Innovative digital learning

The new programming technologies allow for the creation of components which can be automatically or manually assembled to reach a new experience in knowledge understanding and mastering or in getting skills for a specific knowledge area. A Visual C# .NET implementation under development is discussed.learning component, user control, automatic assembly, adaptor

Innovative learning from simulated patient complaints

Repeated inquiries have highlighted issues with patient safety, communication and the exploration of complaints, emphasising the interplay between each in securing the optimum patients’ journey through health and social care provision (Francis 2013, Keogh 2013). The Care Quality Commission (2014) highlighted that every concern or complaint is an opportunity to improve. A complaint may signal a problem, with the potential to help save lives, and well-handled concerns can help to improve the quality of patient care. Despite these potential benefits there is a wide variation in how complaints are handled or the fostering of an open culture where all complaints are welcomed and learnt from. The University of Derby in delivering pre-registration nursing education utilises simulation to explore patient complaints in order to facilitate recognition of the value they offer, providing transferability to enhance nursing practice and improve patient safety. The simulated experience consists of examining the reasons for complaints; impacts upon service users; lessons for nurses and other health professionals; means of address and preventing repetition of similar incidents;enhancements for practice and lessons for organisations. As part of this process the inclusion and effects of Human Factors are explored from the inception of the simulation experience. Students’ simulate three phases: root cause analysis; the development of a response letter; and a proposal for practice enhancement. These are all subsequently explored via a simulated Boardroom experience. This consists of a panel of allocated ‘experts’ to which the students’ present their findings and recommendations to enhance potential future patient experience and safety. Robust exploration of students’ thought processes and actions are incorporated within this experience via questioning, observation and reflections of the panel. Resulting from this simulation, students develop key transferrable skills: critical thinking; team working; leadership; knowledge of systems and processes; communication skills; customer care; quality assurance, governance and promoting patient safety that are mapped against the competencies outlined in the Nursing and Midwifery Council (2010) Standards for Pre-registration Nursing Education. This experience and feedback is recorded within each students practice document. This is used for subsequent review by their practice mentor, and can be used as part of their practice assessment at the applicable progression point. Learning from service user complaints is high on the agendas of commissioners and healthcare providers. This simulated experience has the potential to be transferred in to not only nursing practice but also any other healthcare professional pre-registration education and continued professional development. References Care Quality Commission (2014) Complaints Matter. Newcastle Upon Tyne: CQC. Francis, R. (2013) Report of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry, London: The Stationery Office. Keogh, B. (2013) Review into the Quality of Care and Treatment Provided by 14 Hospital Trusts in England: An overview report. London: The Stationary Office. Nursing and Midwifery Council (2010) Standards for Pre-registration Nursing Education. London: NMC. Key words: • simulation • complaints • patient safety • enhancing practice. Bullet points that indicate how your work contributes to knowledge development: • innovative approaches to teaching and learning through the application of simulated complaints • enhancement of patient safety and the quality of care • development of transferable competence for nursing practice

Redesigning Information Resources for Digital Natives

The influx of Digital Natives into higher education, combined with the introduction of virtual learning environments as the primary means of interaction between students and universities, will have a transformational effect on learning and on library services. This paper examines the e-book market-place and the main UK responses to it (the Southern Universities Purchasing Consortium’s tender and the JISC E-Books Observatory project). Within this context the innovative measures already taken by Bournemouth University are discussed, as are plans to develop innovative pedagogic frameworks and an e-reading strategy through a Higher Education Academy-funded pathfinder project, Innovative E-Learning with E-Resources (eRes)

Developing Point of Learning : an innovative approach to enhancing professional learning

In this paper we: * expand upon some of the issues with current approaches used in the development and assessment of professional practice, * outline the current emphasis upon a life of learning and why we need a new approach to assessment that enhances the development of professional practice, * introduce and provide a brief overview of Point of Learning (PoL) – a new approach that builds upon our growing understanding of learning and takes advantage of the power of digital technology, * explain how PoL overcomes problems with existing approaches, * develop the theoretical underpinning for this new approach and * present the overarching structure in which this new model can be developed. This is illustrated with an example from the schools sector – though it is important to remember that PoL is applicable to any professional development context

Applying university strategic objectives at the school level

University Teachers at the School of Interdisciplinary Studies are working together on the Teaching, Learning and Participation Project. This project encompasses three strands: widening participation, student experience, and innovative learning and teaching; all key aspects of the University’s strategic objectives. The widening participation strand has focused primarily on partnership with local schools. This includes Campus Days whereby pupils who have the ability, but perhaps not the confidence, to enter higher education come to the University's two campuses and experience a day as a student. Additionally this strand is seeking to conduct a comparative study of assessment and feedback processes in secondary and higher education. The student experience strand has concentrated on employability and internationalisation. Examples include working with the local education authority to extend student learning and provide staff CPD opportunities via the establishment of an annual education lecture, and developing opportunities for internships overseas. Finally, the innovative learning and teaching strand has sought to review current teaching practices within the School, and to identify and trial innovative methodologies in an effort to engage learners more fully and thereby to enhance both the student and staff learning experiences

'It's All About the Grade'. Students' Perceptions of Innovative Assessment

Objectives: The study explored whether innovative assessment methods can enhance the student learning experience and promote effective learning. More specifically: Do innovative assessments encourage students to focus on the processes of teaching and learning rather than outcomes? Design: A qualitative design using focus groups conducted with undergraduate and postgraduate psychology students at University of Worcester was employed. This enabled a detailed exploration of how students made sense of their experiences, their understandings and perceptions of innovative assessment. Methods: Focus groups were conducted with 8 undergraduate and 7 postgraduate students from the University of Worcester. Students were drawn from a convenience sample and were included if they had completed at least one form of innovative assessment during their degree, either at undergraduate or postgraduate level. Transcripts from each focus group were analysed using Ritchie and Spencer’s Thematic framework method. Results: Students’ perceived innovative assessments to have a positive effect on their learning if they: related to authentic ‘real world’ tasks, encouraged the application of psychological knowledge or enabled the development of transferable skills that have long-term benefits for employment. However, the extent to which these perceptions impacted upon their approach to study was unclear. Conclusions: This study demonstrated both the benefits to and challenges of implementing innovative assessment methods. Greater emphasis ought to be placed on students as active participants in the assessment process, developing a shared understanding of criteria. Exposure to these methods ought to be taken into account when evaluating their potential to enhance the learning experience of students

Comparing Income Distributions Between Economies That Reward Innovation And Those That Reward Knowledge

In this paper, we develop an optimal control model of labor allocation in two types of economy - one economy is for innovative workers and the other one for knowledge workers. In both economies, workers allocate time between learning and discovering new knowledge. Both markets consist of a continuum of heterogeneous agents that are distinguished by their learning ability. Workers are rewarded for the knowledge they possess in the knowledge economy, and only for the new knowledge they create in the innovative economy. We show that, at steady state, while human capital accumulation is higher in the knowledge economy, the rate of knowledge creation is not necessarily higher in the innovative economy. Secondly, we prove that when the cost of learning is sufficiently high, the distribution of net wage income in the knowledge economy dominates that in the innovative economy in the first degree.

Informal learning evidence in online communities of mobile device enthusiasts

This chapter describes a study that investigated the informal learning practices of enthusiastic mobile device owners. Informal learning is far more widespread than is often realized. Livingston (2000) pointed out that Canadian adults spend an average of fifteen hours per week on informal learning activities, more than they spend on formal learning activities. The motivation for these learning efforts generally comes from the individual, not from some outside force such as a school, university, or workplace. Therefore, in the absence of an externally imposed learning framework, informal learners will use whatever techniques,resources, and tools best suit their learning needs and personal preferences. As ownership of mobile technologies becomes increasingly widespread in the western world, it is likely that learners who have access to this technology will use it to support their informal learning efforts. This chapter presents the findings of a study into the various and innovative ways in which PDA and Smartphone users exploit mobile device functionality in their informal learning activities. The findings suggested that mobile device users deploy the mobile, connective, and collaborative capabilities of their devices in a variety of informal learning contexts, and in quite innovative ways. Trends emerged, such as the increasing importance of podcasting and audio and the use of built-in GPS, which may have implications for future studies. Informal learners identified learning activities that could be enhanced by the involvement of mobile technology, and developed methods and techniques that helped them achieve their learning goals

Harnessing Technology: new modes of technology-enhanced learning: a case study series

This report presents the outcomes and conclusions from a series of 18 case studies exploring the innovative use of technology for learning and teaching using new modes of technology