DTheses (Athabasca University)
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EFFICACY OF SCREEN-BASED VIRTUAL SIMULATION IN NURSING EDUCATION: COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
Full text linkNursing education is increasingly incorporating virtual simulation-based experiences (SBE), to provide learners with realistic clinical scenarios. While existing literature supports the effectiveness of virtual simulations, there is a need for more evidence to establish their overall effectiveness compared to traditional manikin-based SBE. To address this knowledge gap, a pilot study was conducted, guided by Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory and the NLN Jeffries Simulation Theory. The study compared the pedagogical effectiveness of virtual SBE with manikin-based SBE in terms of learner satisfaction, self-confidence, knowledge acquisition, skills development, and the transfer of learning to clinical practice. Participants (N = 30) were randomly assigned to engage in either a screen-based serious game or a manikin-based SBE, both with the same learning objectives and clinical indicators. Findings indicate that virtual serious games had less pedagogical effectiveness than manikin-based simulations in terms of learner confidence, knowledge acquisition, and critical thinking categories of learning. However, except for critical thinking aspects of learning of which manikin-based simulations were reported to be more effective, there was no statistically significant difference between the two modalities.2024-0
CURRENT COUNSELLING VIEWS AND THE MEDICAL MODEL: AN EXPLORATION OF THE TENSION
Full text linkThe field of psychotherapy has been influenced by several ideologies and models. Among these, the medical model is the most influential and dominant. There is great tension between the philosophical foundation on which psychotherapy was built and how it is practiced today. Having a comprehensive understanding of this tension and its impact on students of counselling is imperative for the future of psychotherapy. I used Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis to answer the research question: What impact does the tension between the medical model and the humanistic approach to counselling have on students in a Master of Counselling in a psychology program? I interviewed four participants who shared their experiences regarding this tension. Five themes emerged from the analysis and will be discussed. The themes highlighted the importance of education and training for students so that they can evolve with the growing demands of psychotherapy.2024-0
NOTE-TAKING HABITS OF ONLINE LEARNERS: A POSTPHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY
Full text linkAcademic literature discusses various aspects of note-taking and a variety of tools for taking
notes and their benefits and challenges. What is the meaning of note-taking and its related
technologies for graduate students in an online university? This qualitative study explores the
lived experiences with note-taking for online students and the intertwined human-technology
connections using a postphenomenological design. Data collection includes interviews, reflective
activities, and artifacts. Data analysis includes thematic analysis, variational analysis, and visual
research methodology. The study revealed that note-taking is not only about recording and
storing information but also individual preferences of online learners. Such preferences affect the
choice of note-taking strategies and technologies for taking notes. Online learners take both
digital and pen and paper notes. Also, online learners strive to be successful in their graduate
studies and balance life and school activities finding in their busy schedules the place and time to
study which may be less than perfect.2024-0
UNDERSTANDING WORK: A CRITICAL EXPLORATION OF INDUSTRY 4.0 TECHNOLOGIES IN ADVANCED MANUFACTURING
Full text linkWith the emergence of the fourth industrial revolution, or Industry 4.0, manufacturing companies in Canada, and elsewhere, have begun investing in a variety of advanced technologies to improve various organizational outcomes, such as improved efficiency, reduced costs, the maximization of output, and to facilitate flexibility in their operations. These technologies, which include the Internet of Things (IoT), cyber-physical systems, data analytics and augmented reality, among others, have a discernable impact on employees.
There is limited research on, and a limited focus on, the extent to which these advanced technologies benefit employees. Proponents of Industry 4.0 make several claims to that effect, which are tested. This dissertation uses a mixed-method, multiple case study approach to explore five different claims regarding Industry 4.0 technologies in a manufacturing context: (1) they enhance employee autonomy; (2) they improve training; (3) they improve productivity; (4) they enhance job control; and (5) they improve safety. The role that a formal lean manufacturing program plays regarding the claims is also explored. The study relies on an employee survey to generate quantitative data, and semi-structured employee interviews to generate qualitative data.
A critical realist perspective is adopted. Situating the study within a critical realist framework facilitated an analysis of structures, agents, events, actions, and context to identify and explicate the causal mechanisms that inform empirical outcomes and identify emergent themes.
The study finds that, through the exploration of three cases, the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies contributes to increased Employee Autonomy (EA), Employee Productivity (EP), Job Control (JC) and Safety Awareness (SA). The study does not support the claim that the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies contributes to increased Training Effectiveness (TE). An examination of semi-structured interviews revealed several common themes. The study finds that employees generally benefit from newly adopted technologies and enjoy a commensurate benefit with respect to an increased level of satisfaction with their work. Employees in organizations that have a formal lean manufacturing program tend to experience higher levels of satisfaction, due to its moderating role. Overall, the subjective experiences of employees support four of five of the positivist claims made in manufacturing.2024-0
EXAMINING POSITIVE MOTIVATIONAL INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN STRATEGIES FOR A YOUTH PROJECT IN KENYA
Full text linkThis study investigates instructional design strategies preferred by Kenyan youth, aged 18 to 35, in a training. Utilizing John Keller’s ARCS model of motivational design, the research employed a quantitative approach with structured questionnaires. Data were collected from 236 participants in the youth training. The findings revealed that “assessment” (Mean = 4.44), “certification” (Mean = 4.31), and “navigation freedom” (Mean = 4.26) were highly favored, while “badges” (Mean = 4.13) and “chat/discussion forums” (Mean = 3.91) were less popular. Micro-learning strategies, including “content breakdown” (Mean = 4.55), “short video clips” (Mean = 4.50), and “images/graphics” (Mean = 4.47), proved effective across age groups, with slight gender differences observed. The study underscores the significance of personalized learning approaches to enhance engagement and effectiveness in youth training. It also calls for further research into underutilized gamification features and gender-specific design, as well as mixed-methods studies for a comprehensive understanding of learner experiences.2024-0
A RISK-BASED APPROACH TO BLENDED LEARNING DESIGN FOR HEALTHCARE WORKPLACE TRAINING
Full text linkNew employee orientation and ongoing compliance training ensure that healthcare staff are competent and confident to perform their duties and provide safe patient care. There is no industry standard or evidence-informed decision framework that determines when to use in-person, face-to-face, online, or blended learning for healthcare workplace training. This research aims to answer the question: Is there a relationship between perceived risk of the learning content, delivery modes, and interaction techniques in health care workplace training? An online survey and correlation analysis were used to rank the preferences of healthcare workplace instructional designers. Quantitative analysis found statistically significant preferences for: 1) learner-instructor and learner-content interaction for high-risk content, 2) in-person face-to-face delivery via learner-content interaction for high-risk learning content, and 3) learner-content interaction for medium-risk learning content. This study enabled a proposed risk-based training and orientation planning support (RB-TOPS) matrix for instructional design decision-making that aids healthcare operational readiness.202
JEWISH BEREAVEMENT IN THE TIME OF COVID-19: AN ETHNODRAMATIC EXPLORATION
Full text linkThis study investigates the qualitative experiences of Jewish Canadians who were bereaved during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using ethnodrama as the methodology, nine participants were interviewed, and their words were transcribed. The transcripts were thematically analyzed through hermeneutic phenomenology as a point of departure, and organized into the form of a theatrical script to make the results more accessible to an audience, but also to prioritize and stay true to participants’ interpretations. While generalizations cannot be made from such a small sample, this study demonstrates the possibility of presenting research in an artistic format, and offers a snapshot in time of the unique experience of mourning during extraordinary circumstances.2024-0
IMPROVISING A VIRTUAL SCHOOL: DANCING THROUGH THE COVID-19 STORM
Full text linkIn this dissertation, I will use embodied epistolary autoethnography and reflexively layered dance improvisations to explore the process and experience of creating and administering a K-12 virtual school in Ontario, Canada through the period of August 2020 to June 2022, during the COVID-19 pandemic. I will use the framework of improvisational practice in the Arts, as well as research in organisational improvisation, disaster management and cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT), to examine what it was like to adapt and evolve pedagogical and administrative structures to fit the novel context of universalizing online learning in a system of public education. My conceptual framework, based in dramaturgy, will support an examination of how online learning blurred the lines between the well-established front-and-backstage of elementary and secondary schools and the traditional cultures of those school systems by pushing teachers and administrators to improvise their practice and leaving them “professionally naked” (Hargreaves, 2021, p. 1853) in the face of scrutiny from students, parents, and the public. I will interrogate my own creative process as an artist-educator-administrator as well as a practitioner-researcher and reflect on what this experience has taught me about leading in a time of crisis and what are important considerations and recommendations if online learning is to become a more permanent feature of Canadian public school systems.2024-0
PATHWAYS TO COUNSELLING FOR LOW-INCOME CALGARIANS
Full text linkThis study explores the question: What are the pathways and experiences of seeking mental health support for people with lower incomes? Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with five Calgarians who self-identified as lower-income and who had sought out mental health support. Data were analyzed using heuristic inquiry and journey mapping. Phases of the journey and key actions, facilitators, barriers, and opportunities were identified. Journey phases included: navigating the unfamiliar, crisis, pipeline to medications, decision for further supports, counselling loop, and disengagement. The study identified barriers and facilitators to counselling and mental health support linked to journey phases. These findings provide insight into opportunities to improve access to mental health support for lower-income individuals that can be owned at the systems, organizational, and individual levels. This research contributes to a more context-dependent understanding of the barriers lower-income individuals face in accessing mental health support and provides guidance for adjustments that can be made for improved processes.2024-1
DISRUPTING THE CYCLE OF ACES: EXAMINING TEACHERS’ EXPERIENCES WITH SUPPORTING STUDENTS
Full text linkNegative impacts to mental health and wellbeing that stem from exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can contribute to high risk behaviours and health issues through a person’s lifetime. Interventions are necessary to support children and adolescents who are affected by these adversities to mitigate negative consequences and reduce occurrences. Schools are increasingly relied on to provide a multitude of social-emotional supports and services, with teachers holding a significant portion of these responsibilities. This study used interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to explore the lived experiences of teachers who have supported students impacted by ACEs. A homogenous sample of six participants were recruited and individually interviewed. Individual and cross-case analyses of the data revealed six superordinate themes: Intrinsic Motivation, Work Conditions, Collaborative Supports, Systemic Factors, Establishing Relationships, and Conundrums. Connections of these findings to existing literature, study strengths and limitations, and considerations for future practice and policy are also discussed.2023-0