Patrice's Technology Blog

WELCOME & HAPPY TECHIN'!

Hey there... I am Patrice Forbes Hall and welcome to my Blog page, Patti's Points. It is my pleasure to have you view my page.  Here at Patti's Points, this is my open space to share my thoughts about issues of the day and what may impact our everyday life.

So just a bit about me... You already know my name, so onto the rest. I am a Registered Nurse, Nurse leader at the only Mental health facility in the country of my origin, The Bahamas...242 Big Ups!

JUNKANOO-OO-OO

I have a been in the nursing profession for more than thirty (30) years and I am a certified mental health nurse.  I am also a trained nursing preceptor (UWI, Mona) and crisis interventionist.   

I am a music enthusiast and love all genres, with some favorites being Bahamian Rake 'n' scrape, Junkanoo and Soca music.  Some of my favorite things to stay engaged are dancing, cooking, travelling and just spending time with family and friends.  I enjoy a good, hearty laugh!

PATRICE :) 

 Remember when life gives you lemons...make a tall glass of lemonade and if you need to add something!

🍋🍋🍋🍋

Hey there good folks and welcome back to Patti's Points.   Today's blog will focus on my experience with using technology in education and my knowledge of its use to make learning interesting and loads of fun.

Let's take a journey back in time, some nineteen (19) years ago, when the mother of a kindergartner was forced to overcome her fears and begin to use the PC after her five (5) year old, created a PowerPoint about the seasons for a homework assignment. This mom, watched in amazement as the youngster created a colorful presentation, using photos from the internet and with added animations. This was when the mother realized that if she did not enhance her knowledge and bypass her fears, the dynamic world of technology that would leave her in behind. The mother was me. 

After transitioning from bedside/clinical nursing into the Nursing Education department of my workplace, it was my duty and responsibility to not only oversee the nursing students, but I was given the responsibility to prepare and present nursing topics.  I can remember just preparing PowerPoint presentations with plain slides and no animations or anything that would stimulate the visual learner and that would keep the learner engaged.  I remember going home daily and turning on my PC and just playing with the computer for hours. I recall searching YouTube for videos to teach myself about how to use various features for applications in Microsoft Office. As time progressed so did my self-taught knowledge. 

It was during the pandemic that I became really bold and sought the assistance of a colleague and with her guidance began exploring the ZOOM and Team platforms.  This was required as the job of the nursing education team did not change and had to be utilized much more to ensure that staff continued to receive information to provide competent care to the client at such a critical time. 

With constant practice, I am knowledgeable about using the various platforms to present digitally.  I also utilize my knowledge to help others get pass their fears of the computer and using technology to make education sessions fun and engaging.  I am always open to learning new things and I am presently researching how to add games to presentations and use for educational evaluations.  We learn daily so I am excited to enhance my knowledge in this technology class.

There are various modes of learning that provides individuals with the opportunity to receive information. these modes include online face-to-face and blended learning. 

 

Modes of delivery in learning refers to the methods used to impart educational information to learners.  Three common ones that were identified and will be discussed in this blog are:

1.      Online learning- This is learning that occurs over the internet without teachers and students being present in the same physical location. It can include pre-recorded or live sessions to deliver information (1).

2.      Face-to-Face learning-This refers to learning in the traditional class setting with a teacher and students. Here instruction is delivered in person and facilitates interactions between the learner and the teacher (2).

3.      Blended learning- This refers to learning that includes both face-to-face and online learning (3). This method allows students to attend classes in person and others online.

 

There are similarities and differences that exist between each mode. They are as follows:

	FACE TO FACE LEARNING	ONLINE LEARNING	BLENDED LEARNING
ADAPATBILTY	Least adaptable based on fixed time and location	Highly adaptable due to access and flexibility	Moderate adaptability as there is a mixed approach to learning
USE OF TECHNOLOGY	Uses the least amount of technology	Relies fully on technology	Used for assessments and to support instruction.
EDUCATION GOALS	Focuses on high standards	Focuses on high standards	Focuses on high standards
ASSESSMENT METHOD	Uses in person exams	Uses digital tools to assess	Combination of online and in person approach
INTERACTION	High level of interaction	Various interactions from digital to real time.	Combination of direct and virtual results in a moderate level.

 There are several similarities that exist in the three modes, this results in an overlapping of methodologies resulting in students achieving positive learning outcomes, such as critical thinking.

There is also the use of various forms of assessment and evaluation to measure a student’s performance. There is full engagement and support given due to student and lecturer interactions.  There is collegiality among learners also.

There is also the fact that all modes must be delivered using a curricular framework to provide throughout the instructional process.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

1.      ONLINE LEARNING

ADVANTAGES

a.       Flexible- students learn at their own pace

b.      Accessible- One can learn anywhere

c.       Cost-effective- Less cost due to reduced transport, and learning material

d.      Variety- Lots of resources and tools available to enhance learning (1)

DISADVANTAGES

a.       Lack of Interaction- There is limited face to face interaction to promote feedback

b.      Self-discipline- Requires lots of self-motivation and time management

c.       Technology Issues- Outages and technical can disrupt learning

d.      Isolation- Students may feel isolated (1)

1.      FACE TO FACE

ADVANTAGES

a)      Direct interaction- Prompt feedback from instructor

b)      Engagement- In person activities result in easier engagement of students

c)      Social Interaction-Encourages social skills and teamwork through interaction

d)      Structure-Provides a schedule and routine that benefits students that work well with structure (2)

DISADVANTAGES

a.       Inflexible- Not workable for students with varying schedules or commitments

b.      Accessibility- Not accessible for students with constraints such as location, health and mobility

c.       Limited resources- There may be limited physical resources- supplies etc.

d.      Cost- May be expensive due to transport, infrastructure and material costs (2)

 

1.      BLENDED LEARNING

ADVANTAGES

a.       Flexible- Information accessible at student’s pace

b.      Personalized- Allows for more structured instruction

c.       Engagement- Students remain more engaged and it caters to more learning styles

d.      Collaborative-Foster’s peer learning opportunities (3)

DISADVANTAGES

a.       Complex- Challenging for instructors to manage both modes of learning at times

b.      Technologically dependent- Requires internet access which may not be readily available to some learners

c.       Consistent- Integration of online and in-person instruction can be challenging

d.      Self-motivation- Students must exercise discipline to work with online components (3)

 

As a budding Nursing Educator, the blended mode of learning is my favorite. I enjoy the engagement and excitement that is seen as discussions are held and learners and educators’ debate and converse about topics that are found to be stimulating and thought provoking while face-to-face. This is coupled with online learning which allows learners to pace themselves and the students can access when and wherever. This method to me benefits the “mature” learner who has returned back to obtain a postgraduate degree at a more mature age. New approaches to teaching such as student centered and blended learning offer considerable possibilities to enhance the student experience, but only if proper attention is paid to integrating the 'new' and 'old' aspects of the teaching program (4).

REFERENCES

1. Anderson T. Teaching in an online learning context. Theory and practice of online learning 2004;273. Hockly N. Blended learning. Elt Journal. 2018 Jan 16;72(1):97-101.

2. Davis S, Connolly A, Linfield E. Lecture capture: making the most face-to-face learning. Engineering education. 2009 Dec 1;4(2);4-13

3. Tayebinik M, Puteh M. Blended Learning or E-learning? arXiv:1306.4085. 2013 Jun 18.

4.  O'Connor C, Mortimer D, Bond S. Blended learning: Issues, benefits and challenges. International Journal of Employment Studies. 2011 Jan;19(2):63-83.