Implementation and Evaluation

Unfortunately this is a project that cannot be implemented in a week. I took time to perfect the implementation and evaluation plan but I realised that, the process keeps on going round and round. However it comes a time to say, here I am , this is it and let it be done. I can happily tell you guys that follow this space to hear how this exciting project unfolds.

The evaluation will be challenging at high levels of Kirkpatrick, but am confident evaluation at level two will be good to judge the value of this project and weather it can be expanded and taken foward.

Here we go

Having gone through several articles, my project seem to have fallen into place. This is exciting

The Impact of E-Learning in Medical Education- Jorge G. Ruiz, MD, Michael J. Mintzer, MD, and Rosanne M. Leipzig, MD, PhD

I am sure we have all seen this article and gone through it. As I reflected to make make sense out of my project in the context of learning, I found the article inspiring.

Here I am facilitating learning of clinical skills using the traditional models of learning, which have surely worked for years but with weaknesses we all hope somehow will be overcome , although we didn't know how or we don't know how? Going through the article, it clearly reveals that e- learning is not here to dump the traditional but to complement and improve on it. I don't think I am ready to stop demonstrating how a skill is performed, but surely I am not in a position to see how all my students are improving in learning the skill, therefore I end without  stock of which student has learnt what?
This is where my project is coming in- what about combining the traditional with videos of students performing the skill and I give feedback based on the video? OKAY- is it better? I don't need to convince you, follow the story as it unfolds on tkstoriesatnight.blogspot.com and be part of this exciting innovation.

Surely this article clearly reveals that e-learning can enhance traditional learning rather than replace it. So in the end blended learning offers more hope for effective learning rather than traditional or e- learning alone.

Development

Its all coming together in my head. I presented the plan to my students and got them excited. Two then participated in making two videos, one transferred them to the flash then my computer, the other directly to my computer. I took time to review the videos and gave audio feedback that followed followed the video.

The feedback while well received , students thought it could be made better if pointers can be added on the video pointing out what has to be corrected.

I gave some of my colleagues to comment and realised that students need to be helped improve photographing skills to create stable pictures. And they should only submit the video for feedback after several practice.

I am getting excited about this, but guys what do you think, do we have something here?

DESIGN

In this phase I realized I needed to go back to the analysis to clear out certain elements. I have to ask myself again, what am I doing?

 

My aim is to design a clinical skills learning program that allows all students to reflect on their performance with aid of videos as well as get feedback on their return demonstration from the instructor.

 

As I kept on going back, my ideas became more clear. I have drafted the pre-requites into the program, which however are not too restrictive. Some students don't have the required cellphones, so they can work in pairs or threes since they have to vedio tape each other. Personal computers and computers in the lab will be used for transfer of data.............

 

Ah I am almost getting carried away. I have found the design phase interesting and inspiring. It also made it clear to me that my program is just taking blending learning of clinical skills to a higher level. I can see the light....

Design

I am designing,

Design

I am still designing.

the analysis experience

This too much work will kill my creativity. I thought so. But I realised the creativity should still follow certain rules, failure of which may result in a disaster.

Again I thought very big, then I said hang on , maybe start small to avoid cumbersome process before I get the grip. Finally it became clear to me, below is my journey for the week, but please don't ask me where I am, all I know is I am on the right road.

Experience and past  studies have showed that clinical nurses in Lesotho are not taught how to make clinical learning happen, but on graduation they are expected to facilitate learning. God knows how they do it. It is such a frustrating experience to some of them they end up quitting. I had a chat with some of them and they showed an interest and a need to learn about clinical teaching. With time being a limited factor, they prefer distance learning mediated by cellphone since its the one easily accessible. Opps further digging suggested a mission impossible task, but maybe for the future it will work.
Without destroying my creativity, I realised that using the computer and cellphone students can learn performing a wound dressing with an opportunity to analyse their performance, and the instructors getting an opportunity to review the videos and give comprehensive feedback. Students think that they don't get to return demonstrate many skills to their instructors because they are many in number, so they think the video  feedback will do the trick. I thought deeply about this and the more I think about it, the more  I get excited about its prospects.

There is of perpetual feedback to students on their skills, students like it. Content is readily available, the technical expertise required is photographing that can be worked around and resources seem to accessible.

I will give it some more thought when the excitement is gone.

E- learning

E- learning is enjoying unparrelled popularity today in teaching and learning. As an aspiring health educationalist, I need to understand and know more about e-learning and what makes tick. I am hoping that at the end of the module I will be able to analyse, design, implement and evaluate in learning programmes in health sciences education.