Technology Tools and Learning: Mobile Learning, Multimedia, Games, and Gamification

      

      Technology, in one form or another, has always been part of the teaching and learning environment. It is part of the teacher’s professional toolbox. In other words, it is among the resources that teachers use to help facilitate student learning. Technology has changed dramatically over recent decades. The increasing variety and accessibility of technology has expanded the toolbox and the opportunities teachers have to use technology. There are various tools that teachers use to help their students use, create, manipulate and share information on computer devices and over computer networks (Eady & Lockyer, 2013). Many new technologies are interactive, therefore it is now easier to create environments in which students can learn by doing, receive feedback, and continually refine their understanding and build new knowledge. Instructional Media are the means for transmitting or delivering messages and in teaching-learning perspective delivering content to the learners, to achieve effective instruction. Instructional media includes all the materials and substantial resources that an educator might use to implement instruction and facilitate students' achievement of instructional objectives (Omenge & Priscah, 2016). This includes social media, gaming, virtual conferencing, brainstorming and polling platforms.

The technology tool that I was not familiar with:

  Flipsnack

            Flipsnack is page flip software that enables one to create stylish digital flip-books out of PDF documents. One can use it to share or embed into website or blog all kinds of documents, from books to newspapers and magazines. Flipsnack is an excellent way for magazines to expand the readership. By offering an alternative to print magazines that looks and sounds like the real thing, one can attract new readers on the web. Teachers can create accounts for all of their students, so students can create their own free publications. It is great for lessons in reading and writing. Flipsnack creates visually stimulating flip books. It can upload as many as 500 pages or more than 100MB. It can be used in all subject areas and grade levels. It is cost effective tool that innovative teachers can use to produce flipping contents (Ruiz, 2018). It allows the user to create digital content that handles like a physical book or magazine that is, the reader literally flips the pages as he/she moves along through the content. The software can be considered a publishing tool as its purpose is primarily focused on how ones creation is to be presented to the wider public. It can be accessed free of cost, which makes it a must-have for creative and innovative practitioners. Flipsnack is ideal for content created in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and even Publisher. The final product can be shared on other websites through ones user account or can be shared on other websites, blogs, or on social media.  The product can also be downloaded for other use and shared via emails with others (Clacken, 2017).

         Flipsnack can be used in professional educational practice (in instruction) for teaching and learning purposes. It would help in creating more interesting workshops instead of a PowerPoint or Google Slides (Davis, 2005). It holds a lot of promise for classroom instructions as teacher/educators can use it to create more engaging materials for students, Notes, handouts, presentations and flyers can all be combines and hosted in the flipping format. It allows the students to present their own content such own reports and research papers. It is great way to provide instructional content for teachers who are flipping their classroom, project instructions, and unit study guides. Students will appreciate the "feel" of flipping through this online book and interacting with multimedia in a structured, organized way (Clacken, 2017). It helps to deliver captivating lessons online and discussions in the classroom. It actually improves the efficiency regarding feedback, access to information and reviewing any mistakes or misunderstandings. Both the process of creating, as well as learning from and with Flipsnack stimulate and improve different aspects of the learning process; quick recall, visuals, and audio at the same time. It gives students the opportunity to follow different courses and teachers at the same time, allowing them to work extra as they please. Provides opportunity to interact and engage in richer teaching experiences, and exchange opinions without boundaries (Claudia, 2017).

Advantages of Flipsnack:

      Flipsnack is super easy to use; all the tools on both sides of the screen are clearly and well organized as well as nicely introduced. One can either upload PDF and edit it online or create a whole project. Flipsnack provides with lots of different layouts to create project (from magazines to photo albums to menus) and that is simply wonderful. It allows inserting videos and links and integrating those (but only in the paid version). Also, it is great that it allows for various people to access the account at the same time so that you can work together while making the changes (Claudia, 2017). Therefore, through the use of Flipsnack students enjoy reading from flipbooks, creativity blossoms. Students are enthusiastic about their learning and help them to be engaged in their work. Using digital flipbooks allows both students and teachers to access the material anytime or anywhere in the world. Working with flipbooks can help students improve their collaborative skills. They can work together on projects or discuss class materials and not only. Being involved in the process of learning, collecting materials, doing research, writing and giving feedback, turns the student in an active learner.  This gives them a stronger feeling of commitment because the information is not just coming from a given material, but they are actually part of the creation of it.Working with Flipsnack will  also help improve other skills; creativity, time management, organizational skills, strategizing, planning, imagination, constant improvement and assimilation and much more (Claudia, 2017).

Disadvantages of Flipsnack:

        Flipsnack only accepts a maximum of twenty pages, so student’s presentations are not extensive. Restricting in this way that professor can only use the tool in small presentations or activities in class. The tool only emphasizes one skill; writing. The tool is about creating and writing magazines, letters, and post, so the professors and students can only develop the writing skill. If the professor wants to reinforce other skill, he/she will need extra material. There can be privacy and content problems with this tool. The main function of Flipsnack is the publication of magazines on the web, so professors should be very cautious with the content that students will publish on the web. The creator cannot download their creations because they need a premium account where they have to pay. As a result, if they want to show their flipbook they have to access their account and find their design, instead of just look for it on their desktop. There are some features that require a premium account, for example; videos and audios  (Davis, 2005). The students will have some restrictions while using it because they cannot use all the gadgets offered.

      To sum up, using technology for education provokes student’s curiosity, boosts their engagement, and leads to better learning and comprehension. It is a priority for every effective teacher and today they can be easily achieved by using digital tools in classroom. Technology helps teaching materials be more visually appealing and engaging.

                                      Watch the video below on how to use a Flipsnack.

References

         Clacken, G. (2017). Flipping with Flipsnack. Retrieved from https://www.pressreader.com/

         Claudia, C. (2017). Flipsnack. Retrieved from https://blog.flipsnack.com/50-reasons-to-use-flipbooks-in-education/

          Davis, V. (2005). Flipsnack: A fun way to make interactive online magazines. Retrieved from https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e192/

         Eady, M. J. & Lockyer, L. 2013, 'Tools for learning: technology and teaching strategies', Learning to teach in school, Queensland University of Technology, Australia. Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/9d23/8dc3405c19c9958ff8eea2e92910dc30a43a.pdf

         Omenge, O & Priscah, M. (2016). Understanding the utilization of instructional media in training health professionals. Journal of Nursing and Health Science, 15 (3), 1-8. Retrieved from http://www.iosrjournals.org/iosr-jnhs/papers/vol5-issue3/Version-3/A0503030108.pdf

         Ruiz, C. (2018). What is Flipsnack? The #1. DocTypes.org. Retrieved from https://doctypes.org/

Blended/Online Course Design (The COI) & Presentation Media

The community of inquiry, abbreviated as CoI is a concept first introduced by early pragmatist philosophers C. S. Peirce and John Dewey, concerning the nature of knowledge formation and the process of scientific inquiry. The community of inquiry is broadly defined as any group of individuals involved in a process of empirical or conceptual inquiry into problematic situations Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2000). The Community of Inquiry theoretical framework represents a process of creating a deep and meaningful (collaborative-constructivist) learning experience through the development of three interdependent elements – social, cognitive and teaching presence.

Social presence is “the ability of participants to identify with the community (e.g., course of study), communicate purposefully in a trusting environment, and develop inter-personal relationships by way of protecting their individual personalities”. Teaching Presence is the design, facilitation, and direction of cognitive and social processes for the purpose of realizing personally meaningful and educationally worthwhile learning outcomes (Anderson, Rourke, Garrison, & Archer, 2000). Cognitive Presence is the extent to which learners are able to construct and confirm meaning through sustained reflection and discourse (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2000).

Community of Inquiry (COI) as a framework for online/blended course design as well as presentation media such as screen cast-o-matic and YouTube as powerful tools for teaching and learning in blended course designs. A blended classroom is more than just convenience. It is a chance for teachers and students alike to use digital resources to make the most of their learning experience. Instead of scrambling to fit a class into a hectic schedule, students can use blended learning to fit their coursework around their schedule. The use of screen cast-o-matic (video tutorials) viewed outside of class will help students get a handle on difficult topics, especially if the topics are highly technical. It is fantastic tool to create mini-lectures and supplemental materials for students to reference anytime they need clarification. Fortunately, these tutorials are easy for teachers to make (Fitton, 2016). Student interaction is the key to the success of any blended classroom since teachers are not able to see their students in person as regularly as one might otherwise. Student recording as part of required assignments is a guaranteed way to make sure they are engaging. Student recording allows teachers/ educators to assess students’ performance.

In addition, the popularity of blogging among young people has motivated educators to seek the ways of integrating computer-mediated communication tools at the university level. These technologies offer promising benefits for instructors and students. Blogging empowers bloggers (students) when they are involved in the activities of writing what they think and receiving feedback promptly. This kind of learning environment makes a blog a learner-centered instructional site. Blog archives can be a source of information about the student’s learning, and a basis for ongoing feedback and redesign of learning activities (Dos & Demir, 2013).  Blogs can enhance reflective thinking, deeper learning and knowledge construction. There is broad range of anticipated positive effects of blogging, including improved analytical skills and reflective thinking, as well as changes in attitude to learning with electronically. In educational settings, blogs have been examined as a means to increase student reflective capacity (Williams & Jacobs). The benefits of educational blogs center on two broad pedagogical uses: interactive and reflective. The use of blogs as a reflective platform for students and teachers and found that all students used the blog platform for reflection and commenting. Blogs can develop reading comprehension and writing skills; promote higher order thinking skills of going beyond knowledge and comprehension to application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation (Dos & Demir, 2013). They also increase student interest and responsibility in learning and give voice to students who often feel uncomfortable about speaking up in class.

One of the most premier quantitative higher-learning centers is YouTube channel that anyone can access and learn. With many YouTube channels that are designed to teach people more about the topics they discuss, gaining knowledge on a plethora of topics is easier than ever before. Using YouTube in the classroom can be helpful for teachers and fun for students. Students are often more engaged with visually stimulating activities and are more likely to concentrate when watching videos rather than the teacher giving a lecture to the class. YouTube videos also help to improve students listening comprehension and pronunciation skills as they mimic the people speaking in the videos, and teachers are able to spend more time focusing on the students instead of trying to explain complex topic (Chhabra, 2012). YouTube is just as beneficial for teachers as it provides them with variety and a range of different teaching resources. Watching a short film, for example, can help follow up a debate, a class discussion, role-plays and summarizing. Overall, YouTube is a very good resource for teachers and can help provide a diverse and fun learning experience for students. Beyond the delivery of lecture content, free video-on-demand platforms are being adapted for a variety of educational uses: the creation of subject-specific play-lists, the “flipped” classroom (where the students do the work outside class, then meet to discuss), student-produced reflective videos, assessment and feedback and various blended learning formats (Antonio & Tuffley, 2015).

To conclude, blended learning continues to grow as an approach to meeting learner needs, especially as schools put more computers and other devices into student hands. The growth of blended learning is generally paced at the comfort of teachers as they expand their use of digital tools for teaching and learning—at present learning to teach with digital tools seems to be the greater focus than exploring how to deepen students’ learning. Teachers can deepen student learning by making the most of classroom technology. Technology tools such as screen cast-o-matic, blogs and YouTube in blended course are vital to meet the learning outcomes and student’s needs.

How can we use technology to enhance learning? “Let’s Watch”

REFERENCES

Antonio, A & Tuffley, D. (2015). YouTube a valuable educational tool, not just cat videos. Retrieved from http://theconversation.com/youtube-a-valuable-educational-tool-not-just-cat-videos-34863

Chhabra, P (2012). Use of E-learning tools in teaching English. Retrieved from http://www.researchmanuscripts.com/isociety2012/9.pdf

Dos, B & Demir, S. (2013). The analysis of the blogs created in a blended course through the reflective thinking perspective. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 13(2). Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1017275.pdf

Fitton, T. (2016). Touring the online learning environment: An exploration using Screencast-O-Matic. European Journal of Open, Distance and E-Learning. Retrieved from http://www.eurodl.org/?p=current&sp=brief&article=778

Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (2000). Critical inquiry in a text-based environment: computer conferencing in higher education. The Internet and Higher Education, 2 (2-3), 87-105. Retrieved from http://communitiesofinquiry.com/model

21st Century Nursing Education: Role of Nurse Educator

A competent health workforce is central to achieving universal health coverage. Quality education is the foundation for developing competent health workers who are equipped with the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to deliver quality care. Improving and maintaining the qualities and competencies of nurse educators requires keeping pace with shifting health-care expectations, evolving practice requirements, new information technologies, and rapidly expanding evidence-based health services (WHO, 2016). A nurse educator is a registered nurse with advanced training that educates and trains future nurses. They have various roles and responsibilities in the education system as a nurse educator. These educational professionals act as both advisers and role models for the students, assisting them in their journeys toward becoming successful licensed registered nurses with the use of various advanced technologies in teaching and learning to meet the goals.

Role of Nursing Educator:

Nurses not only need to have practical skill, but they need to possess the appropriate knowledge, skills, and attitude to move the profession into the 21st century whereby nurse educators play an significant role in making student nurses to best future nurses. Nurse educators play a pivotal role in strengthening the nursing workforce, serving as role models and providing the leadership needed to implement evidence-based practice (Gillespie & McFetridge, 2006).  According to Olsson and Gullberg (1988) they work as researchers to critically evaluate new research and help students become more effective decision-makers and problem solvers. These professionals, who work in the classroom and the practice setting, are responsible for preparing and mentoring current and future generations of nurses. They are responsible for designing, implementing, evaluating and revising academic and continuing education programs for nurses (Lander, 2008). These include formal academic programs that lead to a degree or certificate, or more informal continuing education programs designed to meet individual learning needs. Nurse educators are critical players in assuring quality educational experiences that prepare the nursing workforce for a diverse, ever-changing health care environment. They are the leaders who document the outcomes of educational programs and guide students through the learning process. Nurse educators combine their clinical abilities with responsibilities related to; designing curricula, developing courses/programs of study, teaching and guiding learners, evaluating learning and documenting the outcomes of the educational process (Barton, 2017). According to Crew (2016) many nurse educators have a hybrid role that combines nursing practice and teaching, whether through a university, hospital, or other healthcare settings, nurse educators in this hybrid role continue to provide patient care while teaching less experienced nurses or nursing students who are doing fieldwork.

Challenges faced by nurse educators:

Nurses face a number of challenges in the 21st century. One major challenge pertains to nursing education, specifically to the entry into practice preparation of undergraduate nursing students. Nursing educational programs in the past prepared nurses to practice for the day, but did not plan for their practice in the future. The patient population is aging and becoming increasingly complex, as a result, competencies necessary for today’s health care environment go beyond hands-on practical skill (Mannino & Cotter, 2016). Therefore, to respond to these increasing demands, it is suggested that the future nurses be educated in ways that better prepare them to meet the complex needs of the population which is a great challenge to the nursing educators (Mannino & Cotter, 2016). Other challenges faced include; aligning education with the practice environment, curriculum enhancement and technological challenges for nursing education. Thus, to keep pace with the rapidly changing healthcare environment, nurse educators must continuously evaluate and revise education curricula, approaches, and programs used to educate new and practicing nurses. Educators need to incorporate evidence-based teaching practices more effectively and teach nursing students the skills that will be required in the 21st century’s healthcare environment (Morelock, 2009). In cooperating advanced ways of teaching-learning process with the use of advanced technologies and offering blended or online courses to meet the education demands. Meeting the learning goals and objectives for lessons to different natures of learners is challenging. 

Overcoming challenges:

Understanding of instructional contexts and design models, learning objectives and lesson plans help to overcome such challenges for nurse educators. Through instructional context, the nurse educators will be able to help the learners in achieving their goals with appropriate curriculum and meeting the students’ learning needs. Nurse educators will be able to apply evidence based practice in teaching and learning. They will able to formulate effective learning strategies to meet the learning goals and objectives of every session they teach with the use of advanced technologies. It will help educators as a guide in revising and evaluating curriculum. Using/ understanding design models; the systematic and reflective process of translating principles of learning and instruction into plans for instructional materials, activities, information resources, and evaluation (Krouse, 2015). Instructional design involves the identification of an educational problem, the proposed outcomes, and the design of the processes by which the outcomes can be achieved.  It will help educators to help students in acquiring information, ideas, skills, values and the way of thinking to meet the different nature of learners needs (Krouse, 2015). 

To sum up, nurse educators play a pivotal role in strengthening the nursing workforce, serving as role models and providing the leadership needed to implement evidence-based practice. Nurse educators are responsible for designing, implementing, evaluating and revising academic and continuing education programs for nurses. These professionals, who work in the classroom and the practice setting, are responsible for preparing and mentoring current and future generations of nurses. With various challenges faced by nurse educators in 21^st century, knowing and understanding of instructional contexts and design models, learning objectives and lesson plans help to overcome these challenges to meet the students learning needs.

Nursing education before compared to nursing education in 21st century.

Nursing education before

Nursing education in 21st century

Watch the video: A Look at the work of a Nurse Educator:

REFERENCES

Barton, J. (2017). Role of the RN in primary care: Implications for nursing education. Journal of Nursing Education, 56 (3), 127-128. Retrieved from https://www.healio.com/nursing/journals/jne/2017-3-56-3/%7Bfc161b7f-dfb6-44b1-8f7a-c26e2bb3b581%7D/role-of-the-rn-in-primary-care-implications-for-nursing-education

Crew, L. (2016). Clinical simulation in nursing education: Exploiting a home court advantage. Caribbean Journal of Nursing, 3 (1), 24-35. Retrieved from http://ojs.mona.uwi.edu/index.php/cjn/article/view/

Gillespie, M &, McFetridge, B. (2006). Nurse education – the role of the nurse teacher. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 15 (5). Retrieved from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2702.2006.01344.x

Lander, M. (2008). The theory–practice gap in nursing: the role of the nurse teacher. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 32 (6). Retrieved from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1046/j.1365-2648.2000.01605.x\

Mannino, J & Cotter, E. (2016). Educating nursing students for practice in the 21st Century. International Archives of Nursing and Health Care, 2 (1). Retrieved from https://clinmedjournals.org/articles/ianhc/international-archives-of-nursing-and-health-care-ianhc-2-026.pdf

Krouse, A. (2015). Instructional Design: More Important Than Ever. Journal of Nursing Education, 54(6), 304-305. Retrieved https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20150515-10

Olsson, H & Gullberg, M. (1988). Nursing education and importance of professional status in the nurse role. Expectations and knowledge of the nurse role. International Journal Study. PubMed. 25 (4), 287-293. Retrieved from www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed.3243687/

World Health Organization, (2016). Nurse Educator core competencies. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/hrh/nursing_midwifery/nurse_educator050416.pdf

My Personal Experience with Technology in Education

                                              Rashnita  Ranjana Singh

I am a registered nurse of Fiji, currently in Trinidad pursuing MSc in Nursing (Education). Advances in technology are enabling dramatic changes in education content, delivery, and accessibility. It has been noticed that new technologies have facilitated the exponential growth of human knowledge. My personal experiences with technology in education I would say is average. I had been familiar with only few software and programs. However, now I have been introduced to few new programs and this helped me to expand my creativity and also learn some valuable skills which are very useful in my education. It has enabled me to learn and explore in so many ways. The means of technology aids in collaboration with other students and lecturers that keep me connected and updated. It has strengthened my learning process and enabled me to reach my personal learning goals. Technology guides me in developing skills in problem solving, research, decision making and be a critical thinker. The use of the technology in education has brought a lot of advanced in my learning and it enabled a truly interactive experience. I am looking forward to learn a lot about various technologies that I can integrate with curriculum and use in many different ways to maximize the learning process in my teaching career in future.