Last week the EKM project rolled out the next phase of implementation by holding our inaugural Nursing Education Workshop. This month’s topic explored the results of the recent faculty survey on continuing education needs, and contemporary techniques in higher education.
Slides from the session outlining the results of the survey are here: EKM Workshop 1 Slides , and the following commentary outlines the discussion.
Participants argued that higher education in nursing facilitates critical thinking and problem solving skills that are needed for success in the clinical setting. Also, evidence from the research conducted in higher education programs leads to better patient health outcomes. As nurses continue to progress through higher education we hope that they will choose to employ evidence based practice in their careers. Higher education can also give the nursing profession credibility politically and within healthcare power structures.
With the need for higher education in mind, we looked at what educational techniques are commonly used within the UBC School of Nursing. We compared clinical instruction, seminars and tutorials, simulation activities, lectures and online facilitation. Most faculty present at the workshop admitted to using lecture based teaching frequently in the classroom. We spoke about the need to focus our attention on methods that challenges us most, and many faculty members stated they were most challenged by online facilitation.
Behavioural, cognitive, constructivist and humanistic learning theories can help us understand how students learn, but learning theory has probably not advanced significantly since the 1990’s (although work goes on refining knowlwdge within those domains). However, with more easily accesible information technologies, educators have been rethinking the relationships between teachers, students, and content.
Traditionally the teacher controlled the content and disseminated this information to students. In the present information,age students are able to access incredible amounts of free information without requiring the teacher as an intermediary. Students are now “free range learners”. It was suggested the information age has left some teachers finding it difficult to keep up with student access to such resources, and contemporary information and communications technologies (ICT).
Our students are socially interactive and need social connection in their education. A social presence in learning communities helps to establish the conditions needed for social inquiry. Social presence has also been weaved into a variety of conmtemporary approaches to learning including team based learning and inter-professional learning.
The quality of social student interactions supports collaboration and helps learners achieve their learning goals. Social learning can be augmented with social technologies. Students are generally technologically competent and have a desire to maintain this in their careers. Action oriented education using technology is necessary for this generation of learners.
Today we know from educational research that student centred learning using mixed methods is most effective for both educators and learners in terms of achieving learning outcomes. Mixed method teaching includes a wide variety of lecture-based teaching, seminars, tutorials,multimedia, elearning, interactive heuristic activities, problem-based learning and simulation.The aim of using mixed methods is to accomodate multiple learning styles and to teach in ways that further develop critical thinking skills.
Methods of teaching and examination are changing to become more student centred within UBC policy as well. A recent student led initiative at UBC has led to the creation of a new UBC examination policy. On March 8th, 2013 the senate approved the creation of a UBC exam database where past exam papers will be shared. This hopefully will encourage UBC faculty to create new examinations annually and it is suggested that this new policy will avoid the recycling of old examination papers. This policy will be challenging for the School of Nursing as some of our classes are taught six times every year. Creating six new exams every year will entail an increased workload for faculty, but giving student’s access to a range of old papers (without answer guides) meets their expectations, and supports better understanding of the examinable content.
Next months workshop om May 7th (12:00 Room T206 at the School of Nursing) will focus on interactive technologies to support classroom polling and will include a demonstration and tutorial on PollEverywhere (by popular demand). Bring your laptops or smartphones!
Bernie