Designing and evaluating an instructional exercise as a supplement to the Fluids & Electrolytes lecture

First year nursing students repeatedly have difficulty recalling, understanding, and applying knowledge from the Fluids & Electrolytes (F&E) class. Although the traditional teaching method of lecturing is appropriate in a situation of knowledge acquisition, this situation refers to a broader context. An alternate teaching method is needed to increase students' understanding of the previously acquired knowledge and its application. This research concerns gaming as a tool for teaching with the focus on process as well as product. An instructional exercise, in the Jeopardy format, is designed to incorporate understanding (through problem-solving), group collaboration, and metacognition. Constructivist philosophy is combined with Instructional Design to construct an exercise that focuses not only on knowledge recall, but also emphasizes thinking, understanding, and the reflective nature of the exercise. The focus of this research is to design and evaluate an exercise as a supplemental teaching method to the lecture presentation of the F&E class.

Conversations with remarkable teachers an exploration of teaching as healing

Through analysis and interpretation of transcribed taped conversations with two remarkable University teachers, Joel Shack and Harry Whittier, an articulation of perception and metaphor that exists in effective teaching, emerges as life giving or transformational. Creative insight and interpretation connect teaching to life. This work demonstrates how insightful conversations about teaching relate to poetic essence (Joel), energy (Harry), and healing (Ray), all aspects of a similar perceptual, creative and transformative process. Teachers shape education and excellent teaching inspires insofar as it is inspirited. Effective teaching is highly conscious and intentional. So much depends on how aware the teacher is, how the teacher sees what s/he is doing and how this doing/teaching is received. The effective teacher, attentive to how this energy works, can provoke positive change in consciousness both in the student, in education and in society. My study draws attention to the healing power of the teacher as he/she teaches and to the process of dialogue as teachers talk about what they do and don't do. For inherent in conversation and dialogue is the desire to affirm whole perceptions of existence. Dialogue and conversation is necessary to creating the kind of consciousness that will aid the reflective and conscientious teacher. The effective teacher attempts to effect change, to make things better. I call this transforming process, healing. And what creates this healing is the life, the attitude and approach of the teacher. The teacher's energy and consciousness, the teacher's perception of meaning, is the active but implicit ingredient in this transformative and healing process. These conversations are creative, theoretical, illuminating and even practical. It is my hope that the contents of these conversations will inspire potential teachers who can consider the vocation of teaching as a healing process that promises to generate positive growth in mind, body and spirit.