Reflection on the module

This was truly an inspiring module.  We learned a totally new way of facilitating learning to students in contrast to the traditional face-to-face lectures.  I have truly learned a lot in these last couple of week on how to effectively design a new e-learning intervention and how to apply all the knowledge that we have gather over the past two years.  It is important to understand that e-learning is not something that can stand on its own, that it also has to do with learning styles and approaches, different approaches to teaching.  I think the most important thing that i have learned in this module is that the needs of the students have to be taken into account.  As Lianne have stated, it is no use to try and reinvent the wheel.

I have also come to realize that Anatomy doesn't have to be a subject that has to be taught with just traditional lecture methods, but that the internet can provide a powerful tool to help students acquire a deeper approach to learning and also achieve higher order learning.  Furthermore, e-learning should not be seen as a stand alone tool when teaching Anatomy, it should form an integrated whole.  The intervention is not per se important , it is the level of learning students achieve via the intervention that is the most important aspect.

What did I learn about the ADDIE model:

• The analysis phase would involve getting the perspective of the students on what they need and whether they think an e-learning intervention will be advantageous or not.
• The design phase would involve getting all the information on what should go into the intervention, it also includes the objectives that leads the whole ADDIE analysis
• The development phase includes all the information that students need to know about the intervention, and a clear idea of what planning should go into the development of the intervention
• The implementation phase involves the criteria for successfully implementing the intervention - what will be needed to ensure that the intervention will be successful.
• An lastly, the evaluation phase involves the types of evaluation that will be used to evaluate whether the learning objectives of the intervention were achieved.  Feedback to the students forms an integral part of the evaluation of any intervention.

I have really enjoyed this module and I hope to apply what I have learned early next year when i implement my Riddel learning event

Analysis, Design and Development phases of ADDIE model

I have identified a deficit in the curriculum of the first year Radiography students.  The students had already left for the examination period so i could do a needs analysis with the students.  The deficit that I picked up was regarding their practical spotter marks.  I used the marks that the students obtained during the year for their practical spotter segment on the tests, especially the osteology segment of the tests which are very important for Radiography students to know.  The students write a separate practical spotter test, and I found that their marks was low and could increase with more training in the practical spotter specimens.

Because the timetable of the first years are very congested, I see the students three times a week for two hours (for a month) before they go to clinicals.  In that month I have to give lectures on the block material (Thorax and upper limb; Neuro-Anatomy; Head and Neck; Abdomen; Pelvis and lower limb).  In this month that i have the students I have to cover all the lecture material and make time for practical sessions where the students interact with the wet specimens and the bones.  The students usually only have one practical period before a test because the timetable is loaded with all the theory that needs to be covered.  It would therefore be a good idea to create a lecture in Blendspace, where students can interact with the specimens and osteology, answer possible questioons and receive immediate feedback from the software on their answers.

The objectives of the study activity is that:

• Students must actively use the e-learning intervention to supplement their learning and knowledge of wet specimens and osteology of a specific region
• Students must reflect on their learning experience by using the comments application to indicate that the activity fostered a deeper understanding and learning of wet specimens and osteology
• Students must use the feedback provided by the e-learning intervention to enhance their learning experience
• Students must use the open-ended questions provided in the e-learning intervention to develop critical thinking and a deeper approach to learning

 What type of teaching was I planning - the constructivist application of theory.
The e-learning intervention will be an asynchronous, distributed learner location, individual independence, with a blended mode of presenting the curriculum to the students.

As this e-learning intervention and the application thereof is not to contribute to the marks of the students for formative assessment, the feedback that the students receive in the Blendspace lecture will foster an environment of learning, which is the main aim of the e-learning intervention.

A prototype of a practical lecture on the abdomen and upper limb osteology will be developed on Blendspace.  I must just still figure out exactly how the program works so that i can give students the correct amount of information to prevent them from not understanding the lecture.

I still have to write the instructions for the students to understand the e-learning application and i still have to create the content of the lecture on Blendspace so that it fits in with my learning objectives. 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Article review

Effectiveness of using blended learning strategies for teaching and learning human anatomy.
Pereira J.A., Pleguezuelos, E., Meri, A., Molina-Ros, A., Molina-Thomas, A., Masdeu, C. (2007) Medical Education, 41, pp.189-195

The authors of this article describes what they see as blended learning in the Anatomy setting.  They believe that blended learning is a synergic combination of traditional teaching methods with tactics that are characteristic of non-attendance-based distance teaching or e-learning.  At the Pompeu Fabra University a variety of computer-based materials have been used since 1998 in the teaching of human anatomy.  The long degree in biology is an integration between an attendance-based course of Anatomy (theoretical and practical lessons) and a variety of computer-based materials that is distributed through a virtual campus ('Campus Global').  Limitations that prompted a redesign of the teaching materials included:

• adapting materials to the needs of the students
• increasing the frequency and effectiveness of the use of the materials
• to get the materials to play a fundamental role in achieving the subject's teaching aims

The objective of the study was to analyze the impact of the use of semi-attendance-based teaching strategies on academic performance and satisfaction with the teaching of the anatomy of the human locomotor system.  Students were divided into two groups: one group that received traditional teaching with access to the virtual campus for support materials; the second group received blended learning with purpose-designed computerized materials, with supervision.  Both groups had free, unrestricted access to their respective teaching materials via the virtual campus.  Both groups wrote three tests with different components and the blended learning group also had three continuous assessments that counted towards their final mark.  At the end of the teaching both groups were administered a standardized survey to assess their level of satisfaction with the teaching they received. 

Materials available on the web were more readily used by the blended learning group. Higher scores were obtained for satisfaction with the teaching style for the blended group learning, as well as a statistically significant higher score for the learning materials for the blended learning group.  The students in the blended learning group also had a higher satisfaction with the course layout.  The study revealed a clear improvement in the academic performance of students who were taught via blended learning, both in terms of their marks and the number of students who passed the assessment at the first attempt.  Also their were fewer dropouts in the blended learning group than in the traditional teaching group.

The use of blended learning strategies, together with practical teaching with cadavers in human anatomy, could help towards adapting anatomy teaching to fit in with modern times.
This article has great applicability to my setting as we use the Blackboard management system were information about the course is available to the students, as well as teaching material.  The only shortfall thus far is not utilizing Blackboard to it full extent where students can engage on a blog, submit assignments and can write a test.  If Blackboard is used with all its extra innovations it can provide any Anatomy course a great blended learning experience.

Article review

How to develop and sustain innovation in medical education technology: Keys to success
McGee, J.B., Kanter, S.L. (2011) Medical Teacher, 33(4), pp. 279-285

McGee and Kanter provide clear guidelines of how to go about to develop and sustain innovative ways of teaching students.  They describe all the techniques that they used, which has proven successful in the past.  McGee and Kanter describe how they make use of their Laboratory of Educational Technology to help with the establishment of new innovations.  McGee and Kanter indicate that all models have their advantages and disadvantages that relate primarily to flexibility, independence and sustainability.  Early decisions regarding funding and structure are critical to ensure sustainability and success of the education technology initiatives.  Success factors that they describe include how to select the correct projects and what is the technical feasibility of the innovation to the institution.  The authors provide guidelines on how to estimate the costs and benefits and they caution that the true costs be analyzed as the risks and benefits of a project, monetary and otherwise, is key to the selection and prioritization process.  The authors caution that innovations that are chosen should have broad application and that single-purpose educational programs should be avoided.  The authors identify the following key success factors for the design and development phase of any innovation:

• The projects' audience, environment and motivational factors have to be defined from the beginning. Defining the setting, whether it is a classroom, a small group, or for independent learning, greatly affect software design and implementation plans.
• It is critical to examine a programs current design, which includes defining the learning goals, workflow and desired outcomes.  Therefore successful technology development follows good educational design.
• It is good to develop learning tools that can be used with a range of different topics and for learners at different levels of education and training.
• Commercial software, when carefully selected, can be the best solution especially if it can be customized to local needs, and are less expensive and shorten the time to implementation of the innovation.

For the implementation and assessment phases, it is important to use fast, stable, and scalable IT infrastructure.  Faculty development in paramount to the success and sustainability of any educational technology. The stakeholders must be embedded in the program assessment.  Assessment in the program should be thought of from the beginning of the development, not at the end when the product is almost complete. 
The authors feel that relying on of-the-shelf commercial software is not enough to meet the needs of current learners and faculty. Furthermore, education technology fosters a culture of educational innovation where new ideas and initiatives are acted on and sustained (McGee and Kanter, 2011).

I think the whole idea of the article relates to any setting as it provides useful information on how to go about when a new innovation are being planned.  It provides all the necessary questions that should be asked if a new innovation are being developed.  For my setting at the SMU I don't think it is really applicable as we do not have an IT team that can help with the design, development, implementation and assessment of new educational technology.   Our system is to slow and the IT support can improve.

Hi all

The third year Radiography students only write three tests during the year according to the blocks that they have finished in the Anatomy class.  Because they only have three assessments, their formative assessment is high stakes instead of low stakes, taking into account that their year mark (made up by the three tests alone) counts 60% of their final mark.

Therefore there is a need to increase the amount of assessments to increase the learning that takes place by the students during the block.  This will also help that students undertake a deep approach to learning all of the time and not just cramming when it comes to the tests.  Also the third year students are required to identify structures on cross sections, CT and MRI scans and they only see these images that they have to know, once during the block just before they have to write their block test.  They therefore do not have sufficient revision time with the materials in the cross-section training practicals.

My needs analysis is therefore to increase the amount of assessments in the year so that the students are not over assesssed but that their year mark counts out of more assessments that just the three block assessments during the year.  At the same time students must be able to learn their cross sections.

I think the best medium where we can do this is through blogging or WIKISpace where i can post pictures of the cross sections where each student will have to answer the posted questions regarding the posted cross section. I still have the issue of how I will go about marking the activity of the students for marks or do they only get marks for active participation in the process?

Expectations for the block

I have been waiting in trepidation for this to start. I am so excited about learning all the ins and outs of what lEarning can offer me.
In the beginning of the year my plan was to use WIKISpace with my third year Radiography students but I must admit that I never got round to it with all the pressure of the other modules and another change in the structure of their curriculum.

So I am just looking forward to have somebody to bounce my ideas off, for what i might be able to do with my students next year.  I am also eager to learn all that is to know about using technology as a tool in the learning of students and how to make use of different tools to engage the students when necessary.

This is going to be so exciting

My idea for this module is to revamp my 3rd year radiography course.  As I might have mentioned during the week, their curriculum has changed from a half-year course to a year course.

I now have the students for 4 consecutive periods to lecture to, only on a Thursday. Can you just see them falling asleep.... well I can.

I have already downloaded ISpring and I am also going to make great use of WIKISpace to get the students involved in their own learning.  I am also planning to integrate the topics with what they are doing in their Pathology courses.

I must say that I am VERY VERY excited about this module and the impact it will have on my teaching.  I am so grateful for this opportunity to learn how to use this technology.

I hope you are all excited too!