Reflection 3: Established practice & affordances

In our last face-to-face discussion, I realised that I needed to change my project slightly. The need that emerged from the survey responses from students and lecturers identified a need for video clips and resources that showed application of interventions. Students indicated that they needed to have resources available when they needed them, rather than relying on their formalised lectures and practicals. Therefore, the outcome for this case study has been revised as follows:

To introduce an appropriate technology to support and advance student learning in applying 'physical health' modalities. The technology should be accessible to students when they need it, particularly during their physical health practice learning placements and should supplement the existing LMS.

The challenge is to find relevant resources, such as YouTube clips, that will demonstrate how to apply relevant occupational therapy methods and techniques. These resources must be available to students at the point that they need it.

Literature review

An Irish occupational therapy study involving undergraduate students completing their practice placements showed that blogs were not effective for developing reflection or clinical reasoning, but were beneficial for peer support and learning (Wiid et al, 2013). In this study, students were placed at large distances from the university and each other. The study suggests that blogs are useful for peer support and learning during practice learning. Thus, a blog seems to be effective for meeting achieving the outcome noted above. 

Established practice

Currently, students are taught the knowledge and skills needed for practice learning before entering their first placement, or as it 'fits in to the timetable'. Half the class complete their 'physical health' placements during the first semester while the other half do so in the second semester. Some modalities have either not been covered or may not have been completely covered before the first placements. Students doing their physical health block in the first semester may therefore not be equipped with all the skills needed to effectively. Students doing their placements in the 2nd semester may have forgotten the modalities by the time they go into their physical health placements. Currently, students have to go through their notes on their own or they may go to the skills lab to practice the skills they need as they are required. There are currently no online resources for students to access after formal teaching hours. Students have to rely on their notes or text books which are not adequate for them to revise skills. The consequence is that either clients are given treatment that is 'second best' or clinicians and supervisors have to spend additional time revising the skills with the student. Video clips from YouTube or other sources would be a valuable addition in that students could refresh their memories on specific skills at the point they need the skills. The current LMS does not provide a facility for posting URLs of relevant YouTube videos and for students and staff to comment on them. It also does not easily allow students to add resources they find and that may be beneficial to others in the class.

Impact / affordances of emerging technologies

Blogs are a convenient method of sharing information. They allow people with little technical knowledge to publish their thoughts, opinions and information online relatively easily (Deng & Yuen, 2011).  

Deng and Yuen (2011) developed a framework for the educational affordances of blogs. These affordances were linked with three major types of blogging behaviour, namely writing, reading and commenting, and spanned individual and community dimensions. Affordances were:

• self-reflection

• self-expression

• reflection triggered by reading

• Social connection

• Reflective dialogue

• Social interaction.

Blogs may enable occupational therapy students to share their experiences of applying specific modalities during their practice learning placements as well as offer an outlet for emotional expression. Blogs used for non-evaluative purposes allow free, spontaneous writing during which students may share their ups and downs during practice learning (Deng & Yuen, 2011). Blogs can assist students to develop a range of cognitive, social and self-directed learning skill (Robertson, 2011). Considering that the outcome of this case study is related to self-directed learning, a blog is a suitable technology to meet the need identified in the occupational therapy course.

Facebook  was a possible alternative, however files in formats other than pictures or videos cannot be posted on Facebook (Wang et al, 2012). Therefore it is not suitable to meet the needs outlined in this case study. 

References

Deng L, Yuen A (2011). Towards a framework for educational affordances of blogs. Computers & Education, 56, 441-451.

Robertson J (2011). The educational affordances of blogs for self-directed learning. Computers & Education, 57: 1628-1644.

Wang Q, Woo H, Quek C, Yang Y, Liu M (2012). Using the Facebook group as a learning management system: an exploratory study. British Journal of Educational Technology, 43(3): 428-438.

Wiid C, McCormack C, Warren A, Buckley S, Cahill M (2013). Public and private blogging during placements: perspectives of occupational therapy students. International Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation 20(2): 79-85.