Interdisciplinary Education In Dental Hygiene: A Pilot Project

This study describes a five-hour interdisciplinary experience involving sophomore dental hygiene students, dental hygiene faculty and medical technology faculty. This experience met the objectives of interdisciplinary teaching while reinforcing and expanding on a present topic in a four-year dental hygiene curriculum. The results of this experience are documented by pre- and post-testing and student evaluations. Statistical analysis of the test results along with student commentaries support interdisciplinary education as a viable and positive teaching approach. Student ability to correctly answer topic-related cognitive questions increased significantly while their understanding of the medical technology profession and its relationship to dental hygiene also developed. The experience was included within the framework of the pre-clinical dental hygiene course which kept the implementation efficient and perhaps contributed to its success. This pilot project was a positive step toward cθntinued interdisciplinary experiences between the dental hygiene and medical technology programs and created enthusiasm for expanding the experiences in the future to include the other health programs

Use of Interdisciplinary Education to Foster Familiarization among Health Professionals

This paper describes a pilot interdisciplinary experience between the dental hygiene and medical technology programs at Marquette University. It was designed, in part, to familiarize dental hygiene students with the medical technology profession. Comments solicited from students on the final evaluation form indicated that this pilot project was highly successful and met the objectives. Affective, multiple-choice questions on pretests and posttests showed a positive change in attitude, but this change was not statistically significant. Possible reasons for this are discussed. Benefits of this pilot project were an improved understanding of medical technology on the part of the dental hygiene students, enhanced interdepartmental communication, and plans to develop a reciprocal interdisciplinary experience for the medical technology students. It is hoped that this pilot project will serve as a stimulus for similar experiences among other health science programs

Enhancing Literacy Instruction through Technology

Technology has altered how children experience language. As technology has taken root in society, literacy skills have expanded beyond simply reading and writing print texts to include interacting with digital texts and media. To prepare students to operate in this digital environment, teachers should integrate technology into language arts instruction; however, many teachers feel unprepared to do so effectively. Additionally, some teachers hesitate to implement technology into language arts instruction as a tool because of its supposed negative effects on literacy. Despite beliefs about technology inhibiting reading and writing, teachers can utilize technology to enhance literacy instruction. The digital age has laid the foundation for new literacies, and teachers must build upon it

How to raise technology acceptance: User experience characteristics as technology-inherent determinants

Mlekus L, Bentler D, Paruzel A, Kato-Beiderwieden A-L, Maier GW. How to raise technology acceptance: User experience characteristics as technology-inherent determinants. Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation. Zeitschrift für Angewandte Organisationspsychologie (GIO). 2020;51(3):273-283.This paper in the journal Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation. (GIO) presents a study that investigated user experience characteristics as determinants of technology acceptance. Organizations planning to implement new technologies are confronted with the challenge to ensure user acceptance. Barely accepted technologies are used less often, result in lower job satisfaction, and ultimately lead to performance losses. The technology acceptance model (Venkatesh and Bala 2008) incorporates determinants of information technology use. The model’s predictors have a strong focus on interindividual user characteristics (such as computer self-efficacy) and the job context (e.g., voluntariness). Yet, what is lacking in the model, are characteristics of the technology itself that can be used as starting points to design better technologies. To bridge this gap, we introduce the User Experience Technology Acceptance Model, and provide a first test of this model. In our online survey (N = 281), we investigated how technological determinants, more specifically user experience characteristics, affected technology acceptance. Except for two paths of our proposed model, all path coefficients were significant with small to large effect sizes (f² = 0.02 – 0.66). User experience predictors resulted in 60.6% of explained variance in perceived ease of use, 38.2% of explained variance in perceived usefulness, and 25.8% of explained variance in behavioral intention. Our results provide mostly support for our extension of the technology acceptance model. The technology-inherent characteristics output quality, perspicuity, dependability, and novelty were significant predictors of technology acceptance. We discuss theoretical and practical implications with the focus on technology designers, change managers, and users.Dieser Beitrag in der Zeitschrift Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation. (GIO) stellt eine Studie vor, in der User Experience-Merkmale als Einflussfaktoren auf Technologieakzeptanz untersucht wurden. Bei der Einführung neuer Technologien sehen sich Unternehmen vor der Herausforderung, dass Benutzer diese akzeptieren. Wenig akzeptierte Technologien werden seltener eingesetzt, stehen in Verbindung mit einer geringeren Arbeitszufriedenheit und wirken sich schlecht auf die Leistung aus. Das Technology Acceptance Model (Venkatesh und Bala 2008) umfasst Faktoren, die die Nutzung von Informationstechnologien vorhersagen. Diese beinhalten vornehmlich interindividuelle Benutzermerkmale (z. B. Computer-Selbstwirksamkeit) und den beruflichen Kontext (z. B. Freiwilligkeit). Was jedoch im Modell fehlt, sind Merkmale der Technologie selbst, die als Ausgangspunkt für das Design besserer Technologien dienen können. Um diese Lücke zu schließen, präsentieren und testen wir das User Experience Technology Acceptance Model. In unserer Online-Umfrage (N = 281) haben wir untersucht, wie technologische Faktoren, insbesondere User Experience-Merkmale, die Technologieakzeptanz beeinflussen. Mit Ausnahme von zwei Pfaden waren alle Pfadkoeffizienten unseres Modells bei kleinen bis großen Effektstärken (f² = 0,02 - 0,66) signifikant. Die User Experience-Prädiktoren klärten 60,6% der Varianz der wahrgenommenen Einfachheit der Nutzung, 38,2% der Varianz der wahrgenommenen Nützlichkeit und 25,8% der Varianz der Nutzungsabsicht auf. Unsere Ergebnisse unterstützen größtenteils die Erweiterung des Technology Acceptance Models. Die technologiebezogenen Merkmale Output-Qualität, Durchschaubarkeit, Zuverlässigkeit und Neuartigkeit waren signifikante Prädiktoren für die Technologieakzeptanz. Wir diskutieren theoretische und praktische Implikationen mit dem Fokus auf Technologiegestaltern, Change-Managern und Anwendern

Teaching with wikis: addressing the digital divide

This paper addresses some aspects of the digital divide affecting teachers and learners in higher education. These relate to divisions arising from variable rates of technology adoption by teachers, which may be especially problematic when students’ uptake of technology is much more rapid than those who teach them, and also to divisions within the student body which teachers need to accommodate when they plan the design of learning. To address these divisions, we designed a pilot online workshop to prepare a small group of teaching staff at two Australian universities for using wikis in teaching and assessment. Participants were immersed in the experience of collaborating on a project in a wiki as learners, and then asked to reflect on this experience as teachers. We used a participatory action research approach with a view to developing a community of enquiry to investigate this experience for improving future offerings, and informing the participants’ teaching practice. This paper reports on the professional development effort, reflecting on the successes and limitations of the work, and lessons learned in relation to bridging the above aspects of the digital divide. We then comment on the potential for further development in the context of the evolution of learning technology as a research discipline

Teaching with wikis : addressing the digital divide

This paper addresses some aspects of the digital divide affecting teachers and learners in higher education. These relate to divisions arising from variable rates of technology adoption by teachers, which may be especially problematic when students&rsquo; uptake of technology is much more rapid than those who teach them, and also to divisions within the student body which teachers need to accommodate when they plan the design of learning. To address these divisions, we designed a pilot online workshop to prepare a small group of teaching staff at two Australian universities for using wikis in teaching and assessment. Participants were immersed in the experience of collaborating on a project in a wiki as learners, and then asked to reflect on this experience as teachers. We used a participatory action research approach with a view to developing a community of enquiry to investigate this experience for improving future offerings, and informing the participants&rsquo; teaching practice. This paper reports on the professional development effort, reflecting on the successes and limitations of the work, and lessons learned in relation to bridging the above aspects of the digital divide. We then comment on the potential for further development in the context of the evolution of learning technology as a research discipline.<br /

Long-Term Student Experiences in a Hybrid, Open-Ended and Problem Based Adventure Learning Program

In this paper we investigate the experiences of elementary school children over a two-year period during which they engaged with a hybrid Adventure Learning program. In addition to delineating Adventure Learning experiences, we report on educational technology implementations in ecologically valid and complex environments, while drawing inferences on the design of sustainable and successful innovations. Our research indicates that the Adventure Learning experience over the two-year period was dynamic, participatory, engaging, collaborative, and social. Students eagerly became part of the experience both inside and outside of the classroom, and it quickly became apparent that they saw themselves as valued members of the unfolding storyline that mediated their learning. Our recommendations for future research and practice include a call to evaluate "authenticity," focus on the learner experience and narrative, and consider the interplay between pedagogy, technology, and design.Center for Learning and Memor