Module 7

I have mixed feelings about this module’s chosen technology. For this blog, I will discuss using Facebook. Teachers are constantly looking for ways to engage learners. According to an article by Maloney, Moss and Iic (2014), “the education sector has a history of repurposing popular technologies in an effort to go to where the students are and to improve learner engagement and flexibility” (p. 688). Incorporating social media into course work not only meets the needs of the millennials, but it also promotes engagement. Social Media sites like Facebook, allow educators to construct a public or semipublic profile for their courses (Maloney, Moss, & Illic, 2014). The educator can you Facebook to supplement course content or to encourage students to collaborate on projects. In an article by Lin, Hoffman, and Borengasser (2013), they explain that social media sites like Twitter and Facebook can be used for immediate feedback in F2F classes, and the enhancement of social presence in online classes. Facebook can be used as a formative evaluation tool for faculty members. A student can post to the site immediately, and the faculty can evaluate student learning. As for peer collaboration, students have been known to create Facebook pages for courses, on the page, they can collaborate on course projects or discuss course content.

The reason that I have mixed feelings regarding this technology is because of the ethical and legal considerations. In an article by Cain and Fink (2010), they note that social media can create a host of potential legal entanglement. As a health care educator, one concern is preserving the privacy of patients. Privacy and confidentiality are fundamental principles for nursing. We have had incidents where students have posted private information about patients. Since this has occurred Mercy College has instituted a policy that enforces a code of conduct. If students post any private patient information or anything negative about a clinical site, they can be dismissed from the program. I think enforcing the policy helps combat ethical or legal issues that can arise from students. It may also be helpful to have teachers frequently monitor the Facebook pages to review the conversations between students.

The term change agent is best described by Imel (2000) as “someone who deliberately tries to bring about change or innovation” (p. 1). In the world of adult education, the educator can facilitate change in two ways; the first way is through their institution or by working with individual learners (Imel, 2000, p. 1). Nursing education practices are driven by technology and evidence-based practice. By using innovative technology strategies and assessing the effectiveness, I can help other educators transform their practices.

References

Cain, J. & Fink, J. (2010). Legal and ethical issues regarding social media and pharmacy education. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 74(10), 1-8.

Imel, S. (2000). Change: Connections to adult learning and education (Digest #221).

Columbus, OH: ERIC Clearinghouse: Adult, Career, and Vocational Education.

Retrieved February 2004 from http://www.calproonline.org/ERIC/docgen.asp?tbl=digests&ID=106

Lin, M.G., Hoffman, E.S., Borengasser, C. (2013). Is social media too social for class? A

 case study of Twitter use. TechTrends, 57(2), 39-45.

Maloney, S., Moss, A., & Ilic, D. (2014). Social media in health professional education: A student perspective on user levels and prospective applications. Adv in Health Sci Educ, 19, 687-697. Doi: 10.1007/s10459-014-9495-7