Aim/Purpose: This paper reports on a case study project which had three goals; to develop a suite of original interactive digital skills e-tutorials to be embedded in undergraduate and postgraduate courses; to evaluate the students’ experience and engagement with the e-tutorials over one semester; and to explore their general attitudes towards online and blended learning. Background: Online and blended learning modes continue to grow in popularity in higher education, with the aim of streamlining and enhancing student learning, supporting collaboration and creativity, and equipping students with the skills they will require to work and live in an increasingly digitized world. This practice-based case study highlights factors which positively and negatively affect user engagement with digital learning objects and explores students’ perceptions of the role of online learning within their academic programs. Methodology: A suite of nine interactive e-tutorials, addressing essential digital literacy skills for university students, was developed through instructor and student peer collaboration using Articulate software, informed by best practice. The e-tutorials were embedded in the institutional Learning Management System for three undergraduate and postgraduate courses, in which digital literacy formed the core learning content, to complement classroom-based learning. Students in these courses were surveyed via SurveyMonkey about their specific experience of using the e-tutorials, as well as their general perceptions of digital literacy and online learning. Eighty-six students in total completed the questionnaire, which consisted of twenty-three closed- and open-ended questions. Contribution: Through highlighting both the positive and the challenging aspects of the students’ reported experience of online learning, this case study contributes useful insights to the body of literature on user engagement with digital learning objects in higher education, as well as students’ perceptions and experience of blended learning. Findings: The e-tutorials were perceived as valuable in reinforcing classroom learning, allowing respondents to revise concepts and materials covered in face-to-face classes, at their own pace and in their own time. Survey responses showed that the accessibility, ease-of-use, design and duration of the e-tutorials were deemed effective in terms of user engagement; however, several technological challenges were identified, such as browser incompatibility, uneven sound quality and general Internet connection issues, which disrupted their learning. Overall, students expressed enjoyment of the learning facilitated by the e-tutorials; however, rather than favoring online learning alone, they expressed a preference for a blended learning environment, with a combination of complementary learning approaches; survey respondents did not generally wish to forego face-to-face classes entirely. Recommendations for Practitioners: Instructors should seek to strategically embed interactive digital learning objects in their courses at defined points of need in a logical structure, e.g., to reinforce classroom-based learning, or to support specific skill development. Potential disruption to learning should be minimized by following best practice guidelines to ensure ease of access, a seamless user experience, and timely feedback, as well as providing adequate support for rapid resolution of technical glitches. Recommendation for Researchers: E-tutorials offer a useful means of exploring ways in which students acquire learning in the digital environment. A wider, collaborative exploration is needed to provide comparative studies which move beyond case studies. Impact on Society: Online learning mechanisms, such as e-tutorials, offer students different means of acquiring essential literacy skills and different ways to interact with content. E-tutorials constitute reusable learning objects, which can be accessed as just-in-time delivery modes, when students perceive they need to review particular skills or reinforce learning material. Future Research: This research is now expanding into different types of reusable learning objects. E-tutorials may be developed in multiple ways, and comparative research around e-tutorial models will deepen our understanding of how students interact with content in formal learning contexts. As the digital educational landscape continues to expand alongside traditional face-to-face and analogue learning modes, a key research focus will be student and instructor perceptions and experience of blended learning in different contexts.
IMPORTANCE Currently, there is a lack of consensus in the literature on the association between screen time (eg, television, video games) and children's behavior problems.OBJECTIVE To assess the association between the duration of screen time and externalizing and internalizing behavior problems among children 12 years or younger.DATA SOURCES For this systematic review and meta-analysis, MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycINFO databases were searched for articles published from January 1960 to May 2021. Reference lists were manually searched for additional studies.STUDY SELECTION Included studies measured screen time (ie, duration) and externalizing or internalizing behavior problems in children 12 years or younger, were observational or experimental (with baseline data), were available in English, and had data that could be transformed into an effect size. Studies conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic were excluded. Of 25 196 nonduplicate articles identified and screened for inclusion, 595 met the selection criteria.DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS The study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) reporting guideline. Extracted variables were child age, sex, and socioeconomic status; informants and measurement type for screen time and behavior problems; study publication year; and study design and quality. Data were extracted by 2 independent coders and were pooled using a random-effects model. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURESThe primary outcome was the association of screen time duration with externalizing (eg, aggression, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms) and internalizing (eg, depression, anxiety) behaviors or diagnoses. RESULTSOf the 595 full-text articles assessed for eligibility, 87 studies met all inclusion criteria, comprising 98 independent samples and 159 425 participants (mean [SD] age, 6.07 [2.89] years; 83 246 [51.30%] male). Increased duration of screen time had a small but significant correlation with more externalizing problems (90 samples; r, 0.11; 95% CI, 0.10-0.12) and internalizing problems (43 samples; r, 0.07; 95% CI, 0.05-0.08) in children. Several methodological moderators explained between-study heterogeneity. There was evidence of significant between study heterogeneity (I 2 = 87.80). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCEThis systematic review and meta-analysis found small but significant correlations between screen time and children's behavior problems. Methodological differences across studies likely contributed to the mixed findings in the literature.
In 2006 the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Community Health, Glasgow Caledonian University, introduced an action research initiative: The Enhance Project. Originally designed to provide academic support for first year undergraduate nursing students, this project has evolved to encompass a second spiral of activity, investigating how prepared students are, both professionally and socially for year one of an undergraduate nursing programme, with particular reference to the first clinical placement. Initial findings indicate that, while the majority of students appear to understand their role as nursing students, their understanding of what is expected of in the first placement is less clear. There is also a lack of clarity regarding their role and that of the mentor in the achievement of clinical placement learning outcomes. This paper discusses the importance of getting it right at the start of the journey and comments on the development of professional identity in nursing.
Background: Hospital clinicians are increasingly expected to practice evidence-based medicine (EBM) in order to minimize medical errors and ensure quality patient care, but experience obstacles to informationseeking. The introduction of a Clinical Informationist (CI) is explored as a possible solution. Aims: This paper investigates the self-perceived information needs, behaviour and skill levels of clinicians in two Irish public hospitals. It also explores clinicians' perceptions and attitudes to the introduction of a CI into their clinical teams. Methods: A questionnaire survey approach was utilised for this study, with 22 clinicians in two hospitals. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics. Results: Analysis showed that clinicians experience diverse information needs for patient care, and that barriers such as time constraints and insufficient access to resources hinder their information-seeking. Findings also showed that clinicians struggle to fit information-seeking into their working day, regularly seeking to answer patient-related queries outside of working hours. Attitudes towards the concept of a CI were predominantly positive. Conclusion: This paper highlights the factors that characterise and limit hospital clinicians' informationseeking, and suggests the CI as a potentially useful addition to the clinical team, to help them to resolve their information needs for patient care.
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