We have witnessed a rapid increase in the use of Web-based 'collaborationware' in recent years. These Web 2.0 applications, particularly wikis, blogs and podcasts, have been increasingly adopted by many online health-related professional and educational services. Because of their ease of use and rapidity of deployment, they offer the opportunity for powerful information sharing and ease of collaboration. Wikis are Web sites that can be edited by anyone who has access to them. The word 'blog' is a contraction of 'Web Log' – an online Web journal that can offer a resource rich multimedia environment. Podcasts are repositories of audio and video materials that can be "pushed" to subscribers, even without user intervention. These audio and video files can be downloaded to portable media players that can be taken anywhere, providing the potential for "anytime, anywhere" learning experiences (mobile learning). Wikis, blogs and podcasts are all relatively easy to use, which partly accounts for their proliferation. The fact that there are many free and Open Source versions of these tools may also be responsible for their explosive growth. Thus it would be relatively easy to implement any or all within a Health Professions' Educational Environment. Paradoxically, some of their disadvantages also relate to their openness and ease of use. With virtually anybody able to alter, edit or otherwise contribute to the collaborative Web pages, it can be problematic to gauge the reliability and accuracy of such resources. While arguably, the very process of collaboration leads to a Darwinian type 'survival of the fittest' content within a Web page, the veracity of these resources can be assured through careful monitoring, moderation, and operation of the collaborationware in a closed and secure digital environment. Empirical research is still needed to build our pedagogic evidence base about the different aspects of these tools in the context of medical/health education. If effectively deployed, wikis, blogs and podcasts could offer a way to enhance students', clinicians' and patients' learning experiences, and deepen levels of learners' engagement and collaboration within digital learning environments. Therefore, research should be conducted to determine the best ways to integrate these tools into existing e-Learning programmes for students, health professionals and patients, taking into account the different, but also overlapping, needs of these three audience classes and the opportunities of virtual collaboration between them. Of particular importance is research into novel integrative applications, to serve as the "glue" to bind the different forms of Web-based collaborationware synergistically in order to provide a coherent wholesome learning experience.

/pdf/wikis-blogs-and-podcasts-a-new-generation-of-web-based-tools-4cesq7e81u.pdf

Wikis, blogs and podcasts: a new generation of Web-based tools for virtual collaborative clinical practice and education

A review of Internet of Things for smart home: Challenges and solutions

Web 2.0 sociable technologies and social software are presented as enablers in health and health care, for organizations, clinicians, patients and laypersons. They include social networking services, collaborative filtering, social bookmarking, folksonomies, social search engines, file sharing and tagging, mashups, instant messaging, and online multi-player games. The more popular Web 2.0 applications in education, namely wikis, blogs and podcasts, are but the tip of the social software iceberg. Web 2.0 technologies represent a quite revolutionary way of managing and repurposing/remixing online information and knowledge repositories, including clinical and research information, in comparison with the traditional Web 1.0 model. The paper also offers a glimpse of future software, touching on Web 3.0 (the Semantic Web) and how it could be combined with Web 2.0 to produce the ultimate architecture of participation. Although the tools presented in this review look very promising and potentially fit for purpose in many health care applications and scenarios, careful thinking, testing and evaluation research are still needed in order to establish ‘best practice models’ for leveraging these emerging technologies to boost our teaching and learning productivity, foster stronger ‘communities of practice’, and support continuing medical education/professional development (CME/CPD) and patient education. Background The early World Wide Web (Web 1.0) has demonstrated powerful capability to connect clinicians, patients and materials. In this paper, we explore how this connective matrix may further grow through the impact of the democratic and social nature of Web 2.0. We discuss its application to education within a health and health care context and outline some of the social web’s key features. We compare Web 2.0 with Web 1.0, and look forward to the arrival of Web 3.0—the Semantic Web. Throughout, we provide documented uses of social software such as wikis, blogs, social tagging, and emerging uses of social technology such as collaborative writing, aggregative content management, RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds and podcasting in health care contexts.

The emerging Web 2.0 social software: an enabling suite of sociable technologies in health and health care education

Objectives To update a 2004 systematic review of health care service use and health outcomes related to differences in health literacy level and interventions designed to improve these outcomes for individuals with low health literacy. Disparities in health outcomes and effectiveness of interventions among different sociodemographic groups were also examined. Data sources We searched MEDLINE®, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, the Cochrane Library, PsychINFO, and the Educational Resources Information Center. For health literacy, we searched using a variety of terms, limited to English and studies published from 2003 to May 25, 2010. For numeracy, we searched from 1966 to May 25, 2010. Review methods We used standard Evidence-based Practice Center methods of dual review of abstracts, full-text articles, abstractions, quality ratings, and strength of evidence grading. We resolved disagreements by consensus. We evaluated whether newer literature was available for answering key questions, so we broadened our definition of health literacy to include numeracy and oral (spoken) health literacy. We excluded intervention studies that did not measure health literacy directly and updated our approach to evaluate individual study risk of bias and to grade strength of evidence. Results We included good- and fair-quality studies: 81 studies addressing health outcomes (reported in 95 articles including 86 measuring health literacy and 16 measuring numeracy, of which 7 measure both) and 42 studies (reported in 45 articles) addressing interventions. Differences in health literacy level were consistently associated with increased hospitalizations, greater emergency care use, lower use of mammography, lower receipt of influenza vaccine, poorer ability to demonstrate taking medications appropriately, poorer ability to interpret labels and health messages, and, among seniors, poorer overall health status and higher mortality. Health literacy level potentially mediates disparities between blacks and whites. The strength of evidence of numeracy studies was insufficient to low, limiting conclusions about the influence of numeracy on health care service use or health outcomes. Two studies suggested numeracy may mediate the effect of disparities on health outcomes. We found no evidence concerning oral health literacy and outcomes. Among intervention studies (27 randomized controlled trials [RCTs], 2 cluster RCTs, and 13 quasi-experimental designs), the strength of evidence for specific design features was low or insufficient. However, several specific features seemed to improve comprehension in one or a few studies. The strength of evidence was moderate for the effect of mixed interventions on health care service use; the effect of intensive self-management inventions on behavior; and the effect of disease-management interventions on disease prevalence/severity. The effects of other mixed interventions on other health outcomes, including knowledge, self-efficacy, adherence, and quality of life, and costs were mixed; thus, the strength of evidence was insufficient. Conclusions The field of health literacy has advanced since the 2004 report. Future research priorities include justifying appropriate cutoffs for health literacy levels prior to conducting studies; developing tools that measure additional related skills, particularly oral (spoken) health literacy; and examining mediators and moderators of the effect of health literacy. Priorities in advancing the design features of interventions include testing novel approaches to increase motivation, techniques for delivering information orally or numerically, "work around" interventions such as patient advocates; determining the effective components of already-tested interventions; determining the cost-effectiveness of programs; and determining the effect of policy and practice interventions.

/pdf/health-literacy-interventions-and-outcomes-an-updated-chswt8nilu.pdf

Health literacy interventions and outcomes: an updated systematic review.

The dramatic advances in DNA technology over the last few years are the stuff of science fiction. It is now not only possible to clone human beings it is happening. For the first time since the creation of the earth four billion years ago, or the emergence of mankind 10 million years ago, people will be able to choose their children's' sex, height, colour, personality traits and intelligence. It will even be possible to create 'superhumans' by mixing human genes with those of other animals for extra strength or longevity. But is this desirable? What are the moral and political consequences? Will it mean anything to talk about 'human nature' any more? Is this the end of human beings? Post Human Society is a passionate analysis of the greatest political and moral problem ever to face the human race.

The Problem with NatureOur Posthuman Future: Consequences of the Biotechnology Revolution

Educators are faced with the challenge of adapting their teaching styles to accommodate a new generation of learners. The Net Generation or Millennials, who are now entering colleges and universities, have learning expectations, styles, and needs different from past students. This article assists educators in teaching the Net Generation by highlighting the characteristics of the Net Generation and providing examples of how to adapt teaching strategies to accommodate the Net Generation, in light of their preferences for digital literacy, experiential learning, interactivity, and immediacy.

Adapting your teaching to accommodate the net generation of learners.

This article describes the framework and process to determine best practices in online learning communities for Web-based nursing courses. The benchmarks for best practices were determined based on evidence-based re- search in higher education. These quality indicators were then used to develop and pilot test a benchmarking survey across three state schools of nursing. The results of the pilot test, as well as the applications and impli- cations for benchmarking best practices, are discussed. Key words: assessment, benchmarking, best practice in- dicators, outcomes, quality indicators, Web-based courses

Benchmarking best practices in Web-based nursing courses.

BY THE TIME YOU READ THIS COLUMN, THE HOLIDAY SEASON WILL LONG BE OVER. But as I write, I am still searching for the perfect gifts for my tech-savvy family and friends. You can imagine my excitement when I found Liz Gannes' article (2012), "LeWeb's 'Internet of Things' Makes for a Shopping List Full of Smart Gadgets." It's a terrific source for great gift ideas. Gannes describes the stocking stuffers showcased at the LeWeb conference in Paris in early December, with the theme "Internet of Things." Here are just a few of the smart gadgets she describes. * For those with young children or grandchildren, purchase a magical stuffed animal powered by your iPhone or iPod (www.ubooly.com). It will talk with the child, tell jokes, and provide branching stories and games. You can get a subscription for monthly updates. * Perhaps one of your relatives could use the InteraXon Muse, a brainwave-monitoring headband that includes apps for healthy brain training. It uses Bluetooth technology to transmit the information. Look for the video about thought control computing that allows a person to control physical objects (http://interaxon.ca/blog/2010/12/ ariel-garten-speaks-at-leweb-2010/). * For colleagues who must attend faculty meetings, consider purchasing the Double (www.doublerobotics.com). These wheels for iPads are targeted to those who want to teleconference in real time and have mobility. * For those making New Year's resolutions to be healthier and control their weight, there is the Withings wireless bathroom scale (www.withings.com), which communicates with an app on your smartphone. The company also has a smart blood pressure monitor and a baby monitor. A product called FitBit (www.fitbit.com) will help you eat better (log your food through your mobile app, follow your caloric intake), get active (track your steps and distance), manage your weight (the Aria[TM] smart scale interacts with apps), and sleep better (measure how long and how well you sleep). These potential stocking stuffers are fun, but why should educators and health care professionals care about the Internet of Things (IoT)? After all, the term lot has been around since 1999 (Ashton, 2009), and the 2012 education edition of the Horizon Report (Johnson, Adams, & Cummins, 2012) projects IoT to be on the far horizon of four to five years. But higher education always seems to lag behind. Knowles (2012) predicts that 2013 will be the year of Iot. Humphries (2012) notes that "there are roughly two Internet-connected devices for every man, woman and child on the planet. By 2025, analysts are forecasting that this ratio will rise past six. This means we can expect to grow to nearly 50 billion Internet-connected devices in the next decade." According to Humphries, IoT will allow us to have a "real time digital representation of our changing world." That fits with one of the megatrends, the drive for details, and "with that comes increased knowledge and levels of specialization," corresponding to society's obsession with data and how to translate data into knowledge and wisdom. Most important for us, examples of IoT are percolating in the health care arena. So what exactly is it? Knowles (2012) simply describes IoT as "the way in which objects around us will gather data and connect to controls or other machines via the Internet." Ashton (2009) uses the term to "describe a system where the Internet is connected to the physical world via ubiquitous sensors." According to the Horizon Report (Johnson et al., 2012, p. 30), IoT "is the latest evolution of network-aware smart objects that connect the physical world with information." Several attributes are associated with these smart objects; they are small, easy to attach and unobtrusive, contain a unique identifier and data or information, and can connect with an external device on demand (e.g., your smartphone or tablet). Accordingly, these smart objects have the capability to digitally manage, monitor, and track physical objects in addition to providing accessible information such as descriptions, instructions, and tutorials. …

The Internet of Things (IoT).

n our nursing program, we require a transcript for every course taken at any university or college, and it is always frustrating when we have to wait for copies to arrive before making our decisions. To be honest, if a candidate took Religion 101 at a community college and later transferred to the BSN program, I would be willing to pass on the community college transcript, but the admissions office is less flexible. And, although we used to be able to ask the student to have another copy sent if we did not have a transcript in the file, we now must wait for the student to have the college upload the transcript into an admissions system andwait for verification. I can assure you, most nurses, like other students today, take a lot of courses across many colleges without getting a degree. I sometimes have as many as 10 transcripts to review. When I saw an article titled “Blockchain: Letting Students Own Their Credentials” (Schaffnauser, 2017), I was therefore intrigued. I had already heard of blockchain as a tool to take the middleman out of the loop when doing financial transactions with Bitcoin. Now the thought of students owning their own credentials got me thinking about the movement toward new forms of credentialing from professional organizations (e.g., badges, certification documents). Hence, my decision to explore blockchain and its potential. Let’s start with some definitions. Simply put, blockchain is a distributed digital ledger. Technically speaking, it is “a peer-to-peer (P2P) distributed ledger technology for a new generation of transactional applications that establishes transparency and trust” (Linn & Koo, n.d.). Watter (2016) noted that “the blockchain is a distributed database that provides an unalterable, (semi-) public record of digital transactions. Each block aggregates a timestamped batch of transactions to be included in the ledger — or rather, in the blockchain. Each block is identified by a cryptographic signature. The blockchain contains an un-editable record of all the transactions made.” If we take this apart, here is what we have: a database that is distributed to computers associated with members of the network. Thus, rather than trying to access one central database, all members have copies of the database. Each time a transaction occurs, it is placed in a block that is given a time stamp and is “digitally signed using public key cryptography — which uses both a public and private key” (Watter, 2016). Locks are then connected so there is a historical record and they cannot be altered. According to Lin and Koo

Diane J. Skiba

Papers

Adapting your teaching to accommodate the net generation of learners.

Benchmarking best practices in Web-based nursing courses.

The Internet of Things (IoT).

The Potential of Blockchain in Education and Health Care.

Information technologies and the transformation of nursing education