Using Discussion Boards as a Teaching & Learning strategy

Experiences gained teaching final year nursing students in

Ireland

Sile A Creedon, PhD student, MSc (Res), BNS, RNT, RGN, RM,

Dip (Teachers) IT.Lecturer, Co-ordinator Year 4 BSc

Overview Genesis for

module

Modular objectives

Interaction / Engagement

Survey

Genesis / background

Own background in nursing informatics

Health system ICT framework: HSE 2003

National Health Information Strategy 2004

Nurses are the largest group of healthcare workers

Modular descriptor

NU4025: Health Informatics for Nurses

Optional (N=99)

Two pedagogical approaches: web-based and classroom based.

Module objectives

To examine implications for health delivery arising from telemedicine, ehealth

To examine the status of information technology within the Irish Healthcare sector

To explore and evaluate models of patient information data management systems

Interaction (engagement)

…‘interaction is a reciprocal exchange of information which enhances knowledge development….goal is to increase understanding or mastery of defined goals’ Thurmond (2003) Learner / content Learner / student Learner / lecturer Learner / medium

VLE : Blackboard

Course operationalisation

Three week cycle

Week 1 – attend for lectures (web tools, ppt, reading). Discussion thread provided

Week 2 – Submit to Discussion board.

Clear guidelines – date, time, word limit, no ‘lurking’

Feedback from lecturer.

Week 3 – Peer review to discussion board. Feedback from lecturer.

Week 2: Online

Week 3: Online

Week 1 : Physical attendance

Discussion boards

Strengths: All information is shared equally between student

and lecturer Permanent record Convenient place for students to work as groups

and learn from each other Students have the opportunity to reflect before

posting

Limitations Less convenient than email Lurking Lecturer may have difficulty in determining

‘original’ thought

Factors that influence success

Value: need to meet learning outcomes Baskin 2001

Challenge: thread needs to be stimulating

Non-threatening: small electronic groups Northover 2002

Feedback: need to know they are on the right track Chou, Liu 2005, Leng et al 2006

Encouragement: lecturer must provide a positive learning environment and be able to manage groups.

(Pallof, Pratt 2001)

Authentic: thread has to be realistic, meaningful and build knowledge in a contextualised relevant way.

(Herrington, Oliver 2000, McLoughlin, Luca 2001)

Learner / content interaction ….’students examining the course content and

from participating in class activities’ ….(Moore and Kearsley 1999)

Variables: Clarity of course design

Web tools Consistent (ppt, hyperlinked reading)

Time concerns, requirements realistically identified approx 200 hits to Blackboard per week

Medium used for module delivery Web based / modified lectures

(Swan 2001, Sole & Lindquist 2001, Faux, Black –Hughes 2000))

Learner – learner interaction contd.

Divided into groups of 5 – electronically secure

Facilities for file transfer, email, chat and discussion board. Submit reflections (discussion boards) Review peer submissions Submit peer review Very explicit expectations, submission dates and

times. Protected time

Learner – lecturer interaction

Most significant predictor of learning (Leong, Ho, Saromines 2002, Jiang and Ting, 1999).

Differed to traditional: email, discussion boards

Provided timely feedback on each submission.

Considerable time required

Learner interface interaction

Course required interaction between

internet, web-tools and blackboard.

Varying degrees of literacy

Blackboard: user friendly

Use of two pedagogical mediums: web based and lecture-theatre based

Evidence of student learning

Summative assessment:

Design a nursing information system for the ward / unit you are most familiar with.

Content

Engagement with literature – relevant citations

Creative, logical, original thinking

Mastery of the subject

Contextualised within national / international HC system

Marked: 2 lecturers / 1 ext examiner

Results: majority second or first class hons.

Major findings from survey (n=89)

Engaged with content that they did not even know existed (51%)

Read more for this module than any other (45%)

Peer review was ‘excellent’ and made them more critical of their own work (80%)

Computer skills had improved (even though this was not a learning outcome) 45%

What they said (Markclass)

Student / content‘I have learned such a lot about IT in the health

services in Ireland. Thank you!’

This was a fabulous module, the content is really relevant. I would recommend that this should be a core module.

Excellent content, very relevant to nursing, I really

learnt a lot

This module really got me thinking about the way we manage patient records today…allowed me see how changes could be made within my own discipline

Very motivating for us as future staff nurses in relation to using ICT to manage patient data

What they said….

It was such a help getting feedback after each discussion…. I really learned from this course

Excellent to be able to review my peers’ work…this is critical learning

This was such a different approach to teaching – wonderful….knowing how you were doing made such a difference,

Fantastic….guidance from sile really helped me…best experience in the four years….

Conclusion / Recommendations

Genesis: National developments, Nurses are the largest group in healthcare

delivery

Engagement

Evidence of student learning

Recommendations Replication of course design Comparison with traditional methodologies Instrument development (valid / reliable)