAnet) Education Affinity Group, have developed a series of NCA Learning Pathways that match key NCA messages and resources with reviewed educational materials and trusted online information sources, thereby adding pedagogical depth to the assessment. The NCA Learning Pathways, which focus on the regional chapters of the report, are designed make climate change science more local, human, relevant and, if properly framed by educators and communicators, hopeful for learners. This paper touches on the challenges and opportunities of infusing climate education, communications and outreach into curriculum and society, and details the development and content of NCA Learning Pathways, which are available online through NOAA's Climate.gov website: http://www.climate.gov/teaching

  20. Mobile technology in radiology resident education.

    PubMed

    Korbage, Aiham C; Bedi, Harprit S

    2012-06-01

    The authors hypothesized that ownership of a mobile electronic device would result in more time spent learning radiology. Current trends in radiology residents' studying habits, their use of electronic and printed radiology learning resources, and how much of the funds allotted to them are being used toward printed vs electronic education tools were assessed in this study. A survey study was conducted among radiology residents across the United States from June 13 to July 5, 2011. Program directors listed in the Association of Program Directors in Radiology e-mail list server received an e-mail asking for residents to participate in an online survey. The questionnaire consisted of 12 questions and assessed the type of institution, the levels of training of the respondents, and book funds allocated to residents. It also assessed the residents' study habits, access to portable devices, and use of printed and electronic radiology resources. Radiology residents are adopters of new technologies, with 74% owning smart phones and 37% owning tablet devices. Respondents spend nearly an equal amount of time learning radiology from printed textbooks as they do from electronic resources. Eighty-one percent of respondents believe that they would spend more time learning radiology if provided with tablet devices. There is considerable use of online and electronic resources and mobile devices among the current generation of radiology residents. Benefits, such as more study time, may be obtained by radiology programs that incorporate tablet devices into the education of their residents. Copyright © 2012 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Prevention and Control of Bed Bugs in Residences

    MedlinePlus

    ... Healthy, Live Well Health and Nutrition Farm to School Food Safety Connect and Learn About Family Development Family Education ... Development Online Courses Food Health and Nutrition Food Safety Farm to School Community and Local Food Resources Garden Horticulture Yard & ...

  2. SOCR: Statistics Online Computational Resource

    PubMed Central

    Dinov, Ivo D.

    2011-01-01

    The need for hands-on computer laboratory experience in undergraduate and graduate statistics education has been firmly established in the past decade. As a result a number of attempts have been undertaken to develop novel approaches for problem-driven statistical thinking, data analysis and result interpretation. In this paper we describe an integrated educational web-based framework for: interactive distribution modeling, virtual online probability experimentation, statistical data analysis, visualization and integration. Following years of experience in statistical teaching at all college levels using established licensed statistical software packages, like STATA, S-PLUS, R, SPSS, SAS, Systat, etc., we have attempted to engineer a new statistics education environment, the Statistics Online Computational Resource (SOCR). This resource performs many of the standard types of statistical analysis, much like other classical tools. In addition, it is designed in a plug-in object-oriented architecture and is completely platform independent, web-based, interactive, extensible and secure. Over the past 4 years we have tested, fine-tuned and reanalyzed the SOCR framework in many of our undergraduate and graduate probability and statistics courses and have evidence that SOCR resources build student’s intuition and enhance their learning. PMID:21451741

  3. Psychiatry Residents' Use of Educational Websites: A Pilot Survey Study.

    PubMed

    Torous, John; Franzan, Jamie; O'Connor, Ryan; Mathew, Ian; Keshavan, Matcheri; Kitts, Robert; Boland, Robert

    2015-12-01

    Psychiatry residents have numerous online educational resources readily available to them although currently there are no data regarding residents' use and perception of such websites. A survey was offered to 62 residents from all four years of training as well as recent graduates of a single psychiatry residency training program. Residents reported utilizing online resources on average 68 % of the time, in comparison to 32 % on average for printed materials. Residents reported UpToDate, PubMed, and Wikipedia as the most visited websites and ranked each highly but for different purposes. Thirty-five percent of residents felt that insufficient faculty guidance was a barrier to use of these educational websites. Pilot data indicate psychiatry residents use online resources daily for their education in various settings. Resident perceptions of individual website's trustworthiness, ease of use, and sources of clinical decision-making and personal learning suggest potential opportunities for educators to better understand the current use of these resources in residency training. Reported barriers including lack of faculty guidance suggest opportunities for academic psychiatry. Further study is necessary at multiple sites before such results may be generalized.

  4. Leveraging Online Learning Resources to Teach Core Research Skills to Undergraduates at a Diverse Research University.

    PubMed

    McFARLIN, Brian K; Breslin, Whitney L; Carpenter, Katie C; Strohacker, Kelley; Weintraub, Randi J

    2010-01-01

    Today's students have unique learning needs and lack knowledge of core research skills. In this program report, we describe an online approach that we developed to teach core research skills to freshman and sophomore undergraduates. Specifically, we used two undergraduate kinesiology (KIN) courses designed to target students throughout campus (KIN1304: Public Health Issues in Physical Activity and Obesity) and specifically kinesiology majors (KIN1252: Foundations of Kinesiology). Our program was developed and validated at the 2 nd largest ethnically diverse research university in the United States, thus we believe that it would be effective in a variety of student populations.

  5. Semantic Web, Reusable Learning Objects, Personal Learning Networks in Health: Key Pieces for Digital Health Literacy.

    PubMed

    Konstantinidis, Stathis Th; Wharrad, Heather; Windle, Richard; Bamidis, Panagiotis D

    2017-01-01

    The knowledge existing in the World Wide Web is exponentially expanding, while continuous advancements in health sciences contribute to the creation of new knowledge. There are a lot of efforts trying to identify how the social connectivity can endorse patients' empowerment, while other studies look at the identification and the quality of online materials. However, emphasis has not been put on the big picture of connecting the existing resources with the patients "new habits" of learning through their own Personal Learning Networks. In this paper we propose a framework for empowering patients' digital health literacy adjusted to patients' currents needs by utilizing the contemporary way of learning through Personal Learning Networks, existing high quality learning resources and semantics technologies for interconnecting knowledge pieces. The framework based on the concept of knowledge maps for health as defined in this paper. Health Digital Literacy needs definitely further enhancement and the use of the proposed concept might lead to useful tools which enable use of understandable health trusted resources tailored to each person needs.

  6. Resource sharing of online teaching materials: The lon-capa project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bauer, Wolfgang

    2004-03-01

    The use of information technology resources in conventional lecture-based courses, in distance-learning offerings, as well as hybrid courses, is increasing. But this may put additional burden on faculty, who are now asked to deliver this new content. Additionally, it may require the installation of commercial courseware systems, putting the colleges and universities in new financial licensing dependencies. To address exactly these two problems, the lon-capa system was invented to provide an open-source, gnu public license based, courseware system that allows for sharing of educational resources across institutional and disciplinary boundaries. This presentation will focus on both aspects of the system, the courseware capabilities that allow for customized environments for individual students, and the educational resources library that enables teachers to take full advantages of the work of their colleagues. Research results on learning effectiveness, resource and system usage patterns, and customization for different learning styles will be shown. Institutional perceptions of and responses to open source courseware systems will be discussed.

  7. Inspiring Climate Education Excellence (ICEE): Developing self-directed professional development modules for secondary science teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Buhr, S. M.; Lynds, S. E.; McCaffrey, M. S.; Morton, E.

    2010-12-01

    Inspiring Climate Education Excellence (ICEE) is a NASA-funded project to develop online course modules and self-directed learning resources aligned with the Essential Principles of Climate Science. Following a national needs assessment survey and a face to face workshop to pilot test topics, a suite of online modules is being developed suitable for self-directed learning by secondary science teachers. Modules are designed around concepts and topics in which teachers express the most interest and need for instruction. Module design also includes attention to effective teaching strategies, such as awareness of student misconceptions, strategies for forestalling controversy and advice from master teachers on implementation and curriculum development. The resources are being developed in partnership with GLOBE, and the National Science Digital Library (NSDL) and is informed by the work of the Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN) project. ICEE will help to meet the professional development needs of teachers, including those participating in the GLOBE Student Climate Research Campaign. Modules and self-directed learning resources will be developed and disseminated in partnership with the National Science Digital Library (NSDL). This presentation introduces the needs assessment and pilot workshop data upon which the modules are based, and describes the modules that are available and in development.

  8. Live lectures or online videos: students' resource choices in a first-year university mathematics module

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Howard, Emma; Meehan, Maria; Parnell, Andrew

    2018-05-01

    In Maths for Business, a mathematics module for non-mathematics specialists, students are given the choice of completing the module content via short online videos, live lectures or a combination of both. In this study, we identify students' specific usage patterns with both of these resources and discuss their reasons for the preferences they exhibit. In 2015-2016, we collected quantitative data on each student's resource usage (attendance at live lectures and access of online videos) for the entire class of 522 students and employed model-based clustering which identified four distinct resource usage patterns with lectures and/or videos. We also collected qualitative data on students' perceptions of resource usage through a survey administered at the end of the semester, to which 161 students responded. The 161 survey responses were linked to each cluster and analysed using thematic analysis. Perceived benefits of videos include flexibility of scheduling and pace, and avoidance of large, long lectures. In contrast, the main perceived advantages of lectures are the ability to engage in group tasks, to ask questions, and to learn 'gradually'. Students in the two clusters with high lecture attendance achieved, on average, higher marks in the module.

  9. Face-to-face instruction combined with online resources improves retention of clinical skills among undergraduate nursing students.

    PubMed

    Terry, Victoria R; Terry, Peter C; Moloney, Clint; Bowtell, Les

    2018-02-01

    There is growing evidence that online resources used to develop clinical skills among students in the healthcare professions can produce equivalent learning outcomes to traditional face-to-face training methods. Whether clinical competence is retained equally well for online and face-to-face training methods is not yet established. The objective of the study was to compare retention of competence in using an IV infusion pump among nursing students trained in its use using three different protocols. A quasi-experimental design was used. The study was conducted in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at a regional university in Queensland, Australia. Participants were 102 first year nursing students (female=89, male=13) enrolled in a medications course, ranging in age from 18 to 44years. Three groups of participants were trained in the use of an IV infusion pump and competence was assessed following a 26-week period of no access to the pump. Group 1 participants (ONL; n=34) were trained online using an Intravenous Pump Emulator (IVPE); Group 2 participants (ONC; n=38) were trained on campus using an actual IV pump in a traditional face-to-face setting; Group 3 participants (ONL+ONC; n=30) were trained both on campus using the actual IV pump and online using the IVPE. As hypothesised, no significant differences in learning outcomes, measured by assessment scores out of 80 points, were found between the ONL (M=68.7±5.9) and ONC (M=65.5±11.5; p>0.05) groups. The ONL+ONC group recorded the highest mean assessment score (M=70.0±5.0) and completed the assessment task significantly faster (p<0.001) than the other two groups. This study suggests that nursing students retained clinical competence in preparing and administrating IV infusions better when face-to-face and online learning were combined. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Internet-Based Resources for Disease Self-Care Among Middle-Aged and Older Women with Chronic Conditions.

    PubMed

    Pettus, Amanda J; Mendez-Luck, Carolyn A; Bergeron, Caroline D; Ahn, SangNam; Towne, Samuel D; Ory, Marcia G; Smith, Matthew Lee

    2017-03-01

    This two-part study analyzed data collected from middle-aged (age 44-64) and older women (age 65+) with one or more chronic conditions who completed the National Council on Aging Chronic Care Survey. Part One analyzed data from 418 women to describe sociodemographics, disease types, and healthcare utilization associated with Internet use among middle-aged and older women with 1 or more chronic diseases. Part Two analyzed data from the 251 Internet-using women to identify the online self-care resources they are using (format, host organization) and for what purposes. Approximately 31% of participants were age 65 years or older, 30% reported having three or more chronic condition types, and 65% reported using the Internet. A significantly larger proportion of older women reported multiple chronic conditions, and a significantly fewer number of older women reported using the Internet. A significantly smaller proportion of Internet users were non-Hispanic white, more educated, and employed. A significantly larger proportion of non-Internet users reported needing help learning what to do to manage their health conditions and needing help learning how to care for their health conditions. Among only Internet-using women, 18.7% participated in online discussions/chatrooms/listserv and 45.2% read about the experiences of others with chronic diseases. Interest in websites and online courses varied. Understanding Internet use among women with chronic conditions can inform targeted efforts to increase Internet availability, educate potential users about the benefits of online resources, and effectively tailor Internet-based materials to self-care needs.

  11. [The inter-university learning website: a national university network for online teaching of pathology].

    PubMed

    Gauchotte, Guillaume; Ameisen, David; Boutonnat, Jean; Battistella, Maxime; Copie, Christiane; Garcia, Stéphane; Rigau, Valérie; Galateau-Sallé, Françoise; Terris, Benoit; Vergier, Béatrice; Wendum, Dominique; Bertheau, Philippe

    2013-06-01

    Building online teaching materials is a highly time and energy consuming task for teachers of a single university. With the help of the Collège des pathologistes, we initiated a French national university network for building mutualized online teaching pathology cases, tests and other pedagogic resources. Nineteen French universities are associated to this project, initially funded by UNF3S (http://www.unf3s.org/). One national e-learning Moodle platform (http://virtual-slides.univ-paris7.fr/moodle/) contains texts, medias and URL pointing toward decentralized virtual slides. The Moodle interface has been explained to the teachers since september 2011 using web-based conferences with screen-sharing. The following contents have been created: 20 clinical cases, several tests with multiple choices and short answer questions, and gross examination videos. A survey with 16 teachers and students showed a 94 % satisfaction rate, most of the 16 participants being favorable to the development of e-learning, in parallel with other courses in classroom. These tools will be further developed for the different study levels of pathology. In conclusion, these tools offer very interesting perspectives for pathology teaching. The organization of a national inter-university network is a useful way to create and share numerous and good-quality pedagogic resources. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  12. Online Discovery and Mapping of Great Lakes Climate Change Education and Scientific Research Activities: Building an Online Collaborative Learning Community of Scientists and Educators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tuddenham, P.; Bishop, K.; Walters, H.; Carley, S.

    2011-12-01

    The Great Lakes Climate Change Science and Education Systemic Network (GLCCSESN) project is an NSF-funded CCEP program awarded to Eastern Michigan University in 2010. The College of Exploration is one of the project partners and has conducted a series of online surveys, workshop and focus group to identify a wide range of organizations, individuals, resources and needs related to climate change education and research activities in and about the Great Lakes Region and to provide information about climate change science to the education community. One of the first steps taken to build this community was to build a web site that features a dynamic online map of individuals and organizations concerned about climate change as well as interested in resources and activities specific to the Great Lakes. Individuals and organizations have been, and are still, invited to put themselves on the map at http://greatlakesclimate.org This map of the Great Lakes region provides both a visual representation of activities and resources as well as a database of climate change activities. This map will grow over time as more people and organizations put themselves on the map. The use of online technologies has helped broaden the participation and representation in the GLCCSESN from all states/provinces in the Great Lakes region, encouraging diverse audiences and stakeholders, including scientists, educators, and journalists, etc.to engage with the project. In the fall of 2011 a combined online professional development workshop and focus group is planned. Educators and scientists working on climate change studies and issues related to the Great Lakes will be sharing their work and expertise in an online workshop and focus group. Following the professional development activity a focus group will be conducted online using a model developed as part of a NSF funded COSEE project. The focus group purpose is to review current educational resources and to identify gaps and needs for further educational programs, materials and resources. The online format will encourage and support widespread participation across the Great Lakes region. Data from the needs assessment surveys will provide a foundation for online focus group discussion questions.

  13. Basic actions to reduce dropout rates in distance learning.

    PubMed

    Gregori, Pablo; Martínez, Vicente; Moyano-Fernández, Julio José

    2018-02-01

    Today's society, which is strongly based on knowledge and interaction with information, has a key component in technological innovation, a fundamental tool for the development of the current teaching methodologies. Nowadays, there are a lot of online resources, such as MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) and distance learning courses. One aspect that is common to all of these is a high dropout rate: about 90% in MOOCs and 50% in the courses of the Spanish National Distance Education University, among other examples. In this paper, we analyze a number of actions undertaken in the Master's Degree in Computational Mathematics at Universitat Jaume I in Castellón, Spain. These actions seem to help decrease the dropout rate in distance learning; the available data confirm their effectiveness. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Language Learning Actions in Two 1x1 Secondary Schools in Catalonia: The Case of Online Language Resources

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Calvo, Boris Vázquez; Cassany, Daniel

    2016-01-01

    This paper identifies and describes current attitudes towards classroom digitization and digital language learning practices under the umbrella of EduCAT 1x1, the One-Laptop-Per-Child (OLPC or 1x1) initiative in place in Catalonia. We thoroughly analyze practices worked out by six language teachers and twelve Compulsory Secondary Education (CSE)…

  15. Opportunities and Resources for Scientist Participation in Education and Public Outreach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Buxner, Sanlyn; CoBabe-Ammann, E.; Shipp, S.; Hsu, B.

    2012-10-01

    Active engagement of scientists in Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) activities results in benefits for both the audience and scientists. Most scientists are trained in research but have little formal training in education. The Planetary Science Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) Forum helps the Science Mission Directorate support scientists currently involved in E/PO and to help scientists who are interested in becoming involved in E/PO efforts find ways to do so through a variety of avenues. We will present current and future opportunities and resources for scientists to become engaged in education and public outreach. These include upcoming NASA SMD E/PO funding opportunities, professional development resources for writing NASA SMD E/PO proposals (webinars and other online tools), toolkits for scientists interested in best practices in E/PO (online guides for K-12 education and public outreach), EarthSpace (a community web space where instructors can find and share about teaching space and earth sciences in the undergraduate classroom, including class materials news and funding opportunities, and the latest education research), thematic resources for teaching about the solar system (archived resources from Year of the Solar System), and an online database of scientists interested in connecting with education programs. Learn more about the Forum and find resources at http://smdepo.org/.

  16. Awarding global grades in OSCEs: evaluation of a novel eLearning resource for OSCE examiners.

    PubMed

    Gormley, Gerard J; Johnston, Jenny; Thomson, Clare; McGlade, Kieran

    2012-01-01

    A novel online resource has been developed to aid OSCE examiner training comprising a series of videos of OSCE performances that allow inter-examiner comparison of global grade decisions. To evaluate this training resource in terms of usefulness and ability to improve examiner confidence in awarding global grades in OSCEs. Data collected from the first 200 users included global grades awarded, willingness to change grades following peer comparison and confidence in awarding grades before and after training. Most (86.5%) agreed that the resource was useful in developing global grade scoring ability in OSCEs, with a significant improvement in confidence in awarding grades after using the training package (p<0.001). This is a useful and effective online training package. As an adjunct to traditional training it offers a practical solution to the problem of availability of examiners.

  17. A smarter way to search, share and utilize open-spatial online data for energy R&D - Custom machine learning and GIS tools in U.S. DOE's virtual data library & laboratory, EDX

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rose, K.; Bauer, J.; Baker, D.; Barkhurst, A.; Bean, A.; DiGiulio, J.; Jones, K.; Jones, T.; Justman, D.; Miller, R., III; Romeo, L.; Sabbatino, M.; Tong, A.

    2017-12-01

    As spatial datasets are increasingly accessible through open, online systems, the opportunity to use these resources to address a range of Earth system questions grows. Simultaneously, there is a need for better infrastructure and tools to find and utilize these resources. We will present examples of advanced online computing capabilities, hosted in the U.S. DOE's Energy Data eXchange (EDX), that address these needs for earth-energy research and development. In one study the computing team developed a custom, machine learning, big data computing tool designed to parse the web and return priority datasets to appropriate servers to develop an open-source global oil and gas infrastructure database. The results of this spatial smart search approach were validated against expert-driven, manual search results which required a team of seven spatial scientists three months to produce. The custom machine learning tool parsed online, open systems, including zip files, ftp sites and other web-hosted resources, in a matter of days. The resulting resources were integrated into a geodatabase now hosted for open access via EDX. Beyond identifying and accessing authoritative, open spatial data resources, there is also a need for more efficient tools to ingest, perform, and visualize multi-variate, spatial data analyses. Within the EDX framework, there is a growing suite of processing, analytical and visualization capabilities that allow multi-user teams to work more efficiently in private, virtual workspaces. An example of these capabilities are a set of 5 custom spatio-temporal models and data tools that form NETL's Offshore Risk Modeling suite that can be used to quantify oil spill risks and impacts. Coupling the data and advanced functions from EDX with these advanced spatio-temporal models has culminated with an integrated web-based decision-support tool. This platform has capabilities to identify and combine data across scales and disciplines, evaluate potential environmental, social, and economic impacts, highlight knowledge or technology gaps, and reduce uncertainty for a range of `what if' scenarios relevant to oil spill prevention efforts. These examples illustrate EDX's growing capabilities for advanced spatial data search and analysis to support geo-data science needs.

  18. Experiences and perceptions of online continuing professional development among clinicians in sub-Saharan Africa.

    PubMed

    Feldacker, Caryl; Jacob, Sheena; Chung, Michael H; Nartker, Anya; Kim, H Nina

    2017-12-29

    Limitations in healthcare worker (HCW) capacity compound the burden of dual TB and HIV epidemics in sub-Saharan Africa. To fill gaps in knowledge and skills, effective continuing profession development (CPD) initiatives are needed to support practicing HCWs reach high standards of care. e-learning opportunities can bring expert knowledge to HCWs in the field and provide a flexible learning option adaptable to local settings. Few studies provide insight into HCW experiences with online CPD in the developing country context. An online survey using both close-ended and free response was conducted to HCWs in sub-Saharan Africa who completed the University of Washington (UW) School of Medicine online graduate course, "Clinical Management of HIV." Associations between respondent characteristics (age, gender, rural/urban, job title) and learning preferences, course barriers, and facilitators with an emphasis on online courses were examined using chi-square. Covariates significant at the p < 0.05 were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression. Responses to open-ended comments were analyzed using simplified grounded theory. Of 2,299 former students, 464 (20%) HCWs completed surveys from 13 countries: about half were women. Physicians (33%), nurses (27%), and clinical officers (30%) responded mostly from urban areas (67%) and public institutions (69%). Sixty-two percent accessed the online course from work, noting that slow (55%) or limited (41%) internet as well as lack of time (53%) were barriers to course completion. Women (p < 0.001) and HCWs under age 40 (p = 0.007) were more likely to prefer learning through mentorship than men or older HCWs. Respondents favored group discussion (46%), case studies (42%), and self-paced Internet/computer-based learning (39%) and clinical mentorship (37%) when asked to choose 3 preferred learning modalities. Free-response comments offered additional positive insights into the appeal of online courses by noting the knowledge gains, the flexibility of format, a desire for recognition of course completion, and a request for additional online coursework. Online CPD opportunities were accepted across a diverse group of HCWs from sub-Saharan Africa and should be expanded to provide more flexible opportunities for self-initiated learning; however, these need to be responsive to the limited resources of those who seek these courses.

  19. Problem solving strategies used by RN-to-BSN students in an online problem-based learning course.

    PubMed

    Oldenburg, Nancy L; Hung, Wei-Chen

    2010-04-01

    It is essential that nursing students develop the problem solving and critical thinking skills required in the current health care environment. Problem-based learning has been promoted as a way to help students acquire those skills; however, gaps exist in the knowledge base of the strategies used by learners. The purpose of this case study was to gain insight into the problem solving experience of a group of six RN-to-BSN students in an online problem-based learning course. Data, including discussion transcripts, reflective papers, and interview transcripts, were analyzed using a qualitative approach. Students expanded their use of resources and resolved the cases, identifying relevant facts and clinical applications. They had difficulty communicating their findings, establishing the credibility of sources, and offering challenging feedback. Increased support and direction are needed to facilitate the development of problem solving abilities of students in the problem-based learning environment.

  20. Teaching Inquiry using NASA Earth-System Science: Preparing Pre- and Inservice K-12 Educators to Use Authentic Inquiry in the Classroom

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ellis, T. D.; Tebockhorst, D.

    2012-12-01

    Teaching Inquiry using NASA Earth-System Science (TINES) is a comprehensive program to train and support pre-service and in-service K-12 teachers, and to provide them with an opportunity to use NASA Earth Science mission data and Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) observations to incorporate scientific inquiry-based learning in the classroom. It uses an innovative blended-learning professional development approach that combines a peer-reviewed pedagogical technique called backward-faded scaffolding (BFS), which provides a more natural entry path to understanding the scientific process, with pre-workshop online content learning and in-situ and online data resources from NASA and GLOBE. This presentation will describe efforts to date, share our impressions and evaluations, and discuss the effectiveness of the BFS approach to both professional development and classroom pedagogy.

  1. Using Competency-Based Digital Open Learning Activities to Facilitate and Promote Health Professions Education (OLAmeD): A Proposal

    PubMed Central

    Barman, Linda

    2016-01-01

    Background Traditional learning in medical education has been transformed with the advent of information technology. We have recently seen global initiatives to produce online activities in an effort to scale up learning opportunities through learning management systems and massive open online courses for both undergraduate and continued professional education. Despite the positive impact of such efforts, factors such as cost, time, resources, and the specificity of educational contexts restrict the design and exchange of online medical educational activities. Objective The goal is to address the stated issues within the health professions education context while promoting learning by proposing the Online Learning Activities for Medical Education (OLAmeD) concept which builds on unified competency frameworks and generic technical standards for education. Methods We outline how frameworks used to describe a set of competencies for a specific topic in medical education across medical schools in the United States and Europe can be compared to identify commonalities that could result in a unified set of competencies representing both contexts adequately. Further, we examine how technical standards could be used to allow standardization, seamless sharing, and reusability of educational content. Results The entire process of developing and sharing OLAmeD is structured and presented in a set of steps using as example Urology as a part of clinical surgery specialization. Conclusions Beyond supporting the development, sharing, and repurposing of educational content, we expect OLAmeD to work as a tool that promotes learning and sets a base for a community of medical educational content developers across different educational contexts. PMID:27390226

  2. Using Competency-Based Digital Open Learning Activities to Facilitate and Promote Health Professions Education (OLAmeD): A Proposal.

    PubMed

    Vaitsis, Christos; Stathakarou, Natalia; Barman, Linda; Zary, Nabil; McGrath, Cormac

    2016-07-07

    Traditional learning in medical education has been transformed with the advent of information technology. We have recently seen global initiatives to produce online activities in an effort to scale up learning opportunities through learning management systems and massive open online courses for both undergraduate and continued professional education. Despite the positive impact of such efforts, factors such as cost, time, resources, and the specificity of educational contexts restrict the design and exchange of online medical educational activities. The goal is to address the stated issues within the health professions education context while promoting learning by proposing the Online Learning Activities for Medical Education (OLAmeD) concept which builds on unified competency frameworks and generic technical standards for education. We outline how frameworks used to describe a set of competencies for a specific topic in medical education across medical schools in the United States and Europe can be compared to identify commonalities that could result in a unified set of competencies representing both contexts adequately. Further, we examine how technical standards could be used to allow standardization, seamless sharing, and reusability of educational content. The entire process of developing and sharing OLAmeD is structured and presented in a set of steps using as example Urology as a part of clinical surgery specialization. Beyond supporting the development, sharing, and repurposing of educational content, we expect OLAmeD to work as a tool that promotes learning and sets a base for a community of medical educational content developers across different educational contexts.

  3. Online Resources to Support Professional Development for Managing and Preserving Geospatial Data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Downs, R. R.; Chen, R. S.

    2013-12-01

    Improved capabilities of information and communication technologies (ICT) enable the development of new systems and applications for collecting, managing, disseminating, and using scientific data. New knowledge, skills, and techniques are also being developed to leverage these new ICT capabilities and improve scientific data management practices throughout the entire data lifecycle. In light of these developments and in response to increasing recognition of the wider value of scientific data for society, government agencies are requiring plans for the management, stewardship, and public dissemination of data and research products that are created by government-funded studies. Recognizing that data management and dissemination have not been part of traditional science education programs, new educational programs and learning resources are being developed to prepare new and practicing scientists, data scientists, data managers, and other data professionals with skills in data science and data management. Professional development and training programs also are being developed to address the need for scientists and professionals to improve their expertise in using the tools and techniques for managing and preserving scientific data. The Geospatial Data Preservation Resource Center offers an online catalog of various open access publications, open source tools, and freely available information for the management and stewardship of geospatial data and related resources, such as maps, GIS, and remote sensing data. Containing over 500 resources that can be found by type, topic, or search query, the geopreservation.org website enables discovery of various types of resources to improve capabilities for managing and preserving geospatial data. Applications and software tools can be found for use online or for download. Online journal articles, presentations, reports, blogs, and forums are also available through the website. Available education and training materials include tutorials, primers, guides, and online learning modules. The site enables users to find and access standards, real-world examples, and websites of other resources about geospatial data management. Quick links to lists of resources are available for data managers, system developers, and researchers. New resources are featured regularly to highlight current developments in practice and research. A user-centered approach was taken to design and develop the site iteratively, based on a survey of the expectations and needs of community members who have an interest in the management and preservation of geospatial data. Formative and summative evaluation activities have informed design, content, and feature enhancements to enable users to use the website efficiently and effectively. Continuing management and evaluation of the website keeps the content and the infrastructure current with evolving research, practices, and technology. The design, development, evaluation, and use of the website are described along with selected resources and activities that support education and professional development for the management, preservation, and stewardship of geospatial data.

  4. Using Interactive Digital Images of Products to Teach Pharmaceutics

    PubMed Central

    Pham, Khang H.; Dollar,, Michael

    2007-01-01

    Objective To implement interactive digital images of drug products and online quizzes in a pharmaceutics course to teach students where to look on product labels for information and how to evaluate ingredients of various dosage forms, and to reinforce pharmaceutical calculations with practical problems. Design Interactive digital images of drug products and a database of quiz questions pertaining to the products were created and an interactive online platform was designed. The interactive digital images were incorporated in pharmaceutics lectures as examples of dosage forms studied and calculations taught. The online quizzes were administered to first-professional year pharmacy students in fall 2004 and fall 2005. Assessment The competency outcome data illustrates that the product-based online quizzes aided students in meeting the desired learning objectives. Modifications to increase ease of use resulted in higher student success rates in the second year of implementation. Student and faculty evaluations of the application were largely positive. Conclusion The development of interactive digital images and product-based online quizzes successfully adapted a traditional learning aid into a viable electronic resource for pharmacy education. PMID:17619660

  5. The OOI Ocean Education Portal: Enabling the Development of Online Data Investigations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lichtenwalner, C. S.; McDonnell, J. D.; Crowley, M. F.; deCharon, A.; Companion, C. J.; Glenn, S. M.

    2016-02-01

    The Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) was designed to transform ocean science, by establishing a long-term, multi-instrument, multi-platform research infrastructure at 7 arrays around the word. This unprecedented investment in ocean observation, funded by the National Science Foundation, provides a rich opportunity to reshape ocean science education as well. As part of the initial construction effort, an online Ocean Education Portal was developed to support the creation and sharing of educational resources by undergraduate faculty at universities and community colleges. The portal includes a suite of tools that enable the development of online activities for use as group or individual projects, which can be used during lectures or as homework assignments. The site includes: 1) a suite of interactive educational data visualization tools that provide simple and targeted interfaces to interact with OOI datasets; 2) a concept map builder that can be used by both educators and students to build networked diagrams of their knowledge; and 3) a "data investigation" builder that allows faculty to assemble resources into coherent learning modules. The site also includes a "vocabulary navigator" that provides a visual way to discover and learn about the OOI's infrastructure and scientific design. The site allows users to browse an ever-growing database of resources created by the community, and likewise, users can share resources they create with others. As the OOI begins its 25-year operational phase, it is our hope that faculty will be able to use the tools and investigations on the Ocean Education Portal to bring real ocean science research to their undergraduate students.

  6. AstroNavigation: Freely-available Online Instruction for Performing a Sight Reduction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gessner Stewart, Susan; Grundstrom, Erika; Caudel, Dave

    2015-08-01

    A reliable method of obtaining your geographic location from observations of celestial bodies is globally available. This online learning module, developed through a collaboration between Vanderbilt University and the U.S. Naval Observatory, serves to address the need for freely-available comprehensive instruction in celestial navigation online. Specifically targeted are the steps of preforming a sight reduction to obtain a terrestrial position using this technique. Difficult concepts such as plotting on a navigational chart and the complexities of using navigation publications are facilitated through this online content delivery, rooted in effective course design principles. There is good potential in using celestial navigation as a tool for stimulating interest in astronomy given its resourcefulness and accessibility.

  7. Effects of using online narrative and didactic information on healthcare participation for breast cancer patients.

    PubMed

    Wise, Meg; Han, Jeong Yeob; Shaw, Bret; McTavish, Fiona; Gustafson, David H

    2008-03-01

    To determine the effects of online narrative and didactic information on breast cancer patients' healthcare participation and the interaction effects of race. 353 breast cancer patients (111 African Americans) using an eHealth program with narratives (audiovisual and text) and didactic information (text only). healthcare participation scale (0, 4 months), online information use. hierarchical regression. Narrative (beta=0.123, p<0.01) and didactic (beta=0.104, p<0.05) information use had independent and positive effects on healthcare participation. Effects of both were significantly greater for African Americans. Findings are consistent with and advance prior research on online learning processes and outcomes for breast cancer patients: (1) benefits accrue with using a variety of online learning tools; (2) African Americans use and benefit more from online narrative and didactic information than do Caucasians. eHealth programs should provide both didactic and narrative information-especially for African Americans and might consider making greater use of interactive and audiovisual formats. As patients increasingly use of the web for cancer information, clinicians should provide lists of web high quality resources that provide both narrative and didactic information.

  8. EFFECTS OF USING ONLINE NARRATIVE AND DIDACTIC INFORMATION ON HEALTHCARE PARTICIPATION FOR BREAST CANCER PATIENTS

    PubMed Central

    Wise, Meg; Han, Jeong Yeob; Shaw, Bret; McTavish, Fiona; Gustafson, David H.

    2008-01-01

    Objectives To determine the effects of online narrative and didactic information on breast cancer patients’ healthcare participation and the interaction effects of race. Methods Sample: 353 breast cancer patients (111 African Americans) using an eHealth program with narratives (audiovisual and text) and didactic information (text only). Measures: healthcare participation scale (0, 4 months), online information use. Analyses: hierarchical regression. Results Narrative (β = .123, p <.01) and didactic (β = .104, p <.05) information use had independent and positive effects on healthcare participation. Effects of both were significantly greater for African Americans. Conclusions Findings are consistent with and advance prior research on online learning processes and outcomes for breast cancer patients: (1) Benefits accrue with using a variety of online learning tools; and (2) African Americans use and benefit more from online narrative and didactic information than do Caucasians. Practice implications eHealth programs should provide both didactic and narrative information—especially for African Americans and might consider making greater use of interactive and audiovisual formats. As patients increasingly use of the web for cancer information, clinicians should provide lists of web high quality resources that provide both narrative and didactic information. PMID:18201859

  9. DLESE Teaching Boxes and Beyond: A promising prototype for structuring web services to support concept- and inquiry-based STEM learning and interdisciplinary partnerships.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Davis, L.; Weatherley, J.; Bhushan, S.; Khan, H.; de La Chica, S.; Deardorff, R.

    2004-12-01

    An exciting pilot program took place this summer, pioneering the development of Digital Library for Earth System Education (DLESE) Teaching Boxes with the Univ. of CA. Berkeley Museum of Paleontology, SF State Univ., USGS and 7 middle/high school teachers from the San Francisco area. This session will share the DLESE Teaching Box concept, explain the pilot program, and explore the tremendous opportunities for expanding this notion to embrace interdisciplinary approaches to learning about the Earth in the undergraduate science and pre-service teaching arenas. A Teaching Box is a metaphor for an online assembly of interrelated learning concepts, digital resources, and cohesive narration that bridges the gap between discrete resources and understanding. Within a Teaching Box, an instructor or student can pick a topic and see the concepts that build an understanding of that topic, explore online resources that support learning of those concepts, and benefit from the narration (the glue) that weaves concepts, activities, and background information together into a complete teaching/learning story. In this session, we will demonstrate the emerging Teaching Box prototypes and explore how this platform may promote STEM learning by utilizing DLESE tools and services in ways that begin to blur traditional disciplinary boundaries, overcome limitations of discipline-specific vocabularies, and foster collaboration. We will show ways in which new DLESE Web Services could support learning in this highly contextualized environment. We will see glimpses of how learners and educators will be able to modify or create their own Teaching Boxes specific to a unit of study or course, and perhaps share them with the Earth Science Education community. We will see ways to stay abreast of current Earth events, emerging research, and real-time data and incorporate such dynamic information into one learning environment. Services will be described and demonstrated in the context of Teaching Boxes: - DLESE Web Services provide a programmatic interface that allows the Teaching Box (or any web page) to have the same DLESE search, bookmarking features, and data management that are found at the DLESE web site. - DLESE Smart Links are hyperlinks that can be created by anyone and implemented as easily as defining a specific query. Clicking a Smart Link displays a list of resources that corresponds to the specific query. We'll talk about how this service can help to bridge the gap between vocabularies and disciplines and the interesting possibilities it presents for contextualizing searches and building custom topical menus. - The Really Simple Syndication (RSS) service delivers online information immediately, and allows end-users to subscribe to receive regular news, events, and data on a given Teaching Box topic. This opens the door to event-based learning. - Strand Maps, developed by the AAAS, are diagrams of interconnected learning concepts across a range of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines. The University of Colorado and its project partners are developing the Strand Map Service (SMS) to provide an interactive interface to interrelated learning goals, content knowledge, (including student misconceptions) and educational resources in the National Science Digital Library and DLESE.

  10. E-learning for medical education: reflections of learners on patients.

    PubMed

    Walsh, Kieran

    2018-01-01

    There is a growing research interest in how healthcare professionals learn online. This paper reports an analysis of reflections that relate to patients from users of an e-learning resource, BMJ Learning. Healthcare professionals who use BMJ Learning are encouraged to reflect on their learning. Over one year, all of the learners' reflections that related to patients were captured by the programme's software and were analysed using thematic analysis. A number of key themes emerged from this analysis: many learners reflected on patients in the context of their disease; many learners reflected on how they had put their learning into action or planned to put their learning into action for the benefit of patients; many learners reflected on how they would pass on what they had learned to patients; learners greatly appreciated patients contributing to the learning. Learners predominantly reflect about patients in the context of their disease. The reflections demonstrate that learners are keen to put their learning into action for the benefit of their patients. Learners' reflections show a keen interest in the patient-centredness of the learning resources.

  11. Implementation of a flipped classroom educational model in a predoctoral dental course.

    PubMed

    Park, Sang E; Howell, T Howard

    2015-05-01

    This article describes the development and implementation of a flipped classroom model to promote student-centered learning as part of a predoctoral dental course. This model redesigns the traditional lecture-style classroom into a blended learning model that combines active learning pedagogy with instructional technology and "flips" the sequence so that students use online resources to learn content ahead of class and then use class time for discussion. The dental anatomy portion of a second-year DMD course at Harvard School of Dental Medicine was redesigned using the flipped classroom model. The 36 students in the course viewed online materials before class; then, during class, small groups of students participated in peer teaching and team discussions based on learning objectives under the supervision of faculty. The utilization of pre- and post-class quizzes as well as peer assessments were critical motivating factors that likely contributed to the increase in student participation in class and helped place learning accountability on the students. Student feedback from a survey after the experience was generally positive with regard to the collaborative and interactive aspects of this form of blended learning.

  12. The Development and Preliminary Application Ofplant Quarantine Remote Teaching System Inchina

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Zhigang; Li, Zhihong; Yang, Ding; Zhang, Guozhen

    With the development of modern information technology, the traditional teaching mode becomes more deficient for the requirement of modern education. Plant Quarantine has been accepted as the common course for the universities of agriculture in China after the entry of WTO. But the teaching resources of this course are not enough especially for most universities with lack base. The characteristic of e-learning is regarded as one way to solve the problem of short teaching resource. PQRTS (Plant Quarantine Remote Teaching System) was designed and developed with JSP (Java Sever Pages), MySQL and Tomcat in this study. The system included many kinds of plant quarantine teaching resources, such as international glossary, regulations and standards, multimedia information of quarantine process and pests, ppt files of teaching, and training exercise. The system prototype implemented the functions of remote learning, querying, management, examination and remote discussion. It could be a tool for teaching, teaching assistance and learning online.

  13. [Designing the Annual Meeting and Active Learning System].

    PubMed

    Kawamura, Kazumi

    2018-01-01

    　At the 10th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society for Pharmaceutical Palliative Care and Sciences our theme centered on active learning systems where adult learners engage on their own initiative. Many of the participants were pharmacists active in clinical practices. Regardless of their specialized skill-sets, pharmacists are constantly faced with difficult challenges in their daily work. Passive, one-way lectures are one resource for them, but unfortunately such lectures provide limited insights for resolving concrete problems. The present meeting aimed to show participants how to obtain information they need to solve specific real-world problems. This paper summarizes how we planned this year's meeting, including details about the debate symposium, social lunch, and online questionnaires. All these elements had the end goal of enabling learners proactivity to become their own best resource for learning. It is sincerely hoped that the design and execution of this meeting will prove resourceful for future annual meetings.

  14. Nature's Design Rules.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reicher, Dan

    2000-01-01

    Discusses school design considerations for energy-efficient schools that provide learning environments that lead to improved student performance. Design myths are addressed as are use of daylighting and designing schools that can teach students and adults about the importance of conserving energy and money. Two online resources are included. (GR)

  15. Surfing the Internet. An Introduction.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Polly, Jean Armour

    1992-01-01

    Describes resources available through INTERNET that are of interest to librarians, including electronic newsletters and serials, online library catalogs, bulletin boards, remote access to software or text files, utilities to help navigate the network, sources for learning more about the INTERNET, discussion list guides, and INTERNET library…

  16. Elaboration and Simplification in Spanish Discourse

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Granena, Gisela

    2008-01-01

    This article compares spoken discourse models in Spanish as a second language textbooks and online language learning resources with naturally occurring conversations. Telephone service encounters are analyzed from the point of view of three different dimensions of authenticity: linguistic, sociolinguistic, and psycholinguistic. An analysis of 20…

  17. Music You Can See

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stephens, Shannon Sweny

    2012-01-01

    Children of all ages love painting to music. Aside from discovering the natural correlation between music and art, the author's students learned about Mozart's life and work in music class. In this article, students discover the influence that music can have on their art. (Contains 1 online resource.)

  18. Rhizomatic Education and Deleuzian Theory

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harris, David

    2016-01-01

    Personal experience participating in a Community Massive Open Online Course (cMOOC) discussing rhizomatic education ("Rhizo15") helped to ground some of the theoretical issues connected with trying to "apply" Deleuzian work to education. Notions of connectivity and community as a learning resource are compared with the more…

  19. Student Interactives--A new Tool for Exploring Science.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Turner, C.

    2005-05-01

    Science NetLinks (SNL), a national program that provides online teacher resources created by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), has proven to be a leader among educational resource providers in bringing free, high-quality, grade-appropriate materials to the national teaching community in a format that facilitates classroom integration. Now in its ninth year on the Web, Science NetLinks is part of the MarcoPolo Consortium of Web sites and associated state-based training initiatives that help teachers integrate Internet content into the classroom. SNL is a national presence in the K-12 science education community serving over 700,000 teachers each year, who visit the site at least three times a month. SNL features: High-quality, innovative, original lesson plans aligned to Project 2061 Benchmarks for Science Literacy, Original Internet-based interactives and learning challenges, Reviewed Web resources and demonstrations, Award winning, 60-second audio news features (Science Updates). Science NetLinks has an expansive and growing library of this educational material, aligned and sortable by grade band or benchmark. The program currently offers over 500 lessons, covering 72% of the Benchmarks for Science Literacy content areas in grades K-12. Over the past several years, there has been a strong movement to create online resources that support earth and space science education. Funding for various online educational materials has been available from many sources and has produced a variety of useful products for the education community. Teachers, through the Internet, potentially have access to thousands of activities, lessons and multimedia interactive applications for use in the classroom. But, with so many resources available, it is increasingly more difficult for educators to locate quality resources that are aligned to standards and learning goals. To ensure that the education community utilizes the resources, the material must conform to a format that allows easy understanding, evaluation and integration. Science NetLinks' material has been proven to satisfy these criteria and serve thousands of teachers every year. All online interactive materials that are created by AAAS are aligned to AAAS Project 2061 Benchmarks, which mirror National Science Standards, and are developed based on a rigorous set of criteria. For the purpose of this forum we will provide an overview that explains the need for more of these materials in the earth and space education, a review of the criteria for creating these materials and show examples of online materials created by AAAS that support earth and space science.

  20. Going beyond the textbook: The need to integrate open access primary literature into the Chemistry curriculum

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Unrestricted, open access to scholarly scientific literature provides an opportunity for chemistry educators to go beyond the textbook, introducing students to the real work of scientists. Despite the best efforts of textbook authors to provide information about recent research results, textbooks are not a substitute for learning to use the primary literature. Chemical educators can use open access articles to develop research-related skills, to foster curiosity, and to cultivate the next generation of scientists. It is becoming increasingly important for chemical educators to teach undergraduates how online journals are changing the nature of chemical research. Some institutions can not afford online subscription costs, and open access journals can be an important resource to provide practical experience. Open access publications eliminate the barriers to the central work of scientists providing chemistry educators (whether at well-endowed or economically limited colleges) with the key resources for enhancing student learning through current, relevant research. PMID:21470429

  1. (On)line dancing: choosing an appropriate distance education partner.

    PubMed

    Menn, Mindy; Don Chaney, J

    2014-05-01

    Online-delivered distance education is a burgeoning component of professional development and continuing education. Distance education programs allow individuals to learn in a different location and/or at a different time from fellow learners, thereby increasing the flexibility and number of learning options. Selecting the "right" program for personal development from the ever-growing body of online-delivered education is an individualized decision that can become an overwhelming and challenging process. This Tool presents four important definitions for navigating distance education program description materials and outlines a five-step process to assist in identifying an appropriate program for personal development. The five-step process includes key questions and points to consider while conducting a candid self-assessment, identifying and investigating distance education programs, and then compiling information, comparing programs, and prioritizing a list of programs suitable for application. Furthermore, this Tool highlights important websites for distance education degree program reviews, accreditation information, and open educational resources.

  2. Implementing an interprofessional first-year teamwork project: some key reflections.

    PubMed

    McNaughton, Susan Maree

    2013-09-01

    Implementing an interprofessional teamwork project for first-year students presents pedagogical and practical challenges. While transferable skills and attributes are important, engagement of students with limited professional experience in teamwork depends on relevance to current learning needs. This report outlines principles learned from planning and implementing a teamwork project for an interprofessional health administration and service development course. Practising interprofessional teamwork as leaders and teachers, aligning with previous, current and future teamwork content and processes and responding to student feedback and achievement have been the key factors in shaping the project over three semesters. Face-to-face and online interprofessional teamwork learning has necessitated developing resources that support self-direction, using familiar technology and providing enabling physical environments. Implications for first-year interprofessional teamwork are that structured well-resourced processes, responsiveness and alignment of learning all improve student outcomes.

  3. Internet-based versus traditional teaching and learning methods.

    PubMed

    Guarino, Salvatore; Leopardi, Eleonora; Sorrenti, Salvatore; De Antoni, Enrico; Catania, Antonio; Alagaratnam, Swethan

    2014-10-01

    The rapid and dramatic incursion of the Internet and social networks in everyday life has revolutionised the methods of exchanging data. Web 2.0 represents the evolution of the Internet as we know it. Internet users are no longer passive receivers, and actively participate in the delivery of information. Medical education cannot evade this process. Increasingly, students are using tablets and smartphones to instantly retrieve medical information on the web or are exchanging materials on their Facebook pages. Medical educators cannot ignore this continuing revolution, and therefore the traditional academic schedules and didactic schemes should be questioned. Analysing opinions collected from medical students regarding old and new teaching methods and tools has become mandatory, with a view towards renovating the process of medical education. A cross-sectional online survey was created with Google® docs and administrated to all students of our medical school. Students were asked to express their opinion on their favourite teaching methods, learning tools, Internet websites and Internet delivery devices. Data analysis was performed using spss. The online survey was completed by 368 students. Although textbooks remain a cornerstone for training, students also identified Internet websites, multimedia non-online material, such as the Encyclopaedia on CD-ROM, and other non-online computer resources as being useful. The Internet represented an important aid to support students' learning needs, but textbooks are still their resource of choice. Among the websites noted, Google and Wikipedia significantly surpassed the peer-reviewed medical databases, and access to the Internet was primarily through personal computers in preference to other Internet access devices, such as mobile phones and tablet computers. Increasingly, students are using tablets and smartphones to instantly retrieve medical information. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  4. Language Learning Enhanced by Massive Multiple Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) and the Underlying Behavioral and Neural Mechanisms.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Yongjun; Song, Hongwen; Liu, Xiaoming; Tang, Dinghong; Chen, Yue-E; Zhang, Xiaochu

    2017-01-01

    Massive Multiple Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) have increased in popularity among children, juveniles, and adults since MMORPGs' appearance in this digital age. MMORPGs can be applied to enhancing language learning, which is drawing researchers' attention from different fields and many studies have validated MMORPGs' positive effect on language learning. However, there are few studies on the underlying behavioral or neural mechanism of such effect. This paper reviews the educational application of the MMORPGs based on relevant macroscopic and microscopic studies, showing that gamers' overall language proficiency or some specific language skills can be enhanced by real-time online interaction with peers and game narratives or instructions embedded in the MMORPGs. Mechanisms underlying the educational assistant role of MMORPGs in second language learning are discussed from both behavioral and neural perspectives. We suggest that attentional bias makes gamers/learners allocate more cognitive resources toward task-related stimuli in a controlled or an automatic way. Moreover, with a moderating role played by activation of reward circuit, playing the MMORPGs may strengthen or increase functional connectivity from seed regions such as left anterior insular/frontal operculum (AI/FO) and visual word form area to other language-related brain areas.

  5. Preparing students for graduate study: an eLearning approach.

    PubMed

    Pintz, Christine; Posey, Laurie

    2013-07-01

    This paper describes the development and preliminary evaluation of an eLearning program intended to provide incoming nursing students with the basic knowledge, skills and abilities needed to succeed in graduate-level, online coursework. Using Mayer's principles (2008) for the effective design of multimedia instruction, an open-access, self-directed, online program was developed. The Graduate School Boot Camp includes five online modules focused on learning strategies and time management, academic writing, technology, research, and library skills. To motivate and engage learners, the program integrates a fun, graphical sports theme with audiovisual presentations, examples, demonstrations and practice exercises. Learners begin with a self-assessment based on the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire or MSLQ (Pintrich et al., 1993). To assess change in knowledge levels before and after completing the program, learners take a pre-test and post-test. Preliminary findings indicate that the students found the information relevant and useful. They enjoyed the self-paced, multimedia format, and liked the option to return to specific content later. This innovative program offers a way to prepare students proactively, and may prove useful in identifying students at risk and connecting them with the appropriate resources to facilitate successful program completion. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Comparison of a gross anatomy laboratory to online anatomy software for teaching anatomy.

    PubMed

    Mathiowetz, Virgil; Yu, Chih-Huang; Quake-Rapp, Cindee

    2016-01-01

    This study was designed to assess the grades, self-perceived learning, and satisfaction between occupational therapy students who used a gross anatomy laboratory versus online anatomy software (AnatomyTV) as tools to learn anatomy at a large public university and a satellite campus in the mid-western United States. The goal was to determine if equivalent learning outcomes could be achieved regardless of learning tool used. In addition, it was important to determine why students chose the gross anatomy laboratory over online AnatomyTV. A two group, post-test only design was used with data gathered at the end of the course. Primary outcomes were students' grades, self-perceived learning, and satisfaction. In addition, a survey was used to collect descriptive data. One cadaver prosection was available for every four students in the gross anatomy laboratory. AnatomyTV was available online through the university library. At the conclusion of the course, the gross anatomy laboratory group had significantly higher grade percentage, self-perceived learning, and satisfaction than the AnatomyTV group. However, the practical significance of the difference is debatable. The significantly greater time spent in gross anatomy laboratory during the laboratory portion of the course may have affected the study outcomes. In addition, some students may find the difference in (B+) versus (A-) grade as not practically significant. Further research needs to be conducted to identify what specific anatomy teaching resources are most effective beyond prosection for students without access to a gross anatomy laboratory. © 2015 American Association of Anatomists.

  7. Actions and Reactions: Exploring International Students' Use of Online Information Resources

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hughes, Hilary

    2005-01-01

    The trends in higher education towards internationalisation and increasing dependence on ICTs (information and communication technologies) are contributing to the diversification of the student population and their learning needs. In this context learners may encounter an array of educational and technological challenges. For international…

  8. Online Resource Creation Catalyzes Collaboration

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Millichap, Nancy; Toler, Michael

    2005-01-01

    Some positive responses emerged from the tragic events of September 11, 2001, including recognition of the importance of international education, especially about non-Western cultural regions of the world. Colleges and universities in particular saw dramatically increased interest in teaching and learning about Islam and the Arab world. Many…

  9. Online technology use in physiotherapy teaching and learning: a systematic review of effectiveness and users' perceptions.

    PubMed

    Mącznik, Aleksandra K; Ribeiro, Daniel Cury; Baxter, G David

    2015-09-28

    The use of online technologies in health professionals' education, including physiotherapy, has been advocated as effective and well-accepted tools for enhancing student learning. The aim of this study was to critically review the effectiveness, and user perceptions of online technology for physiotherapy teaching and learning. Following databases were systematically searched on the 31(st) of August 2013 for articles describing implementation of online technologies into physiotherapy teaching and learning: ERIC, CINAHL, Web of Science, Academic search complete, ProQuest Nursing and Allied Health Source, Medline, Embase, and Scopus. No language, design or publishing date restrictions were imposed. Risk of bias was assessed using the 2011 Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool checklist (MMAT). A total of 4133 articles were retrieved; 22 articles met the inclusion criteria and were accepted for final analysis: 15 on the effectiveness of technology, and 14 on users' perceptions. Included studies used three designs: case study (14 articles), controlled trial (3), and randomized controlled trial (5). Studies investigated both pre-registration physiotherapy students (1523) and physiotherapy professionals (171). The quality of studies ranged from 67 to 100 % on the MMAT checklist which can be considered moderate to excellent. More than half of the studies (68 %) received scores greater than 80 %. Studies typically investigated websites and discussion boards. The websites are effective in enhancing practical skills performance, and discussion boards in knowledge acquisition, as well as in development of critical and reflective thinking. Students' perceptions of the use of websites were mostly positive, providing students with entertaining, easy accessible resources. Perceived barriers to the use of websites included difficulties with internet connection, insufficiently interactive material, or personal preference for paper-based materials. Discussion boards were perceived as deepening students' thinking and facilitating reflection, allowing for learning from multiple perspectives, and providing easy communication and support. The results of this review suggest that online technologies (i.e., websites and discussion boards) have many benefits to offer for physiotherapy teaching and learning; There was minimal evidence of barriers for the use of online technologies, however, addressing the identified ones could enhance adherence to use of online technologies in health professionals' education.

  10. How learning analytics can early predict under-achieving students in a blended medical education course.

    PubMed

    Saqr, Mohammed; Fors, Uno; Tedre, Matti

    2017-07-01

    Learning analytics (LA) is an emerging discipline that aims at analyzing students' online data in order to improve the learning process and optimize learning environments. It has yet un-explored potential in the field of medical education, which can be particularly helpful in the early prediction and identification of under-achieving students. The aim of this study was to identify quantitative markers collected from students' online activities that may correlate with students' final performance and to investigate the possibility of predicting the potential risk of a student failing or dropping out of a course. This study included 133 students enrolled in a blended medical course where they were free to use the learning management system at their will. We extracted their online activity data using database queries and Moodle plugins. Data included logins, views, forums, time, formative assessment, and communications at different points of time. Five engagement indicators were also calculated which would reflect self-regulation and engagement. Students who scored below 5% over the passing mark were considered to be potentially at risk of under-achieving. At the end of the course, we were able to predict the final grade with 63.5% accuracy, and identify 53.9% of at-risk students. Using a binary logistic model improved prediction to 80.8%. Using data recorded until the mid-course, prediction accuracy was 42.3%. The most important predictors were factors reflecting engagement of the students and the consistency of using the online resources. The analysis of students' online activities in a blended medical education course by means of LA techniques can help early predict underachieving students, and can be used as an early warning sign for timely intervention.

  11. Translating research into practice: evaluation of an e-learning resource for health care professionals to provide nutrition advice and support for cancer survivors.

    PubMed

    Murphy, Jane; Worswick, Louise; Pulman, Andy; Ford, Grainne; Jeffery, Jaana

    2015-01-01

    Nurses and other allied health professionals are in a key position to provide appropriate and consistent advice on nutritional issues to support cancer survivors. However gaps in their nutrition knowledge and education warrant the need for enhanced learning as part of their Continued Professional Development (CPD). In the UK there are currently no formally recognised nutrition education programmes. Therefore e-learning offers a solution to provide flexible learning to target this need. This study aimed to develop and evaluate the efficacy of a freely available, internet-based learning resource, for nurses and allied health professionals who provide nutrition, diet and lifestyle advice for cancer survivors. It sought to explore the attitudes and conceptions of the resource and current knowledge base of those involved in the care pathway for cancer survivors. The design and development of the e-learning resource were informed by the best available research and policy evidence and in a format to facilitate on-line learning. A robust evaluation strategy incorporated focus groups and telephone interviews to gain in depth insights into the experiences of using the resource. Themes included 'Plugging a Gap' which shows an improved knowledge base for nutrition. Information was 'All in One Place' showing that the resource was valued as being within a 'trusted' organisation. 'Everyone Benefits' illustrates how learners felt that the resource provided them with an evidence base, whilst the 'Current and Live' theme captured how professionals felt about the information being up-to-date. The project has shown the benefits of interprofessional working to develop an e-learning resource for Health Care Professionals to support cancer survivors in following healthier lifestyles. Positive attitudes and potential improvements in the knowledge base and changes for professional practice were demonstrated. Further research is required to gauge sustained impact in the work environment by embedding the resource as part of CPD. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  12. Impact of introduction of blended learning in gross anatomy on student outcomes.

    PubMed

    Green, Rodney A; Whitburn, Laura Y

    2016-10-01

    Blended learning has become increasingly common, in a variety of disciplines, to take advantage of new technology and potentially increase the efficiency and flexibility of delivery. This study aimed to describe blended delivery of a gross anatomy course and to evaluate the effectiveness of the delivery in terms of student outcomes. A gross anatomy course for second-year physiotherapy students across two campuses was delivered in traditional face-to-face teaching mode in 2013 (n = 150 students), some online content was introduced in 2014 (n = 160) and the subject was fully blended in 2015 (n = 151). The final 'blend' consisted of one lecture per week with most content delivered using online video resources (prepared by staff using a structured peer-reviewed process) and retention of face-to-face practical classes. Outcomes evaluated included student grades, student engagement with content through online discussion forums and student feedback using both quantitative and qualitative analysis. Grades were higher in 2014 and 2015 than in 2013 (P < 0.01). There were no differences in student engagement with online discussion forums. Student feedback identified some negative comments and lower levels of intellectual stimulation (P < 0.05) with the initial introduction of online content in 2014. The fully blended version in 2015 resulted in more balanced comments about online content but higher perceived workload (P < 0.05). All cohorts listed practical classes as a major factor contributing to learning. Blended learning appears to be well-suited to gross anatomy teaching on the proviso that face-to-face practical classes are maintained, but may result in higher perceived workloads. Anat Sci Educ 9: 422-430. © 2016 American Association of Anatomists. © 2016 American Association of Anatomists.

  13. Emerging Approach of Natural Language Processing in Opinion Mining: A Review

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Tai-Hoon

    Natural language processing (NLP) is a subfield of artificial intelligence and computational linguistics. It studies the problems of automated generation and understanding of natural human languages. This paper outlines a framework to use computer and natural language techniques for various levels of learners to learn foreign languages in Computer-based Learning environment. We propose some ideas for using the computer as a practical tool for learning foreign language where the most of courseware is generated automatically. We then describe how to build Computer Based Learning tools, discuss its effectiveness, and conclude with some possibilities using on-line resources.

  14. The Learning Outcomes of Students Meeting Their International Dimension Requirement through Courses Offered in a College of Agriculture: Did Student Learning Differ Depending on Mode of Instruction Delivery?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moriba, Samba; Edwards, M. Craig

    2013-01-01

    Many online courses have been developed in an effort to meet the needs of students who are either unable or less inclined to attend face-to-face classes. The College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (CASNR) at Oklahoma State University has been preparing its students to attain international awareness and become globally competent…

  15. An approximate dynamic programming approach to resource management in multi-cloud scenarios

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pietrabissa, Antonio; Priscoli, Francesco Delli; Di Giorgio, Alessandro; Giuseppi, Alessandro; Panfili, Martina; Suraci, Vincenzo

    2017-03-01

    The programmability and the virtualisation of network resources are crucial to deploy scalable Information and Communications Technology (ICT) services. The increasing demand of cloud services, mainly devoted to the storage and computing, requires a new functional element, the Cloud Management Broker (CMB), aimed at managing multiple cloud resources to meet the customers' requirements and, simultaneously, to optimise their usage. This paper proposes a multi-cloud resource allocation algorithm that manages the resource requests with the aim of maximising the CMB revenue over time. The algorithm is based on Markov decision process modelling and relies on reinforcement learning techniques to find online an approximate solution.

  16. The application of network teaching in applied optics teaching

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Huifu; Piao, Mingxu; Li, Lin; Liu, Dongmei

    2017-08-01

    Network technology has become a creative tool of changing human productivity, the rapid development of it has brought profound changes to our learning, working and life. Network technology has many advantages such as rich contents, various forms, convenient retrieval, timely communication and efficient combination of resources. Network information resources have become the new education resources, get more and more application in the education, has now become the teaching and learning tools. Network teaching enriches the teaching contents, changes teaching process from the traditional knowledge explanation into the new teaching process by establishing situation, independence and cooperation in the network technology platform. The teacher's role has shifted from teaching in classroom to how to guide students to learn better. Network environment only provides a good platform for the teaching, we can get a better teaching effect only by constantly improve the teaching content. Changchun university of science and technology introduced a BB teaching platform, on the platform, the whole optical classroom teaching and the classroom teaching can be improved. Teachers make assignments online, students learn independently offline or the group learned cooperatively, this expands the time and space of teaching. Teachers use hypertext form related knowledge of applied optics, rich cases and learning resources, set up the network interactive platform, homework submission system, message board, etc. The teaching platform simulated the learning interest of students and strengthens the interaction in the teaching.

  17. Experiences as an embedded librarian in online courses.

    PubMed

    Konieczny, Alison

    2010-01-01

    Embedded librarianship gives librarians a prime opportunity to have a direct, positive impact in a clinical setting, classroom setting, or within a working group by providing integrated services that cater to the group's needs. Extending embedded librarian services beyond the various physical settings and into online classrooms is an exceptional way for librarians to engage online learners. This group of students is growing rapidly in numbers and could benefit greatly from having library services and resources incorporated into their classes. The author's services as an embedded librarian in fully online courses at a medium-sized university will be discussed, as will strategies, lessons learned, and opportunities for engaging in this realm. To develop a foundation of knowledge on embedded librarianship, an overview of this topic is provided.

  18. Pedagogical Utilization and Assessment of the Statistic Online Computational Resource in Introductory Probability and Statistics Courses.

    PubMed

    Dinov, Ivo D; Sanchez, Juana; Christou, Nicolas

    2008-01-01

    Technology-based instruction represents a new recent pedagogical paradigm that is rooted in the realization that new generations are much more comfortable with, and excited about, new technologies. The rapid technological advancement over the past decade has fueled an enormous demand for the integration of modern networking, informational and computational tools with classical pedagogical instruments. Consequently, teaching with technology typically involves utilizing a variety of IT and multimedia resources for online learning, course management, electronic course materials, and novel tools of communication, engagement, experimental, critical thinking and assessment.The NSF-funded Statistics Online Computational Resource (SOCR) provides a number of interactive tools for enhancing instruction in various undergraduate and graduate courses in probability and statistics. These resources include online instructional materials, statistical calculators, interactive graphical user interfaces, computational and simulation applets, tools for data analysis and visualization. The tools provided as part of SOCR include conceptual simulations and statistical computing interfaces, which are designed to bridge between the introductory and the more advanced computational and applied probability and statistics courses. In this manuscript, we describe our designs for utilizing SOCR technology in instruction in a recent study. In addition, present the results of the effectiveness of using SOCR tools at two different course intensity levels on three outcome measures: exam scores, student satisfaction and choice of technology to complete assignments. Learning styles assessment was completed at baseline. We have used three very different designs for three different undergraduate classes. Each course included a treatment group, using the SOCR resources, and a control group, using classical instruction techniques. Our findings include marginal effects of the SOCR treatment per individual classes; however, pooling the results across all courses and sections, SOCR effects on the treatment groups were exceptionally robust and significant. Coupling these findings with a clear decrease in the variance of the quantitative examination measures in the treatment groups indicates that employing technology, like SOCR, in a sound pedagogical and scientific manner enhances overall the students' understanding and suggests better long-term knowledge retention.

  19. Pedagogical Utilization and Assessment of the Statistic Online Computational Resource in Introductory Probability and Statistics Courses

    PubMed Central

    Dinov, Ivo D.; Sanchez, Juana; Christou, Nicolas

    2009-01-01

    Technology-based instruction represents a new recent pedagogical paradigm that is rooted in the realization that new generations are much more comfortable with, and excited about, new technologies. The rapid technological advancement over the past decade has fueled an enormous demand for the integration of modern networking, informational and computational tools with classical pedagogical instruments. Consequently, teaching with technology typically involves utilizing a variety of IT and multimedia resources for online learning, course management, electronic course materials, and novel tools of communication, engagement, experimental, critical thinking and assessment. The NSF-funded Statistics Online Computational Resource (SOCR) provides a number of interactive tools for enhancing instruction in various undergraduate and graduate courses in probability and statistics. These resources include online instructional materials, statistical calculators, interactive graphical user interfaces, computational and simulation applets, tools for data analysis and visualization. The tools provided as part of SOCR include conceptual simulations and statistical computing interfaces, which are designed to bridge between the introductory and the more advanced computational and applied probability and statistics courses. In this manuscript, we describe our designs for utilizing SOCR technology in instruction in a recent study. In addition, present the results of the effectiveness of using SOCR tools at two different course intensity levels on three outcome measures: exam scores, student satisfaction and choice of technology to complete assignments. Learning styles assessment was completed at baseline. We have used three very different designs for three different undergraduate classes. Each course included a treatment group, using the SOCR resources, and a control group, using classical instruction techniques. Our findings include marginal effects of the SOCR treatment per individual classes; however, pooling the results across all courses and sections, SOCR effects on the treatment groups were exceptionally robust and significant. Coupling these findings with a clear decrease in the variance of the quantitative examination measures in the treatment groups indicates that employing technology, like SOCR, in a sound pedagogical and scientific manner enhances overall the students’ understanding and suggests better long-term knowledge retention. PMID:19750185

  20. Interactive Online Modules and Videos for Learning Geological Concepts at the University of Toronto Department of Earth Sciences

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Veglio, E.; Graves, L. W.; Bank, C. G.

    2014-12-01

    We designed various computer-based applications and videos as educational resources for undergraduate courses at the University of Toronto in the Earth Science Department. These resources were developed in effort to enhance students' self-learning of key concepts as identified by educators at the department. The interactive learning modules and videos were created using the programs MATLAB and Adobe Creative Suite 5 (Photoshop and Premiere) and range from optical mineralogy (extinction and Becke line), petrology (equilibrium melting in 2-phase systems), crystallography (crystal systems), geophysics (gravity anomaly), and geologic history (evolution of Canada). These resources will be made available for students on internal course websites as well as through the University of Toronto Earth Science's website (www.es.utoronto.ca) where appropriate; the video platform YouTube.com may be used to reach a wide audience and promote the material. Usage of the material will be monitored and feedback will be collected over the next academic year in order to gage the use of these interactive learning tools and to assess if these computer-based applications and videos foster student engagement and active learning, and thus offer an enriched learning experience.

  1. Building an open academic environment – a new approach to empowering students in their learning of anatomy through ‘Shadow Modules’

    PubMed Central

    Scott, Jonathan L; Moxham, Bernard J; Rutherford, Stephen M

    2014-01-01

    Teaching and learning in anatomy is undertaken by a variety of methodologies, yet all of these pedagogies benefit from students discussing and reflecting upon their learning activities. An approach of particular potency is peer-mediated learning, through either peer-teaching or collaborative peer-learning. Collaborative, peer-mediated, learning activities help promote deep learning approaches and foster communities of practice in learning. Students generally flourish in collaborative learning settings but there are limitations to the benefits of collaborative learning undertaken solely within the confines of modular curricula. We describe the development of peer-mediated learning through student-focused and student-led study groups we have termed ‘Shadow Modules’. The ‘Shadow Module’ takes place parallel to the formal academically taught module and facilitates collaboration between students to support their learning for that module. In ‘Shadow Module’ activities, students collaborate towards curating existing online open resources as well as developing learning resources of their own to support their study. Through the use of communication technologies and web 2.0 tools these resources are able to be shared with their peers, thus enhancing the learning experience of all students following the module. The Shadow Module activities have the potential to lead to participants feeling a greater sense of engagement with the subject material, as well as improving their study and group-working skills and developing digital literacy. The outputs from Shadow Module collaborative work are open-source and may be utilised by subsequent student cohorts, thus building up a repository of learning resources designed by and for students. Shadow Module activities would benefit all pedagogies in the study of anatomy, and support students moving from being passive consumers to active participants in learning. PMID:24117249

  2. Building an open academic environment - a new approach to empowering students in their learning of anatomy through 'Shadow Modules'.

    PubMed

    Scott, Jonathan L; Moxham, Bernard J; Rutherford, Stephen M

    2014-03-01

    Teaching and learning in anatomy is undertaken by a variety of methodologies, yet all of these pedagogies benefit from students discussing and reflecting upon their learning activities. An approach of particular potency is peer-mediated learning, through either peer-teaching or collaborative peer-learning. Collaborative, peer-mediated, learning activities help promote deep learning approaches and foster communities of practice in learning. Students generally flourish in collaborative learning settings but there are limitations to the benefits of collaborative learning undertaken solely within the confines of modular curricula. We describe the development of peer-mediated learning through student-focused and student-led study groups we have termed 'Shadow Modules'. The 'Shadow Module' takes place parallel to the formal academically taught module and facilitates collaboration between students to support their learning for that module. In 'Shadow Module' activities, students collaborate towards curating existing online open resources as well as developing learning resources of their own to support their study. Through the use of communication technologies and Web 2.0 tools these resources are able to be shared with their peers, thus enhancing the learning experience of all students following the module. The Shadow Module activities have the potential to lead to participants feeling a greater sense of engagement with the subject material, as well as improving their study and group-working skills and developing digital literacy. The outputs from Shadow Module collaborative work are open-source and may be utilised by subsequent student cohorts, thus building up a repository of learning resources designed by and for students. Shadow Module activities would benefit all pedagogies in the study of anatomy, and support students moving from being passive consumers to active participants in learning. © 2013 Anatomical Society.

  3. Developing an e-learning resource for nurse airway assistants in the emergency department.

    PubMed

    Hersey, Peter; McAleer, Sean

    2017-02-23

    The aims of this project were to determine the required competencies for a nurse in the emergency department assisting with a rapid sequence induction of anaesthesia (RSI), and to produce a relevant e-learning resource. A three-round multidisciplinary Delphi process produced the following competencies: ability to describe the steps and sequence of events of an RSI, familiarity with the equipment used during an RSI, ability to recognise and help manage problems occurring during an RSI, ability to prepare for an RSI, ability to apply cricoid pressure, and understanding the modification of an RSI in special circumstances. An interactive e-learning package was produced and made available online. Twelve emergency department nurses took part in an evaluation of the e-learning package. All either agreed or strongly agreed that they had increased their knowledge and found the learning useful, and 11 out of 12 nurses reported being somewhat or very confident in the role of airway assistant following completion of the learning.

  4. An Integrative Cultural Model to better situate marginalized science students in postsecondary science education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Labouta, Hagar Ibrahim; Adams, Jennifer Dawn; Cramb, David Thomas

    2018-03-01

    In this paper we reflect on the article "I am smart enough to study postsecondary science: a critical discourse analysis of latecomers' identity construction in an online forum", by Phoebe Jackson and Gale Seiler (Cult Stud Sci Educ. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-017-9818-0). In their article, the authors did a significant amount of qualitative analysis of a discussion on an online forum by four latecomer students with past negative experiences in science education. The students used this online forum as an out-of-class resource to develop a cultural model based on their ability to ask questions together with solidarity as a new optimistic way to position themselves in science. In this forum, we continue by discussing the identity of marginalized science students in relation to resources available in postsecondary science classes. Recent findings on a successful case of a persistent marginalized science student in spite of prior struggles and failures are introduced. Building on their model and our results, we proposed a new cultural model, emphasizing interaction between inside and outside classroom resources which can further our understanding of the identity of marginalized science students. Exploring this cultural model could better explain drop-outs or engagement of marginalized science students to their study. We, then, used this model to reflect on both current traditional and effective teaching and learning practices truncating or re-enforcing relationships of marginalized students with the learning environment. In this way, we aim to further the discussion initiated by Jackson and Seiler and offer possible frameworks for future research on the interactions between marginalized students with past low achievements and other high and mid achieving students, as well as other interactions between resources inside and outside science postsecondary classrooms.

  5. Activities, Animations, and Online Tools to Enable Undergraduate Student Learning of Geohazards, Climate Change, and Water Resources

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pratt-Sitaula, B. A.; Walker, B.; Douglas, B. J.; Cronin, V. S.; Funning, G.; Stearns, L. A.; Charlevoix, D.; Miller, M. M.

    2017-12-01

    The NSF-funded GEodesy Tools for Societal Issues (GETSI) project is developing teaching resources for use in introductory and majors-level courses, emphasizing a broad range of geodetic methods and data applied to societally important issues. The modules include a variety of hands-on activities, demonstrations, animations, and interactive online tools in order to facilitate student learning and engagement. A selection of these activities will be showcased at the AGU session. These activities and data analysis exercises are embedded in 4-6 units per module. Modules can take 2-3 weeks of course time total or individual units and activities can be selected and used over just 1-2 class periods. Existing modules are available online via serc.carleton.edu/getsi/ and include "Ice mass and sea level changes", "Imaging active tectonics with LiDAR and InSAR", "Measuring water resources with GPS, gravity, and traditional methods", "Surface process hazards", and "GPS, strain, and earthquakes". Modules, and their activities and demonstrations were designed by teams of faculty and content experts and underwent rigorous classroom testing and review using the process developed by the Science Education Resource Center's InTeGrate Project (serc.carleton.edu/integrate). All modules are aligned to Earth Science and Climate literacy principles. GETSI collaborating institutions are UNAVCO (which runs NSF's Geodetic Facility), Indiana University, and Mt San Antonio College. Initial funding came from NSF's TUES (Transforming Undergraduate Education in STEM). A second phase of funding from NSF IUSE (Improving Undergraduate STEM Education) is just starting and will fund another six modules (including their demonstrations, activities, and hands-on activities) as well as considerably more instructor professional development to facilitate implementation and use.

  6. Web Development Simplified

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Becker, Bernd W.

    2010-01-01

    The author has discussed the Multimedia Educational Resource for Teaching and Online Learning site, MERLOT, in a recent Electronic Roundup column. In this article, he discusses an entirely new Web page development tool that MERLOT has added for its members. The new tool is called the MERLOT Content Builder and is directly integrated into the…

  7. Search Engines on the World Wide Web.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Walster, Dian

    1997-01-01

    Discusses search engines and provides methods for determining what resources are searched, the quality of the information, and the algorithms used that will improve the use of search engines on the World Wide Web, online public access catalogs, and electronic encyclopedias. Lists strategies for conducting searches and for learning about the latest…

  8. The People Unite: Learning Meaningful Civics Online

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pitts, Annette Boyd; Dziuban, Charles; Cornett, Jeffrey W.

    2011-01-01

    Throughout the world, today's students are being characterized as digital natives, the "net generation." This twenty-first-century student cohort is adept at multi-tasking and at using a variety of tools and resources including electronic search engines, blogs, wikis, visual images, videos, gaming platforms, and social networking.…

  9. Gamified Vocabulary: Online Resources and Enriched Language Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abrams, Sandra Schamroth; Walsh, Sara

    2014-01-01

    This article explores the ways "gamification" can play a role in adolescents' development of vocabulary. Gamification involves the application of game-design thinking and play elements to non-game activities, such as routine homework or classroom lessons. Drawing upon data from in-school and after-school settings, the authors…

  10. Equalizing Educational Opportunities by ICT

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Delgado García, Ana María; Torrubia Chalmeta, Blanca

    2016-01-01

    The Open University of Catalonia (UOC) is a pioneer university in the use of technology for online learning. The virtual teaching system enables to acquire professionalizing competences and facilitates the practitioners the update of knowledge in an optimum way. That is possible, on one hand, thanks to the resources for theoretical and practical…

  11. Leading the Way for Open Access Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Warschauer, Mark

    2016-01-01

    "Language Learning & Technology" ("LLT") was launched in the mid-1990s out of a collaboration between the University of Hawai'i National Foreign Language Resource Center (NFLRC) and the Michigan State University Center for Language Education Research (CLEAR). Like other online journals started in the 1990s, "LLT"…

  12. The Honeymoon Is Over: Leading the Way to Lasting Search Habits.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pierson, Melissa

    1997-01-01

    To become efficient Internet searchers, students and teachers need to learn online search skills. Discusses hierarchical subject directories (Yahoo) and search engines (Excite, Lycos, Alta Vista, HotBot); lists top search engines and their universal resource locators (URL). Provides examples of search strings; outlines search tips, and a…

  13. Going Green Robots

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nelson, Jacqueline M.

    2011-01-01

    In looking at the interesting shapes and sizes of old computer parts, creating robots quickly came to the author's mind. In this article, she describes how computer parts can be used creatively. Students will surely enjoy creating their very own robots while learning about the importance of recycling in the society. (Contains 1 online resource.)

  14. A Suggested Model for a Working Cyberschool.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Javid, Mahnaz A.

    2000-01-01

    Suggests a model for a working cyberschool based on a case study of Kamiak Cyberschool (Washington), a technology-driven public high school. Topics include flexible hours; one-to-one interaction with teachers; a supportive school environment; use of computers, interactive media, and online resources; and self-paced, project-based learning.…

  15. Case Study 4: Using Game-Based Learning for Induction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Javaid, Osman

    2017-01-01

    This case study tracks the development of a digital induction resource implementing game elements that focuses on the first two stages of Gilly Salmon's Five Stage Model, namely "access and motivation" and "online socialisation" (Salmon, 2011). In the summer of 2016, a prototype was developed and presented at the Playful…

  16. The educational value of online mastery quizzes in a human anatomy course for first-year dental students.

    PubMed

    Lee, Lisa M J; Nagel, Rollin W; Gould, Douglas J

    2012-09-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of online mastery quizzes in enhancing dental students' learning and preparedness for anatomy examinations. First-year dental students taking an integrated anatomy course at The Ohio State University were administered online mastery quizzes, made available for five days before each examination. The mastery quizzes were comprised of ten multiple-choice questions representative of the upcoming examination in content and difficulty. The students were allowed to access this resource as many times as they desired during the five-day window before each examination; the highest score for each student was added to his or her final course grade. The results indicate that almost all the students took advantage of this resource to reinforce content, clarify concepts, and prepare for the examinations. Statistical analyses of the students' exam performance showed that the mastery quizzes neither improved nor reduced their exam scores, but multiple regression analyses showed that the initial mastery quiz scores had a predictive value for their examination performance, suggesting a potential for mastery quizzes as an intervention tool for such a course. Online mastery quizzes, when used effectively, may be an effective resource to further engage dental and other students in educational endeavors and examination preparation and as a predictor of success.

  17. Physics Instructional Resource Usage by High-, Medium-, and Low-Skilled MOOC Students

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Balint, Trevor A.; Teodorescu, Raluca; Colvin, Kimberly; Choi, Youn-Jeng; Pritchard, David

    2017-04-01

    In this paper we examine how different types of participants in a physics Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) tend to use the existing course resources. We use data from the 2013 offering of the Massive Open Online Course 8.MReVx designed by the RELATE (REsearch in Learning Assessing and Tutoring Effectively) Group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and offered on the edX platform. We propose six measures of student performance in a course, and, based on these measures, we divide the student population into clusters and analyze the resource usage of the students from each cluster. This course contains a wide variety of physics problems targeting various levels of thinking. Our analysis focuses on 1080 participants (out of 16,787 enrolled in the course) who attempted more than 50% of available problems, as this is an indicator of students who participated actively in the entire course.

  18. CORSSA: The Community Online Resource for Statistical Seismicity Analysis

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Michael, Andrew J.; Wiemer, Stefan

    2010-01-01

    Statistical seismology is the application of rigorous statistical methods to earthquake science with the goal of improving our knowledge of how the earth works. Within statistical seismology there is a strong emphasis on the analysis of seismicity data in order to improve our scientific understanding of earthquakes and to improve the evaluation and testing of earthquake forecasts, earthquake early warning, and seismic hazards assessments. Given the societal importance of these applications, statistical seismology must be done well. Unfortunately, a lack of educational resources and available software tools make it difficult for students and new practitioners to learn about this discipline. The goal of the Community Online Resource for Statistical Seismicity Analysis (CORSSA) is to promote excellence in statistical seismology by providing the knowledge and resources necessary to understand and implement the best practices, so that the reader can apply these methods to their own research. This introduction describes the motivation for and vision of CORRSA. It also describes its structure and contents.

  19. Robust Online Hamiltonian Learning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Granade, Christopher; Ferrie, Christopher; Wiebe, Nathan; Cory, David

    2013-05-01

    In this talk, we introduce a machine-learning algorithm for the problem of inferring the dynamical parameters of a quantum system, and discuss this algorithm in the example of estimating the precession frequency of a single qubit in a static field. Our algorithm is designed with practicality in mind by including parameters that control trade-offs between the requirements on computational and experimental resources. The algorithm can be implemented online, during experimental data collection, or can be used as a tool for post-processing. Most importantly, our algorithm is capable of learning Hamiltonian parameters even when the parameters change from experiment-to-experiment, and also when additional noise processes are present and unknown. Finally, we discuss the performance of the our algorithm by appeal to the Cramer-Rao bound. This work was financially supported by the Canadian government through NSERC and CERC and by the United States government through DARPA. NW would like to acknowledge funding from USARO-DTO.

  20. The impact of an online learning platform about nursing education on enrolled nurse preceptor teaching capabilities: a pre-post-test evaluation.

    PubMed

    Ryan, Colleen; Young, Louise; McAllister, Margaret

    2017-06-01

    Enrolled nurses (ENs) across Australia precept nursing students in the clinical field. Yet learning about the preceptoring role is not widely available to ENs. Educational innovation: EN's in this study participated in a professional development project that utilised the material of an online learning resource, originally designed to inspire clinical registered nurses (RNs), and RN teachers, to develop teaching innovations in their role. The aim of this paper is to report the results of a pre-post-test questionnaire designed to evaluate the impact of the professional development intervention. The analysis showed high scoring means with many items in the questionnaire statistically significant (p < .05, CI 95%). Results indicated positive differences in a number of teaching capabilities between pre- and post-test scores. This suggests ENs appreciate education that extends beyond clinical skills and that professional development should include the nursing education role.

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