The Department of Education Technology and Literacy invites the university community to a dissertation defense for Tamara L. Douglass-Burton on August 3, 2017 at 9:00 am in Psychology Building room 202.
Dissertation Title: THE IMPACT OF LEARNING ENVIRONMENT ON KNOWLEDGE OUTCOMES AND STUDENT SATISFACTION IN SLEEP MEDICINE EDUCATION
Committee Chair: Dr. David Wizer
Committee Members: Dr. Scot McNary, Dr. Marcie Weinstein, Dr. Devon Dobrosielski
Abstract: Insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are the two most prevalent sleep disorders reported in the United States, and affect many Americans each year (Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2015). These disorders are expected to become more prevalent due to the rise in poor sleep habits and obesity in the United States (CDC, 2014, 2012). Unfortunately, healthcare professionals are not fully aware of or knowledgeable about sleep and its related disorders, or its profound impact on an individual’s health (Allen & Seaman, 2013; Ingram et al., 2015). Integrating Sleep topics into medical and healthcare training programs may help combat the lack of awareness and potentially filter down to the community through patient education (Boerner, et al., 2015; IOM, 2006).To address this need, the purpose of the research was to compare the impact of sleep knowledge acquisition when using a hybrid method of instruction compared to a fully online learning module. To assess the impact of the instructional methodologies on sleep knowledge acquisition in undergraduate nursing and allied health programs, this study compared student scores on a multiple choice pre- and post-sleep knowledge test based on the sleep content in the learning module. Additionally, this study examined student satisfaction and perception of learning experience in an online and hybrid learning environment. The conclusion supported by the data suggest that the sleep learning module and associated activities facilitated an increase in knowledge of sleep medicine, as students appeared to be able to recognize classical signs and symptoms of OSA and Insomnia. Furthermore, the sleep learning module provided comparative learning outcomes in both learning formats, as well as provided a satisfactory perception of the learning experience. The study results indicate that when providing sleep education to nursing and respiratory therapy students, using either an online or hybrid learning environment will support an increase in knowledge outcomes in an environment that students will be satisfied with.
