evaluation of virtual classroom technology - blackboard collaborate
DESCRIPTION
Evaluation of virtual classroom technology using Blackboard Collaborate for Masters of Nursing Cancer/Palliative Care distance education students at La Trobe University.TRANSCRIPT
latrobe.edu.au CRICOS Provider 00115M
Title of presentation Name of presenter Title of presenter School / Faculty / Division
xx Month 201x
Evaluation of virtual classroom technology: implications for student engagement and satisfaction. Liz Pascoe - Stream Coordinator, Masters in Cancer Nursing Austin Clinical School Sharon Karasmanis, Faculty Librarian (Health Sciences) 6 December 2013
2 La Trobe University
The Students:
• Masters of Nursing (Breast Care) and Masters of Nursing (Cancer/Palliative Care)
• Postgraduate return-to-study mature age students
• Distance education!
3 La Trobe University
The Challenge!
• To deliver educational instruction in real time
• To help students to transfer existing skill base to the academic research environment
• To teach students how to conduct systematic searches of the health databases to locate high quality evidence!
4 La Trobe University
The Tool - Blackboard Collaborate!
• Virtual classroom
• Educational learning technology
• Educational instruction in real time
• Excellent for remote/distance students
• Session recordings available
• Easy to connect!
• Example on next slide
5 La Trobe University
6 La Trobe University
The Evaluation
• Evaluate the efficacy of BC as learning medium
• Online survey contained Likert style responses, quantitative and qualitative feedback
• Three sections:
• Student experience in using Collaborate
• Student perception of impact on learning
• Student attitude towards research
7 La Trobe University
What did we learn?
• Quantitative:
• BC: ease of use 94% rated OK to very easy
• Ratings from Important to Most Important
• Real-time engagement - 78%
• Session content - 83%
• Social interaction – 61%
8 La Trobe University
What did we learn?
• Qualitative comments:
• ‘Keep in touch with what other students were doing’. ‘Evaluate how others were travelling’
• ‘Recordings helped to alleviate feelings of isolation … distance education learner’
• ‘It gets so lonely being out here in the desert [Broken Hill] … so isolated’. ‘Being able to connect’
• ‘Used the session recordings as a sound base for assignments – would have struggled without them’. ‘Helped me refocus …if I was bogged down’
9 La Trobe University
Student attitudes towards research
• Confidence in library research skills:
• Conducting database searches for health literature: 94%
• Knowing how to reference a source: 88%
• Revising the search strategy: Somewhat Difficult to Somewhat Easy
• Finding full text articles: 100%
10 La Trobe University
In Conclusion …
• BC enabled delivery of complex educational activities in real time
• Recordings scaffold the session content
• Facilitates the key androgogical principle of being self-directed
• Enables students to connect!
Thank you
latrobe.edu.au CRICOS Provider 00115M
• Connect
• Confidence
• Learn