Charles Anyinam

Trialing a contextual approach to academic honesty.

Concerns about academic honesty in higher education are widespread. To address this issue, faculty took part in a 3-year trial of a highly successful approach to academic honesty. Guiding this approach were an appreciation of student context, faculty orientation to student engagement, and available antiplagiarism technology.

EXPLORING SIMULATION UTILIZATION AND SIMULATION EVALUATION PRACTICES AND APPROACHES IN UNDERGRADUATE NURSING EDUCATION

Simulation-based learning (SBL) is rapidly becoming one of the most significant teaching-learning-evaluation strategies available in undergraduate nursing education. While there is indication within the literature and anecdotally about the benefits of simulation, abundant and strong evidence that supports the effectiveness of simulation for learning and evaluation in nursing education is slow to emerge and has yet to be fully established. As the use of SBL increases in nursing education, the need to evaluate students appropriately, accurately, and in reliable ways intensifies. Furthermore, as nursing programs increasingly consider SBL as direct clinical replacement in the context of increased student enrolment and dwindling clinical placements, standardized evaluation must play a vital role. Our study investigated simulation utilization and simulation evaluation practices and approaches employed among undergraduate nursing educational programs in Ontario, Canada, using a mixed methods approach. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected through a confidential online survey. The goal of our study is to establish a “picture” of current trends, practices, and approaches related to simulation that is employed within this entire province. An overview of the study findings and recommendations that have potential to make a substantial contribution to the growing evidence for best practices in the science of simulation will be discussed. Keywords: Simulation; Simulation-based Learning, Evaluation; Undergraduate Nursing Education

Developing a Pilot Online Learning and Mentorship Website for Nurses

The Ontario Nursing Connection (ONC) was a project funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. It used electronic telecommunication tools via the internet as a vehicle for information exchange and virtual connection for nurses and other healthcare professionals. With a focus on three themes (leadership, mentorship, and interprofessional practice), this innovative website attracted close to 11,000 site visitors in a 12-month pilot period. Registered users (N = 645) who participated in a variety of learning and mentorship opportunities hailed from 29 countries around the world. Enhancements to existing software modules and new programming specific to the design of the project were used to create a rich repository of resources (text-based, audio, audio-visual, and virtual) on a number of topic areas. Additionally, through a virtual mentorship program, the ONC provided real time opportunities for knowledge transfer and support for career mobility. Learning from this project can now be applied to the development of a more permanent portal focusing on these themes and utilizing readily available and easily accessible technology to support continuous learning and professional development for nurses and other healthcare professionals.