Online vs. face-to-face discussions in a web-based research methods course for postgraduate nursing students : A quasi-experimental study

Background: Web-based technologies are increasingly being used to create modes of online learning for nurses but their effect has not been assessed in nurse education. Objectives: Assess whether participation in face-to-face discussion seminars or online asynchronous discussion groups had different effects on educational attainment in a webbased course. Design: Non-randomised or quasi-experimental design with two groups – students choosing to have face-to-face discussion seminars and students choosing to have online discussions. Setting: The Core Methods module of a postgraduate research methods course. Participants: All 114 students participating in the first 2 years during which the course teaching material was delivered online. Outcome: Assignment mark for Core Methods course module. Methods: Background details of the students, their choices of modules and assignment marks were collected as part of the routine course administration. Students’ online activities were identified using the student tracking facility within WebCT. Regression models were fitted to explore the association between available explanatory variables and assignment mark. Results: Students choosing online discussions had a higher Core Methods assignment mark (mean 60.8/100) than students choosing face-to-face discussions (54.4); the difference was statistically significant (t = 3.13, df = 102, p = 0.002), although this ignores confounding variables. Among online discussion students, assignment mark was significantly correlated with the numbers of discussion messages read (Kendall’s taub = 0.22, p = 0.050) and posted (Kendall’s taub = 0.27, p = 0.017); among face-to-face discussion students, it was significantly associated with the number of non-discussion hits in WebCT (Kendall’s taub = 0.19, p = 0.036). In regression analysis, choice of discussion method, whether an MPhil/PhD student, number of non-discussion hits in WebCT, number of online discussion messages read and number posted were associated with assignment mark at the 5% level of significance when taken singly; in combination, only whether an MPhil/PhD student (p = 0.024) and number of non-discussion hits (p = 0.045) retained significance. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that a research methods course can be delivered to postgraduate healthcare students at least as successfully by an entirely online method in which students participate in online discussion as by a blended method in which students accessing web-based teaching material attend face-to-face seminar discussions. Increased online activity was associated with higher assignment marks. The study highlights new opportunities for educational research that arise from the use of virtual learning environments that routinely record the activities of learners and tutors

Aspects of the biology of polar pycnogonids

Submitted to the Council for National Academic Awards in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.The internal morphology of fixed specimens of Antarctic pycnogonids WDS examined. Theories postulated during the course of these histological studies were then tested and modified by observations on live material and specimens fixed specially for histochemistry on visits both to the Arctic and d Antarctic. Live material was also transported back to Britain from these regions and cultured in refrigerated marine aquaria. The digestive system was studied in considerable detail. It is suggested that digestion is intracellular with gut cells changing their morphology during their lifetime. Embryo cells develop into Absorptive cells which at some stage take up a glandular appearance but not a glandular function. There are therefore two gut cell types, 'Embryo' and 'Absorptive/glandular'; this is in disagreement with some previous authors who separate the latter. The rele of the gut cell in the light of present day lysosome theory is discussed and a re-interpretation of work by previous authors suggested. It is found that the digestive process is slow and the prey tastes of the species studied, catholic. Furthermore, it is found that some species can survive for long periods without appearing to feed. Suggestions are made as to the significance and mechanisms of these phenomena. Mass transport in the body cavities is considered flnd compared with that of Hydra, an animal with which previous authors have made comparisons; - their philosophy is questioned. Blood flow, heartbeat and intestine movements are also considered and suggestions for future studies made. The role of blood itself is studied a possible clotting system described. Preliminary experiments on blood electrophoresis and chromatography indicate that such techniques may be useful in clarifying some complexities of pycnogonid classification and might provide a means by which future workers in the field might better link nutritional state, mass transport, digestion and external environment conditions