Reflections on My

Ed Tech
Experience:
Competencies
and Artifacts
Tara Peters, MSN RN
Nursing Program Director
MATC
Lehi Utah
15
Shortly after graduating with my Master of Science in Nursing I took accepted a position
as a nursing instructor at a small technical college in Utah. By the end of the first semester I
realized two things. First, I did not know nearly enough aout the process of adult education. I
had learned a great deal aout nursing and nursing theory ut I felt I should know more aout
how to structure my classes and how to e!aluate students. Second, I realized that the program
needed to e rought up to current standards, or something close to it, in terms of technology. "e
were still administering e#ams on paper$ Students were missing out on too many opportunities
for learning and collaoration ecause we were stuck in the past with oring lectures, %ower
%oints
&
, and papers that were largely unrelated to the 'os the students would e doing once they
graduated.
I knew enough to identify areas that were ready for impro!ement, ut I was unsure aout
how to proceed. (he desire to do etter and ase my actions on e!idence)ased research
*something nurses carry on at length aout+ rather than old haits orne of ,we ha!e always done
it that way- moti!ated me to search for an online education program, preferaly with a hea!y
emphasis on technology. .fter searching and comparing programs I settled on Boise State/s
0ducational (echnology program and I am !ery glad that I did.
Not only was I ale to learn what I needed to address the issues I had identified, ut I
ha!e also een ale to identify other areas for future impro!ements. I accepted the nursing
program director position in 1anuary, 2345 and I ha!e een ale to apply what I ha!e een
learning in the 0d (ech program to my work almost as soon as I learned it. Not only ha!e I
gained knowledge, ut I ha!e een ale to apply that knowledge to my program de!elopment,
technology integration, and instructional design efforts. (he knowledge and e#perience I ha!e
gained has also gi!en me confidence and encouraged me to continue my educational 'ourney.
STANDARD 1: DESIGN
(he .06( standards state that, ,6andidates demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and
dispositions to design conditions for learning y applying principles of instructional systems
design, message design, instructional strategies, and learner characteristics.-
1.1 Instructional Systems Design
Instructional Systems Design (ISD) is an organized procedure that includes the steps of
analyzing, designing, developing, implementing, and evaluating instruction.
Instructional 7esign %ro'ect *835+. (his pro'ect meets the criteria ecause I had to
analyze the goals of the instruction as well as design, de!elop, implement and e!aluate the
learning acti!ity which was a case study. Most students want to learn the material we present to
them during their classes well enough to e ale to integrate that new knowledge learned into
their clinical e#periences so that they feel confident to care for patients once they lea!e school,
e!en if they don/t phrase their goal the same way I 'ust did. (his case study used a pre)
assessment so instructors can a!oid the error of assuming that what has een taught is what has
een learned *Smith 9 :agan, 2338+, which is a fairly common prolem in nursing education.
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.lthough students are technically responsile for maintaining skills and knowledge as they
progress through the program, this is the first time many of these students ha!e een held
responsile for their learning in this way, so some repetition and reinforcement is e#pected.
I created the 7iaetes 6ase Study to pro!ide second semester nursing students an
opportunity to accurately apply their knowledge of the underlying causes of, effecti!e nursing
care for, and clinical manifestations of 7iaetes Mellitus *7M+ to a pro'ect)ased *case scenario+
learning acti!ity. (his pro'ect re;uired me to map goals and o'ecti!es to match our program
outcomes, student learning outcomes, course outcomes and so forth all the way to the e!aluation.
(his was the first time I had done this work in e#actly this way and it was a fantastic learning
opportunity. (he skills and attention to detail I learned in this class pro!ided a sound asis for
many pro'ects that followed. I did ha!e to think carefully aout how much information to
include, how to present information, what issues to concentrate on and so on as I designed and
de!eloped the learning acti!ity. (he acti!ity was also designed to e!aluate learning concepts, not
facts, so most of the responses were constructed responses in order to match the Bloom/s le!el
and the e!aluation method.
1.2 Message Design
Message design involves planning for the manipulation of the physical form of the message.
Multimedia %ro'ect *845+. I created this pro'ect for nursing instructors to use in class or as
part of the hyrid learning program eing de!eloped for the M.(6 %ractical Nursing *%N+
program. I applied the 6.:% principles *<ohr, 2335+ to which I had een introduced in 832 and
then again in the Multimedia course. (his pro'ect demonstrates my aility to plan out the
physical form of my message to ma#imize learning through contrast, alignment, repetition and
pro#imity. (he pro'ect includes plenty of whitespace= consistent alignment of ma'or elements
throughout the pro'ect= repetition of the graphic elements or portions of them throughout the
pro'ect= and pro#imity of te#t to the graphic to which it refers. (he pro'ect is simple, easy to
understand and facilitates learning in that the presentation does not distract from the content and
concepts eing presented. I also incorporated many points learned from :uth 6lark, such as that
e#tra te#t interferes with learning, and that people learn more when they are presented with
rele!ant words and pictures than they do when they are presented with words alone *6lark and
Mayer, 233>+. I e#plored this idea further in my paper e#pounding on the coherence principle.
6oherence %rinciple *845+. .s I descried in my paper co!ering the 6oherence %rinciple,
e!en well)designed instruction can e adly deli!ered, thus rendering ineffecti!e a well)
constructed multimedia presentation. I contrasted an e#ample of what not to do with an e#ample
of how a well)designed multimedia presentation can e most effecti!e when left alone to con!ey
information without interference or elaoration. (his paper also discussed moti!ation, language
and symol processing and how research in those areas may influence how we apply the
coherence principle in different situations. .s with almost anything in!ol!ing humans, fle#iility
when applying theory to real)life situations is a must, and we should also rememer to not
o!erlook the o!ious things such as that unmoti!ated people don/t learn well or talking o!er the
top of a film clip interferes with learning. Sometimes it/s the little things that make a ig
difference.
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1.3 Instructional Strategies
Instructional strategies are specifications for selecting and sequencing events and activities
within a lesson.
"e?uest *832+. (he 0thics "e?uest also introduced concepts and terms at the
eginning of the acti!ity to ensure all learners had the opportunity to mo!e forward with the
same knowledge. In other words, the learning acti!ity did not assume that pre!ious learning had
taken place or if it had, that the information had een retained. @nce a ase was estalished, the
"e?uest progressed, allowing learners to ac;uire more knowledge as they worked through the
acti!ities. <earners were also pro!ided with opportunities to reflect on their learning, thus
enaling them to integrate new knowledge into their e#isting knowledge and construct their own
meaning from their e#periences and to learn authentically *6onstructi!ism, 2345+. (his acti!ity
encourages learners to apply, analyze and synthesize what they ha!e learned. (he ethical content
was also chosen to encourage student nurses to think carefully aout their assumptions, how they
!iew authority, personal rights and what it means to e a patient ad!ocate.
1.4 earner !"aracteristics
earner characteristics are those facets of the learner!s e"periential #ac$ground that impact the
effectiveness of a learning process.
.ccessiility *832+. (his pro'ect addressed learner characteristics in three ways. First, I
made the pro'ect appropriate for anyone wanting to know more aout we accessiility
generally. .ge is only restricted in terms of the learner/s aility to use a computer and understand
the information with which they are presented. (hese learners may e casual learners who want
more information ut who may or may not e planning to do anything with that information
specifically. Second, some learners may want to know where to get more information they can
use to apply to their we)ased design or de!elopment pro'ects. "hile my accessiility pro'ect is
y no means comprehensi!e, an interested learner could gather a significant amount of
information from the links pro!ided and identify additional possile resources. @ne rich source
of information is the "orld "ide "e 6onsortium/s *"56+ "e .ccessiility Initiati!e *".I+.
(he ".IA ,de!elops strategies, guidelines, and resources to help make the "e accessile to
people with disailities- *"56, 234B+. (his organization pro!ides interested parties, such as
we designers, resources they can use to help them ensure accessiility. In addition, learners who
ha!e accessiility concerns could use some of the accessiility features I ha!e included in my
wesite such as laels for graphics and links and similar accommodations to oth access the site
and e#plore additional resources.
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STANDARD 2: DE#E$%MENT
6andidates demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to de!elop instructional
materials and e#periences using print, audio!isual, computer)ased, and integrated technologies.
2.1 %rint Tec"nologies
%rint technologies are ways to produce or deliver materials, such as #oo$s and static visual
materials, primarily through mechanical or photographic printing processes.
Instructional 7esign %ro'ect *835+. I created the 7iaetes 6ase Study to pro!ide second
semester nursing students an opportunity to accurately apply their knowledge of the underlying
causes of, effecti!e nursing care for, and clinical manifestations of 7iaetes Mellitus *7M+ to a
pro'ect)ased *case scenario+ learning acti!ity. .lthough nursing students egin learning aout
diaetes and other common disease processed when they first enter nursing school, the
systematic deli!ery of the content and concepts they will need to as new nurses is deli!ered in
the second semester of our one)year practical nursing program. Students would recei!e three
hours of classroom instruction and then proceed to work on the case study.
.lthough any of the materials could e used electronically, they can also e printed.
"hile some students will prefer to work off of the electronic resources, others will prefer to
make notes on paper as they work on the case study. (he pro'ect was designed to e fle#ile in
this regard, enaling instructors and students to work electronically or in print as appropriate for
the situation. .ppendices . through 7 include the Needs .ssessment Sur!ey, the 6ase Study and
.nswer Sheet, and the 7iaetes 6ase Study :uric and can all e printed and pro!ided to
students who may not ha!e access to a computer outside of the classroom.
2.2 Au&io'isual Tec"nologies
&udiovisual technologies are ways to produce or deliver materials #y using mechanical devices
or electronic machines to present auditory and visual messages.
7igital Ine;uality %ro'ect *834+. (he 7igital Ine;uality %ro'ect addressed concerns
related to the digital di!ide and digital ine;uality, oth which limit the aility of certain segments
of the population to fully access information and learning opportunities they might otherwise
ha!e *6ommerce, 2343+. Students worked together in teams to prioritize needs and
e#penditures. It also addressed the ;uestion of how to most e;uitaly use funds to pro!ide the
greatest numer of people access to technology in a way that would e meaningful and
sustainale. @ur group/s pro'ect used slides, graphics, narration and !ideo to address the ;uestion
and de!elop an audio!isual presentation of our solution. Not only did we use a numer of
technologies in the production, we collaorated through Coggle docs and chat as well while we
de!eloped a presentation intended to oth inform and persuade.
"orked 0#ample Screencast *845+. Student nurses must learn the asics of safe
medication administration efore they can attend clinicals and gi!e medications to patients. (his
pro'ect co!ered asic information students need to know to e safe and instructions and
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e#amples on how to calculate medication dosages. I eliminated as much e#traneous information
as possile so students could concentrate on the concepts rather than non)essential details. For
e#ample, including drug names in prolems can throw students off track ecause they will
ecome an#ious and concentrate on the medication *is this a proper dose, would I gi!e that to
this patient+ rather than concentrating on the math.
(o eliminate some of the distractions, I concentrated on the math alone y eliminating
drug names altogether. (he prolems simply state that the nurse is to gi!e some dose of a
medication. Cone are the days of long)winded patient descriptions and oscure medication
names$ If I want them to concentrate on learning the math, then let them concentrate on the math
y remo!ing distractions. So, I e#plained a prolem type, worked one together with the learner
y pro!iding them the time to answer and then I pro!ided formati!e feedack, followed y
ha!ing the learner attempt a prolem independently. I also incorporated a character *a nurse+ into
the slides to as way of enhancing student learning y pro!iding conte#t and personalization
*6lark and Mayer, 2338+.
2.3 !om(uter)*ase& Tec"nologies
'omputer(#ased technologies are ways to produce or deliver materials using microprocessor(
#ased resources.
(o <earn or Not to <earn *834+. I lo!e e#perimenting with new *or new to me+
technologies, and Dtranormal is no e#ception. :ather than write a reflection I decided to use
!oice to chat technology to sum up my 0d (ech 834e#perience at BSU. (he specific technology
might e new to some !iewers, ut the cadence of my character/s speech is recognizale to
almost e!eryone. I think this is a great e#ample of how I met this competency ecause it allowed
me to use a computer)ased program to create and deli!er a message in a way that would engage
the !iewer and con!ey the spirit of my course reflection. It also allowed me to e creati!e and
ha!e some fun$
@pera Flash %ro'ect *844+. (his is another e#ample of using computer)ased technologies
to deli!er information to learners. In this case, the pro'ect was designed for learning, of course,
ut 'ust as importantly the learner should ha!e fun. "hile some learning needs to take place
se;uentially this learning module was designed with the idea that learners would get more out of
the module if they could e#plore at will and concentrate on what interested them at the moment.
0ach section is informati!e, with the te#t and the multimedia selections complementing each
other. (he pro'ect followed the Eypermedia methodology y consisting of many pages that can
e na!igated in any order the learner wants, so the Eypermedia methodology facilitates learner
curiosity and e#ploration *.llesi and (rollip, 2334+.
2.4 Integrate& Tec"nologies
Integrated technologies are ways to produce and deliver materials which encompass several
forms of media under the control of a computer.
Firtual Field (rip *832+. My !irtual field trip to Eawaii is an e#cellent e#ample of how to
use te#t, graphics, !ideos, google maps, and links to outside resources in a learning en!ironment.
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(he site pages include each include an numer of interacti!e elements, all rele!ant to each page
of the !irtual field trip. <earners could mo!e around in the pro'ect at will in any order they
desired, spending as much or as little time as needed on each page or with each element. (he
na!igation and layout were consistent throughout the pro'ect and the !arious elements were easy
to identify and use. <earners could answer ;uestions and test their knowledge if desired *this was
also part of the pro'ect+ ut strictly speaking that is not re;uired. (he pro'ect could e used for
educational or entertainment purposes y any learner capale of accessing the wesite and
understanding the content, so the pro'ect was created for a general audience.
Eyrid 6ourse %ro'ect *842+. I created this pro'ect to use as a model for hyrid learning
in the nursing program. @ur school was seeking appro!al for hyrid learning from their
accrediting ody, and they decided to start with the nursing program. Because this was intended
oth as a pro'ect for class and for accreditation appro!al I had to present the class within the
6an!as <MS, though I would ha!e preferred working in Moodle if gi!en a choice ecause it is
so much easier to make a great looking course in less time with Moodle than it is with 6an!as.
.s it turns out, we were appro!ed for hyrid learning with this pro'ect$ (he intent of this course
was not to mo!e students through the material entirely online, ut for them to ha!e access to the
information they would need to know prior to coming to weekly skills las. (his sa!es time in
class and allows students to concentrate on applying what they ha!e learned while in la when
they ha!e an instructor there for guidance rather than coming to la to learn new all new material
and then practicing on their own afterwards. Students are e#pected to know material andGor
come prepared with ;uestions, and apply what they know in formati!e learning en!ironment in
preparation for the summati!e e!aluations *skills check)offs+.
STANDARD 3: +TII,ATI$N
6andidates demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to use processes and
resources for learning y applying principles and theories of media utilization, diffusion,
implementation, and policy)making.
3.1 Me&ia +tili-ation
Media utilization is the systematic use of resources for learning.
(ech (rends .ssignment *834+. (he (ech (rends assignment asked students to de!elop a
lesson using multiple technologies to deli!er the lesson. I chose a asic lesson co!ering the
re;uired steps all nurses are taught to take prior to pro!iding care to any patientH hand washing=
pro!iding patient pri!acy= and patient identification. I used a !ariety of resources such as !ideos
*recorded and on Iou(ue+, moile de!ices, recording e;uipment and !irtual clinical
e#periences to meet the student learning o'ecti!es. Interestingly, the !irtual clinical e#periences
were ne!er used. "e were informed y our fa!orite !endor that they were de!eloping we)ased
!irtual clinical e#periences and so we waited patiently *pun intended+ for their de!elopment team
to get a mo!e on, and they did$ "e will now e using we)ased !irtual clinical e#periences that
tie into the electronic charting, enaling students and instructors to work from anywhere they
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ha!e internet access and a compatile de!ice. (his assignment can ser!e as the model for any
numer of modules we can de!elop for our upcoming hyrid learning program, allowing us to
chunk learning into smaller units rather than creating larger modules that might e more
appropriate for the classroom than for moile learning.
3.2 Di..usion o. Inno'ations
Diffusion of innovations is the process of communicating through planned strategies for the
purpose of gaining adoption.
Nursing 0ducation in Second <ife *854+. "hile this pro'ect was not created specifically
to diffuse inno!ation, it is a great e#ample of how a well)designed pro'ect can ser!e to do 'ust
that. In this case, I de!eloped a !irtual e#perience that would walk student nurses through the
eginning steps of patient care such as checking the chart, washing their hands, checking patient
I7 and so forth. (he idea is that students will need to think aout what they are doing and they
need to ecome haituated to proper eha!iors as they practice and learn in a safe en!ironment.
(he scenarios and the scripting can also e changed as needed to pro!ide more ad!anced
scenarios as students progress through the program which would keep the material fresh and
ring users ack again and again.
Not only was this a reasonaly inno!ati!e pro'ect for a new learner such as me, the
argument can e made that inno!ations cannot e diffused unless they are presented to others in
a way they can understand. .ll the well)researched papers in the world may fail to persuade
ecause the reader simply cannot conceptualize the idea the way the writer intends. Eowe!er,
show someone the !irtual clinic and how and why it works and they may understand not only
what it is ut how they can use it. (hus, the creation and presentation may ha!e een done for
different reasons, ut the pro'ect can still act as a pi#elated amassador for !irtual reality in
education as those who find !alue in the approach will make others aware through logs, chats
and so forth. I am diffusing the inno!ation y including it in my online portfolio. If sims were
not so e#pensi!e in S< it would e up and running now. Fortunately, it can all e reassemled if I
e!er get time to e#periment in !irtual worlds again. @h wait, I/m graduating$ I/ll ha!e loads of
time now$
3.3 Im(lementation an& Institutionali-ation
Implementation is using instructional materials or strategies in real (not simulated) settings.
Institutionalization is the continuing, routine use of the instructional innovation in the structure and
culture of an organization.
Eyrid 6ourse %ro'ect *842+. (his hyrid course has een appro!ed y our school/s
accreditors and it was the first hyrid learning course to e appro!ed in any department at
M.(6. Eowe!er, the resources de!eloped are eing used and refined in a slightly different way
than intended in order to test the idea, spot potential issues, and to make producti!e use of the
work that has already een done. Not only ha!e I gotten appro!al for this pro'ect ut I recei!ed
appro!al for Coogle 6hromeooks, which the students ha!e een using for the last two
semesters in the classrooms for a wide !ariety of assessments and formati!e learning acti!ities.
(he 6hromeooks were linked to the hyrid class de!elopment ecause if we are going to
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re;uire students to use the computer and we ased resources, shouldn/t we also make sure they
can do 'ust that at least while at schoolJ (hus, oth the hyrid course and the hardware needed to
access it ha!e een appro!ed and are eing used now. (he school is committed to e#panding
hyrid learning to multiple departments and they are also looking at ways of integrating
appropriate technology as well. If that isn/t implementation and institutionalization, what isJ
3.4 %olicies an& Regulations
%olicies and regulations are the rules and actions of society (or its surrogates) that affect the
diffusion and use of Instructional )echnology.
Neti;uette *832+. Students must learn to get along in an academic and professional
en!ironment, ut appropriate communications here may differ from the communication style
they use in other settings. (herefore, students need to ha!e the opportunity to learn the asics of
proper neti;uette so they can, at the !ery least, a!oid looking ad to their peers or e!en
inad!ertently insulting and annoying others. More importantly, students will e etter netizens
and etter ale to learn from and contriute to communities of interest if their communication
skills are de!eloped and they are self)aware. "hile our school/s policies are not specifically
included in this pro'ect, the general information pro!ided supports our program/s policies. If
students did not know aout proper neti;uette and eha!ed poorly then the school could easily
re!oke our online pri!ileges to a!oid institutional emarrassment, so this was an important
pro'ect to complete and implement alongside the hyrid learning and computers in the
classroom.
Sca!enger Eunt *832+. (he %lagiarism Sca!enger Eunt supports the nursing department/s
policies, and helps makes e#pectations clear to students. (his pro'ect was the asis for the current
nursing program plagiarism policy, and grew out of a couple of issues I encountered with
students during my first year of teaching. In two of three cases, the students really did not
understand what they did was wrong, or why it wrong. (hus, this pro'ect offered me the
opportunity to de!elop a policy and pro!ide students with rele!ant resources while also
de!eloping a resource for the nursing program. I suspect that y the end of the paper you will see
a definite pattern forming in that much of what I did in the M.0.(. program centered on current
nursing program needs. "hat my colleagues and I noticed was that students were coming to us
after ha!ing completed high school and some college courses with limited writing and research
skills as well as a lack of understanding of the plagiarism issue. In this case, asic e#pectations
needed to e estalished efore we could make them responsile for the information. Eow can
they a!oid it if they don/t e!en know what it isJ
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STANDARD 4: MANAGEMENT
6andidates demonstrate knowledge, skills, and dispositions to plan, organize, coordinate,
and super!ise instructional technology y applying principles of pro'ect, resource, deli!ery
system, and information management.
4.1 %ro/ect Management
%ro*ect management involves planning, monitoring, and controlling instructional design and
development pro*ects.
7igital Story *845+. I think this pro'ect is an e#cellent e#ample of how I met this
competency. .s anyone who has made a mo!ie of any length can tell you, the entire process
must e planned, monitored and controlled in terms of the design and the de!elopment. (he
method of deli!ery needs to match the message from eginning to end or the !iewer can ecome
confused aout the intent. I wanted a story that would not only allow me to highlight the impact
nurses can ha!e e!ery day, ut I wanted to de!elop a story that would allow instructors to use
this mo!ie as a way to reiterate the nursing process a new way. "hat is the nursing process you
askJ It is simply a !ariation on the scientific process that allows nurses to approach ;uestions in
a systematic manner. First, I assess the prolem and ask what is going on and what is the likely
cause of what I seeJ Ne#t, I ,diagnose- it y clearly stating in nursing, not medical, terms the
prolem. For e#ample, a nurse would not diagnose a patient with a roken leg ut they would
gi!e a nursing diagnosis of impaired moility, which in turn tells any nurse who cares for the
patient what sorts of care they need to pro!ide *help amulating or turning o!er in ed+. @nce the
nurse knows what is likely going on then sGhe makes a plan aout what they will do *turn the
patient o!er e!ery two hours so they don/t pressure ulcers+, the nurse implements the plan *turn
the patient in ed+ and then e!aluates its effecti!eness *did pressure ulcers de!elopJ+.
Seems asic, doesn/t itJ Eowe!er, students get all shades of confused as they try to apply
this process to actual situations. In most cases we gi!e them patient)ased scenarios, ut that gets
a it redundant and if the method did not work the first ten times, might a new method e in
order for the ele!enth attemptJ (he story follows the asic nursing process in that the nurse
assessed prolem *diphtheria+, she diagnosed it along with the doctor *no !accine+, made a plan
*get !accine+, implemented the plan *the start of the Iditarod$+ and then e!aluated if worked or
not *children recei!ed !accine+. .lthough the nurse was not personally responsile for e!ery
aspect of the story, it is an e#cellent e#ample of how to work through a prolem collaorati!ely
and systematically to find an effecti!e solution. (o make this pro'ect work, the se;uencing, sights
and sounds all needed to e planned and controlled. (he ackground music needed to add drama
ut not detract, and words on the screen were kept to a minimum to a!oid competing with the
narration *6lark and Mayer, 2338+. .ll of this planning resulted in an effecti!e presentation that
helped students integrate new information with pre!iously learned materials so they could more
deeply learn a key concept they will ha!e to apply accurately and effecti!ely to new situations
throughout their careers.
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4.2 Resource Management
+esource management involves planning, monitoring, and controlling resource support systems
and services.
(echnology %lanning *834+. I used the ideas I learned in this class to help me de!elop our
technology plan for the nursing program. I am a ig fan of using well)informed, systematic
thinking to sol!e prolems, so this pro'ect not only made sense to me ut it pro!ided me with a
way to frame my arguments for or against the !arious approaches to technology integration that
had een proposed. "e ask oursel!es what we are trying to accomplish first, then we sift through
the a!ailale options until we find an appropriate solution. Eere is the punch lineH (echnology is
not always the answer$ Sometimes the issue is something else such as a disorganized curriculum
or instructor o!erload that is causing an issue. No technology in the world will sol!e those issues,
so thinking critically and realistically aout issues allows me to integrate technology into the
curriculum to sol!e issues that can actually e addressed with technology.
For e#ample, we ha!e integrated eBooks into the program to lower the cost for students.
"e also use test)taking software that allows them to practice N6<0D style ;uestions from
anywhere, and we use 6hromeooks in the classrooms for interacti!e learning acti!ities. In
addition, as we mo!e toward hyrid learning, we ha!e decided to integrate some !irtual clinical
e#periences into the curriculum this fall so we can test the tool efore we commit to it as part of
the future hyrid learning program. If it works as we e#pect, then students will e ale to access
their !irtual simulations from any we)ased de!ice and they will also e ale to chart and
sumit their work electronically. Instructors will also e ale to pro!ide feedack remotely. (he
key to making these types of endea!ors work, in my opinion, is thinking the issue through and
eing willing to say that something is not working. (est ideas when possile prior to committing
resources and don/t fall in lo!e with the latest and greatest right)shiny)thing$ K.uthor lo!es the
newest right)shiny)things so this last one is a tough one$
4.3 Deli'ery System Management
Delivery system management involves planning, monitoring and controlling !the method #y which
distri#ution of instructional materials is organized! . . . ,It is- a com#ination of medium and method of
usage that is employed to present instructional information to a learner.
Nursing 0ducation in Second <ife *854+. I de!eloped a !irtual e#perience that would
walk student nurses through the eginning steps of patient care such as checking the chart,
washing their hands, checking patient I7 and so forth. .t each step of the way the scripting
*which a good S< friend did for me+ would not allow the students to interact with the ne#t o'ect
until they had interacted with the pre!ious one. In other words, the nurse cannot enter the room
unless sGhe reads the chart. Nurses cannot identify the patient unless they ha!e already washed
their hands and so forth. (he idea is that students will need to think aout what they are doing
and with repetition they ecome haituated to proper eha!iors. :epetition is a great way to
accomplish this, ut clinical e#periences are limited. (herefore, students can practice and learn in
a safe en!ironment. (he scenarios and the scripting can also e changed as needed to pro!ide
more ad!anced scenarios as the students progress through the program. I think this is a great
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e#ample of comining medium and method to create a worthwhile learning acti!ity that takes
ad!antage of the uni;ue affordances of !irtual worlds, which is telepresence *Steuer, 4LL2+. (his
pro'ect comined known elements of the real nursing e#perience such as wearing scrus and
seeing medical e;uipment in the patient/s room with the planned deli!ery of instruction to
increase telepresence and in turn, transference *7algarno 9 <ee, 2343+. For further reading on
this su'ect, check out my 6onstructi!ist <earning and Firtual "orlds paper completed in 0d
(ech 83B. @k, so this is a shameless plug for my own productA
4.4 In.ormation Management
Information management involves planning, monitoring, and controlling the storage, transfer, or
processing of information in order to provide resources for learning.
.nnotated Biliography *83B+. "hile an annotated iliography is not the most e#citing
e#ample of information management, it does meet this competency. (he purpose of the annotated
iliography is to allow the researcher to analyze research, decide on its rele!ance and then to
make notes aout it for later use in a paper or a research pro'ect, for e#ample. In order to do this I
must plan my pro'ect, and the research helps me determine if research in my chosen area already
e#ists, and if so, how does it help me refine my research ;uestionsJ 6ompleting an annotated
iliography allows me the opportunity to take a critical look at e#isting research and to analyze
and synthesize different perspecti!es. Making notes allows for the storage, transfer and
processing of the information, which is critical for research.
STANDARD 0: E#A+ATI$N
6andidates demonstrate knowledge, skills, and dispositions to e!aluate the ade;uacy of
instruction and learning y applying principles of prolem analysis, criterion)referenced
measurement, formati!e and summati!e e!aluation, and long)range planning.
0.1 %ro1lem Analysis
%ro#lem analysis involves determining the nature and parameters of the pro#lem #y using
information(gathering and decision(ma$ing strategies.
:e;uest for %roposal *838+. (his was a fun pro'ect after the initial shock wore off. I had
ne!er een asked to respond to a re;uest for a proposal, create a udget and a fictitious company
then address the prolem so I felt some trepidation at first, ut that soon susided when I actually
analyzed the tasks and planned my approach. I had to determine the nature of the prolem, which
was somewhat different than the prolem the client thought they had, and then I had to decide
how to address each issue. (his was another e#ample of how assessing the prolem first,
gathering information and then prioritizing prolems helps one de!elop appropriate prolem)
sol!ing strategies. In this case, the client was seeking ad!ice on marketing an untested product
which is, in my opinion, rarely a good idea. (his pro'ect was also an e#ercise in how to
diplomatically tell a potential client that they are way off ase without alienating them from the
start. .s a side note, when I owned a usiness and encountered potential clients that y all rights
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should ha!e een wearing a sign stating, ,"arning$ "ill change mind constantly and will ne!er
e satisfied$- I dealt with them y gi!ing them outrageously high estimates. 0ither they decided
not to hire us or the annoyance factor was paid for up front.
0.2 !riterion)Re.erence& Measurement
'riterion(referenced measurement involves techniques for determining learner mastery of pre(
specified content.
%rogram 0!aluation %ro'ect *838+. @ur nursing program uses clinical competencies as a
way to help students direct their efforts in clinicals so they will focus on learning to think and act
as nurses. (he competencies are tied to the program outcomes and course outcomes as well as
standards of nursing care. Student nurses not only need to pass the N6<0D ut they also need to
e ale to function independently as a new nurse when they graduate and are hired. In the past,
student nurses were treated like staff at their clinical sites, and this did nothing to help them
really learn to e competent, independent nurses. (hey also recei!ed meaningless feedack
*Creat 'o today$+ and reported that they did not feel competent to take care of patients once they
left school.
I decided to implement the clinical competency program when I ecame the %rogram
7irector, and so the competencies ha!e een in use for three semesters. (herefore, when we were
asked to think of a program to e!aluate, this was my first choice. It sounds like a good idea, ut
is it getting us the results we e#pectedJ If changes need to e made what are theyJ .re students
really getting the formati!e feedack they need to help them de!elop their critical thinking skills
as nursesJ .re the competencies helping us meet our program outcomesJ I conducted the
program e!aluation and found that o!erall the competencies are working, though some changes
were suggested. It was also e!ident that student perceptions of the e#perience were positi!ely
correlated with who they had as their clinical instructor, which is perhaps a training and
orientation issue that we can address. In short, the program e!aluation pro'ect was in!aluale to
me as I will e ale to use the skills I learned here in any 'o I will e!er hold.
0.3 2ormati'e an& Summati'e E'aluation
.ormative evaluation involves gathering information on adequacy and using this information as
a #asis for further development. Summative evaluation involves gathering information on adequacy and
using this information to ma$e decisions a#out utilization.
Instructional 7esign 6ase .nalysis *835+. In this scenario, an unsuspecting new
instructional designer, .y 6arlin has een hired to design a new training program that will
allow new hires to replace e#perienced workers in L3 days to e up and running in a short time
frame and with no loss of production. "ell, good luck to you .y$ :ather than commit to such
an undertaking, I might ha!e opted for the ,assess efore you act- approach and tried to disco!er
what the issues were first. .fter all, not all prolems are related to training and not all goals are
realistic. But at any rate, off I sent .y to meet her challenge, and rather successfully, I might
add.
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I used formati!e instruction strategies throughout this pro'ect, ut especially when
descriing how new factory workers would e oriented and gi!en formati!e feedack on their
performance of new 'o skills. Multiple assessments of their starting point, their skills
ac;uisition and comprehension of new processes are uilt into the proposal de!eloped to address
a fictitious employer/s concerns. @nce workers complete one portion of the training they will
ha!e a summati!e assessment and then either mo!e to the ne#t part of the training or re!iew
what they missed earlier. .s their training progressed and they ac;uired new skills and
knowledge, the assessments could change as well to match whate!er Bloom/s le!el they are at at
the time. Not only should formati!e and summati!e e!aluations e uilt into each step in the
process, ut the teaching learning methods should change as the workers progress *Smith and
:agan, 2338+.
0.4 ong)Range %lanning
ong(range planning that focuses on the organization as a whole is strategic planning. ong(
range is usually defined as a future period of a#out three to five years or longer. During strategic
planning, managers are trying to decide in the present what must #e done to ensure organizational
success in the future.
(echnology %lanning *834+. I had addressed this pro'ect earlier so I will not rehash the
details here. Instead I will address the longer term y pointing out that the decisions we ha!e
made to integrate the technology tools that we ha!e into the nursing program ha!e een chosen
to meet the longer range goal of impro!ing student and program outcomes and implementing
hyrid learning in the nursing program. .s anyone who has e!er undertaken a pro'ect like this
can attest, new programs do not get implemented o!ernight, or e!en o!er a few months. .
pro'ect such as implementing hyrid learning in the nursing program first re;uires appro!al from
the school/s accreditation ody. @nce appro!ed, at least a portion of the program must e
de!eloped and then sent to the nursing program/s accreditors for appro!al. (hese steps alone take
one or two years depending on many factors, some of them out of our control. @nce all of this
has taken place, or maye efore, depending on the accreditation ody, the curriculum must e
fully de!eloped and portions of the program rolled out in a controlled, systematic fashion, with
proper e!aluation taking place at appropriate inter!als so changes can e made prior to rolling
out suse;uent portions of the program. NoteH It is generally a ad idea to roll out an entirely
new program or system without ha!ing tested it first. 0!en then, full implementation should e
done in stages so issues can e noted and addressed early on in the process.
(he technology planning pro'ect did not address all of this at the time it was written, ut
it ser!es as one of the foundation stones of my thinking and my approach to a real pro'ect that is
eing de!eloped now and will e piloted, and e!aluated o!er the ne#t three to fi!e years. I think
it is worth pointing out that as I look ack, it is at times difficult to isolate the competencies and
the pro'ects ecause the core concepts ha!e een wo!en throughout the curriculum in a way that
has helped me de!elop a new point of !iew rather than simply learnings a series of isolated facts.
In the case of this pro'ect, the ideas of long)range planning, systematic thinking guided y a !alid
theoretical framework, and formati!e and summati!e e!aluation of our program are all present.
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!$N!+SI$N
"hile I already knew to think efore I act prior to entering the program *nurses are taught that on
day one+, my iggest ;uestion wasH "hat do I need to e thinking aoutJ (he M.0.(. program
taught me what I needed to e thinking aout and what ;uestions I needed to e asking in order
to do what I want to do well. "hat do I want to do wellJ I want to reorganize the nursing
program so it is functioning as a cohesi!e, goal)oriented program. I also want to mo!e forward
with implementing hyrid learning, and the skills I learned here will help me accomplish this.
My other primary goal is to make sure that our program is designed to meet accreditation
standards and meet program outcomes ased on the strength of the program itself, not 'ust the
strength of the personalities in!ol!ed. "hile any new director will doutless make changes
according to their !ision, I would like to ensure that the ne#t director has some time to acclimate
themsel!es to their role first. I would also like to transition to online teaching at some point, and
to this end I ha!e 'ust egun an 0d.7 program since I will almost certainly need that credential to
teach online.
I did notice one interesting thing aout myself that I was aware of ut had not gi!en
much thought. I really en'oy creating. It does not matter what, I 'ust like to create. So, whether it
is creating a sim in Second <ife or creating mo!ies or we pages, I like the creation end of the
e;uation more than the actual using of the creation. I find a great deal of satisfaction in creating
something that others en'oy or find useful, and ha!e disco!ered that I would proaly en'oy
designing the instruction, !ideo or wesite more than actually using the product myself. I think
of some of the pro'ects I created for this program and find it deeply satisfying that I could design,
de!elop and deli!er ;uality products that others could use, and I am sincerely interested in
continuing to do 'ust that either at my current position or another depending on what the future
holds.
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RE2EREN!ES
.llesi, S. M., 9 (rollip, S.:. *2334+. Multimedia for learning/ Methods and development.
Needham Eeights, M.H .llyn 9 Bacon.
Benner, %. *4L>B+. .rom novice to e"pert/ 0"cellence and power in clinical nursing practice.
Upper Saddle :i!er, N1H %rentice Eall.
6lark, :.6., Mayer, :.0. *233>+. 0learning and the science of instruction. San Francisco,
6.H 1ohn "iley 9 Sons.
6ooper, S. *2345+. 6onstructi!ism <earning (heory. :etrie!ed from httpHGGtiny.ccGewmzh#
7algarno, B. and <ee, M.1.". *2343+. "hat are the learning affordances of 5)7 !irtual
en!ironmentsJ 1ritish 2ournal of 0ducational )echnology, B4*4+, 43)52.
<ohr, <.<. *2335+. 'reating graphics for learning and performance/ essons in visual literacy.
Upper Saddle :i!er, N1H Merrill %rentice Eall.
Smith, %.<., :agan, (. 1. *2335+. Instructional design. Eoooken, N1H 1ohn "iley 9 Sons.
Steuer. 1. *4LL2+. 7efining !irtual realityH 7imensions determining telepresence. 2ournal of
'ommunication, B2*2+, M5)L5.
US 7epartment of 6ommerce. *2343+. 0#ploring the digital nationH 6omputer and Internet use at
home. :etrie!ed from httpHGGtiny.ccGLwmzh#
"56. *234B+. Cetting Started with "e .ccessiility. :etrie!ed from httpHGGtiny.ccGl#mzh#.
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