Using a Cloud Based Collaboration Technology in a Systems Analysis and Design Course

In order to effectively prepare the next generation of IT professionals and systems analysts, it is important to incorporate cloud based online collaboration tools into the coursework for developing the students' cooperative skills as well as for storing and sharing content. For these pedagogical and practical reasons, Google Drive has been used at a medium-sized institution of higher education in New Zealand during the Systems Analysis and Design course. Ongoing and successful use of any learning technology requires gathering meaningful feedback from students, and acting as a mentor during their learning journey. This study has been developed and implemented to help students enjoy the collaborative technology and to help increase their satisfaction and commitment. In order to overcome the obstacles that may prevent students from using Google Drive optimally, an initial survey has been conducted to better understand the influential factors and issues. Furthermore, this study aims at promoting various types of collaboration and sharing: seeing and learning from other students' work, receiving direct suggestions from others, and allowing others to edit documents that belong to them. Following the results of the first quantitative survey, numerous teaching strategies were formulated and implemented. A final qualitative survey was done at the end of the course for students to evaluate their project work. The results of this study also provide original practical and theoretical implications that may be of interest to other researchers, course designers, and teachers

Technological Tools to Support Virtual Group Projects

In today’s global, technology-driven society, educational institutions must constantly evolve in order to deliver instruction in a way that meets the ever-changing needs of students who may be geographically and demographically diverse. A variety of technologies exist that allow students to work collaboratively to complete project-based assignments online. Course management systems (CMS) such as Blackboard and D2L Brightspace (D2L) are designed to promote that collaboration. However, researchers have found that students tend to gravitate towards technologies that are familiar, rich, and synchronous (Albayrak & Yildirim, 2015; Karim & Heckman, 2005; Rowe, Bozalek, & Frantz, 2013; Wang, Woo, Quek, Yang, & Liu, M, 2012). Longitudinal, historical data from a doctoral-level online curriculum and instruction course at a Mid-Size Public Southern University was used to determine which technologies doctoral students used to facilitate group projects in the course, how the technologies were used, and their effectiveness in meeting student needs. From the data collected, the research team was able to reach conclusions, and define implications for best practice, and those are shared

Use of google drive and whatsapp for the follow-up and development of the final master's project through m-learning

Mobile Learning can be defined as the teaching-learning process that takes place at any place and time, thanks to the use of mobile devices with wireless connection. These tools allow us to access the required information through the network. In this study we analyse the influence of Google Drive and WhatsApp Application to investigate and develop the final Master's Project in students enrolled in the Master's Degree in Teacher Training in Compulsory Secondary and Upper Secondary School Education, Vocational Training and Language Teaching in the Campus of Ceuta. In this case the research has been applied to a group of six volunteer students. It is a descriptive method with an analysis developed from a qualitative approach. In order to obtain the research results, an outline for a half-structured interview was elaborated and validated by content validity. The interviews were individual and recorded for later transcription and ordering. The results show that students value the experience in a positive way, highlighting the possibility of asking and solving doubts through WhatsApp anywhere and anytime, not only with the teacher, but also with the opinion and participation of the rest of classmates, being able to see and solve the inadequate aspects that arose in the elaboration of the final Master's Project through the teacher’s comments. As a conclusion we can argue that the experience was positive, adapted to the students’ style and learning rhythm, receiving a positive feedback in less than 48 hours for writing the final Master's Project and solving the doubts along its creation

Exploring the characteristics of capable healthcare professionals

BACKGROUND: In order to negotiate complex clinical environments successfully, healthcare professionals must be more than competent – they must demonstrate an ability to adapt to dynamic situations and continually improve performance. However, emphasis on knowledge and skills alone may ignore opportunities for professional development that enables students to become practitioners.OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to ascertain what clinical experts believe are the essential characteristics of capable healthcare professionals that go beyond academic and technical competencies. competent practice, but also explored other aspects of the learning process as part of developing professional identity. These included self-evaluation as part of professional development, building relationships with patients, and the importance of acknowledging students’ emotional responses to the clinical environment. Panel members also discussed the challenge of inappropriate role-models in the clinical context, who may have a negative influence on the development of professional practice. METHOD: This study used a nominal group technique (NGT) to gather data from a panel of South African and international clinical experts, using open-ended questions and qualitative data analysis to determine emergent themes. The NGT is an interpretive research method that can be used to explore poorly defined topics, in this case to develop an understanding of the characteristics of health professionals that go beyond knowledge and technical skill. RESULTS: Panel members highlighted the importance of knowledge and skills for CONCLUSION: By including the concept of capability alongside competency in undergraduate healthcare curricula clinical educators can help students develop a sense of being that emphasises professional growth alongside knowledge and technical skills.The project was partially funded by the National Research Research Foundation.Department of HE and Training approved lis

Developing graduate attributes in an open online course

In an increasingly connected world where solving complex problems is not possible by solitary experts, educators and learners need opportunities to develop ways of thinking that allow them to engage with the dynamic and complex situations that arise in the world. The development of graduate attributes has been suggested as one way in which students can be prepared as active agents of social good. However, there are significant challenges with respect to developing these graduate attributes. This paper argues that the use of authentic learning in the design of open online courses may provide a structure for educators to develop generic graduate attributes. The use of collaborative technologies that are informed by authentic learning enables new forms of communication that allow students to fully engage with the academic process in ways that are difficult to achieve with traditional, classroom-based teaching methods. This study made use of a blogging platform to create a collaborative open online course using principles of authentic task design in order to develop graduate attributes in undergraduate physiotherapy students. The study used an interpretive, qualitative design that gathered data via focus group discussions. Transcripts were analysed inductively in order to determine categories, which were then analysed in relation to the graduate attributes of the institution in which the study took place. Student discussions suggested that they had developed at least some components of generic graduate attributes, including an approach to learning that was personal and internally motivated, the ability to consider alternative points of view and acknowledge different perspectives, the confidence to challenge knowledge and authority, and skills as empathic communicators.National Research FoundationDepartment of HE and Training approved lis

Physiotherapists’ perception of a community-based primary healthcare clinical education approach to undergraduate learning

Background. South African health systems are challenged by numerous stressors, such as a lack of resources, staff shortages and overburdened public sector demands. This necessitates appropriately equipped and trained healthcare professionals to meet the demands of this system. Community-based primary healthcare (PHC) clinical education is an approach towards preparing health science students to meet these demands. Clinical education is the cornerstone of undergraduate training. Physiotherapists are among the healthcare professionals who require undergraduate training that drives competence for independent practice.Objective. To explore the perceptions and experiences of physiotherapists as clinical supervisors within a physiotherapy undergraduate programme that adopted a community-based PHC approach to clinical training.Methods. An explorative qualitative approach was used, with semi-structured interviews with 10 purposively selected physiotherapists supervising students on the newly introduced platform. Data were transcribed and analysed using content analysis.Results. Seven themes emerged from the data, which relate to curriculum redress, organisational factors, stakeholder dynamics, barriers and enablers to decentralised clinical training, perceived preparedness for practice and recommendations.Conclusions. As the need for an increasing number of health professionals is realised, more innovative methods for clinical education of undergraduate health science students are required. Community-based PHC training for physiotherapy students is one such approach and was generally perceived as a valuable framework to incorporate competencies required for practice as future independent practitioners. Furthermore, improved communication between students, clinicians and academic staff was seen as a recommendation to influence clinical education

Perceptions of students and educators on the potential use of mobile devices in an undergraduate nursing module

Higher education is in the midst of an electronic transformative change cycle attributable to advancements in mobile technology. This transformative process took us from stationary desktop computers to laptop computers and currently to mobile technology. Mobile technology brings a new dimension to the traditional face-to-face method of teaching with the availability of online resources. This study explored the perceptions of nursing students and educators on the potential use of mobile devices in an undergraduate nursing programme at a Higher Education Institution in the Western Cape Province. A quantitative, explanatory, descriptive research design method was utilised through an electronic survey. The sample of respondents included eighty four (n=84) third year undergraduate nursing students registered for the Primary Health Care Module and six (n=6) educators involved in the facilitation of this module. An instrument was developed after a literature review had been conducted and face and content validity had been verified by experts in the field of emerging technology. The electronic survey was implemented by using Google Drive to investigate the respondents’ perceptions on the use of mobile devices. The rationale for that approach was to gain a general picture about the extent of the respondents’ knowledge with regard to the use of mobile devices to provide a foundation for developing a mobile learning intervention that would enhance students’ integration of theory and clinical practice. The descriptive data analysis was done using the IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), Version 22. Data was analysed to obtain descriptive statistics and means and standard deviations were summarised. The analysis revealed the perceptions of students and educators in relation to their knowledge on the use of mobile devices, including their preparedness to use their mobile devices for enhancing the integration of theory and clinical practice of the Primary Health Care Module. The discussion of the findings is supported by literature that contextualises the results to guide further engagement with mobile devices. The necessary ethical clearance and permissions were obtained for the study and the researcher adhered to ethical principles before and during the implementation of the survey.Department of HE and Training approved lis

Perspetivas de evolução para plataformas de código aberto na conceção e partilha de conteúdos para e-learning

O ensino e a formação a distância, assenta no princípio da separação física de aluno/formando e formador. Sendo uma modalidade de formação que facilmente se adapta às inovações tecnológicas, tira partido de novas formas de comunicação, síncrona a assíncrona, pelo que o ensino e formação a distância assume na sua nova vertente, o e-learning, a garantia de que esta não é uma modalidade complementar de ensino e de aprendizagem, mas sim uma forte alternativa ao ensino e formação tradicional. Assente na Internet e nos serviços associados a esta tecnologia o e-learning, permite que sejam criados ambientes artificiais, virtuais, que facilmente se identificam com uma sala de aula, permitindo a interação entre os diversos intervenientes no processo de ensino e aprendizagem. Os conteúdos terão obrigatoriamente de sofrer alterações quer no formato, quer no meio de comunicação. Os professores e formadores terão forçosamente de se adaptar às inovações tecnológicas que dia para dia vão emergindo no campo educacional, pelo que são necessárias ferramentas auxiliares, para a tarefa de criação de conteúdos, bem como a sua publicação e disponibilização on-line. Nesse sentido, o presente trabalho pretende apresentar um conjunto de ferramentas modernas que são maioritariamente de código aberto e de utilização livre, que podem suportar o e-learning em todas as fases do processo, desde a modelação e produção dos conteúdos, até à sua disponibilização, em ambiente de formação virtual. São abordadas aplicações que podem ser utilizadas em diferentes contextos de ensino aprendizagem, assim como as plataformas que as poderão utilizar, nomeadamente dispositivos móveis, caminhando no sentido do m-learning, como evolução natural do e-learning

Exploration of teaching preferences of instructors' use of social media

With the excessive use of social media in the 21st century, attempts to integrate social media within higher education have also increased. In this area, research has been particularly focused on the aspects of students, rather than the instructors. This study puts the emphasis on the instructors with the aim to explore their use of social media in educational settings. Their respective teaching preferences were explored, from a pedagogical perspective, with the help of a Social Media Toolkit. The toolkit was developed to guide instructors that want to integrate social media in their teaching. This study was designed as a descriptive study and quantitative data was collected from 583 instructors from 39 countries. The participants responded to four main questions in an online environment. Results revealed that instructors mostly prefer to teach their subject at the applying and understanding levels. They frequently use text-based materials and design their courses as problem-based or on a presentation model. They mostly prefer to assess students using alternative methods based on their performance, like portfolios, group works, etc. whilst classical methods were also preferred. Overall findings indicated that any instructor from any discipline or culture can transform courses onto a social media platform thanks to many different and varied features provided by social media tools

La universidad andaluza ante las TIC

Las universidades andaluzas han tenido que adaptarse a una nueva realidad social caracterizada por rápidos y continuos avances tecnológicos y para ello han invertido en tecnologías digitales como wifi, pantallas digitales y redes sociales, no solo en la docencia en las aulas sino también en la administración y gestión de otras actividades docentes e investigadoras relacionadas. Por su parte, los alumnos que acuden a sus aulas poseen potentes tecnologías a través del smartphone con acceso a información prácticamente ilimitada, si bien diversos especialistas en la materia abogan por la necesidad de dotarles de competencias digitales en las aulas. En este estudio se identifican, por un lado, algunas buenas prácticas en el uso de redes sociales en las universidades andaluzas, y por otro, las competencias digitales que se requieren de los estudiantes para desarrollarse como profesionales y ciudadanos críticos en el siglo XXI