Papers by Kari Rasmussen, PhD
Teaching and Learning in Medicine, 2020
Problem: Think-pair-share (TPS) is a teaching strategy that promotes active and collaborative lea... more Problem: Think-pair-share (TPS) is a teaching strategy that promotes active and collaborative learning; however, the effectiveness and applicability of this strategy in its original or altered form remain to be established, especially in health professions education. As a first step in this direction, the objective of our study was to examine the perceived effectiveness and applicability of TPS including storytelling (TPS-S) in an oral pathology seminar from the perspectives of students, seminar instructors, and peer instructors (experienced instructors who observed the seminar). Intervention: Prompts for individual thinking (T), pair discussion (P), and class sharing (S) included clinical case-based questions related to diagnosis and management and wildcards with additional information about the cases. In addition to the traditional TPS phases, the experiences of the leading instructor in dealing with the cases discussed in the seminar were shared through storytelling to model good...
This paper presents a model of a course development process created for the development of fully ... more This paper presents a model of a course development process created for the development of fully online courses that are delivered within the higher education sector. This process is now established and capable of supporting the development of a new online Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) degree that is going to be offered by this large post-secondary institution. The instructional design team worked collaboratively with the university organization to design and document the design and development procedures that is to be the foundation to the development of the first fully online degree at this institution. This process is the result of over 4 years of project work in the development of six programs and the growth of the process to now reflect degree level programming; it has proven practical in a collaborative environment where expertise, competencies and interpersonal relationships are allowed to develop.
Journal of dental hygiene : JDH, 2018
Purpose: Entry-level students in dental hygiene programs have already demonstrated a level of aca... more Purpose: Entry-level students in dental hygiene programs have already demonstrated a level of academic success; however they often struggle with the acquisition of psychomotor skills. Recognizing that traditional course materials were not addressing the needs of entry level dental hygiene students, instructional videos were produced to demonstrate clinical skills. The purpose of this study was to investigate students' perception of instructional videos and their impact on the learning environment in regards to students' experiences of skills acquisition.Methods: Online surveys were distributed to all students (n=84) in the fall semesters of 2015 (n=42) and 2016 (n=42). Responses from the surveys were analyzed qualitatively, utilizing an activity theory framework, to identify the impact of instructional videos on the learning environment. The activity theory framework involves the encapsulation of the learning environment that is mediated by tools and situated in a community ...
This paper presents the research method, the context of the project, and the results of an analys... more This paper presents the research method, the context of the project, and the results of an analysis of the conceptions of the incorporation of a LMS into instructors’ teaching practice at a university in Western Canada. The phenomenographic analysis identified four qualitatively different categories based on faculty member’s conception of self with a hierarchical relationship of pedagogical function. Finally, the effects of these categories against future strategic planning at the university will be discussed as well as areas of further research.
Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology and Oral Radiology
Background Blended-learning (BL) radiographic interpretation activities were implemented into the... more Background Blended-learning (BL) radiographic interpretation activities were implemented into the dental hygiene curriculum with the aim of increasing student confidence in interpretation and to address this perceived gap in students’ education. Objective(s) This study assessed senior dental hygiene (DH) students’ self-reported confidence in interpreting dental radiographs after the introduction of a BL module for radiology interpretation. Preliminary results were presented at the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology (AAOMR) meeting in 2017. This abstract further describes the effectiveness of this qualitative approach and the subsequent changes that were implemented into the radiology curriculum. Study Design In order to capture the context, descriptions, and differences of students’ experience and confidence, a qualitative research approach was selected. Data were captured using a semistructured interview process and analyzed using the phenomenographic approach. This method involves researchers coding transcripts of the interviews to determine categories of description (commonalities and their variations) of the participants’ various ways of thinking about and describing their experiences. Sixteen students, 5 months from graduation, consented to participate and were interviewed. Blinded transcripts were analyzed by the research team, and the main themes relating to confidence were extracted and arranged into categories. The categories were coded as to how confident (low, medium or high) each of the students felt, specific to varying contexts and complexities of radiographic interpretation. Quotations were extracted to exemplify each category. Results The BL module had a positive impact on DH students’ confidence in interpretation of radiographic findings. However, when asked about their level of overall confidence in interpreting dental radiographs, the students still did not describe themselves as confident with regard to all potential findings on radiographs at this point in their education. Discussion/Conclusions The phenomenographic approach revealed important themes relating to confidence and provided useful insights on the issues and attitudes affecting the students’ confidence levels that can inform further course and curriculum development.
The instructional design process is central to the analysis, design and development of quality ed... more The instructional design process is central to the analysis, design and development of quality educational material; this is just as true in the online global educational environment as it is for the development of a local face to face environment. One of the initial steps within this process is to examine and understand the needs and requirements of the learners and to balance these findings with the requirements of the programme or course. This study will examine the concept of an ethic of care and will present a potential framework in which to examine and base further research in terms of understanding our adult online learners.
Canadian Medical Education Journal
Background: In each discipline, there are moments where students “get stuck” in their education a... more Background: In each discipline, there are moments where students “get stuck” in their education and/or training and are often unable to move forward. These moments may be caused by threshold concepts as they represent a portal that students must cross in order to become successful in their chosen profession. This study investigated the threshold concepts from the instructors’ perspective that students must navigate as they transform from learners to dentists within a dental program. Methods: Two focus groups with faculty members within the School of Dentistry, University of Alberta were completed in the fall of 2017. Focus groups explored the faculty’s perception of the students’ transition from learner to dentist, difficult moments in the program, and the students’ ability to navigate the program successfully.Results: A qualitative phenomenographic analysis of the faculty focus group transcripts identified four potential threshold concepts within the dental program: 1...
International Journal of Dental Hygiene
Objective This study assessed senior dental hygiene (DH) students’ self‐reported confidence in in... more Objective This study assessed senior dental hygiene (DH) students’ self‐reported confidence in interpreting dental radiographs following the introduction of a blended learning (BL) module for radiology interpretation. The assessment of students was conducted five months prior to graduation. Methods A BL oral radiology module was designed. In order to capture the context, descriptions and differences of students’ experience and confidence, a qualitative research approach was selected. Data were captured using a semi‐structured interview process and analysed using phenomenographic methods. Results Sixteen students were interviewed. Blinded transcripts were analysed, and the main themes relating to confidence were extracted and arranged into categories. The categories were coded as to how confident (low, medium or high) each of the students felt specific to varying contexts and complexities of radiographic interpretation. Conclusion Predominately, the BL model had a positive impact on DH students’ confidence in the interpretation of radiographic findings. However, when asked about their level of overall confidence in interpreting dental radiographs, students still did not describe themselves as confident for all potential findings on radiographs at this point in their education. The students highlighted the importance of having patient history details and clinical assessment findings included in the interpretation exercises and expressed a desire to collaborate with other professionals when interpreting radiographs.
International Journal of Dental Hygiene
The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning
This paper presents a model of a course development process created for the development of fully ... more This paper presents a model of a course development process created for the development of fully online courses that are delivered within the higher education sector. This process is now established and capable of supporting the development of a new online Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) degree that is going to be offered by this large post-secondary institution. The instructional design team worked collaboratively with the university organization to design and document the design and development procedures that is to be the foundation to the development of the first fully online degree at this institution. This process is the result of over 4 years of project work in the development of six programs and the growth of the process to now reflect degree level programming; it has proven practical in a collaborative environment where expertise, competencies and interpersonal relationships are allowed to develop.
The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning
This paper presents the research method, the context of the project, and the results of an analys... more This paper presents the research method, the context of the project, and the results of an analysis of the conceptions of the incorporation of a LMS into instructors’ teaching practice at a university in Western Canada. The phenomenographic analysis identified four qualitatively different categories based on faculty member’s conception of self with a hierarchical relationship of pedagogical function. Finally, the effects of these categories against future strategic planning at the university will be discussed as well as areas of further research.
The instructional design process is central to the analysis, design and development of quality ed... more The instructional design process is central to the analysis, design and development of quality educational material; this is just as true in the online global educational environment as it is for the development of a local face to face environment. One of the initial steps within this process is to examine and understand the needs and requirements of the learners and to balance these findings with the requirements of the programme or course. This study will examine the concept of an ethic of care and will present a potential framework in which to examine and base further research in terms of understanding our adult online learners.
This paper presents a model of a course development process created for the development of fully ... more This paper presents a model of a course development process created for the development of fully online courses that are delivered within the higher education sector. This process is now established and capable of supporting the development of a new online Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) degree that is going to be offered by this large post-secondary institution. The instructional design team worked collaboratively with the university organization to design and document the design and development procedures that is to be the foundation to the development of the first fully online degree at this institution. This process is the result of over 4 years of project work in the development of six programs and the growth of the process to now reflect degree level programming; it has proven practical in a collaborative environment where expertise, competencies and interpersonal relationships are allowed to develop.
Thesis Chapters by Kari Rasmussen, PhD
This research has focused on the experience of adult learners at the moment in time when they mad... more This research has focused on the experience of adult learners at the moment in time when they made the choice to engage in online learning as part, if not all, of their post-secondary journey. By using an ethic of care framework, adapted from the 1993 work of Joan Tronto, this project was designed based on the acknowledgement that care is present in the lives of all human beings as part of their lived experience.
The world of education is undergoing a massive paradigm shift. This shift is a result of several ... more The world of education is undergoing a massive paradigm shift. This shift is a result of several factors: the imminent retirement of a vast majority of the current body of educators, limited funding in the educational sectors, and the introduction of the Internet into our learning processes. A concept that has resulted from these changes is the idea of learning objects as a way in which to create, deliver, and maintain learning content. "Given the likelihood of the broad deployment of learning objects-based technology, and the dangers of employing it in an instructionally unprincipled manner, the need for an instructional design theory providing explicit support for the instructional design and use of learning objects is clear" (Wiley, 2000, p. v). This thesis examines the use of object oriented analysis and design principles and the Agile methodology as an option for the instructional design of learning objects.
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Papers by Kari Rasmussen, PhD
Thesis Chapters by Kari Rasmussen, PhD