Synthesis statement
There are many artifacts I could have used to help demonstrate how I have met this learning outcome, including the Mendeley workshop design that evolved into a current program to support Zotero, or the LIHI curriculum development project. However, I chose to highlight a small presentation I developed with my classmate, Diana Frawley, for Research Methods class because it resonates with some of the librarian work I am currently engaged in.
About a year and half ago Western launched a new RN to BSN nursing program, and since I serve as the librarian for the Human Services department and Extended Education under which the program is administered, it fell to me to develop library services for the program. Medical librarianship can be a very specialized area of work, so when I found out that one of my Research Methods classmates was also a nursing instructor I sought out the opportunity to work with her. At that point I had already worked with one cohort of nursing students, but I saw this as an opportunity to develop my skills further.
Diana and I honed in on the PICOT method for developing a research question, which is very commonly used in the medical field, as something that might be of value to the class. PICOT stands for population, intervention or interest, comparison, outcome, and timeframe. We sought to show how the PICOT model could relate to the quantitative and qualitative research models being presented in the Gay, Mills, and Airasian (2009) textbook Educational Research: Competencies for Analysis and Applications. Our accompanying handout included a table where quantitative and qualitative research elements were aligned with each of the PICOT categories to show relationships in how it can be used to develop a research question and the content covered by the textbook.
I believe that this presentation is just one example of how I have sought out new opportunities for teaching in different contexts, largely because I need to do so in order to be successful in my work. My teaching may take place in any number of settings, be it through online chat, embedded in a Google Doc, via email, in any number of the classrooms I guest teach at for Western’s Extended Education programs. Developing a library component for the Nursing program has been yet another part of this journey. Working on this project with Diana helped me in revising the current Nursing Research Guide, which is used in conjunction with the library workshops the Western BSN students take.
I believe that one of the major goals of education is to strive for transformation of the learner and the educator. Transformative learning is often characterized in terms of how the learner is changed by the interaction, but I believe that if an instructor or facilitator is seeking to be critical of their practice and adapt to a variety of contexts, whether it be different types of learners, technologies, or venues, then it is essential for them to be open to transformation as well. So when Mezirow and Taylor (2009) describe the stages of transformative learning, including the disorientating dilemma, self-examination, critical assessment of assumptions, and so on, this is something that, as an educator I need to encourage in both myself and my students since we are both learners.
About a year and half ago Western launched a new RN to BSN nursing program, and since I serve as the librarian for the Human Services department and Extended Education under which the program is administered, it fell to me to develop library services for the program. Medical librarianship can be a very specialized area of work, so when I found out that one of my Research Methods classmates was also a nursing instructor I sought out the opportunity to work with her. At that point I had already worked with one cohort of nursing students, but I saw this as an opportunity to develop my skills further.
Diana and I honed in on the PICOT method for developing a research question, which is very commonly used in the medical field, as something that might be of value to the class. PICOT stands for population, intervention or interest, comparison, outcome, and timeframe. We sought to show how the PICOT model could relate to the quantitative and qualitative research models being presented in the Gay, Mills, and Airasian (2009) textbook Educational Research: Competencies for Analysis and Applications. Our accompanying handout included a table where quantitative and qualitative research elements were aligned with each of the PICOT categories to show relationships in how it can be used to develop a research question and the content covered by the textbook.
I believe that this presentation is just one example of how I have sought out new opportunities for teaching in different contexts, largely because I need to do so in order to be successful in my work. My teaching may take place in any number of settings, be it through online chat, embedded in a Google Doc, via email, in any number of the classrooms I guest teach at for Western’s Extended Education programs. Developing a library component for the Nursing program has been yet another part of this journey. Working on this project with Diana helped me in revising the current Nursing Research Guide, which is used in conjunction with the library workshops the Western BSN students take.
I believe that one of the major goals of education is to strive for transformation of the learner and the educator. Transformative learning is often characterized in terms of how the learner is changed by the interaction, but I believe that if an instructor or facilitator is seeking to be critical of their practice and adapt to a variety of contexts, whether it be different types of learners, technologies, or venues, then it is essential for them to be open to transformation as well. So when Mezirow and Taylor (2009) describe the stages of transformative learning, including the disorientating dilemma, self-examination, critical assessment of assumptions, and so on, this is something that, as an educator I need to encourage in both myself and my students since we are both learners.
Artifact
PICOT Research Plan:
References
Gay, L. R., Mills, G. E., & Airasian, P. W. (2009). Educational research: Competencies for analysis and applications. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Merrill/Pearson.
Mezirow, J., & Taylor, E. W. (2009). Transformative learning in practice: Insights from community, workplace, and higher education. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Mezirow, J., & Taylor, E. W. (2009). Transformative learning in practice: Insights from community, workplace, and higher education. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.