Hello everyone,

Thank you to all who attended the Elizabeth Kenny McCann Educational Forum on Wednesday November 26th. We had great discussions surrounding technological and online learning, education and learning within the UBC School of Nursing, and innovative ideas regarding the future of education. Below is a summary of the key points of interest for this year’s event. Here are the slides used during the presentation: EKM Forum 2014

The forum kicked off with a group activity where participants were asked to discuss one of four topics related to teaching and learning:

1.   What are the current gaps in provision of educational-technology support in the School of Nursing?

The group assigned to this topic broke it down into four main areas of concern: equipment (lack of tablets, old computers, monitors, and video cards), programming (lack of access to software i.e. trying to get up to speed with ATI), support (lack of IT support i.e. being able to sync hand-held devices with work station computers), and time (delays in terms of requests from IT and trying to learn new technologies in the midst of demanding workloads).

2.   From an IT infrastructure point of view, pedagogically what would you like to accomplish in the future that you are not able to do today?

The group assigned to the second topic brainstormed several ideas, such as video capture tools, a technology sandbox that would serve as a space to “try things out” without having to wait for support, secure collaborative online tools for faculty and students, and repository. Others outside the group expressed the need to sync the portal and the website. An underlying theme throughout these departments was said to be a lack of good quality support.

3.   What educational technology support and/or service do you need to realize your teaching goals?

Several helpful resources were identified by the third group: a resource person available in a timely manner, demonstrations on how to use new technological features, simple ‘how to’ guidelines that are easily understandable, regular educational events, ways to support student engagement, better role clarity, funding to update technological support, and proactive support, where help is offered when it’s needed. One attendee mentioned the importance of distinguishing between flexible learning and IT, and to remember that technology is a facilitating tool for flexible learning.

4.   How should the university measure and report effectiveness of its learning ecosystem?

The fourth group suggested evaluation at both the project and program levels. At the project levels, a systematic student and faculty survey was recommended. They emphasized the need to utilize both qualitative and quantitative approaches, as well as finding out what students and faculty consider a success. At the program level, communication, the need to find metrics across outcomes and student feedback were highlighted.

Next we revisited the topic and role of clinical simulation in the undergraduate program which was previously discussed in a journal club meeting.

Positive Use for Simulation:

• the ability to simulate high risk events which are often quite infrequent and absent from clinical practice
• increased incidences to improve decision- making skills
• ability to offer a safe learning environment; free of toxic interactions growing within the workforce
• reduce learning delays that occur with each rotation change
• increase learning opportunities within rotations that have difficulty securing placements

Negative Use for Simulation:

• narrow view of the “real world,” for example, patient and family interaction and unexpected events; “there is nothing more bizarre than reality”
• hard to simulate interpersonal conflict
• risk of losing the complexity of a situation and how a unit functions
• expectation are different in a simulation versus clinical practice

Different participants also voiced the importance of defining exactly what simulation is. Simulation can be considered an umbrella term that does not only include a lab setting with a mannequin but rather the clinical environment as a whole where interactions and more can be manipulated and presented as they would appear in a clinical setting.

When posed with the question, “How much clinical time do you think we should replace with simulation in a BSN program?” there was some differences of view. The majority of the group chose 25% or less.

Teaching & Learning Strategies for Flexible Learning

Dr. Maura MacPhee and Marc Legacy spoke about varied FL teaching and learning strategies as well as applications for curriculum and design. The following are some key points for their discussion:

• Memory research: while students often study by reading material repetitively, this method is not the most effective way to retain information. Self-testing throughout the study process has been reported to enhance retention and promote more effective learning.
• Formative testing evidence: short answer testing was found to increase retention of information compared to multiple choice testing.
• Spacing effects: it’s better to distribute learning over time, and revisit and build on concepts in a thoughtful manner in order to maximize learning. How to thoughtfully connect concepts between thread course levels is a key area of focus in our curriculum at the moment.
• Pushing students outside of their comfort zone has been shown to create additional brain pathways. For example, asking bridging questions such as identifying the differences between human and giraffe kidneys stimulates learning and enhances retention compared to a simple human anatomy lesson.
• Threshold concepts: it’s important to base curriculum on threshold concepts, which are concepts central to learning and mastering.
• Jewels in the curriculum: focus on “jewels” for richer, complex insights. Listen to students when they are struggling and pay attention to how they are shaping their knowledge. Use this as a diagnostic to then solve the problem.
• There’s a level at which students learn concepts with more complexity. Without the support they need to reach this level, students resort to plagiarism.
• Curriculum redesign: issues with curriculum design can be identified by looking at retention from one term to the next. Students should be involved in curriculum redesign.

Dr MacPhee also discussed the need to adapt to the increasingly technological world we live in. How is authenticity maintained in teaching and learning with an increase in technology? How are students kept engaged and motivated to become active learners; online authenticity versus face to face? It’s important to be present online and in the classroom for both teachers and students. In regards to students, there was a comment made about how being physically present by signing on to an online forum is not enough but to actually engage with meaning and purpose is considered to be present.

Also presented was a study that looked at three components of learning activities which go hand in hand; these included worked examples, practice workouts and matched assignments. Worked examples were a way for students to check their reasoning rather than just checking if they had the correct answer. The rationale would model the way one would think about a problem instead of just providing an answer. Practice workouts were a series of questions that provided students with questions similar to the ones they would be evaluated with. Matched assignments are assignments that are matched to the skill or knowledge base of the student it is given to. Giving students assignments matched to their appropriate skill level helped them retain the information better. Weak students would receive questions closer to their level at an incremental progression to help build and establish a base of knowledge with confidence.

Getting Started with Publishing in SoTL

Dr. Bernie Garrett gave an overview and tips on how to get started in publishing in the scholarship of teaching and learning field. See the attached slides for details of the presentation.

Conclusion

The session ending with a discussion on the planned revisions of the current BSN program. Overall, the event was a success,  Thank you to everyone who participated in the Elizabeth Kenny McCann Education Forum as well as the Journal Clubs and Workshops throughout the year. Your contributions made each session unique.

Hello everyone,

Thank you to all who attended the Elizabeth Kenny McCann Journal Club on Monday, November 3^rd. We had a great discussion regarding the replacement of instructor demonstration with online videos within laboratory sessions. Click here to view the article. Below is a summary of the key points we discussed in the meeting.

We reviewed a multi-method study by Kelly et al. (2009) aimed at evaluating an e-learning approach to teaching clinical nursing skills online. The case study was small and it was not entirely clear how many students were involved and how many were allocated to each group (i.e. students who watched the online videos versus students in the control group). While students in the control group did not have access to the online videos, there was no specific regulation on how many times the intervention group were able to watch the videos or if they were watched at all. The study found no significant difference between the students who watched the online videos versus those who received instructor demonstration, however, the sample size was too small to make any concrete conclusions.

An interesting finding was that male participants seemed to prefer the online videos to instructor demonstration. Older students also seemed to rate the online videos higher than younger students. Overall, however, students preferred demonstration over online videos. Our group agreed that there is value in being able to ask questions when something is not completely understood. Demonstration is also more hands on and therefore can integrate multiple learning styles. Since there was no significant difference seen in the outcomes of the study, why not continue to perform demonstration?

The question presented to the group was whether we should replace demonstration with videos. In general, the consensus was to have both and that the online videos would be available as an adjunct to instructor demonstration. While videos should be used to enhance learning in labs, they should not necessarily replace demonstration.

We also discussed if the UBC School of Nursing should incorporate more videos. What is stopping us from integrating more technology into our curriculum? One issue is finding the resources and support to make the videos to begin with. It might be beneficial to explore this option instead of asking speakers to come in and repeat a lecture every six weeks. Another reason brought forward was the amount of time and effort needed in relation to needs of the students. Usually change in a curriculum occurs as a result of the request, opinion, and push from the students. If a clear indication for more technology existed and students were actively voicing concerns, then perhaps the request would be considered more seriously.

Overall, the results int he paper were quite inconclusive. Although instructional videos do contribute to learning within a lab setting, it may not be beneficial to use them in place of teachers. Further studies with larger sample sizes are required to explore this. While online learning is a good option, blended learning seems optimal. This particularly makes more sense for the profession of nursing due to the aspect of human interaction and the enhanced process of learning that occurs when having discussions with other students, faculty, and health care professionals.

Below are the presentation slides used throughout the discussion:

EKM JC Slides Nov 3

Thank you to all who attended and contributed to the discussion. Our next EKM event will be the Nursing Education Forum which is being held on Wednesday November 26th from 12:00-3:30 at the Sage Bistro. There are still available seats for registration. If you are interested, please email Erendira Silva (erendira.silva@alumni.ubc.ca) to be added to the guest list. This event does require registration as lunch is provided and space is limited. We look forward to exploring some contemporary issues in nursing education with you!

Hello all,

We are pleased to invite you to join our annual Elizabeth Kenny McCann Nursing Education Forum to explore some contemporary issues in nursing education. We will be examining some of the latest trends in SoTL; including changes in the UBC learning and teaching ecosystem, the role of clinical simulation, learning design for the a new BSN curriculum, how to kick-off your own small-scale educational research projects, and publishing in the SoTL field. A buffet lunch will be provided. See  below for event details:

November 26, 2014
12:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Sage Bistro, University Centre

As space is limited, we ask that you please register ASAP at the following link:

http://events.ctlt.ubc.ca/event-registration/?regevent_action=register&event_id=726

We look forward to seeing you there!

Hello all,

We hope you had a wonderful Halloween weekend and are ready to join us for yet another Elizabeth Kenny McCann (EKM) Journal Club this Monday, Nov 3 from 12:00 – 1:00 in room T220.

We will be discussing a multi-method study aimed at evaluating an e-learning approach to teaching clinical nursing skills online. Is this a reasonable solution to the challenge of teaching clinical skills to large class sizes? How do students feel about this approach? Come out and let us know what you think. Both staff and students are welcome to join the discussion. See below for article details:

Kelly, M., Lyng, C., McGrath, M., & Cannon, G. (2009). A multi-method study to determine the effectiveness of, and student attitudes to, online instructional videos for teaching clinical nursing skills. Nurse Education Today, 29(3), 292-300. doi:10.1016/j.nedt.2008.09.004

Please be sure to RSVP to Erendira if you plan to attend (erendira.silva@alumni.ubc.ca). Bring your lunch, and cookies will be provided as usual. Hope to see you all there!

Hello everyone,

Thank you to all who attended the journal club on October 6^th. A great discussion was had with many interesting thoughts and ideas put forth. Below is a summary of the key points we discussed at the meeting. Click here to download a pdf of the paper.

Last week we reviewed a national study by Hayden et al. (2010) that explores the idea of replacing clinical hours with high-fidelity simulation in prelicensure nursing education due to concerns regarding shortages of clinical placements. While we currently have more patients and nurses in hospitals than ever before, attendees agreed that the growing number of nursing schools and seats available has caused competition for clinical placements. While simulation may offer a range of benefits and serve as an effective clinical educational tool, how much of it is really appropriate in replacing actual practice?

The study looked at both ADN and BSN degree programs in the USA. While the ADN curriculum is quite different and geared primarily towards individuals who are perceived as not wishing to progress to higher level nursing, the same outcomes were used for both. Outcome measures consisted of six different performance related scoring tools, including the ATI RN Comprehensive Predictor® 2010 (Assessment Technologies Institute, LLC) and the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX®). Looking at these two tools, the group concluded that there is a significant amount of overlap between them, and many are in fact measuring the same outcomes. This makes it difficult to identify what each tool is specifically measuring, and to consider whether they have measured additional criteria that do not in fact pertain to the study.

The study was a longitudinal randomized trial, where 25% of traditional clinical hours were replaced by simulation in one group, and 50% in the other, and a control with less than 10% simulation. The study revealed that there were no significant differences in the outcomes assessed between the two groups. A significant problem, however, was the multitude of confounding variables associated with the study (and with trials in educational research in general). The inclusion of two entirely different programs with very differing curricula was seen as problematic. Furthermore, despite attempts at standardizing the intervention, the two increased-simulation groups appear to be using different simulations, chosen based on what was deemed appropriate for their respective curricula. These variables make it difficult to determine the factors that truly contributed to the outcome. Additionally, blinding was not feasible in this type of study, causing further skepticism with regards to the findings.

Throughout the meeting, there was certainly debate regarding the value of simulation. One attendee suggested that whilst some clinical hours cannot be replaced, there are instances where clinical experience may be minimally engaging, such as observational activities, where simulation may, in fac,t be more useful. Additionally, simulation allows the instructor to target very specific scenarios that students may not gain exposure to in clinical.  Another argued that the current level of simulation fidelity lacks many of the real-world environmental cues that present in clinical, such as cyanosis and cool, clammy skin; as indicators that help guide nursing care. Additionally, it was noted that part of the value of clinical experience is immersion and socialization in the multiprofessional team in an actual clinical setting. Much of the learning that occurs there takes place in clinical practice occurs outside of focused clinical cases. This will be missed in any simulated activity.

Overall, most agreed that there was certainly value to simulation exercises, however, clinical hours are invaluable and ultimately should not be replaced.

Below are the presentation slides used throughout the discussion:

EKM Journal Club Slides: Replacing Clinical with Simulation

Thank you to all who attended and contributed to the discussion. Our next EKM Journal Club will be held on Monday, November 3rd from 12:00-1:00 in room T220. Hope to see you there!

Hello all,

Below is all you need to know about a great upcoming workshop titled The Flipped Lab Network: Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Flipped Classroom. 

To what extent does the flipped classroom approaches enhance student learning? How can we start measuring the impact of using flexible and flipped approaches in our teaching and learning practice?

This interactive presentation and workshop will explore questions about the impact of the flipped classroom and provide you with an opportunity for considering, sharing and getting feedback on your own approaches to evaluating the flipped classroom in your teaching and learning context.

Facilitators

Simon Bates: Senior Advisor, Teaching and Learning, Academic Director,  Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology, and Professor of Teaching, Faculty of Science, Physics

Paul Carter: Professor of Teaching, Faculty of Science, Computer Science

Jim Cooke: Instructor, Faculty of Science, Biology, University of British Columbia

Andrea Han: Associate Director, Strategic Curriculum Services, Centre for Teaching Learning and Technology

Ido Roll: Senior Manager for Research and Evaluation, Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology

Event Details:

Date: October 14, 2014
Time: 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Location: Irving K Barber Learning Centre, Lillooet Room 301
Register: http://events.ctlt.ubc.ca/event-registration/?ee=632

The first UBC SoTL Journal Club meeting for this academic year has been scheduled. Please see the event description below and join us for an engaging conversation on university-community partnership and its implications for teaching and learning.

SoTL Journal Club – September Meeting
Date: September 23, 2014
Time: 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Place: Irving K Barber Learning Centre, Fraser River Room (Room 2.27)
Registration: http://events.ctlt.ubc.ca/event-registration/?ee=608

The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Journal Club offers you a great opportunity to learn about and discuss current scholarly work on teaching and learning, reflect on your teaching practice, and share your teaching and learning experiences with other participants. Each month, we select an article prior to the meeting, and we will discuss the article at the meeting. This month, we will discuss the following article:

Reardon, K. (2000). An experiential approach to creating an effective community-university partnership: The East St. Louis action research project. Cityscape, 5(1), 59-74.

We welcome participants from a wide range of disciplines and with various teaching and learning experiences. If you have any questions, please contact Hanae Tsukada at hanae.tsukada@ubc.ca.

Hope to see you there!

Hello all,

The Center for Teaching, Learning, and Technology invites you to join in on two great connect-related events happening this Fall.

On September 9th, a day long drop-in will be held for Connect, Copyright, Course Reserves and Camtasia from 9:00am – 4:00pm in Rm 2.22A of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre. Get one-on-one assistance from specialists in the area of your choice! Click here for more event details.

As well, the next Teaching in a Blended Learning Environment (T-BLE) session will take place on September 24th. The course offers a feel for navigating the blended learning environment and is designed to help instructors who are considering making the shift to this style of teaching. Click here for more information on how you can participate in upcoming courses.

Don’t miss out on these fantastic opportunities, we hope to see you there!

PLEASE NOTE – THIS EVENT IS NOW RESCHEDULED TO OCTOBER 6th 12:00-13:00

Hello everyone,

Welcome back! We are kicking off another round of Elizabeth Kenny McCann (EKM) Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Journal Clubs this term with the first one to be held on Monday,  September 15^th from 12:00-12:50 in room T220. The paper we will discuss has been described as a “Landmark study” by the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation & Learning:

Hayden, J. K., Smiley, R. A., Alexander, M., Kardong-Edgren, S., & Jeffries, P. R. (2014). , The NCSBN National Simulation Study: A Longitudinal, Randomized, Controlled  Study Replacing Clinical Hours with Simulation in Prelicensure Nursing Education.

Click here to download a pdf of the paper.

Bring your lunch and join the discussion, free cookies will be available as usual. Please RSVP to Erendira if you plan to attend so we can get a sense of numbers.

EKM SoTL Journal Clubs will be held once a month throughout the term. See below for future Journal Club dates:

Monday, September 15th, 12:00-1:00 in room T220
Monday, October 6th, 2014 12:00-1:00 in room T220
Monday, November 3rd, 2014 12:00-1:00 in room T220
Monday, December 1st, 2014 12:00-1:00 in room T220

Hello all,

The Centre for Teaching, Learning, and Technology Summer Institute will be held from August 25^th to 28^th at various locations throughout campus. The Institute provides professional development activities for faculty, staff, and students at UBC such as course design, connect and wordpress training as well as participatory learning techniques and many more. All events are free for the UBC Community and members of the School of Nursing are invited to attend.

Click here to view the schedule and registration details.

See you there!

Greetings,

The EKM Scholarship of Teaching and Learning invites you to join us for our next Journal Club, which will be held on Tuesday June 17^th in Room T182. We will be discussing the debate between direct instructional guidance during teaching vs. a minimally guided approach. Which has the largest impact on learning?

The following paper will be explored:

Kirshner, P. A., Sweller, J., & Clark, R. E. (2006). Why minimal guidance during instruction does not work: An analysis of the failure of constructivist, discovery, problem-based, exponential and inquiry-based teaching. Educational Psychologist, 41(2), 75-86.

You can find a PDF version here.

All faculty, clinical instructors and students are invited to attend. Please bring your lunch and a beverage, cookies will be provided.

Please RSVP to Erendira Silva if you plan to attend. See you there!

Hello all,

The next EKM Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Journal Club on will be on Monday 2^nd June in Room T182. We will be examining the value of learning styles in contemporary education. Following recent discussions it is clear that learning styles (and teaching) are still a popular topic amongst educators, but what is their real value in modern nursing education? We will be exploring the following paper, which takes a counter perspective:

Scott, C. (2010) The Enduring Appeal of ‘Learning Styles’ Australian Journal of Education 2010 54: 5 DOI: 10.1177/000494411005400102

You can find the online version here:

http://aed.sagepub.com/content/54/1/5.full.pdf+html

Please bring your lunch and join us for some lively discussion, cookies will be provided.

Please RSVP to Erendira Silva. Hope to see you there!