The Purpose of Management Strategies in The Educational Setting: Use of Technology In Nursing Education According to Learning Domains and Its Types is explore and describe technology usage for teaching and learning in nursing education.
Use of Technology In Nursing Education According to Learning Domains and Its Types: Management Strategies in The Educational Setting
Technology Utilization in Nursing Education
Technology permeates all forms of education. Whether you are using the computer on your desktop, sending e-mail via a network, searching the Internet, or finding directions to your university, technology is involved. Technology greatly enhances student learning. It increases the interactivity and access to other students and faculty; it allows nursing faculty to produce custom learning objects; and it has led to the clinical lab, which presents new methods of simulating patient care.
The two primary resources you will need are time and money. Often, mastering new technology requires more time than money. The good news is that many computer applications are available for free for limited periods of time.
Overview of Types of Technology
All forms of educational technology are used in one or more of four basic ways will explore the first three uses of technology.
Technology Used to Connect People and Services
Colleges and universities use technology extensively and many people first get to know a university through a website. Many colleges use Internet-based services for the entire admission, registration, and student management processes.
Perhaps the most commonly used networked service on a campus is the library. Newer online services include learning labs and tutoring services. The most common overall use of computers is electronic mail (e-mail). In addition to e-mail, university networks include Web-based directories of users, departments, and services.
Technology Used to Create Learning Objects
Faculty use technology to create a wide variety of learning objects. Most commonly these objects include documents such as syllabi and visual presentations using PowerPoint. A large repository of learning objects can be found at the Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching . This topic will provide examples of basic and advanced techniques for creating learning objects of all types.
Faculty members who teach online know that it is an effective and challenging method of instruction. The most common concern expressed by faculty is the increased amount of time it takes to facilitate high-quality learning experiences online. As with e-mail and other technology issues discussed in this article, it is best to be proactive when creating or conducting an online class.
The research shows that students learn best when the class, any type of class, is highly interactive. Online courses are perhaps the most interactive courses as students must participate to be counted as present. Students can be silent in a traditional class; however, they cannot be silent in a well-designed online class.
Technology: What Students and Faculty Need
To know although technology is integral to the learning and teaching experiences, it is also a source of great frustration, especially for novice computer users (Lindsay & McCluren, 2000). Nursing faculty must include instructional content that supports the use of technology in the educational experience. The term technological hardiness is a concept to use in teaching faculty how to pro mote the skills and insights necessary for the effective use of technology.
Technological hardiness (TH) is defined as the affective, cognitive, and psychomotor skills necessary to utilize technology in all of its forms effectively, without undue physical, mental, or cognitive stress. Students and faculty now routinely begin their day with reading and composing electronic communication, searching online databases, and accessing the Internet.
The most complicated equipment in education used to be the car driven to campus. Now there are virtual campuses, libraries, and meeting rooms. “Attending” class is no longer straight forward. Students must learn to use a personal computer, navigate the Internet, compose postings for e-mail and class discussions, create files for a variety of purposes, and stay electronically safe while doing it all. This requires a high level of TH skill and insight.
Psychomotor Considerations
Computer users must consider the lifetime effects of viewing monitors and sitting at desks and other locations with computers. Muscles, joints, bones, and eyes are all affected by computer use (Clark, Frith, & Demi, 2004). As a result, students must learn to use appropriate posture and adequate lighting, and to take frequent rest periods while using a computer. It is even more important that students with disabilities understand ergonomics and methods of adapting home computer work stations to meet their unique needs.
Faculty can promote student awareness of ergonomics by suggesting a simple intervention such as placing a small mirror on a computer desk area so the user can occasionally glance over at the mirror to check posture. Users also can set timers to ensure that rest periods are taken.
Affective Considerations
Frustration arises when students are unable to complete online tasks as assigned (O’Regan, 2003). There are innumerable reasons why any given technologically mediated assignment cannot be completed. Problems with clearing the computer cache, server malfunctions, unstable connections to the Internet, and Web page and database design flaws are a few of the many reasons.
The result of the inability to get technology to do what we want is referred to a technostress, a term coined by Born in 1984. He defined techno stress as a “modern disease of adaptation caused by inability to cope with the new computer technologies” (Weil & Rosen, 1997). Technostress is a major health factor for faculty and students.
Many computer users assume that user error causes computer problems, and they experience negative changes to self-esteem when they cannot complete projects as directed (Klein, Moon, & Picard, 2002). Users erroneously think that all technology problems are related to their own inabilities and knowledge deficits. In reality, problems are often related to programming and design issues.
Remembering that technology itself may be faulty when problems arise can be very helpful for students and faculty as they strive to maintain confidence related to computer skills. In order to avoid as much frustration as possible, faculty can design assignments using proven technology that itself utilizes a low threshold of technical sophistication.
When using technology, it is important to use the lowest threshold activity, which is generally the most stable. This ensures that students with even dial-up or telephone connections will be able to access the learning objects. Beyond helping students reach instructional goals, there are other practical considerations. Technological frustration can relate directly to an important concern of faculty: the evaluation of teacher effectiveness.
Technical problems can have a dramatic negative effect on how students evaluate instructors. Integrating additional technical assistance into a course will be appreciated by students. As a result, a student may be more willing to separate the inability to complete a class assignment due to technology problems from the evaluation of the faculty member’s teaching skill.
Realizing that there are many complexities in the design, development, and production of hardware and software is a crucial component of developing TH. A sense of humor is also invaluable in coping with computer frustrations. Faculty can model a sense of humor by including humor in text and graphics. Large supplies of computer-related comics are available for use (with permission) on national cartoonist Randy Glasbergen’s website.
Simple metaphors and visuals can also reach students on affective as well as cognitive levels. Include music and relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing, in your instructions for assignments. Encourage students to manage their time effectively using a timer and breaks and to relax while completing work. These interventions also help to promote time management skills and physical health. Faculty can also invite students to share their technical stresses and triumphs with them and the class.
Spending a few minutes discussing frustrations is helpful to understand student errors in thinking and identify ways to modify assignments. Social support is critical in developing a sense of connectedness. In an online course, this is easily done by creating a discussion thread that invites postings from students. Sharing stories is a powerful way to learn about and affirm oneself (Wurman, 2001). Invariably, students respond with, “I thought it was just me who had that problem!”
Cognitive Considerations
Trial and error is not an effective method of learning technical skill, because computers require new vocabulary, models of thinking, and problem solving. Although students do not need to become computer experts, it is time well spent to master some basic information about computers. It is important to include only proven technology in course design and program functions. Utility rather than novelty should be the guiding principle when using technology (Roueche, Milliron, & Roueche, 2003).
Cognitive aspects of TH are fostered by providing a technology orientation to the course and to the technology and support services on campus. When giving instructions about an assignment, be sure to include instructions on how to develop the technical skills required for assignments. Understanding the limits of computers and how to solve problems is critical to success in using technology.
Perhaps the area in which students need the most additional information is how to get help when they run into problems. A support program to help students, especially those who are anxious about computers, has been found to be helpful (Marcoulides, Stocker, & Marcoulides, 2004). Giving students explicit information on the technology specifics needed for each class has been effective in teaching students how to navigate not just online classes but other technologically mediated functions (Ko & Rossen, 2001).
This includes library searching, use of online plagiarism detection services, registering for classes, and the like. Developing technological hardiness in ourselves and our students has many rewards. Students who feel capable of using a computer have been more successful in both distance and campus programs. Technically capable students express more satisfaction on mid- and end-program evaluations, and have been less likely to drop out of programs (Britt, 2006). Competence in this area makes teaching and learning more satisfying.
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