Facilitating self-directed learning: the nurse educators' perspective

The concept of self-directed learning was examined from the nurse educators' perspective. One structured interview, lasting between one and one-and-a half hours, was conducted with each of 14 nurse educators in two community college continuing education programs in nursing. One community college program encourages selfdirected learning; the other encourages self-study and active participation in the teaching/learning process. All 14 interviews were tape-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Verbatim transcripts were analyzed for themes, patterns, and relationships utilizing analyst-constructed typologies. six prerequisites or necessary conditions for facilitating self-directed learning in a community college continuing education program in nursing were identified. ~he crucial issue in facilitating self-directed learning was found to be the issue of teacher-control.

Creating a global consciousness throught the driver model of curriculum development

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect a human link through the One World Youth Project has on a global education program, if a human connection through the program enhances a student's ability to develop a critical consciousness of global issues, and the etTectiveness of thc constructivist-based Driver Model of Curriculum Development, which served as the curriculum model in this study. An action based research cycle was chosen as this study's research methodology and incorporated 5 qualitative data collection instruments: a) interviews and questionnaires, b) artifacts, c) teacher journal, d) critical friend's observation forms, and e) my critical friend's postobservation interviews. The data were conected from 4 student participants and my critical friend during all stages of the action research cycle. The results of this study provide educators with data on the impact of human connections in a global education program, the effects these connections have on students, and the effectiveness of the Driver Model of Curriculum Development. This study also provides practical activities and strategies that could be used by educators to develop their own global education programs. The United Nations drafted the Millennium Development Goals in an effort to improve the lives of billions of people across the globe. The eight goals were developed with the support of all member nations since all human beings are global citizens who have a responsibility to make the world a better place. Students need to develop a critical consciousness of global issues so that they can work with others to eliminate them. Students who are taught to restate the opinions of others win not be prepared to inherit a world full of challenges that will require new innovative ideas to foster positive change.

An Exploration Into Doctoral Students' Sense of Community and its Influence on the Formation of Informal Mentoring Relationships

This exploratory mixed method research project was designed to investigate an area of doctoral education that has received little attention in the past. This research focused specifically on the non-intellectual, hoped-for by-products of doctoral education; the dynamic processes of developing and maintaining both a sense of community and informal mentoring relationships. The design of the study captured the experiences of doctoral students and alumni at various time periods in the doctoral program. Participants represented a diverse group of students with differences in professional and academic backgrounds and life stages. A pilot study for this research suggested that the presence of a sense of community and informal mentoring may provide the necessary relationships to support this diversity. The primary question at the forefront of this study was: Do doctoral students feel connected to one another? Five subquestions were developed to address this research topic: Does a sense of community already exist and flourish in doctoral education? Are the programs and resources of the doctoral program organized to nurture the creation and maintenance of a sense of community? Is a sense of community a foundational element in the formation of naturally occurring relationships among doctoral students? What educational and socio-emotional benefits are associated with informal mentoring relationships during the doctoral experience? and Do doctoral students perceive a change in their development as stewards of their discipline over time? The principal methods used to investigate these research questions combined both quantitative and qualitative techniques in a concurrent time sequence. The quantitative portion of the study involved a questionnaire, while the qualitative portion involved two approaches; face-to-face interviews and an open-ended question at the end of the questionnaire. Findings from the study indicated that the presence of both sense of community and informal mentoring enhance the overall quality of doctoral education. Program elements that enhanced or hindered connection between students were identified. Both the dynamics and the emotional, social, and academic benefits of informal mentoring were elucidated. Over time participants perceived changes in their development of the qualities assqciated with stewardship. This study brought the "hoped-for by-products" associated with doctoral education from the background shadows to an illuminated position at the forefront of inquiry.

Mental Health and Becoming a Teacher: A Narrative on the Experiences and Identities of Teacher Candidates

This study used narrative inquiry to shed light on the identity development of teacher candidates who experienced mental health issues during teacher education programs. The study sought to examine (a) stories that teacher candidates tell about being in a teacher education program while experiencing mental health issues; (b) identity development of teachers who have experienced mental health issues; and (c) how narratives of teacher candidates and beginning teachers challenge stereotyping and stigmatization. Through discussion and letter correspondence, the participants and I shared stories that represented our lived experiences. The study explored our stories using the 3 commonplaces of temporality, sociality, and place from a theoretical framework of narrative inquiry. Four themes emerged from the data analysis: the stigmatization of mental health issues; dealing with conflict; the need for a safe and supportive environment; and the complexity of mental health issues. This study contributes to the literature by exploring the lived experiences of teacher candidates and beginning teachers with mental health issues. The narratives inform teacher education programs, the teaching profession, and the mental health field.

Developing an Understanding of Cultural Diversity: How an Experience Living in a Multicultural Nation and an Experience Teaching Abroad Contribute to Southern Ontario Teachers' Identities

This is a narrative design study focusing on the understandings that a group of 6 Southern Ontario teachers have of cultural diversity and how these understandings integrated into their development of teacher identity. Given the high culturally diverse population of Canada and its national multicultural values, conducting this study on Canadian pre-service and in-service teachers offers an interesting contribution to the field. In efforts to explore the participants’ understandings, the research examined a teaching abroad experience. The aim was to investigate how these participants gained insight from their experiences with cultural diversity and whether these insights stimulated a greater culturally conscious teacher identity. Narratives provided a description of the lived experiences of these 6 teachers and identified meanings made from these experiences. Participants included 2 pre-service teachers who were in a teacher education program at the time of the interview, and 4 certified teachers who graduated from a teacher education program within the past 5 years. One on one interviews focused on lived experiences within a participant’s home, school community, and teaching abroad. The researcher used grounded theory during the data analysis to assist in identifying themes, and then compared these themes among participants. Overall, this study suggests that even though these participants live in a multicultural nation, experiences varied greatly based on contributing factors such as heritage and exposure to cultural diversity through their home and school life. Despite their varying level of cultural competence, all participants gained insight from their teaching abroad experience, contributing to a teacher identity that considered inclusive practices. This study suggests that there are some important factors to consider when preparing teachers to teach in a multicultural society.

A Quantitative and Qualitative Inquiry Into Positive Involvement Trends of Contemporary Fathers and Influence of Parenting Programs

Parent education programs offered by a variety of public health services are effective support and knowledge resources that enhance positive parenting competencies in early childhood and adolescence. However, parenting education programs are less effective and encompass fewer benefits for fathers in comparison to mothers. This study sought to investigate trends of paternal involvement in early childhood and to compare the influence of parenting education programs on paternal involvement and conceptualization of fathers. A sample of 52 fathers, between the ages of 19 to 54, with children 6 years old and younger completed an electronic or hard copy version of a survey questionnaire reporting on their fathering and experiences as a dad. Findings indicate the sample of Canadian fathers self-reported high levels of paternal involvement, including many who favoured play-based interactions with their children. Although no significant difference in levels of involvement was noted between fathers who had versus those who had not previously participated in a parenting education program, half of the Canadian fathers indicated that supports are needed to strengthen their role as fathers. Results suggest that future initiatives to strengthen parent education program services available in Canada should specifically consider the father’s role.

Photograph - Arthur A. Schmon receives Honourary Doctorate, 1952

A photograph of Arthur A. Schmon receiving an Honourary Doctorate of Science Degree from Laval University. The reverse of the photo describes the event: "Laval University - Quebec City - September 22, 1952. Arthur A. Schmon receiving Doctorate of Science Degree (honourary). The Right Honourable Louis St. Laurent, K.C., Prime Minister of Canada His Excellency Msgr. Maurice Roy, Archbishop of Quebec, Chancellor of Laval Arthur A. Schmon Behind Archbishop Roy is Cardinal McGuigan of Toronto Msgr. Garant is immediately behind Arthur A. Schmon and about to pin the epitage on his left shoulder. Young Priest immediately behind the Archbishop's chair is Father Garneau, Secretary to Msgr. Parent, Vice-Rector of the University."

Diversity Discourse and the Ontario Educator: The Understandings of Race and Whiteness Among New White Ontario Teachers

As a recent teacher education graduate, I have been left with more questions than answers about how to create and maintain an equitable and antioppressive classroom. These complicated questions of equity laid the groundwork for this study, which explored how new teachers understood diversity, specifically whiteness, and how they connected these perceptions to their course-related experiences in their teacher education program. Using a qualitative approach, this study problematized the lack of critical discussions around diversity taking place in Ontario teacher education courses. Through purposive, homogenous sampling, 7 new Ontario educators participated in a semistructured interview that focused on their experiences as teacher candidates and new teachers and their understandings and ideas regarding diversity, race, and more specifically, whiteness. The findings suggest that the greater Canadian discourse surrounding multiculturalism impacts the everyday diversity talk of the participants, and that problematic ideas of acceptance and tolerance are common. The findings also show a strong discomfort and unfamiliarity among the participants with the terms whiteness and white privilege. Finally, the results also revealed that new teachers have limited experience in their teacher education to discuss and learn about diversity, particularly critical discussions about race and privilege. Through this investigation, I aimed to bring attention to the necessity of having these critical, albeit difficult, discussions around diversity and whiteness in order to support new, predominately white, teachers.

Association between diet quality and metabolic syndrome in overweight and obese postmenopausal women

Résumé Objectifs : Le syndrome métabolique (MetS) est un ensemble de composantes (obésité, résistance à l'insuline, intolérance au glucose, dyslipidémie, hypertension) qui sont associées à une augmentation du risque de diabète de type 2 et de maladies cardiovasculaires. Aux États-Unis, la fréquence du MetS atteint des proportions épidémiques avec une prévalence de 25% de la population. Les études nutritionnelles traditionnelles se sont concentrées sur l’effet d’un nutriment alors que les études plus récentes ont déterminé l’effet global de la qualité alimentaire sur les facteurs de risque. Cependant, peu d'études ont examiné la relation entre la qualité alimentaire et le MetS. Objectif: Déterminer l'association entre la qualité alimentaire et le MetS et ses composantes. Méthodes: La présence du MetS a été déterminée chez 88 femmes post-ménopausées en surpoids ou obèses, selon la définition du National Cholesterol Education Program Adult treatment Panel III alors que la qualité alimentaire a été évaluée selon le Healthy Eating Index (HEI). La sensibilité à l’insuline, la composition corporelle et le métabolisme énergétique ont été mesurés. Résultats: Le HEI corrélait négativement avec la plupart des mesures de masse grasse et du poids mais pas avec la sensibilité à l'insuline, l’hypertension et la plupart des marqueurs lipidiques. Cependant, l’HEI corrélait positivement avec LDL-C/ApoB et négativement avec le métabolisme énergétique. Conclusion: Les résultats démontrent que l’HEI est associé avec les mesures de gras corporel et la grosseur des LDL. Mots clés: Obésité, qualité alimentaire, métabolisme lipidique, syndrome métabolique.

Évaluation des éléments facilitants et des barrières à l’implantation d’un programme d’éducation à la nutrition Camille, Antoine et l’archipel Ôlait tels que perçus par les enseignants du préscolaire

Cette étude vise à évaluer les éléments facilitants et les barrières à l’implantation du programme d’éducation à la nutrition Camille, Antoine et l’archipel Ôlait, développé par les Producteurs laitiers du Canada (PLC), auprès d’enseignants du préscolaire provenant de six régions du Québec et ayant reçu un atelier de formation animé par une diététiste des PLC. Elle vise également à connaître le degré d’implantation et la fidélité du programme ainsi que son appréciation, son utilisation et sa pertinence. Après une moyenne de 5 mois d’implantation, un questionnaire auto-administré a été complété par 37 enseignants (N = 86, 43 %), dont 10 utilisateurs (27 %) et 27 non-utilisateurs (73 %). Puis, des groupes de discussion ont eu lieu avec 13 enseignants (N = 170, 8 %). En moyenne, 11,4 activités sur 30 ont été réalisées (38 %), dont 6,3 telles quelles (55 %) et 5,1 modifiées (45 %), et les enseignants ont rapporté avoir l’intention de refaire 6,1 activités (54 %). L’implantation du programme a été facilitée ou limitée par différentes caractéristiques des enseignants, par l’appréciation de son contenu et son format, par sa pertinence concernant les exigences pédagogiques au préscolaire, la réalité des élèves et des parents et les objectifs d’apprentissages en nutrition, par le milieu scolaire, familial et communautaire ainsi que par la crédibilité et le support des PLC. Plusieurs de ces facteurs sont à la fois des éléments facilitants et des barrières. Les résultats obtenus aideront à ajuster ce programme et guider le développement et l’évaluation de programmes similaires.

How to build a bioinformatics service in a year

Introduction: Biomedical scientists need to choose among hundreds of publicly available bioinformatics applications, tools, and databases. Librarian challenges include raising awareness to valuable resources, as well as providing support in finding and evaluating specific resources. Our objective is to implement an education program in bioinformatics similar to those offered in other North American academic libraries. Description: Our initial target clientele included four research departments of the Faculty of Medicine at Universite´ de Montréal. In January 2010, I attended two departmental meetings and interviewed a few stakeholders in order to propose a basic bioinformatics service: one-to-one consultations and a workshop on NCBI databases. The response was favourable. The workshop was thus offered once a month during the Winter and Fall semesters, and participants were invited to evaluate the workshop via an online survey. In addition, a bioinformatics subject guide was launched on the library’s website in December 2010. Outcomes: One hundred and two participants attended one of the nine NCBI workshops offered in 2010; most were graduate students (74%). The survey’s response rate was 54%. A majority of respondents thought that the bioinformatics resources featured in the workshop were relevant (95%) and that the difficulty level of exercises was appropriate (84%). Respondents also thought that their future information searches would be more efficient (93%) and that the workshop should be integrated in a course (78%). Furthermore, five bioinformatics-related reference questions were answered and two one-to-one consultations with students were performed. Discussion: The success of our bioinformatics service is growing. Future directions include extending the service to other biomedical departments, integrating the workshop in an undergraduate course, promoting the subject guide to other francophone universities, and creating a bioinformatics blog that would feature specific databases, news, and library resources.

D'étudiante à infirmière d'urgence : une étude qualitative de l'expérience d'infirmières nouvellement diplômées ayant participé à un séminaire de soutien et de formation

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

La formation continue à distance des enseignants du secondaire au Bénin : réalités et perspectives

Cette recherche porte sur la pertinence et la faisabilité d’un programme de formation continue à distance des enseignants qualifiés de l’enseignement secondaire général public du Bénin. Elle a deux objectifs spécifiques : l’identification et l’analyse des besoins de formation continue des enseignants du secondaire du Bénin et l’étude des modalités administratives, pédagogiques et techniques de mise en place d’un tel programme dans le contexte béninois. Les recherches sont effectuées sur la base de la mise en œuvre de la technique du groupe nominal (TGN) qui a permis de générer un premier questionnaire soumis à un échantillon de 278 enseignants représentatifs des 1 488 enseignants qualifiés de l’enseignement secondaire général public du Bénin et trois autres questionnaires, basés sur la technique Delphi, adressés à 13 experts du système éducatif béninois. Il apparaît qu’un futur programme de formation continue à distance des enseignants du secondaire devrait comporter, principalement, les trois thèmes ci-après, classés par ordre de priorité : «Technologies de l’information et de la communication »; «Méthodes pédagogiques» et « Matière de spécialité ». L’utilisation de la technique Delphi a permis d’établir une liste de 23 items correspondant aux modalités administratives, pédagogiques et techniques pour la mise en œuvre de la formation. L’analyse des résultats de la technique Delphi et celle des réponses au questionnaire adressé aux enseignants ont permis d’opérer un choix de médias à utiliser et/ou à intégrer pour transmettre le savoir et soutenir l’apprentissage. Il ressort des résultats de la recherche que les enseignants béninois du secondaire ont d’importants besoins de formation continue et que la conception et la mise en œuvre d’un programme de formation à distance axée sur l’utilisation des TIC sont pertinentes et faisables au Bénin. Un modèle organisationnel de formation continue à distance a été proposé.

Représentations d’enseignants quant à l’intégration linguistique, socioscolaire, scolaire et sociale d’élèves allophones immigrants dans trois écoles secondaires montréalaises

Ce mémoire présente une analyse des représentations de dix-sept enseignants quant à l’intégration linguistique, socioscolaire, scolaire et sociale d’élèves allophones immigrants dans trois écoles secondaires pluriethniques de la région de Montréal. Cette étude a eu lieu dans le cadre d’un projet visant à décrire les modèles de services destinés aux élèves allophones immigrants à travers les perceptions d’acteurs scolaires québécois (De Koninck, Z. et F. Armand, 2012). Les représentations de huit enseignants de classes d’accueil et celles de neuf enseignants de classes ordinaires ont été dégagées à partir d’une analyse thématique de leur discours recueilli au moyen de six entrevues de groupe. Le questionnaire d’entrevue a mené les enseignants à dresser des bilans de l’intégration d’élèves allophones immigrants et à porter un regard sur leurs rôles. L’interprétation des résultats a permis de situer les représentations de l’intégration des enseignants sur un continuum d’acculturation. Les résultats révèlent que les enseignants de classes d’accueil ont généralement mis l’accent sur le bien-être affectif de leurs élèves et sur l’enseignement du français langue seconde, alors que les enseignants de classes ordinaires ont souvent rapporté traiter tous leurs élèves de manière égale. Par contre, des préoccupations en lien avec la place de la langue française au Québec ont mené plusieurs enseignants à justifier des dynamiques de ségrégation et à se représenter la langue maternelle et le milieu familial des élèves allophones immigrants comme des obstacles à l’intégration. Lorsqu’on les situe sur un continuum d’acculturation, les représentations de l’intégration de certains enseignants tendent vers le modèle interculturel, alors que celles d’autres enseignants se rapprochent de l’assimilation.

Comparación de la severidad y extensión de la enfermedad coronaria multivaso por Syntax Score en una poblaciòn de las Antillas Holandesas vs controles nacionales

En la Enfermedad Coronaria (EC) existen factores genéticos, socioculturales, medioambientales y raciales adicionales a los factores de riesgo cardiovascular mayores que podrían influir en su presentación. Se desconoce el impacto de la raza en la severidad de la enfermedad coronaria en los pacientes extranjeros que son enviados a nuestro Servicio. Objetivos: Comparar la severidad de la EC multivaso en una población de pacientes de las Antillas y Nacionales, pareados por la escala Framingham. Metodología: Realizamos un estudio de corte transversal, comparando pacientes colombianos contra pacientes provenientes de las Antillas holandesas con similares factores de riesgo según escala de Framingham, catalogándolos por grupos de riesgo bajo, intermedio, alto y muy alto. Todos con EC severa multivaso documentada por angiografía coronaria desde enero del 2009 hasta Junio de 2011. Se excluyeron pacientes con antecedentes de intervención percutánea o quirúrgica previa. Resultados: Ingresaron 115 pacientes internacionales y 115 pacientes nacionales. La relación hombres/mujeres 3:1. La proporción de grupos de riesgo fue de bajo riesgo 2.5%, intermedio 15%, alto 19.3%, y muy alto 63.4%. El Syntax Score en pacientes nacionales fue 14.3+/-7.4 y en internacionales 22.2+/-10.5 p: 0.002. Conclusiones: En pacientes provenientes de las Antillas Holandesas, valorados en nuestra institución, se observó una mayor severidad de la enfermedad coronaria comparada con una población nacional con factores de riesgo similares. Estos hallazgos sugieren la influencia de la raza y factores genéticos en la severidad y extensión de la EC