Final Reflection
In this module we learned about a way to focus on creating critical thinking opportunities for students. I have said that one cannot teach critical thinking but I was wrong. It just takes giving students the opportunity to practice. We have a similar process with our nursing students to teach them to make nursing decisions but I hadn't tied that to critical thinking. This module, however, has provided me with insight into how to promote critical thinking in the online courses that I will be developing for our school. The term "evaluation" can take on many meanings and occur in many phases of learning. But I like how Drs. Lehmann and Chamberlain use the EASyR process to develop activities to deepen thinking. We were asked to take a lesson plan and re-design it for online presentation using the EASyR method. It so happens that I had re-designed a presentation delivered earlier this semester using information from my last UW class. We had used Horton's 'Absorb-Do-Connect' method to develop activities for a class. As I reviewed my lesson plan, it occurred to me that there seemed to be a direct relationship between the Evaluation - Absorb, Analyze - Do and Synthesize - Connect. I tweaked the table to create a fully online class and then identified what I believed to be evaluation, analysis, and synthesis in the activities I had chosen earlier. What I was most excited about with this activity was the fact that not only do I have design tools, I can use them! I didn't just read about them in a book - I put them to practical use. I want my students to have the opportunity to do the same in their learning.
I did not make any changes to this presentation. I did add a downloadable file of the lesson plan.
I did not make any changes to this presentation. I did add a downloadable file of the lesson plan.
Lesson Plan Revision with Identification of EASyR Critical Thinking Process
The original lesson, Nursing Concepts, introduced the new nursing student to the profession on nursing. Time allotted to cover the topic was 3 hours. Pre-class preparation consisted of required text reading from nursing textbooks. The format was lecture with PowerPoint presentation as support. The major focus of the lecture was history and development of nursing as a profession, educational preparation, and professional standards of practice. Students were seated in a dimly lit classroom and lecture was delivered with questions interspersed. Presented in the table on the following page is a comparison of the old delivery format and the new online adaptation of the module.
The most obvious change is moving from instructor-centered delivery to a student-centered learning environment. Using Horton’s “Absorb-Do-Connect” strategy, the content in the new presentation format is refocused and moved towards a more learner-centered design. Objectives have been revised to provide directions for assessments and activities. Because the students are first semester nursing students and new to the profession of nursing, a major outcome for the module is to help the students develop a professional attitude towards patient care. The verbs chosen for the objectives reflect the necessity of impacting affective learning. Students are directed to review the readings and PowerPoint slides presented with instructor script included. Online analysis activities include completion of the Ideal Professional Nurse webquest, creation of a timeline of nursing's development as an autonomous profession, and a patient care map. Discussion prompts were formalized by developing essential questions based on the work of Wiggins & McTighe. Formal assessments include submission and review of the professional characteristic list and reflection of student learning from the experience based on the “Ideal Professional Nurse” webquest activity, the historic timeline and the patient care map. Following implementation, the module will be reevaluated for clarity, content and achievement of student objectives.
The Lesson Comparison Table is on the next page.
The most obvious change is moving from instructor-centered delivery to a student-centered learning environment. Using Horton’s “Absorb-Do-Connect” strategy, the content in the new presentation format is refocused and moved towards a more learner-centered design. Objectives have been revised to provide directions for assessments and activities. Because the students are first semester nursing students and new to the profession of nursing, a major outcome for the module is to help the students develop a professional attitude towards patient care. The verbs chosen for the objectives reflect the necessity of impacting affective learning. Students are directed to review the readings and PowerPoint slides presented with instructor script included. Online analysis activities include completion of the Ideal Professional Nurse webquest, creation of a timeline of nursing's development as an autonomous profession, and a patient care map. Discussion prompts were formalized by developing essential questions based on the work of Wiggins & McTighe. Formal assessments include submission and review of the professional characteristic list and reflection of student learning from the experience based on the “Ideal Professional Nurse” webquest activity, the historic timeline and the patient care map. Following implementation, the module will be reevaluated for clarity, content and achievement of student objectives.
The Lesson Comparison Table is on the next page.
References:
Horton, W. (2012). E-Learning by design. San Francisco: Pfeiffer.
Lehmann, K. J., & Chamberlin, L. (2009). Making the move to eLearning: putting your course online. Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield Education.
Wiggins, G. P., & McTighe, J. (2011). The understanding by design guide to creating high-quality units. Alexandria, Va.: ASCD.
Horton, W. (2012). E-Learning by design. San Francisco: Pfeiffer.
Lehmann, K. J., & Chamberlin, L. (2009). Making the move to eLearning: putting your course online. Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield Education.
Wiggins, G. P., & McTighe, J. (2011). The understanding by design guide to creating high-quality units. Alexandria, Va.: ASCD.
