REFLECTION
WHAT HAVE I LEARNED?
A lot! Such a simple response I realize, but it sums up my experience over the past two years. While working in the nursing simulation lab I wanted to do more. I began to see endless opportunities, yet was unsure how to reach them. As I began looking at the options, educational technology kept coming back to me. I investigated several programs throughout the country and was excited to find what I needed at Mizzou. As a Missouri resident I was already aware of the quality education I would be exposed to at Mizzou. That, coupled with the 100% online format was all I needed to convince me to enroll.
HOW DID I LEARN?
When I enrolled in my initial courses I was unsure how the online format would work. I had never taught or been in an online class so there was a certain degree of discomfort. It felt awkward to pose my course questions to a discussion board for all my classmates to see. I missed that "friend" that you knew you could always ask for clarification. I even found myself initially sending private messages to my instructors asking for clarification. I found out early that I should not do that when one of my instructors did not answer me, but instead responded "please post your question to the discussion board for all to see." I was even more amazed when it was actually one of my classmates, not the instructor that answered my question. I found that "friend." But it was not just that "friend"; it was many friends. I began to realize how online learning worked. Getting through courses became a collaborative effort, because we learned with and from each other. Collaboration became a recurring theme throughout each course as we participated in discussion boards, projects and peer feedback. As we learned about collaborative learning we experienced it ourselves.
Most of the courses involved a final project in which we demonstrated our acquired skills. Often this was a collaborative effort also. Once again we were able to apply what we learned to real situations and learn by doing. Regardless of whether it was an individual project or a group project, I found this to be one of the most valuable experiences of the program.
Throughout my design courses I was reintroduced to educational theories and design principles; content I had been exposed to in my previous degree but this time in much more depth. I now feel more comfortable in instructional design. I have learned about new tools and how to design courses in which students can learn with technology, not from technology.
HOW WILL I USE WHAT I HAVE LEARNED?
I recently began a new position as the Technology Coordinator at SLU School of Nursing. I will be coordinating E-learning across the nursing curriculum and also managing the simulation technology. As I work with faculty members I hope to integrate technology into courses for meaningful learning experiences. The knowledge and skills I have acquired in this program have prepared me well as I begin this new journey.