Heidi MortensenCHEP

Making accessibility for learners with disabilities in online course settings is key. I really appreciated this module for detailing this concept so nicely. Being cognizant of learners with disabilities potentially not being able to keep up with the timing in chats will be critical for me to be thinking about.

This module really made me aware of the need to prepare for students who may have disabilities. Recognizing the most optimal presentation of transcripts and audio recordings suitable for learners with disabilities is really important. A study noted the use of assistive technology in online course forums as helpful (Heiman & Shemesh, 2012). Reference Heiman T1, Shemesh DO. (2012). Students with LD in higher education: use and contribution of assistive technology and website courses and their correlation to students' hope and well-being. J Learn Disabil. 45(4):308-18. doi: 10.1177/0022219410392047. Epub 2011 Jan 20.

I am relatively new to the microblogging tool for my students but what a great idea. I am planning to try this and other social networking tools for my students soon. Wang, Wang, and Shi (2013) noted that using microblogs in pharmocotherapy courses was well accepted. Reference Wang T(1), Wang F, Shi L. (2013). The use of microblog-based case studies in a pharmacotherapy introduction class in China. BMC Med Educ. 2013 Sep 8;13:120. doi: 10.1186/1472-6920-13-120.

I'm still new at the encouraging of social networking tools to my students. However, this module is a motivation for me to do more work on appropriately integrating social networking. Sharoff (2013) noted the value of using social networking tools for nursing students Reference Sharoff L. (2011). Integrating YouTube into the nursing curriculum. Online J Issues Nurs. 16(3):6. doi: 10.3912/OJIN.Vol16No03PPT03.

I really appreciated how the module conveys the deep need for very detailed planning of rubrics. I have created a number of online courses and the rubric is a very involved tool to create but well worth the effort --- really important for the student to know what to expect for course outcomes and so on.

Rubrics can be a wonderful guide as to what is expected from a student. As a student I truly appreciated the rubric. Teachers know how to accurately provide feedback to their students by using the rubric. By using rubric scores to analyze it was noted that improvement was needed within the educational program in a study (Little, 2009). Rubrics, however, need careful thought to construct the most optimal one for a given class. Reference Little BB. (2009). The use of standards for peer review of online nursing courses: a pilot study. J Nurs Educ. 48(7):411-5.

As a medical librarian, I am always super-sensitive about the importance of using proper citations for work. I always emphasize the utmost importance of proper citing of work and the avoidance of plagiarism. Academic integrity in online learning environments, like physical environments, is critical and should be emphasized (Azulay, Chertok, & Barnes, 2013). Reference Azulay Chertok IR, Barnes ER, Gilleland D. (2013). Academic integrity in the online learning environment for health sciences students. Nurse Educ Today. pii: S0260-6917(13)00202-5. doi: 10.1016/j.nedt.2013.06.002. [Epub ahead of print] .

I've had experience with both inherently intrinsically motivated students and extrinsically motivated students. I try to encourage the reward one feels from the learning itself but I do understand that grades may take over for some students. Nonetheless, I still try to encourage the benefits from the learning process. Collaboration within student groups has been shown to have resulted in intrinsic motivation (Rhee, Parent, & Basu, 2013). Reference Rhee J(1), Parent D, Basu A. (2013). The influence of personality and ability on undergraduate teamwork and team performance. Springerplus. 2(1):16. Epub 2013 Jan 19.

Assessing my students really involves making the effort to understand their learning process. A study noted implications for the necessity to emphasize increased strategies to improve motivation and participation in online discussions (part of process of learning in the e-environment) (Changiz, Haghani, & Nowroozi, 2013) Reference Changiz T, Haghani F, Nowroozi N. (2013). Are postgraduate students in distance medical education program ready for e-learning? A survey in Iran. J Educ Health Promot. 2013 Oct 30;2:61. doi: 10.4103/2277-9531.120862. eCollection 2013.

Hybrid courses sound wonderful --- as the module pointed out: benefit is getting the best of both in class and online situations. Although my online courses so far have been solely online this hybrid scenario make so much sense. Medical professionals are benefiting from online hybrid simulation education (Daniel & Wilfong, 2014). Reference Daniel L1, N-Wilfong D.Empowering interprofessional teams to perform effective handoffs through online hybrid simulation education. Crit Care Nurs Q. 2014 Apr-Jun;37(2):225-9. doi: 10.1097/CNQ.0000000000000023.