Encouraging Students to Learn Non-Core Subjects in Health Education

Christian Wahl, Annette Pedersen, Annegrethe Nielsen, Lukassen Niels Bech, Thomas Kjærgaard

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    Abstract

    The objective of our project was to enhance nursing student’s motivation to work and acquire transferable knowledge within nursing education. Parts of the curriculum have shown to be of low immediate interest of the students who feel the topics to be irrelevant for their professional development as nurses. In order to obtain our goal a range of different IT based educational designs were implemented with the intent of scaffolding the student’s learning.
    The project was designed as a 2-year action research project and a variety of data was collected to document the process, including students’ and teachers’ experiences as expressed in interviews, observations of teaching and learning related behavior and data logging.
    This paper focus on how our educational intervention integrating IT based designs affects the students’ learning processes. The research question is: how (if at all) do the students take advantage of the opportunities for learning provided by educational designs (with or without IT) as simulations, role playing and collaborative activities? To explore this we employed a didactic model: study activity model. One of the main scopes for the study activity model is to look beyond traditional didactics and strengthen the awareness of the study activities that the students carry out themselves. Our analysis consequently highlights a variety of student learning behavior.
    The learning opportunities provided by the educational design seemed to engage one group of students while a large group of students responded differently. These students did not grasp the learning opportunities given. Our analysis suggests that the students viewed the flexible learning environment and the IT based designs as optional rather than sequential step stones towards the learning experience planned.
    In general the students felt a great need for feedback when completing activities and our results suggests that the students felt highly motivated by immediate feedback. The students seemed less motivated by the activities or the acquisition of competence thus needing the teacher’s feedback to be gratified. The activities were meaningful for the students in preparation for examinations, but the invitation to reflect on professional challenges, were met only by some of the students.
    The aim of our educational design was to include all students in reflective learning. In order to work with the content on a taxonomical appropriate level a substantial group of students need more scaffolding and feedback. To respond to the heterogeneity of the student population in nursing education teacher presence and guidance is crucial. Our results suggest that the educational design should support students at different levels to allow them to work and learn in such a way that it can be put to use in a practice environment. IT based designs may here come in handy!
    Translated title of the contributionMotivere studerende til at lære perifere emner i sundhedsuddannelser
    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publication Proceedings of 14th European Conference on e-Learning ECEL-2015
    Editors Amanda Jefferies, Marija Cubric
    Number of pages2
    Place of PublicationReading, UK
    PublisherAcademic Conferences and Publishing International
    Publication date2015
    Pages74-75
    ISBN (Print)978-1-910810-70-5 , 978-1-910810-72-9
    ISBN (Electronic)978-1-910810-71-2
    Publication statusPublished - 2015
    EventECEL 2015: The 14th European Conference on E-Learning - University of Hertfordshire, College Lane, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL10 9AB, Storbritannien, Hatfield, United Kingdom
    Duration: 29 Oct 201530 Oct 2015
    http://academic-conferences.org/ecel/ecel2015/ecel15-home.htm

    Conference

    ConferenceECEL 2015
    LocationUniversity of Hertfordshire, College Lane, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL10 9AB, Storbritannien
    Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
    CityHatfield
    Period29/10/201530/10/2015
    Internet address
    Series Proceedings of the European Conference on e-Learning
    ISSN2048-8637

    Keywords

    • IT didactics
    • employability
    • transfer
    • motivation
    • nursing education,
    • taxonomy
    • feedback

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