| dc.description.abstract | Introduction -Technology allows us to transcend time and space. Our world has become essentially without boundaries. Nursing education has changed, and will continue to evolve as technology advances. Already many nurses, especially in master’s programs, learn in virtual classrooms with students and teachers separated by geography. To be effective, online education must be different in presentation and approach than face-to-face teaching. To help students who study online achieve learning outcomes nurse educators need to develop and effectively use technologically-based teaching strategies.
Objectives - The objective of this presentation is to share research focused on a category of online teaching strategies called artistic pedagogical technologies (APTs). APTs are teaching activities based on the arts. They can include elements of music, drama, literature, movies, poetry, and handicrafts. APTs help teachers create effective online educational environments. APTs were developed by the presenters and have been used in online graduate courses in nursing and health studies.
Methods - This qualitative study included a convenience sample of nurse educators who completed an online master’s course in which APTs of reflective poetry, photovoice, conceptual quilting, movie reviews, story-telling, and photostory were used. Participants completed an online questionnaire based on Purkey’s (2007) Elements of the Invitational Classroom which captured their views on the effect of APTs on trust, respect, and optimism in the online classroom. Some nurses also participated in a teleconference focus group which was recorded and transcribed. Data were hand-coded for themes and secondary analysis was achieved using NVivo.
Results - Data analysis continues. Preliminarily findings indicate that APTs have a role in enhancing the invitationality of online courses because of the positive effect they seem to have on trust, respect, and optimism. Through participation in APTs, trust is established as participants learn to accept each other and themselves. As the term proceeded the quality of the contributions improved and students became more able, and thus even more valued by their colleagues and teacher. The cycle continued and respect resulted. Based on the student responses, the APTs helped move student potential to greater heights thus increasing optimism. While APTs may be effective strategies, preliminary findings suggest that the way in which the teacher presents the activities is also important. That is, teachers need to invite learners to participate in APTs, describe each activity clearly, indicate to learners how it can contribute to their learning, and provide support and encouragement to students as they engage in these novel learning activities.
Conclusion - In summary, we found the classroom environment changed in positive ways in part because of the APTs. Research participants reported that APTs increased the quality of interactions, enhanced the sense of community, and furthered the application of course content. Purkey’s (1997) invitational theory, specifically the propositions of trust, respect, optimism, and intentionality, help to explain these findings. Practical ideas for educators regarding the use of APTs in teaching and course design were reviewed.
Keywords - online education, exemplary teaching, artistic pedagogical technologies, Purkey, invitational theory, technology, technologically-based teaching strategies | en |
