why take evaluation class?

I chose to take my particular evaluation class because it was required for my program (when it became all online, new one that is), because I had a good experience previously with the professor, in an online Measurement and Assessment class, especially communication wise.
It was also the only one left of my requirements that was offered during that particular semester, and I had taken the summer off, for a balance of family issues and lack of direction in my old program plan. In my earlier degree plan, when it was an elective, I don't think it would have made my list, especially as one advisor or another kept trying to convince me that the space for elective meant I had to take pharmacology (?) My instructor mentionned this too- saying that he was surprised by the large enrollment in the class, as evaluation is not the 'sexiest' offering. The course was set up for about 6 students and we ended up with 20!
The fact that it was offered online was also a factor in my choosing the class, as scheduling large blocks of time to myself is an ongoing challenge with two small children, and special needs are particularly tricky. The flexibility in completing work and the relative availability of most instructors is great.
Did I ever stop to consider that taking a class about Evaluation in Nursing Education would be interesting or useful? I don't really think so. In fact, considering I had recently completed measurement and assessment, I probably thought I knew it all already. I have not been employed in a position of authority during a JCAHO visit, or an NLN review, and generally feel skeptical about these processes anyway. I think without the requirement I wouldn't have taken the course.

starting the journey

I have been interested in graduate education since before I got my BSN/RN. My first degree is actually in biology, and I went back to school after a few years to get my nursing degree. I originally planned to go straight through and get an NP, but once there it became obvious that although the Dean felt it was great, faculty did not support students getting their NP without having worked as an RN.
So I worked for a few years and checked out programs, and then had family oboligations to take care of. After I had been at home for 3 and a half years, one spring day, a postcard showed up from this school. It specifically mentionned a major in nursing education, which I had decided on. And it said classes on weekends, evenings, and some online things. I couldn't even attend the open house, and the deadline was about a month away.
So I applied, and it was easy. Back then you didn't need GRE scores- which even though I had taken it, it was too long ago. There was no essay, just a form, a check, and transcripts, most of which are easy to get thanks to the Internet.
This may seem irrelevant, but the truth is, if it wasn't so simple, if even one thing stood in my way I know in my heart that I wouldn't have started the journey then. Obviously I got in, and that fall I took one class. And then one more in the fall. It was a slow journey. And it makes me wonder about nursing education in general. It often feels like there are so many barriers. But somehow I met my present goals. And I feel that it was the right path for me. How and why did you start this journey?

Fitting it in

Somehow it is October- which has me thinking about Halloween. Last year, being the Mom of 5- and 7-year-old boys, I had things to do. We watched the relevant TV specials, went trick or treating, answered the door and even ate a little candy. The cool thing is that I (and my husband) also did class work! My husband's online class (Regression Analysis or something) meets each Wednesday at 6:30, but he was done by 7:05, as the lecture is posted ahead of time, and the time 'in class' is spent watching her complete a few examples. So the boys and I watched ScoobyDoo's Halloween and answered the door, and the moment my husband signed off, we headed out to the neighborhood.I met with my group for our project by IM starting around 8:30, just minutes after I said my good nights to the best pirate and mad scientist, and chatted for a little over an hour to see what issues we were having in moving the project forward. It is good to have these contact points now and again, but we are doing well I think. One thing I like about these meetings is the documents are always handy- we were talking about an example, and were all able to pull it up on screen for immediate review just by posting a url. We can also copy and paste other info we have- like emails from sources, and paragraphs we have completed already for an instant check. And documenting these sessions is a snap- just click save, and the txt file is there on my computer. In contrast, my across the street neighbor just started a Masters in Public Health at another school in the Texas Medical Center. She actually goes to lecture once every week, and has a study group on Saturday afternoons. They had class on Wed evening, and so she went. Her children (4 and 8) were obviously fine to be with their Dad, but my friend missed out. She is disgruntled at herself for even going to class, but (I think) even more mad that she was put in a position where she had to choose. Meanwhile, even during our IM meeting one member of the group had to get up to answer her door for "Trick-or-Treat", and it was no problem. Another group member IM'd the instructor to check on a point we were discussing, and got an instant answer. It just fit right in.

Group work

My first class (Health Promotion) was a face to face-and it had a group project. A presentation with 7 people, all of whom had to talk. Groups were formed by e-mailing our preference to the prof, so we would be gathered by interests. Fine, except few people emailed. I did, and got into preschool/school age group, then 5 people who all knew each other picked my group so they could be together. One final person was added when other groups were full (she had shown up late to class that day, so had little real choice). We were given class time throughout the semester to work on the project, however, most of the time the people who knew each other chatted about their other classes, and agreed with each other. Someone came up with an outline of what they thought should be covered, and then sectioned it off. I was assigned to talk about depression, ADD and bed wetting. Lovely. After a time, I returned to the group and let them know I wanted to add a section- HOW these important ideas about Health Promotion in preschool/school age children could be taught- what opportunities are there, how do you reach the children/parents, some developmentally appropriate teaching methods, what resources are out there, etc. This was received well, and I shortened my assigned part to a couple paragraphs, and then put together some great stuff, which I am still quite proud of. We had some separate group meetings- these are a challenge for everyone I know so don’t think I am complaining, but it was hard for me to set up a time and to get to campus. The trip takes at least an hour there and an hour home, and that is without considering actual meeting time. Our final practice- we had one of these meetings. We had tried to meet directly after class, but 3 people said they were not prepared then, so we scheduled for a couple days later. Fine. Then those same 3 people did not show up to the meeting (Grrr). They had not submitted their ppt slides to our collector, but assured us they would be ready to go. Those of us present had a good session. Me in particular. Since I did not know these folks well, it was particularly gratifying when they sat up and took notice when I began to talk. I was to speak last, and also shared with them a 6 min video clip exemplified the groups’ message. Fantastic. Presentation day. One final member (the one who was late to class) still had not submitted her ppt slides or even any explanations. She was not even present as we began. We altered the presentation order on the fly- she was now to be last. She came in part way through. She had her own (huge) handouts to add to the packet we had put together. I talked about my stuff- and it went great. For her portion, it was like a different world. She had shown no one her slides or materials, had no concept of what the group format was, and we had not seen her practice. She went on and on just talking about issues she personally saw in her job as a public school nurse. We had to stop her talking when time ran out, and did not show my video that the group had agreed upon. I believe we all got As. Group work. Think about it.

here we go again

The past time I was evacuating from a hurricane..... Wow what a weird way to start a sentence... Anyway, the last time, I was taking Nursing Theory. It was a hybrid class, with a few meetings, and the rest online. Well, even though it was a trauma, and a class in the effected city, the instructors did not extend the deadline for one of our big papers, the concept analysis. At the time I thought it was annoying, because it would have been reassuring to know that the powers that be acknowledged there were much more important things going on. Even though we did make it out of town and back, honestly there was significant trauma for myself, my family and my city. And what of my comupter and files had been affected?! They cancelled one class meeting, but that was almost as annoying, as we were supposed to be able to ask questions about the assignment then.
Still, looking back I wish the instructors had stepped up. Things are different for me now. My family did not spend 13 hours in highway hell, and just as important, I have a lap top, and wireless connection so I can do lots more on the go (at least while the power is available to run the router in the house I am staying in). Also this blogging is now a voluntary activity for me. But seeing the situation from here I see I could have asked for an extension, but it was more than that. I did not want that. I wanted an acknowledgment of the imperfect power balance between student and teacher, and not to have to ask for something that should have been given.
Of course the work has to be done, and the knowledge gained to get the degree, and I am sure completing it on time gave me time to work on something else without delay, but left me feeling a bit less empowered or respected.

Technology through time

In one of my first semesters of college I had a nutrition class. Within the requirements - write a paper, go to lecture, take a multiple choice test, report a food intake, etc- there was something that didn’t really fit. In order to have our paper topic approved, we were required to e-mail it to our Teaching Assistant, and receive approval by return e-mail. This was around 1991, and although students knew where the computer labs were and did word processing and games, you didn’t exactly receive your college e-mail address with your acceptance letter. Specifically, this requirement meant we would each individually have to contact computing services, request an account, go to the computer lab, then set it up/figure it out, get the TA’s address, and connect. Obviously, for the purposes of the class, it would have been easier to catch the TA after class, or leave a note in their departmental mailbox. Using e-mail had nothing to do with learning nutrition.Fast forward- more college, 6 years later- most students have their own computers, but most still use the labs for communication. Several classes require computer modules to be completed. You print your results and hand in the printout to be checked off.We are at the present- this current school, you need the portal before you ever start classes, even before attending orientation, for registering, and paying the bills. My first class only used Blackboard once, to post an exam blueprint that someone requested during a class. I thought- wow this is a good tool! Instead of having to wait another week, or make a special trip to the campus to get this info, we all have it now... It builds fast from here.The next semester the course I took was Blackboard supplemented- The prof posted the ppt slides to print before lecture. People complained- they wanted handouts all ready for us. He also posted links, bibliographies, extra material. It is all there when you need it... We still submitted essays on paper, and they were returned in class. I bet that has changed now.Now comes Nursing Theory. Oh boy...discussion boards- not just a technological challenge, but a social challenge of building a community, and being evaluated on it. My group also did a real time online chat room (with mixed results). Theory also had my first online MC exam submission- immediate grading!! But we still had to submit written work on paper, and unfortunately for me, since the prof wasn’t done grading by our last class meeting, I never received my Concept Analysis back. Stop by my office anytime they said... Well they must mean anytime they are not busy with something else, because I was brushed off twice. I got a grade, but ZERO feedback. I thought to myself- if this had been submitted electronically, it could have been returned that way.The very next semester here comes the digital drop box to the rescue... except it seems a little unreliable. It seems the student view and the instructor view are very different, and more than once I had to convince an instructor that I had sent the work- always an uncomfortable situation.Do any of these requirements have anything to do with nursing? Being a good nurse requires developing that all important critical thinking. Being a good employee requires having the ability and comfort level to get workplace information in a timely way. Being an evidence based practitioner requires knowing how to access databases and journals. Pushing oneself, being comfortable with change, being open to mastering new challenges -these are all aspects of an evolved self. Now, because of additional Nursing Education classes, I can IM, I have a couple of blogs, and think I could set up another about anything. I can search the literature, I can track down a specific source from multiple different ways. I have 3 e-mail accounts, and have contributed to several wikis. I will have all these tools available to me in future activities- nursing, teaching, leading, advocating, and even parenting. Because I am familiar with these tools and have worked with them, I am continuing to move challenges from the ‘I don’t know how to do that’ side to the ‘which of my many tools gives the best way to achieve this’ side. I will have experienced them from the student side what using them is like, and seen the class results. In different classes, the tools are used in different ways, so that has shown me that ways the teacher uses the tools makes a difference too. As far as I know it was not a requirement in 1991 for a student in nutrition to be able to send an e-mail. It is not a grad requirement for a student with an MSN in Nursing Education to be able to IM. We may grumble on the way through these experiences, but we are the ones with the bonus at the end.