Overall Course Reflection

For blog organization and readability, I have written my thoughts about each assignment under the assignment's respective heading. Please refer to individual entries to learn more about the assignments as well as possible applications to nursing education. (I will use some of these assignments in my professional practice this fall.)

I believe this course, IT 648, sets the standard for online courses. I will use the course to pattern the next online course I teach. Dr. Yuen, the professor, set the tone early by sending out an enthusiastic and detailed welcome note. Upon receiving the WebCT link, I logged onto the web site. My first impression was very positive, and I was excited to begin working (although a little nervous about the projects.) The course site was very well designed, visually appealing, and packed with useful information with multi-media presentations. Additionally, the listserve helped to develop a sense of community. I also appreciated knowing exactly what was expected of me as a learner and when an assignment was due. I think Dr. Yuen may have sensed when we were getting tired because we would receive a well-timed email offering suggestions and encouragement. Perhaps the number of WebCT hits was diminishing--I prefer to think he just knew when we needed a boost! In previous online classes I have felt as if the professor loaded the material and then checked out for the remainder of the term. In this course, I always was aware of the professor's presence, and that was a very positive aspect.

I liked that we shared our work with each other. The diversity of the class members and range of experience and backgrounds gives us all different perspectives. I learned a great deal from reading the posts of others on the discussion boards and reading the blogs and websites. This class was a great group of people, and I learned something from everyone in it. I also liked that we had international students and enjoyed the perspectives and insights from people who are not native to the deep south.

Wow! I learned so much in this course. I had never blogged, never tried to make a website, did not even know what HTML meant, and had no idea about the variety of tools available that we could use to integrate technology into learning. That begs the question, why use technology at all? I believe we demonstrated some aspects of the answer.

Our professor conducted a well run class while he visited Asia; I completed an assignment from a hospital waiting room while my sister-in-law had surgery; and I benefited from content presentation that appealed to my sense of sight as well as my need for auditory learning. I was able to access the course material whenever I had time, rather than having to drive 120 miles to campus to attend a lecture. I could watch a presentation over and over, and print material I wished to archive. This was great! Technology is not a fad--not bells and whistles. Rather, technology provides many different methods to assist learning. Most of us are in doctoral programs in order master our field and become scholars. We want to learn and we value learning and the pursuit of knowledge. Technology makes that pursuit more interesting, and, I believe, more effective.

Use of technology beyond making a simple PowerPoint is relatively new for me. I have much to learn. I look forward to the next IT class. I believe one will build on the other and I can not wait to begin the next project and "learn a new trick." I believe when a student eagerly anticipates the next course, the previous course can be considered wildly successful and very well done!