Spring-Summer reading: International Handbook of e-Learning

Volume 1 International Handbook of e-Learning

It was a pleasure to open the package bearing review copies of the two volumes that make up this handbook.

The draft paper for the latest module has been submitted. The survey has had 21 responses in total, all gratefully received.

Completing this has provided many useful lessons, prompted further questions and interesting sources have been uncovered which I will share next month. I'm still wondering about the total number of nurse lecturers within academia and the primary disciplines that benefit from e-learning? One of the inevitable lessons of the survey is question construction (double negative - why did I do that!) and definitions.

Reviewing these books will be very useful for the final module of part 1 and looking ahead to the three years of part 2.


Badrul H. Khan, Mohamed Ally (Eds) (2015) International Handbook of E-Learning. Volume 1 & 2:  Oxford: Routledge.

Learning model for International Health - progress since 2005?

In the third module of my technology enhanced learning studies I have been reading:

Henry, B., & Ueda, R. (2005). Learning model and curriculum designs for international health in nursing. Japan Journal of Nursing Science, 2(1), 17-24.

The aim of the paper is:

Nursing’s domain of inquiry for international health is unclear. A learning model to frame this specialty is unavailable. The goal of this analysis was to open debate worldwide on the nature of concepts, relationships, and analytic constructs that can serve as a foundational blueprint for international nursing curriculums. The aim was to define and operationalize international health in nursing by constructing a learning model.

The results included the identification of five main concepts:

 environment, demography, culture, technology, and research.

individual
INTERPERSONAL : SCIENCES

humanistic ------------------------------------------- mechanistic

SOCIOLOGY : POLITICAL

group

	environment, technology, demographics
culture

Using Hodges' model above I have mapped these concepts to the model's domains. The influence of context looms large of course, so we can also for example consider the sociological aspects of the environment and the politics of the environment which is currently newsworthy on a global scale.

I've placed the concepts in the primary domain. We can extend them in many ways. Diagonally, technology can be extended to what is (should be?) socio-technical. Usability brings in the interpersonal domain and subjective experience. Funding and access politicizes many concepts and no-less here.

I'm being deliberately contrary with research. Usually I'd split research between the sciences and sociology. My doing so equates to the dated, but still significant distinction between quantitative and qualitative forms of research respectively. Basically this means that using Hodges' model we can replace the humanistic (subjective) and mechanistic (objective) labels above with 'research'.

We can take 'environment' and be person centered looking at the individual experience. We can do the same but for a group, or population.

As I investigate culture, nursing, Hodges' model and educational technology I do wonder what progress has been made since 2005: where these concepts sit within the care domains (and why), and what about the gaps? Back to the literature...!

From local field to global arena: the rough and tumble of conceptual sport

Jo hit the deck. it was a foul tackle, an apt description for a move that Jo did not see coming.

Talk about a change of perspective!! Sheesh! Was it bone crunching, did I hear something?

It could have been worse. At least the ground knows it’s March and not January.

There was no anticipation, no reflex adjustment, no ability to shift, just in time, no poetry in motion this time.

The coach and physio dashed on to the field. Jo looked up and said “OK, tell me straight, what’s the damage?”

Coach looked down. "Well you're talking that's a start." Assessing rapidly though and through gritted teeth he replied:

“It’s not looking good Jo.”
“Wha..?

[Silence]

Oh come on tell me…”

“Well, kid it’s bad, yes, really bad.

You’ve got an academic detachment.”

Jo groaned, "Oh no, not that! What about the future!!"

<->

OK, sorry about that and I do realise that a great many world class athletes are very well educated people.

The tendency of young and promising athletes to relinquish contact with their academic side and really be the best they can be - remains a challenge for some, but this post concerns academic detachment as in - educational institutions and students with the world.

Call it a paradox, a contradiction in this hyper-connected world, what with gap years, travel opportunities.... that there seem so many examples of a lack of awareness of the bigger picture that is the international stage. Not just in students, in education, but the wider citizenry.

Does this matter. Well it does, at least according to the 2012 Conference of The Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA) which included:

Academic detachment is not an option in the 21st Century

on the theme “Building a Secure World through International Education.”

The point I’d like to make is that Hodges’ model is fit to assist in some of the objectives that the AIEA outlines in this context:

Keynote speaker Abiodan Williams, Senior Vice ‐ President of the US Institute for Peace, offered remarks at the opening plenary. Mr. Williams said that his own international education began with post ‐ secondary level study at the Lester B. Pearson College, United World College of the Pacific, in Victoria, BC. To develop graduates committed to peace and security, he urged educational institutions to teach:

• Knowledge – including greater interdisciplinarity and learning about conflict prevention
• International outlook – to shape the attitudes and outlook of a new generation, encourage all students to spend at least six months studying abroad, learn at least one new language and take at least one course about another country
• Sensibility – alluding to Fielding’s definition of ‘good nature’, developing people of benevolent and amiable temper of mind, who sympathize with the problems of others and who enjoy the happiness of others

“Academic detachment from the world is not an option in the 21st Century,” he said. Globalization is here to stay, and international education is playing a key role in contributing positive answers to many of the challenges that it presents.

Many institutions are actively engaged in programs that further environmental and energy sustainability, broader access to health care and education, resolution of conflicts, pursuit of fundamental human rights, economic development, and greater cross‐cultural understanding around the world. Harnessing the collective effort, and lessons learned, from each of these individual initiatives is important in moving internationalization forward. [AIEA conference website]

With thanks to Katy Rosenbaum:

27 March 2014:
Good morning,
Thank you for your email. I will check with my colleagues to see if they have any suggestions for someone who might be able to provide more information on work within this theme, and if they have any insights on this, I will certainly forward these on to you.
In the meantime, all conference session materials that presenters made available to download are available at the link below. The zip files include multiple presentations and handouts; underneath are links to these materials hosted on other websites: http://www.aieaworld.org/2012-conference#Presentations
The article you referred to mentioned Abiodan Williams' keynote address, which is available here: http://www.aieaworld.org/assets/docs/Conference_Materials/2012/abiodunwilliamsspeech2012.pdf
Thank you for your interest; I hope this information is useful. If my colleagues have other suggestions, I will certainly pass them on.

Best,
Katy Rosenbaum
Program Associate - AIEA
Association of International Education Administrators
www.aieaworld.org
kathryn.rosenbaum AT duke.edu

Additional link:
http://www.ruthnestvold.com/tomjones.htm
Thanks Dad.

Medinfo 2010 South Africa 12-15th September

Cape Town, South Africa will host the 13th International Congress on Medical Informatics from the 12 - 15 of September 2010.

This will be the first time MEDINFO is held in Africa. It promises to boost exposure to grassroots healthcare delivery and the underpinning health information systems. This will open the door to new academic partnerships into the future and help to nurture a new breed of health informaticians.*

Conference Theme

Partnerships for effective e-Health solutions

Innovative collaborations promote solutions to health challenges

The theme for the International Medical Informatics Association’s 13th World Congress on Medical Informatics, Medinfo 2010 is Partnerships for effective e-Health solutions with a particular focus on how innovative collaborations can promote sustainable solutions to health challenges. It is well recognised that information and communication technologies have enormous potential for improving the health and lives of individuals. Innovative and effective change using such technologies is reliant upon people working together in partnerships to create innovative and effective solutions to problems with particular regard to contextual and environmental factors.

As Medinfo 2010 brings together the health informatics community from across the globe we are seeking to focus on how we can work together and share our experiences and knowledge to promote sustainable solutions to the challenges presenting to us all. This will be an historical event as Medinfo 2010 is hosted in Africa for the first time.

My sources:

Implementing Best Practices (IBP) Knowledge Gateway GANM
& The Conference Company and the Medinfo2010 website.

Africa! While I have linked to many, I have never attended an International informatics event. This one sounds really special being in Africa.
*I would love to pass over the baton that is Hodges' model and also discover what other conceptual frameworks may be out there...?