Dataset Information

Blended learning for postgraduates; an interactive experience.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Blended learning has the potential to stimulate effective learning and to facilitate high quality education. For postgraduate health professionals, blended learning is relatively new. For this group we developed, implemented and evaluated two blended learning modules in a master program on quality and safety in patient care. Aiming for a better preparation compared to traditional textbook homework, the course provided not only web lectures and reading, but also interactive assignments and collaborative learning. Additional goal was saving time for the teachers resulting in a potential cost savings.

Method

The experiences of 21 postgraduate health professionals were evaluated with two voluntary and anonymous questionnaires beginning of 2017 with a special focus on the added value of online interaction, underexposed in previous research.

Results

This evaluation shows that online modules are regarded as being an effective preparation for face-to-face meetings for postgraduate health professionals. Added value of social interactive online preparation was perceived from collaborating and interacting with each other. Both the interaction between the students, and the e-moderator and teachers were well received.

Conclusions

Based on the results of this study, we suggest that blended learning may indeed increase the level of education and stimulate effective learning for postgraduate health care professionals. The professionals experienced added value of social interactive online preparation from collaborating and interacting with each other. We consider better aligning of the online and face-to-face components as one of the highest priorities.

SUBMITTER: Westerlaken M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6664728 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Blended learning for postgraduates; an interactive experience.

Westerlaken Mirjam M Christiaans-Dingelhoff Ingrid I Filius Renée M RM de Vries Bas B de Bruijne Martine M van Dam Marjel M

BMC medical education 20190730 1

<h4>Background</h4>Blended learning has the potential to stimulate effective learning and to facilitate high quality education. For postgraduate health professionals, blended learning is relatively new. For this group we developed, implemented and evaluated two blended learning modules in a master program on quality and safety in patient care. Aiming for a better preparation compared to traditional textbook homework, the course provided not only web lectures and reading, but also interactive ass ...[more]

PMID: 31362735

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Project description:Purpose: Evaluation of the students’ experience and academic achievements following the introduction of online learning. Methods and materials: In 2011, online learning activities were introduced in the teaching of the Research in Orthoptics module for final year undergraduate orthoptic students. The online learning activities were created and delivered in Moodle; an open-source online learning platform. Students from the academic year groups of 2012–13, 2013–14 and 2016–17 completed an online questionnaire. The questionnaire was divided into 6 categories (relevance, reflection, interactivity, tutor support, peer support and interpretation) with 4 questions within each category. A 5-point Likert scale was used to score each question. The sum of answers within each category ranged from 4 (negative perception) to 20 (positive perception). Student performance was assessed using the marks retrospectively for 2 years before online learning was introduced and when online learning was included. Results: Forty-two students replied to the questionnaire with a mean age of 23.0 ± 2.3 years (range 21–32). There were 38 females (90.5%) and 4 males (9.5%). Combining the 3 academic cohorts there was a significant difference between the 6 categories of the questionnaire (p < 0.0001). Three categories obtained the same high median score of 16: relevance (range 9–20), reflection (range 11–20) and tutor support (range 12–20). Peer support resulted in the lowest median score of 13. Separation of the three academic year cohorts’ revealed significant differences for tutor support (p = 0.03). The score increased from 16 in 2012–13 and 2013–14 to 18 in 2016–17. Significant differences were found between the marks for the cohorts from 2009–10 to 2016–17 (F7,245 = 5.07: p < 0.0001). The mean mark for year group 2009–2010 was significantly less compared to 2012–13 (p < 0.0001), 2014–15 (p = 0.01) and 2015–16 (p = 0.02) and year group 2011–12’s mark significantly less than 2012/13 (p = 0.001). Conclusions: Including online learning in the research module had a positive impact on the student experience, although more work needs to be done to improve peer support. Marks obtained by the orthoptic students have improved since the introduction of online learning suggesting that a mixture of teaching and learning methods is beneficial for students. However, more work needs to be done to provide teacher assistance in the design of online learning and blended learning approach.

Project description:IntroductionWith the rapid development of technology and the evolution of educational ideas, the blended learning model has become the new norm in higher education. Therefore, based on Biggs' learning process theory, this study aims to investigate the relationships between learning experience, learning approaches, and learning satisfaction of university students within the Chinese blended learning context to explore the dynamic process and mechanism of blended learning.MethodsThe Chinese modified versions of the Self-Rating Scale of Self-Directed Learning, the Course Experience Questionnaire, and the Revised Study Process Questionnaire were administered to 939 Chinese university first-grade students (444 men, 495 women). The data were analyzed by using the covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) technique.ResultsThe results demonstrated that, among Chinese university students, there were significant correlations between the self-directed learning experience, the course experience, the deep learning approach, the surface learning approach, and learning satisfaction. Additionally, the learning approaches mediated the association between the self-directed learning experience and learning satisfaction and between the course experience and learning satisfaction.ConclusionThis study provides insight into the facilitative effect of university students' self-directed learning experience and course experience on their learning satisfaction and how this effect is triggered through the mediating role of different learning approaches with the blended learning context. This study shows the learning behaviors and psychology in a blended learning environment, thus revealing the new learning characteristics of university students by integrating the self-learning characteristics of blended learning into the framework of learning process theory. The findings contribute to assisting blended learning providers in delivering targeted interventions to enhance students' learning satisfaction.

Project description:BackgroundBlended learning, which combines face-to-face learning and e-learning, has grown rapidly to be commonly used in education. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of this learning approach has not been completely quantitatively synthesized and evaluated using knowledge outcomes in health education.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of blended learning compared to that of traditional learning in health education.MethodsWe performed a systematic review of blended learning in health education in MEDLINE from January 1990 to July 2019. We independently selected studies, extracted data, assessed risk of bias, and compared overall blended learning versus traditional learning, offline blended learning versus traditional learning, online blended learning versus traditional learning, digital blended learning versus traditional learning, computer-aided instruction blended learning versus traditional learning, and virtual patient blended learning versus traditional learning. All pooled analyses were based on random-effect models, and the I2 statistic was used to quantify heterogeneity across studies.ResultsA total of 56 studies (N=9943 participants) assessing several types of learning support in blended learning met our inclusion criteria; 3 studies investigated offline support, 7 studies investigated digital support, 34 studies investigated online support, 8 studies investigated computer-assisted instruction support, and 5 studies used virtual patient support for blended learning. The pooled analysis comparing all blended learning to traditional learning showed significantly better knowledge outcomes for blended learning (standardized mean difference 1.07, 95% CI 0.85 to 1.28, I2=94.3%). Similar results were observed for online (standardized mean difference 0.73, 95% CI 0.60 to 0.86, I2=94.9%), computer-assisted instruction (standardized mean difference 1.13, 95% CI 0.47 to 1.79, I2=78.0%), and virtual patient (standardized mean difference 0.62, 95% CI 0.18 to 1.06, I2=78.4%) learning support, but results for offline learning support (standardized mean difference 0.08, 95% CI -0.63 to 0.79, I2=87.9%) and digital learning support (standardized mean difference 0.04, 95% CI -0.45 to 0.52, I2=93.4%) were not significant.ConclusionsFrom this review, blended learning demonstrated consistently better effects on knowledge outcomes when compared with traditional learning in health education. Further studies are needed to confirm these results and to explore the utility of different design variants of blended learning.

Dataset Information

Blended learning for postgraduates; an interactive experience.

Background

Method

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Blended learning for postgraduates; an interactive experience.

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