The CHCH website is a great resource and I subscribe to a couple of their newsletters. If you don't, I encourage you to create a free account. I've never been spammed because of my subscription.
From the website http://www.chcf.org/ :
"Coaching Patients for Successful Self-Management," a video produced by the California HealthCare Foundation, features techniques that providers can use to work with patients and effectively educate and encourage them to take charge of their health.
The video shows how to use an action planning process to help the patient change behavior and reviews steps to ensure patients take their medication appropriately. In both cases, the coach, in partnership with a clinician, provides patients with the skills they need to become active participants in their own care, performing a function that clinicians often don't have time to perform.
The material is presented by Tom Bodenheimer, M.D., of the University of California San Francisco and San Francisco General Hospital.See the video online now http://lyris.chcf.org/t/2494/607673/3627/0/" .
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Connectivism
I've been fascinated with the theory of connectivism and how it reflects the way we find, collect, and use information in a computer driven environment. Learning how to find, evaluate and use information rapidly and effectively using technology is becoming a critical skill. It's a central theme in my Personal Learning Environment and using a tool like Pageflakes or Netvibes is an attempt to have a container to centralize connections and resources.
The best place to read about Connectivism is on George Siemens website, http://connectivism.ca
His post from Aug 6 is entitled "What is the unique idea in Connectivism?" (http://connectivism.ca/blog/2008/08/what_is_the_unique_idea_in_con.html). The entire post is worth reading, but here are the 5 points under the section "The Unique Ideas in Connectivism"
There is link to an excellent interview with George Siemens on http://connectivism.ca/blog/2008/08/short_interview_on_connectivis.html. It's about 25 min or so and is a Skype video recording.
The best place to read about Connectivism is on George Siemens website, http://connectivism.ca
His post from Aug 6 is entitled "What is the unique idea in Connectivism?" (http://connectivism.ca/blog/2008/08/what_is_the_unique_idea_in_con.html). The entire post is worth reading, but here are the 5 points under the section "The Unique Ideas in Connectivism"
- Connectivism is the application of network principles to define both knowledge and the process of learning. Knowledge is defined as a particular pattern of relationships and learning is defined as the creation of new connections and patterns as well as the ability to maneuver around existing networks/patterns.
- Connectivism addresses the principles of learning at numerous levels - biological/neural, conceptual, and social/external. What I'm saying with connectivism (and I think Stephen would share this) is that the same structure of learning that creates neural connections can be found in how we link ideas and in how we connect to people and information sources. One scepter to rule them all.
- Connectivism focuses on the inclusion of technology as part of our distribution of cognition and knowledge. Our knowledge resides in the connections we form - where to other people or to information sources such as databases. Additionally, technology plays a key role of 1) cognitive grunt work in creating and displaying patterns, 2) extending and enhancing our cognitive ability, 3) holding information in ready access form (for example, search engines, semantic structures, etc). We see the beginning of this concept in tool-based discussions of Activity Theory. Connectivism acknowledges the prominence of tools as a mediating object in our activity system, but then extends it by suggesting that technology plays a central role in our distribution of identity, cognition, and thereby, knowledge.
- Context. While other theories pay partial attention to context, connectivism recognizes the fluid nature of knowledge and connections based on context. As such, it becomes increasingly vital that we focus not on pre-made or pre-defined knowledge, but on our interactions with each other, and the context in which those interactions arise. The context brings as much to a space of knowledge connection/exchange as do the parties involved in the exchange.
- Understanding. Coherence. Sensemaking. Meaning. These elements are prominent in constructivism, to a lessor extent cognitivism, and not at all in behaviourism. But in connectivism, we argue that the rapid flow and abundance of information raises these elements to critical importance. As stated at the start of this post, constructivism found it's roots of growth in the social reform-based climate and post-modern era. Connectivism finds its roots in the climate of abundance, rapid change, diverse information sources and perspectives, and the critical need to find a way to filter and make sense of the chaos. As such, the networked centrality of connectivism permits a scaling of both abundance and diversity. The information climate of continual and ongoing change raises the importance of being continually current. As Anderson has stated, "more is different". The "more" of information and technology today, and the need to stay current, forms the climate that gives roots to connectivism.
There is link to an excellent interview with George Siemens on http://connectivism.ca/blog/2008/08/short_interview_on_connectivis.html. It's about 25 min or so and is a Skype video recording.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Digital Natives - Attitude or Competence?
A valued colleague, Margaret Hansen (http://www.m2hnursing.com/) sent me a link to http://stigmergicweb.org/2006/10/20/the-myth-of-the-digital-native "Myth of the Digital Native". The author, Bob Wall, is a public school teacher in Saskatchewan. Bob questions the implied attribute of technical comptence that goes with the term "digital native".
I agree with many of his observations, particularly as I look at my students who range from 19 to adults embarking on a second career. While many of them are very comfortable using email, surfing, etc from the perspective of consumers, they are very much newbies when it comes to learning new applications, formulating search strategies and critically evaluating resources.
I don't know if a regional thing, but my undergrad nursing students seem uncomfortable with the idea of learning or interacting in Second Life, and very few will admit to playing games. Most of them are avid Facebook users, but listservs, online discussion boards and blogs are foreign to many of them.
He cites a Presnky quote in his posting: "Lest this perspective appear radical, rather than just descriptive, let me highlight some of the issues. Digital Natives are used to receiving information really fast. They like to parallel process and multi-task. They prefer their graphics before their text rather than the opposite. They prefer random access (like hypertext). They function best when networked. They thrive on instant gratification and frequent rewards. They prefer games to "serious" work."
Yes, they scan, write very informally and seem more interested in easily obtained, superficial information. Wikipedia is a primary information source for many of them. If I wander about our computer lab while lecturing, many have multiple windows open and flip between IM, email, Facebook, and my lecture notes. The biggest advantage I think the "natives" have is the willingness to experiment and a lack of fear they'll "break something" and they view electronic communciation and collaboration as normal rather than something new.
The caveat to using the term "digital natives" is to remember you can't make the assumption that comfort in the electronic environment and williness to explore equates with information literacy or technical competence.
I agree with many of his observations, particularly as I look at my students who range from 19 to adults embarking on a second career. While many of them are very comfortable using email, surfing, etc from the perspective of consumers, they are very much newbies when it comes to learning new applications, formulating search strategies and critically evaluating resources.
I don't know if a regional thing, but my undergrad nursing students seem uncomfortable with the idea of learning or interacting in Second Life, and very few will admit to playing games. Most of them are avid Facebook users, but listservs, online discussion boards and blogs are foreign to many of them.
He cites a Presnky quote in his posting: "Lest this perspective appear radical, rather than just descriptive, let me highlight some of the issues. Digital Natives are used to receiving information really fast. They like to parallel process and multi-task. They prefer their graphics before their text rather than the opposite. They prefer random access (like hypertext). They function best when networked. They thrive on instant gratification and frequent rewards. They prefer games to "serious" work."
Yes, they scan, write very informally and seem more interested in easily obtained, superficial information. Wikipedia is a primary information source for many of them. If I wander about our computer lab while lecturing, many have multiple windows open and flip between IM, email, Facebook, and my lecture notes. The biggest advantage I think the "natives" have is the willingness to experiment and a lack of fear they'll "break something" and they view electronic communciation and collaboration as normal rather than something new.
The caveat to using the term "digital natives" is to remember you can't make the assumption that comfort in the electronic environment and williness to explore equates with information literacy or technical competence.
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