Kevin P. Gosselin

Flipping the Classroom to Improve Student Performance and Satisfaction

This study aimed to determine the effects of a flipped classroom (i.e., reversal of time allotment for lecture and homework) and innovative learning activities on academic success and the satisfaction of nursing students. A quasi-experimental design was used to compare three approaches to learning: traditional lecture only (LO), lecture and lecture capture back-up (LLC), and the flipped classroom approach of lecture capture with innovative classroom activities (LCI). Examination scores were higher for the flipped classroom LCI group (M = 81.89, SD = 5.02) than for both the LLC group (M = 80.70, SD = 4.25), p = 0.003, and the LO group (M = 79.79, SD = 4.51), p < 0.001. Students were less satisfied with the flipped classroom method than with either of the other methods (p < 0.001). Blending new teaching technologies with interactive classroom activities can result in improved learning but not necessarily improved student satisfaction.

The Effect of Autogenic Training on Self-efficacy, Anxiety, and Performance on Nursing Student Simulation

Abstract The increased anxiety experienced by nursing students during simulations can serve as a significant barrier to learning. The use of anxiety-reducing techniques such as autogenic training (AT) can mitigate the negative effects of anxiety and improve the overall learning experience. The investigators in this study sought to understand the effect of AT on student performance and self-efficacy during simulation experiences. The use of AT was an effective technique to decrease anxiety and increase performance among nursing students during nursing simulations. Reducing anxiety during simulations can improve the student learning experience.

Health science center faculty attitudes towards interprofessional education and teamwork

ABSTRACT The attitudes of faculty towards interprofessional education (IPE) and teamwork impact the education of health professions education (HPE) students. This paper reports on a study evaluating attitudes from health professions educators towards IPE and teamwork at one academic health science center (HSC) where modest IPE initiatives have commenced. Drawing from the results of a previous investigation, this study was conducted to examine current attitudes of the faculty responsible for the training of future healthcare professionals. Survey data were collected to evaluate attitudes from HSC faculty, dentistry, nursing, medicine, pharmacy and public health. In general, positive HSC faculty attitudes towards interprofessional learning, education, and teamwork were significantly predicted by those affiliated with the component of nursing. Faculty development aimed at changing attitudes and increasing understanding of IPE and teamwork are critical. Results of this study serve as an underpinning to leverage strengths and evaluate weakness in initiating IPE.

Threshold concepts about online pedagogy for novice online teachers in higher education

ABSTRACT The use of threshold concepts to define key points of curricula is a relatively recent development in educational research. Threshold concepts represent crucial stages of learning, the acquisition of which enables learners to progress from one level of achievement to another. In this context, the learner is described as passing through an unsettling liminal space in which they may encounter troublesome knowledge and experience uncertainty or anxiety. When applied to online pedagogy in higher education contexts, academic staff become the learners as they extend their on-campus teaching knowledge into the online realm. In this setting, the identification of threshold concepts has the potential to inform the content of professional development (PD) programmes for novice online teachers. Because little research has yet been reported on threshold concepts associated with online teaching, this study identified these threshold concepts and investigated their specific nature. Funded by an Office for Learning and Teaching Australia Grant, the project employed a mixed-methods research approach. A mixture of qualitative and quantitative data was gathered from responses to questionnaires and reflective journal entries provided by university educators who were teaching in online contexts. Also, experts in the fields of PD, online teaching and threshold concepts were consulted using a modified Delphi technique that incorporated two rounds of surveys. Results of this study are discussed in association with potential applications to PD design for novice online educators, informed by the most fundamental learning experiences encountered by their more experienced colleagues.