Tuesday 29 May 2012

Activity Ten -How do your ideas and strategies for flexible learning fit with your organisation?

How do your ideas and strategies for flexible learning fit with your organisation?Institutional Vision:-
Developing a course for return to practice midwives fits well with the priorities of Otago Polytechnic (OP). To lead our sector in educational excellence. Midwives engaging with OP for recertification may return to the institution for ongoing education i.e. postgraduate studies through having had a positive flexible learning experience. To achieve the highest level of confidence from our communities. Midwives will have empathy for the undergraduate midwife as they will be increasingly familiar with the blended model of distance education through participating in a component of these themselves. Commitment to Kai Tahu is reflected in the integration of Tauranga Kaupapa in curriculum development and in midwifery practice which is always a highly consultative process.  Workforce turning to OP for education supports OP remaining financially sustainable. Building on a collaborative relationship with the midwifery council ensures a steady stream of students. Distance study means that return to practice midwives who are often heavily committed in other areas of their lives such as children/grandchildren/voluntary work will not have to leave their communities. Easy access to study resources means that OP is functioning in as a socially responsible and sustainable organization. Not having to travel reduces the financial burden on the student and having the majority of resources on-line means that less trees are sacrificed as students are discouraged from printing documents as they are easily saved on their computers. Re-engaging an inactive workforce within communities especially in rural settings is surely the ultimate in recycling!

Some readings I have been reflecting on in relation to flexibility and content
"As a rule, you should only think of authoring new content as a last resort. Remember, the ‘value’ in flexible learning – as in face-to-face teaching – is in the teaching and interaction with students and creating the right conditions in which they can learn. It is a common mistake to equate the creation and delivery of content with teaching (both on-line and face to face) – it is not the same. Do not be afraid to use textbooks and third-party resources to support your e-learning content strategy; this is very commonin the e-learning ‘hotspots’ of the USA and Australia. Following this strategy allows you and your team to concentrate on teaching and developing your students’ understanding, and avoids you getting sidetracked into content creation," Casey, J. & Wilson, P. (2005) p.3-4.


 “In the popular vision of lifelong learning, students take more control of their own learning. This is a fine ambition, but we need to recognise that the capacity to do so varies at different points in an academic career. There can be a danger of projecting an inappropriate learner model onto prospective student”, Casey, J. & Wilson, P. (2005) p.9.

Casey, J. & Wilson, P. (2005). A practical guide to providing flexible learning in further and higher education


In the words of Ron Miller, editor of Holistic Review: cited by David Orr
"Our culture does not nourish that which is best or noblest in the human spirit. It does not cultivate vision, imagination, or aesthetic or spiritual sensitivity. It does not encourage gentleness, generosity, caring, or compassion. Increasingly in the late 20th Century, the economic-technocratic-statist worldview has become a monstrous destroyer of what is loving and life-affirming in the human soul."
http://www.context.org/ICLIB/IC27/Orr.htm

This is an important reminder to ensure that the student is always at the forefront of our minds. Wouldn't it be wonderful if our teaching ignited a passion for learning or in my case midwifery. Our greatest success might lie no in the A grade student but in the recruitment and retention of passionate students who have valuable life experiences and despite challenging circumstances themselves can bring their own special dimension to being 'with women' as midwives.  Facilitation of their sucess by celebrating their strengths and shoring up their weaknesses surely a privilege :-)  Flexibility must be one of these tools
Regards Fee

Monday 28 May 2012

Activity Nine Culture

I like this description of culture
“More recently, however, culture has been seen as an entity that transcends ethnic and national boundaries. Viewed from this perspective, culture encompasses “the patterns shaped by ethnicity, religion, socio-economic status, geography, profession, ideology, gender, and lifestyle” (Branch, 1993, p. 7). This more recent definition of culture embraces the idea that every person and human group is both cultural and multicultural (Uzuner, 2009)”.
Uzuner, S. (2009). Questions of Culture in Distance Learning: A Research Review. The International Review Of Research In Open And Distance Learning, 10(3), Article 10.3.13. Retrieved from http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/690/1273
What approaches can you utilise to meet the needs of indigenous learners?“Those who provide instruction or design materials in such cross-cultural  situations should increase their own knowledge of target learners. In particular they might ensure the presence of instructional components that include explanations of vocabularly and intendant concepts, historical sketches, brief overview of disciplinary procedures (such as those used in archeology), and pictures and illustrations( to illustrate unfamiliar architectural elements, for instance)” (Wilson, 2001, p62). 
Wilson, M. S. (2001). Cultural considerations in online instruction and learning. Distance Education, 22(1), 52-64. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/217784208?accountid=39660

It would be interesting to explore the concept of ethnocentrism  and in turn share our own everyday experiences of same within my course. Turanga Kaupapa is part of midwifery standards of practice culturally appropriate practice is an important part of meeting clients needs holistically . For example as a relatively new midwife I once suggested to a young Asian woman that she get into a bath in labour for pain relief.  I duly ran same and left the room. I returned to the room to find her in the bath with clothing on. I was a bit taken aback and did not want to compound her embarrassment by suggesting she remove same especially as I suddenly realised she was probably wanting to cover up for her male doctor returning soon also. I had made many assumptions about this woman i.e. that she would be comfortable in front of me undressed, that she would understand the purpose of the water and that she felt free to decline. I was in a position of authority and may have imposed my cultural birthing practices on her.
As a student nurse I was required to interview someone who identified with a culture other than my own and write a report about my findings (we had set questions). Our entire class was informed we had all failed the assignment as we had all interviewed someone too similar to ourselves, we were all suitably horrified. I challenged the lectures that they were making cultural assumptions about me as they had not interviewed me to make this determination and I asked them how they knew what my cultural identity was?  I was informed that I was the only student that had passed the assessment and was asked to leave the meeting. Until you explore issues deeply cultural variance may not be clear e.g. curry is now as popular in England as fish and chips! Just because we eat some things in common does not mean we prepare food the same way (pray before preparation), eat it the same way (with utensils, on the floor, children or adults first etc). What we eat may be a superficial question compared to how we go about having or preparing a meal? 
“instructors should be cognizant of variations in students’ experience and learning styles and at the outset of the course remind learners that learning activities in ALNs may be different from what the learners are accustomed to. It is also equally important that instructors model the target behavior or learning outcome expected from the students. For example, in distance education environments such as the American one, critical reflection is highly valued. The instructors in these contexts should not assume that all students are familiar with reflection processes. In fact, as Biesenbach-Lucas’s (2003) and Thompson and Ku’s (2005) studies show, challenging and criticizing others’ ideas may not be considered culturally appropriate  in some cultural groups (Uzuner, 2009).”
Uzuner, S. (2009). Questions of Culture in Distance Learning: A Research Review. The International Review Of Research In Open And Distance Learning, 10(3), Article 10.3.13. Retrieved from http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/690/1273

Outline any experiences you have had working with indigenous learners.I have had few experiences with indigenous learners. We have very few Maori students within the midwifery curriculum or other ethnic minorities unfortunately. One particular student who springs to mind appeared to enjoying sharing her own maternity experiences but did not appear to give any credibility to other class participants who did not identify as being mothers themselves despite other rich life experiences to contribute. Perhaps this student was more philosophically aligned with the traditional origins of midwives as mothers who tended other birthing women in their communities.  This student was also older than the other students and may have wanted to have some age related respect afforded?
There was conflict with this student and other members of the class regarding group work participation, communication and general ability to collaborate. This may have been predominately personality and learner style related (which can link to culture). 
What were some of the challenges that you and the learners faced?
Finding common ground was a challenge. Tension developed outside the classroom setting that resulted in suggestions of mediation and student counseling services for members of the class.
How did this affect their learning?Having relaxed non-judgmental debriefing were students felt ‘safe’ required vigilant facilitation. Food, a cuppa and some team building exercises such as sharing your favourite, book, movie or secret indulgence were good ice-breakers during these sessions. Students needed more individual input from me face-to-face in private and via phone and email.
I could have considered asking students to bring other methods of sharing into our reflective setting e.g. articles, poems, journal entries.

I found these articles which were interesting reading contextually

Chevannes, M. (2002). Issues in educating health professionals to meet the diverse needs of patients and other service users from ethnic minority groups. Journal Of Advanced Nursing, 39(3), 290-298. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2648.2002.02276.x

Cairns, J. (2005). Maori maternity in the land of the long white cloud. British Journal Of Midwifery, 13(2), 74-7

Phew thats it folks, I hope my reflections with a clinical emphasis where not too long winded
Regards Fee

Activity Nine – Sustainable Flexible Learning

The Otago Polytechnic sustainability vision is that our graduates, our practitioners and our academics understand the concepts of social, environmental and economic sustainability in order for them to evaluate, question and discuss their role in the world and to enable them to make changes where and when appropriate.  Our goal is that every graduate may think and act as a “sustainable practitioner”.      
Education for sustainability
“All new programmes under development are required to contain EFS content and process. An OP ‘graduate profile’ across all disciplines will now include being action competent as a sustainable practitioner in their field”.
http://www.otagopolytechnic.ac.nz/about/sustainable-practice/education-for-sustainability.html
I would like to introduce the concept of mentorship and professional supervision not just for graduates but for midwives in practice ongoing as a module focused on ongoing professional development for midwives participating in return to practice education.  These support systems may help in prevention of burnout and therefore sustainability in practice. I believe this is in keeping with the strategic goal for OP mentioned. Sustainability has to be about more than just about recycling and reducing waste but also a bigger picture of not allowing our workforce to end up on the ‘scrap heap’ after all a lot of resources went into their education. We can essential assist in recycling midwives!
This article would be an interesting for me to put in the preparation for standards reviews courses recommended reading in encouragement of professional development and reflection.
Lennox, S., Skinner, J., & Fourer, M. (2008). Mentorship, preceptorship and clinical supervision: Three key processes for supporting midwives. New Zealand College of Midwives(39), 7-11.
Here are some important concepts I would like to introduce:-
“The mentoring relationship is one of negotiated partnership between two registered midwives. Its purpose is to enable and develop professional confidence. Its duration and structure is mutually defined and agreed by each partner. A mentor listens, challenges, supports and guides another midwife’s work. A mentor does not always give answers but encourages the mentored midwife to research, explore and reflect on her practice. The mentored midwife remains responsible and accountable for her own practice in accordance with statutory obligations of a registered midwife” (NZCOM 2000 as cited in Gray, 2006, p. 24).
Gray, E. (2006). Midwives as mentors [corrected] [published erratum appears in NZ COLL MIDWIVES J 2006 Oct; 35:9]. New Zealand College of Midwives Journal, 34, 24-27.
An important tenant of mentorship appears to be self reflection. This enables a midwife to determine her own areas of strength and weakness. As a facilitator in this process the mentor helps the midwife make connections. A mentor is not a passive listener, they can challenge, validate and explore area’s of development together (Bloom, 1995).
Bloom, M. (1995). Multiple Roles of the Mentor supporting Women's Adult Development. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education(65), 63-72.
Within my own employment setting it would be good to explore the benefits of formalised support networks as part of employment conditions as the sounding board of a good ear never goes astray in maintaining job satisfaction 
Regards Fee

A bit more research to add to the post about sustainability 

 “All new programmes under development are required to contain EFS content and process. An OP ‘graduate profile’ across all disciplines will now include being action competent as a sustainable practitioner in their field”.
http://www.otagopolytechnic.ac.nz/about/sustainable-practice/education-for-sustainability.html

Strategy 2008 – 2012
Our Distinctive Contribution to Applied Teaching and
Learning and Research
􀂾We inspire capability
􀂾 We build capability
􀂾 We are a learner centred organisation
􀂾 We act with integrity and are guided by:
• Our respect for people
• Our respect for the environment
• Our respect for Kai Tahu as tangata whenua
• Our engagement with our communities
• Our willingness to be accountable
http://www.otagopolytechnic.ac.nz/fileadmin/Corporate/PDFs/Strategy_2008-2012.pdf

Our Strategic Goals
By 2012 we will:
4. Lead the tertiary sector as a socially responsible and sustainable organisation,
and in education for sustainability.
Success indicators:
• A benchmark for sustainable organisation practices
• Strongest uptake in the sector of learners engaged in sustainability
education
• Learners report “sustainability” as a reason for studying with us
• Reduction of environmental footprint
• Organisational practices meet ILO and UN conventions and declarations
(adopted by NZ)
All 8 of Otago Polytechnics priorities to achieve strategic goals link to sustainability. References are made to important sustainability concepts e.g. flexibility, staff retention, research, creativity, innovation, community engagement and treaty integration (i.e. partnership, participation & protection, guardianship rather than ownership is a cultural perspective that gives us intergenerational responsibilities). These are all tenants that can help us be respectful or the resources we use and our general environmental impact.
http://www.otagopolytechnic.ac.nz/about/corporate-information/our-priorities.html

Activity Eight Adult learning theories for Flexible Learning.

Theoretical perspective appropriate to course and learners
Constructivism
I have chosen constructivism as it is based on the premise that the individual constructs and interprets their own reality based on their own experiences. The process of going for a standards review is an experiential reflection of the practice context. Social constructivist theories based on Vygotsky work have found that the development of cognition and understanding is facilitated by peers, adults and experts though dialogue, socialization and collaboration (Lockwood &Gooley, 2001). Midwifery as a profession heavily reliant on these constructs in everyday practice.
Lockwood, F., &Gooley, A.(Eds.). (2001). Innovation in open & distance learning. London: Kogan Page
“The Assumptions of Constructivism - Merrill
  • knowledge is constructed from experience
  • learning is a personal interpretation of the world
  • learning is an active process in which meaning is developed on the basis of experience
  • conceptual growth comes from the negotiation of meaning, the sharing of multiple perspectives and the changing of our internal representations through collaborative learning
  • learning should be situated in realistic settings; testing should be integrated with the task and not a separate activity”

    (Merrill, 1991, in Smorgansbord, 1997)
http://www.usask.ca/education/coursework/802papers/mergel/brenda.htm#The Basics of Constructivism

Jonassen (Jonasson, [On-line]) lists the following implications of constructivism for instructional design:
"...purposeful knowledge construction may be facilitated by learning environments which:
  • Provide multiple representations of reality - avoid oversimplification of instruction by representing the natural complexity of the world
  • Present authentic tasks - contextualize
  • Provide real-world, case-based learning environments, rather than pre-determined instructional sequences
  • Foster reflective practice
  • Enable context- and content-dependent knowledge construction
  • Support collaborative construction of knowledge through social negotiation, not competition among learners for recognition
"Although we believe that constructivism is not a prescriptive theory of instruction, it should be possible to provide more explicit guidelines on how to design learning environments that foster constructivist learning"

http://www.usask.ca/education/coursework/802papers/mergel/brenda.htm#The Basics of Constructivism
It is important that midwives are able to undertake standards review in a two yearly cycle with confidence and competence.  Midwives need to be able to draw on the skills they have developed from this course and apply this to their everyday practice and professional development ongoing and report on this accordingly. This is a very individualised task but a collective professional requirement.
“The constructivist teacher provides tools such as problem-solving and inquiry-based learning activities with which students formulate and test their ideas, draw conclusions and inferences, and pool and convey their knowledge in a collaborative learning environment. Constructivism transforms the student from a passive recipient of information to an active participant in the learning process. Always guided by the teacher, students construct their knowledge actively rather than just mechanically ingesting knowledge from the teacher or the textbook.”
There are many benefits of constructivism. Learning is centered on thinking not just memorisation. Knowledge becomes transferable through creation of organizing principles. Constructivist students have more ownership of their work as they get to focus on their own explorations and often have input into the design of assessments and opportunity for creative expression of knowledge. Engagement is fostered by the real world context and students innate curiosity to apply knowledge into practice. Collaboration and exchange of ideas is promoted in a constructive learning environment. This negotiation is an important skill outside the class room as students will need to consider and co-operate with the ideas of others.

Midwifery gives strong emphasis to reflection and a constructivist approach I believe facilitates making connections to practice and innovation ongoing.
Regards Fee

Thursday 24 May 2012

Activity Seven - Open Education Resources and Philosophies.

Hi everyone early in the year I completed learning for content a free open education resource within Wiki educator and I would recommend it to everyone. I became an apprentice level 2 which meant I learnt all about Wiki's their development, formatting, open resource content and issues such as copy right and intellectual property.
Open education practices provide the opportunity for extensive collaboration and of course do not have the same financial restrictions as traditional qualifications. This depends on what you consider 'free' to be as I know time is a precious commodity and internet connections and technology needed to engage are still not cheap!
Within the school of midwifery we have a site called  midwifery junction
"Junction is defined as a place where two or more things come together and connect. The principal aim of this website is to connect midwifery educators, midwifery students, practising midwives, childbearing women and anyone else interested or involved in our midwifery programme.
The Midwifery Junction hopes to build partnerships and develop communities by providing mechanisms for communication, networking, learning, reflection, and developing practice. The website provides access to a wide variety of resources including a ‘digital toolbox’ for those wanting to build confidence in using various digital technologies for learning and communicating"
http://www.midwiferyjunction.co.nz/

I believe that if more content can be developed onto this site more midwives will recognise Otago Polytechnic as a leader in midwifery and select us for their post graduate studies. Providing free modular study here with professional recertification points especially for those that support undergraduate students will certainly enhance industry relations ongoing.
Regards Fiona

Activity Six – Continue developing the Flexible Learning plan

Sorry Team can't seem to get the template to transfer despite the instructions so I have adapted it a little to post it my own way. Here are a couple of strategies I am pulling together that with the ongoing benefit of constructive  feedback may eventually be useful in preparing midwives for midwifery standards review requirements? What do you think?

Strategy One
Give students an opportunity to integrate NZCOM consensus statement into practice (establish relevancy). Reflective practice.
Content
- provide link to NZCOM website get students to navigate around same
- give suggestions for topics related to practice settings e.g rural, primary care, tertiary  hospital
- providge recommend reading on change management within workplaces
Activities
- Get students to select a consensus statement
- Ask students to make a discussion forum posting of how that statements topic is currently managed in their practice setting and how well that consensus statement is currently integrated
- Ask students to give feedback to two other posting with practice tips on positive implimation of consensus statement in their area
Communication
Lecturer to acknowledge the forums postings on a weekly basis (with encouraging commentary and suggestions)
Assessment
Pass/Fail
makes a posting on their selected consensus statement
engages with two other postings

Strategy Two
Evidence based practice, provide students the opportunity to explore integration of research into practice.
Guide students to select a stastistic within their work setting that needs improvement necesary for midwifery standards review.
Content
Provide links to data bases, library
Provide a journal articles on how to read/critique research and the importance of evidence.
Activities
-Find a professional article less than 10 years old that discusses the issue in need of improvement e.g episiotomy rate and write a 300 word anotated biblography and a 300 word analysis on the implications of this to their current practice setting (word limit +/- 10%)
-Post anotation and analysis to discussion forum
-Provide feedback to atleast one other forum posting
Communication
Schedule Adobe connect session to introduce topic
Acknowledge posting to the forums on a weekly basis (with encouraging commentary and suggestions)
Assessment
Pass/Fail
Posts anotated biblography of  professional article (less than 10yrs old) with commentary on practice implications
Post feedback to another student

Thats it for now. Thanks

Activity Five – Design and describe flexible learning strategies for your context.

Hi all some reading I have been thinkingt about in regards to designing strategies:-
“Interaction Equivalency Theorem: Deep and meaningful formal learning is supported as long as one of the three forms of interaction (student–teacher; student-student; student-content) is at a high level. The other two may be offered at minimal levels, or even eliminated, without degrading the educational experience. High levels of more than one of these three modes will likely provide a more satisfying educational experience, though these experiences may not be as cost or time effective as less interactive learning sequences. (Anderson, 2003) (Rhode 2009, p.4)”.
Rhode, J. (2009). Interaction Equivalency in Self-Paced Online Learning Environments: An Exploration of Learner Preferences. The International Review Of Research In Open And Distance Learning, 10(1), Article 10.1.6. Retrieved from http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/603/1179

In my experience midwives love to talk (and eat) I anticipate return to practice midwives will need a high degree of interraction with each other and lecturers.

I am really interested in the conversation I have had with lecturers about video learning and integrating technology such as ipad recording of skills such as in carpentry. This is being trialed for some of our undergraduate midwifery practice skills this year and I think it is a very exciting innovation which may remove some performance anxiety in front of 'examiners'.
Video LearningWell-designed video learning can have the potential to take students beyond surface into deeper learning as it “capitalizes on
1) It’s distinctive customizability of tapes,
2) High visual impact,
3) Student control of pace of learning, and
4) The ability to direct student tasks from the screen, or the accompanying materials(Lookwood&Gooley, p.196, 2001).”
The ability to suspend time means that lecturers can collect their thoughts as they make the video producing a more polished product. Students can reflect and pursue relevant learning activities returning to the video as needed (Lookwood&Gooley, 2001).

I'm not sure how this would go for return to pratice midwives but I am mulling over how to pull them into the world of I.T and midwifery and am sure that innovations used in the undergraduate programme will be worth keeping a close eye on.
Regards Fiona

Tuesday 3 April 2012

Activity Four –Define and describe the concepts of Access & Equity, Diversity & Inclusivity in your professional context.

Explore the meaning of Universal Design and inclusiveness in learning.

Here is some interesting reading around this topic-
“Not all students want to make their own choices or be responsible for the quality of their choices. More flexibility brings with it more independence but also the need for more self-direction and more self-motivation. These traits are not automatic in many learners. Flexible study locations and time can mean solitary study, not comfortable for some, Giving learners their own choice of time, content, method, media, route and place will mean less change of group interaction and peer – to peer communication. These are intrinsic problems in offering more learner centred learning. Many learners will need or appreciate an expert making many of the choices for them. Thus, in flexible learning there still should be the option of selection predetermined choices, as well as making one’s own decisions. But again, this requires multiple versions of the same course or course components (Collis &Mooen p.15, 2002).”
There is an increasing need for education to be tailored to the student situation. Some students may only need to engage in a module to address their deficit which is may be cheaper than an entire course especially if the time and location is determined by them. Working people need content that is relevant and up-to-date.   Effective adult education occurs when it is relevant, has transfer value to work and is efficient in time and energy demands (Collis &Mooen, 2002).
“Intereactivity in general and interactivity for learning in particular must be contextualized in relation to learners’ resources for interpreting, decoding and thinking through different formats of information presentation (Lookwood&Gooley, p.198, 2001).”
“This study demonstrated that depending on the specific circumstance, not all forms of interaction may be either equally valued by learners or effective. Participants reported that informal interactions were as important as formal interactions in determining the quality of the online learning experience. Participants also maintained that the flexibility and independence characteristics of self-paced learning opportunities supplanted the need for certain types of interaction. They were willing to forgo interaction with one another to preserve the flexibility of their self-paced studies. In addition, the activity of blogging was shown to be equivalent to or even superior to instructor-directed asynchronous discussion via the discussion board in a LMS (Rhode, 2009, p.16).”
Collis, B., &Moonen, J. (2002).Flexible learning in a digital world, experiences and expectations.  London: Kogan Page.
Lockwood, F., &Gooley, A.(Eds.). (2001). Innovation in open & distance learning. London: Kogan Page
Rhode, J. (2009). Interaction Equivalency in Self-Paced Online Learning Environments: An Exploration of Learner Preferences. The International Review Of Research In Open And Distance Learning, 10(1), Article 10.1.6. Retrieved from
http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/603/1179


Universal Design for Learning: A framework for access and equity. This includes a range of learning environments.


Describe an example of inclusive teaching.Students have the opportunity and are encouraged to in their first year practice skills paper to keep a reflective journal this is private and in the style of their choosing. Examples at their discretion can be used to illustrate integration of theory with practice. Learning contracts for practice skills also give students the opportunity to demonstrate competency in a way that suits their learner style this can for example mean reading literature, viewing film clips, discussing and practicing with a midwife etc.
At our weekly student practice facilitation sessions and debriefings ground rules are established by the group around engagement and conduct. This revisited regularly.  Sometimes student’s red flag things privately and via email to ensure as a moderator I am on my toes.
We offer an introduction to midwifery course and encourage foundation skills study for those needing to gain entry requirements.


What are some issues for access and equity in your classes?Our participants in the undergraduate setting are not easily able to engage with employment while studying.  In order to deliver the equivalent of 4 years content (university academic year) in 3 years our students have a very long academic year i.e. February to December. Students are also expected to be on call babies come at unpredictable time’s employers at not always sensitive to this.  Fee’s and living expenses over three years is a significant financial commitment. Driving to women’s appointments and following midwives around can cost a lot in petrol especially if midwives cover rural settings.
We offer satellite groups for students to try and keep them as future midwives embedded in their communities. This gives students the choice of geographical setting to study in.

Return to practice midwives may not have the economic resources to engage in fee paying courses especially if their reasons for being out of the workforce are for such as caring for dependants. Older women in this group may not have previously engaged much with the technology required and be daunted by the online medium of study and general academic expectations of midwives in practice now.

Explain what your learners will need to access the learning environment you plan to create.
Students will need a computer with preferably internet broadband speed that has the ability to access moodle and elluminate/adobe connect. Students will also need to download applications if they do not have the relevant ones installed to access material or be willing to contact the polytechnic I.T staff to enable them to remotely access their computer to download same (e.g. windows media player and Adobe Reader etc).
Importantly students need to be able to have quiet dedicated time to engage with the content and activities of the course.
My readings encourage me to be mindful of the following-
“Social discontinuities can occur in online setting. These include world view, culturally specific vocabulary, and concepts, linguistic characteristics of the learner, learner motivation, and cognition patterns, including reading behaviour” (Wilson, 2001, p.61).
Wilson, M. S. (2001). Cultural considerations in online instruction and learning. Distance Education, 22(1), 52-64. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/217784208?accountid=39660

Phew sorry haven't quite got the hang of how to answer questions for the activities in short blogger posts!

Monday 26 March 2012

Investigate and describe an example of Flexible Learning in your organisation

Within the midwifery curriculum we commonly use the discussion forums in moodle to support academic activities. This requires students to post their perspective on a given topic based on their research and to reflect on other participants postings. Here are a couple of points I have been reflecting on as I consider this medium as part of my course development.
 “The online debating environment provides a very efficient setting to gather information on a topic through a process of student inquiry. The activity can be structured in a variety of forms to achieve particular learning outcomes (Lookwood&Gooley, p. 157, 2001)”.
Online learning has the potential to be isolating and solitary experience. On line debating can facilitate communication with the involvement of others students acting as stimuli and support for learning (Lookwood&Gooley, 2001).
Reference:
Lockwood, F., &Gooley, A.(Eds.). (2001). Innovation in open & distance learning. London: Kogan Page

Activity 3 interview

Interview
Jade Wratten Midwifery Lecturer Palmerston North Midwifery Satellite (permission to name given)
This discussion revolved around the year long blended delivery midwifery practice skills paper (yr 1). This involves students meeting Jade once a week for a four hour teaching/debriefing sessions, moodle guided learning resources and clinical placements. For a detailed report outlining the five dimensions of flexibility please read my summary below I confess I find it hard to write the detail given concisely as a blog should be! I am still waiting for my second colleague to get back to me for her tips.
What have I learnt-
I had not thought to be so flexible with the venue choice for learning and how this affected the team building of the group. Do I have to use the booked classroom maybe we could sit out on the lawn for a while? Jade reminds be to be constantly seeking feedback and tailoring the session accordingly. Jade has infrastructure supporting her session. I need to negotiate Internet access at the hospital rooms that we book for our sessions in Wellington. Jade’s planning with her group gets good buy in to her sessions.
Thanks Jade

Summary Jade Wratten Interview
Time-Students can now pick the timing and format of their practice skills assessment i.e. iPad film clip or in front of lecturer as scheduled appointment. This is based on students saying when they feel ready and using the format they feel comfortable with to demonstrate competence. Previously this was role played with women at a given date during an intensive.  Students get to use a wiki for rostering their clinical shifts (200hrs) which helps keep flexibility around family life and study commitments.
Delivery and Logistics-Modules are opened via a set schedule on moodle across the year (this is to help students work to a reasonable pace) and are archived for reference the following year. Elluminate/Adobe tutorials are recorded for those students missing or needing to refer to the content again. Students need a computer with certain applications preferably broadband and a headset. Students need a car to attend clinical requirements and to travel to intensive (unless pooling). Students need good planning as being on call to follow pregnant women means that schedules and deadlines for assignments can be disrupted if not engaging with requirements mindful of this uncertainty.
Entry requirements-This is an academic degree paper and students must meet NCEA level 3 in certain subjects and have a first aid qualification and health screening clearance. Confidentially is required regarding clinical aspects and a clear police record other than minor driving offences.
Content and instructional approaches-
Jade has a schedule of skills she needs to teach each week but negotiates the timing of this with her group. Often students want to get heavy academic things completed while fresh and debrief later in the session. Topics are often student led and can lead into other courses such as bio-science in order to facilitate integration. Students often negotiate the importance of a tangent and will sometimes opt to defer a designated topic to a less heavily scheduled session or to reduce its content that day (with more self directed learning) in preference.  Jade often stops a session for feedback asking “are we on the right path, are everyone OK?” The weekly group decides based on the upcoming content where they want the session to be held. It is a popular preference to host each other at their own homes rather than the booked classroom. Jade feels they are developing a stronger sense of community through this student led innovation. Some students bring their babies and there is general support for need of comfort i.e. one students sits on the floor and another often stands due to back pain.  Jade engages with her students a lot on a one to one basis via email, moodle discussion forum and on her cell phone which is free for students via the 0800 system.
Jade has a structured student who she emails the agenda of or her session to in advance. As the groups is small once a student attended via skype when geography was a challenge and at another session minutes were taken for a student that could not attend who wanted to know about the content.
Students can negotiate assignments be submitted in Te Reo.
Resources
Jade often uses her note book with students showing them material on moodle and the Internet that may help them to integrate the broader curriculum e.g.  APA guides, EDC, Library, course outlines, year overview and exam and assessment schedules. These discussions often prompt students to share and help each other with their study skills in a blended curriculum. Jade has lots of negotiated support from UCOL in Palmerston North and students use their library and computers. OP distance services and CAPPEX are also resources that Jade is mindful of utilising. Jade has equipment for skills in storage and needs to ensure this is available for sessions mindful of the competing demands of other satellites for some of the more expensive equipment. 

Tuesday 6 March 2012

Activity Two


What does the term Flexible Learning mean to me?
Flexible learning to me is about facilitating learning and demonstration of knowledge in ways that suit learner styles and circumstances. This would probably mean the use of both synchronous and asynchronous activities and assessments.  Flexibility I believe gives a level of empowerment to the learner but also responsibility in terms of engagement. This could involve concepts such as learning contracts. Self-direction is important.
A couple of years ago I engaged with a postgraduate distance paper and was really frustrated that in a 7 week schedule not all the modules were opened to view the content. There was an assumption that we would engage on a week by week basis and leave the summative assessment until the final week. I found this really frustrating as I had a week’s planned leave earlier in the course and wanted to ‘hit it hard’ then and also start working on my assignment. Writing a large essay in the final week made all sorts of assumptions about when we were able to engage with the content especially as the unopened modules focused on content integral to the assignment. Flexibility to me is about letting the student have some control over pace of learning and engagement with assessment tools.
I find collaboration and group presentations in a flexible environment challenging. Dependence on others for input into an assessment that may not have the same degree of enthusiasm or grade aspirations for the topic can be frustrating.
Why is it necessary to use a more flexible approach in your work?
Midwifery is an art as well as a science midwives can be aligned to various philosophical ideals based a tremendous variety of experiences and evidence they use to inform their practice.  Partnership with women is central to the midwives focus which means midwives must adapt their practice accordingly. Similar situations may not warrant the same response as informed consent and choice guide interaction. Midwives will expect educators to have similar response to them as students in alignment with this partnership model. Women need midwives to remain embedded in their communities education needs to be sensitive to the realities of midwives lives and responsibilities i.e. dependents, on-call, shift work etc. It is not very practical for most midwives to leave their responsibilities to engage in education commitments outside of their communities especially as backup for extended periods can be hard to negotiate.  There is so much more potential for education to be delivered creatively than the traditional class room setting than ever before. Internet resources and technological advances such as telecommunications and media mean that the ‘classroom’ as a physical location may rarely be used again?
Flexible learning can vary in more ways than learning at a distance it involves options in resources, activities and types of media to support learning (Collis & Mooen 2002).
“Flexible learning is a movement away from a situation in which key decisions about learning dimensions are made in advance by the instructor or institution, towards a situation where the learners has a range of options from which to choose (Collis & Mooen p.10, 2002)”.
Collis, B., & Moonen, J. (2002). Flexible learning in a digital world, experiences and expectations.  London: Kogan Page

What do you need to explore to help this happen?
Need to understand how to produce and incorporate new mediums e.g. blogs, discussion forums, videos, power points, polls, quizzes etc.
 I need to explore what the Midwifery council would view as acceptable demonstration of learning to allocate professional development points to the course.
What goals do you have for using Flexible Learning in your work?
• • Accommodate learner styles
• Academically robust
• Accessible
• Enjoyable
• Engaging
• Learner centered

Monday 5 March 2012

Introduction


Hi everyone my name is Fiona Coffey I am a Student Practice Facilitator (SPF)/Lecturer in the School of Midwifery based in the Capital. I am engaging with the course towards the end of my maternity leave after having my second gorgeous son, this has renewed my empathy with students who also juggle their competing personal aspirations with everyday life and study (time is a precious commodity). Engaging with my profession as a consumer has strengthened my perspective and passion for the role of midwives in our communities and in turn my part in ensuring that graduates are well prepared to enter this workforce.
As an SPF a significant part of my role is pastoral care and within the blended delivery model of the distance midwifery curriculum I feel like a bit of a personal trainer trying to help my group keep engaged and on track. The student group I am focusing on for the purpose of this course is the return to practice midwife.  This person is a midwife who no longer meets the recertification programme requirements for a license to practice and have been instructed by the midwifery council to undertake a return to practice programme. Within this group I am particularly interested in the midwife who has had an extended break from practice and has never participated in the midwifery standards review process.  These learners are almost certainly women who would be middle aged or older.  It is likely that their undergraduate study may have been completed through a hospital based training scheme rather than through an academic institution graduating with a diploma rather than a degree. Formal academic work is likely to be a daunting prospect. Flexible learning is important to assist midwives to remain embedded in their communities. New Zealand has a shortage of midwives especially in rural areas and we need to find ways to facilitate our dormant workforce to return.   I would like to develop a module of a course focused on midwifery standards review  that is inclusive of  flexible learning pedagogy. Midwifery standards review is cyclic licencing requirement which demonstrates professional development ongoing in line with the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 http://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/regulation-health-and-disability-system/health-practitioners-competence-assurance-act 
I look forward to learning and engaging with you all throughout the progression of the Flexible Learning course.