Distant Education In Nursing and Set up Email Account, Library and Book Access
Setting Email Accounts for Distant Education
E-mail accounts should be set up for students prior to the beginning of the semester. The university must determine if students will be required to use the university e-mail system or can use their personal e-mail account through their Internet service provider. If the university system is required, it must be determined how access to the system can be facilitated in a cost effective manner for students who live outside the university's local calling number.
Faculty can obtain student e-mail advertisements and set up a distribution list to facilitate communication to the class. Some Web-based course ware has a separate e-mail system set up within the course ware to allow students to have a separate e-mail account related to the Web course. This facilitates separation of e-mail and helps students who receive a large volume of e-mail on other accounts to find course-related messages in a timely manner.
Access and Use of Learning Resources In Nursing Education
The use of learning resources changes in DE courses as students do not have easy access to the on-campus resources of libraries, learning laboratories, and other learning supports. Information about these learning resources should be developed and distributed to students to make sure they are aware of the services that exist and how to access them.
Information about these resources could be placed on the Web and linked to a common site for DE students, or printed material about the services could be developed and distributed to DE students.A wide variety of learning resources are available to students.
Using computer supported collaborative tools, students have access to experts, mentors, professional colleagues, peers, and a variety of faculty; and a host of virtual patients, simulations, case studies, and authentic learning experiences are easily at hand. Faculty can assist students by guiding them through this resource rich environment as they locate, retrieve, sort, organize, synthesize, evaluate, and critique relevant resources.
When designing courses and learning activities, faculty must be aware of the limits of the resources and students' ability to access them. Creating options and alternative learning activities gives students flexibility in the choice of learning resources. Faculty and students also have to be aware of the time required to access resources and plan for adequate access time within the time frame of the assignment or learning activity.
If the purpose of the DE course or program is to provide access and convenience for learners who are at a distance from the campus, faculty must consider differences in time zones, limits of local resources, and the extent to which the campus learning resources can be available to learners at a distance.
In courses that span geography and cultures, faculty must also be aware of when holidays and weekends occur and how time differences will influence access to resources. Faculty should also determine whether current office hours and modes of contact fit the needs of DE students and make adjustments as needed.
Library Access In Nursing Education In Nursing
A single point of access to library services would guide students to available resources. As student-centered learning communities evolve and as increasing information is available on the Internet, learning resources are even more abundant and convenient. For example, literature searches, databases such as Medline and CINAHL, and full-text articles are all accessible through the Internet.
Additionally, many nursing journals are now online, often available through the school of nursing or university library. Faculty can also place links to these resources within the course or on a resource page of the school of nursing website.Library access continues to be critical to enable students to complete the research for assignments in DE courses.
Convenience proved more influential in the selection of a library to use than the resources that were available. Students reported that they usually needed library resources quickly, with nearly 80% needing material within 1 week (Butler, 1997). DE students may never be on campus or may be on campus in a limited fashion; Thus, alternative ways of obtaining library access must be developed so that students can access resources in a timely manner.
Students and faculty lack basic awareness about the library services available to students; Thus, it is critical that information about the library's services be published. A survey by the University of Minnesota Libraries (Butler, 1997) found that although most students reported adequate computer access, “these students reported rarely to never using these technologies ... for activities related to library research” (p. 3).
Technical help in using the library via the Internet is particularly important. The library should be able to assist students with common problems and facilitate their obtaining the references they need to complete their assignments. Many libraries use a toll-free number and supplement telephone assistance with e-mail to facilitate student communication during hours the library is not open.
After hours reference service options (ie, automated answering of frequently answered questions and automated fax back services for delivery of library user guides) also can be used.Of students, many of whom have conflicting family and work responsibilities, often work on course during nights and weekends. Thus, they need access to library support services during this time.
Although support can be provided using after hours response options, students working on assignments during these times need quick turnaround times on requested information (interlibrary loans sometimes require an answer from a “live” person before the next workday when their assignment is due).
One approach to ensuring that students have access to learning resources is to place articles, reprints of book chapters, or diagrams in a course handbook that students can order through the mail. There are services that will obtain copyright clearance for these resources. Students prefer having required readings readily accessible and are willing to pay for the convenience of having a package of required course resources.
Another approach is to place all assigned readings on electronic reserve in the library or on the course site on the Web-based learning management system.Electronic reserve would allow students enrolled in the course to have computer access to the assigned readings. However, 80% to 90% of library materials remain available only in print format because of copyright issues and costs.
Thus, it is still necessary to support delivery of print materials to students as well as providing access to electronic reserves (Butler, 1997).Library support has changed dramatically in the last 10 years as technology has been incorporated throughout the provision of services (Rodman, 2001). An excellent information resource regarding library support of DE initiatives is available.
Guidelines on distance education library services have also been published by the Association of College and Research Libraries. Although the provision of services will vary from institution to institution, these resources serve as guidelines for the improvement of current services and the development of new services.
Bookstore Access In Nursing Education
The campus bookstore should arrange for DE students to obtain the necessary textbooks. Bookstore staff can make up a list of required text-books that are accessible via the Web or can be emailed to students. Student ordering of textbooks could be handled via the Web or mail and books shipped to students prior to the beginning of the semester.
Book store personnel should be available to answer questions and to assist students during expanded hours prior to the beginning of the semester, to serve the needs of working students and students from different geographic locations.
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