Empowering Learners in the Information Age: Technology Trends in Education

1. Chapter 13Technology in Education

2. The Information Age A period in history characterized by: • Growth of technology • Information explosion

3. The Information Age Impact on teachers and learners: • Learning has become a shared responsibility. • Teacher has taken on the role of facilitator.

4. The Information Age Impact of Information Age technology on education: • Greater access to educational programs • Access to a world-wide audience • Interactive learning opportunities

5. The Information Age (cont’d) Trends: • Establishment of standards • e-Health Code of Ethics • Criteria for evaluating Web sites • Development of new field of study • Consumer Informatics

6. E-Health Code of Ethics • Candor • Honesty • Quality • Informed Consent • Privacy • Professionalism

7. E-Health Code of Ethics (cont’d) • Responsible partnering • Accountability

8. Consumer Informatics • Analyzes consumer needs for information • Studies/implements methods for making information accessible • Models/integrates consumer preferences into medical information systems

9. On-line Healthcare Education • World Wide Web (WWW) • Internet

10. World Wide Web(WWW) • “Virtual Space” for information • Component of the Internet • More than 1 billion Web pages • Text, graphics, audio, and video • Released in 1989

11. Health Information on the WWW • Designed for consumers and healthcare professionals • Averages over 22 million hits per month • Used by over 52 million Americans per month • Wide range of sites providing a variety of services and types of information

12. Pew Report on Web Use Approximately 21 million Americans have used Web information to: • Make decisions about how to treat an illness • Decide whether to seek a healthcare provider • Identify questions to be answered • Decide to seek a second opinion

13. Nurse Educators and the WWW Recognizing the influence of the WWW nurses should: • Assess client’s use of the WWW • Clarify information found by clients • Share resources • Create Web-based resources • Teach information literacy skills

14. Computer Literacy The ability to use the computer hardware and software necessary to accomplish routine tasks

15. Information Literacy The ability to: • Access needed information • Evaluate information found • Organize information • Use information from a variety of sources

16. Information Literacy Skills for Web Use The ability to: • Reduce a problem to a searchable command • Categorize a Web page according to its purpose • Identify sources of potential bias • Make judgments about the accuracy and reliability of information found

17. Criteria for Evaluating Web Sites • Accuracy • Design • Authors/Sponsors • Currency • Authority

18. Information Literacy Skills for Web Use (cont’d) The ability to: • Make decisions about the comprehensiveness of information found • Determine currency

19. Information Literacy Skills for Web Use (cont’d) The ability to: • Identify resources to answer questions or verify assumptions made

20. Internet • Global network of computers • Designed to create and exchange information • Commissioned in 1969

21. Internet-based Communication • E-mail • Chat • Listserv • Newsgroups • Discussion Boards

22. E-Mail Advantages: • Easy to use • Can be used any time, day or night • Low cost • World-wide access • Provides a written record

23. E-Mail (cont’d) Disadvantages: • Messages lack context • Takes time to complete an interaction • Legal issues related to the written record created • Privacy cannot be assured

24. Chat Advantages: • Allows for real-time discussion • Widely accessible • Provides a mechanism for information exchange

25. Chat (cont’d) Disadvantages: • Moves very quickly • May be difficult to follow • Requires everyone to be on at the same time

26. Electronic Discussion Groups Broad category covering many formats of on-line discussion. Advantages: • Means of networking • Vehicle for information exchange • Can be used to provide on-line support

27. Electronic Discussion Groups (cont’d) Advantages: • Easy to use • Low cost • Anonymity

28. Electronic Discussion Groups (cont’d) Disadvantages: • Few checks for accuracy • Can be time-consuming • May result in e-mail overload

29. Digital Divide • The gap between those individuals who have access to information technology resources and those who do not

30. Digital Divide (cont’d) Risk Factors: • Age (>65 years) • Income (<$35,000/year household income) • Race/Ethnic Origin (African-American, Hispanic) • Level of Education (<High School)

31. Interventions withOlder Adults • Teach principles of ergonomics • Provide access to resources • Use motivational strategies • Create nonthreatening teaching environments

32. Promoting Digital Inclusion for People with Disabilities • Web page design • Software selection • Adaptive devices

33. Working with Groupsat Risk • Recognize/assess risk factors. • Be knowledgeable about resources. • Create supportive environments.

34. Professional Education • Degree programs for distance learners are increasingly available. • Continued education programs are widely available in a variety of formats. • Staff development and training via technology is increasing.

35. Distance Education • Degree programs are offered at all levels. • Accredited by NLNAC and/or CCNE • Increased use of on-line format. • Standards for quality in distance education have been developed. • Still a relatively new way of educating nurses.

36. E-Learning • “Just-in-time training” • “Anytime. . .anywhere” • Designed for convenience and functionality

37. M-Learning • New strategy which makes use of wireless portable devices. • Currently only limited use.

38. State of the Evidence • Large body of research investigating effect of distance education technologies on student outcomes. • Growing body of research on use of technology in patient education.

39. Summary • Technology is a powerful tool to enhance learning. However, technology is a means to an end, not an end in and of itself. It must be used with thought, careful planning, and thorough evaluation.