Engagement Activity 1
I am going to relate this week’s theory and course concepts to my scope of Clinical Teaching at the School of Nursing & Midwifery Residential Schools. Last term, I participated in a three day Residential School covering aspects of Physical Assessment and Patient Interview Techniques. This residential school was held in week 6 of the course and we also had to teach skills and fundamental knowledge that will be covered in the Moodle Sessions from week 7-12.
Personally, I find it interesting when I reflect upon classifications of pedagogy within my own teaching context. As per the traditional definition of the pedagogy of being highly teacher-centred and directed learning where you have the focus of learning in the centre of the curriculum areas with linear or planned learning sequences. This type of learning is often conducted during the Nursing Residential Schools and Lab Sessions. I enjoy this type of teaching and I know it is often very hard work to ensure your lessons are a success. This pedagogy relates to the information that the students had not yet discovered in their course (information from week 7-12) that I was teaching in the Residential School. Therefore you can associate this type of learning as Transmission model of teaching and learning.
Andragogy on the other hand is generally describes the principle underpinning adult learning. It identifies learners as independent, autonomous and self-directing. The learning relationship with the teacher is often based on collaboration and openness. Basically, the teacher uses the learners experience as a resource for learning with a focus on problem-centred environment. This type of learning is fun and I find it easy to undertake. In relation to the residential school this type of learning was conducted in the beginning sessions of the 3 day time-frame and often reflected upon what the students had learnt in the previous six weeks from their Moodle course site. Often, the students and I will interact with each other and the communication flows in several directions. The students will work closely with the teacher and often will have many questions are answered for the learner. This type of education is often referred to as Generative and I like how the underlying belief of this model is that it is not enough just to germinate and sprout, but rather the learner must show growth as well.
As yet, I have not discovered how to do Heutagogy model of learning within a Residential Skills Lab – however, I will be discovering this methodology in a couple of weeks due to observation of an experienced Lecturer during her residential school for her course. So this is going to be a very interesting exercise. However, on reflection Heutagogy is the type of learning that occurs in the workplace after graduation as a Nurse. This model of education can also be referred to as Transformative is where the learner gets out into the real world and participates in real activities. For my nursing students this type of learning occurs in their clinical placements. The teacher and students need to blossom and go out into the world to create something positive for self and social transformation.
Personally, I found it very interesting to read the article about Chickering and Gamson’s Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education. Let us examine these principles and how I have applied them in my course for Term 3 of 2014. The principles are:
1) Good practice encourages contacts between students and Faculty. This can be achieved by using the Easiconnect computer system, setting up weekly blackboard collaborate tutorials and using the student activity viewer to see which students are interacting and connecting with your course and you. This allows you as a lecturer to target those students who are likely to drop out of your course or even worst fail to submit assignments.
2) Good Practice develops reciprocity and cooperation among students: sharing information via interaction with other students using blackboard collaborate, blogs or Wiki areas are fundamental for today’s lecturer.
3) Using active learning techniques: this is achieved by using Simulation within the Residential Schools and uploading these videos onto YouTube for the students to view.
4) Providing prompt feedback: this is often achieved by checking my emails on a regular basis during the day and in addition, checking the course moodle forums for any questions that need to be answered.
5) Lecturers emphasizing time on task: the Easiconnect computer system also documents this aspect of student life.
6) Communication of High Expectations: this information is often communicated via the Moodle forums to my students.
7) Good practice respects diverse talents and ways of learning: using different types of learning like students to undertake on-line quizzes as well as the traditional writing and submitting assignments on-line via the Moodle computer system.
Within the Learning and Teaching Framework for CQUniversity, Australia consist of eight principles:
· Engage design
· Engaging delivery
· Effective student support
· Aligned and authentic assessment
· Timely and useful feedback
· Effective moderation
· Evidence-based evaluation
· Enhancement-led review
On reflection, I considered the above principles are in line with the seven principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education by Chickering and Gamson’s.
What do you think?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hello,
My name is Marina and I am a CQU Lecturer with the School of Nursing & Midwifery (North Rockhampton Campus).
I am looking forward to learning and partaking in this course.
Kind regards
Marina
