Browsing by Author "Carter, Lorraine"

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    Development, implementation, and scalability of the Family Engagement in Research Course: a novel online course for family partners and researchers in neurodevelopmental disability and child health
    (2024-08-05) Cross, Andrea; Soper, Alice K.; Thomson, Donna; Putterman, Connie; McCauley, Dayle; Micsinszki, Samantha K.; Martens, Rachel; Solomon, Patricia; Carter, Lorraine; Reynolds, James N.; de Camargo, Olaf K.; Gorter, Jan W.
    Abstract Background Since 2011 when the Canadian Institutes of Health Research launched the Strategy for Patient Oriented Research, there has been a growing expectation to embed patient-oriented research (POR) in the health research community in Canada. To meet this expectation and build capacity for POR in the field of neurodevelopmental disability and child health, in 2017 researchers and family leaders at CanChild Centre for Childhood Disability Research, McMaster University partnered with Kids Brain Health Network and McMaster Continuing Education to develop and implement a 10-week online Family Engagement in Research (FER) Course. Main text From its inception, the FER Course has been delivered in partnership with family leaders and researchers. The FER Course is innovative in its co-learning and community building approach. The course is designed to bring family partners and researchers together to co-learn and connect, and to develop competency and confidence in both the theory and practice of family engagement in research. Coursework involves four live online group discussions, individual review of course materials, weekly group activities, and a final group project and presentation. Upon completion of the FER Course, graduates earn a McMaster University micro-credential. Conclusions To meet a need in building capacity in POR, a novel course in the field of neurodevelopmental disability and child health has been co-created and delivered. Over six years (2018–2023), the FER Course has trained more than 430 researchers and family partners across 20 countries. A unique outcome of the FER Course is that graduates expressed the wish to stay connected and continue to collaborate well beyond the course in turn creating an international FER Community Network that continues to evolve based on need. The FER Course is creating a growing international community of researchers, trainees, self-advocates, and family partners who are championing the implementation of meaningful engagement in neurodevelopmental disability and child health research and beyond. The course is internationally recognized with an established record of building capacity in POR. Its uptake, sustainability, and scalability to date has illustrated that training programs like the FER Course are necessary for building capacity and leadership in family engagement in research.
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    The Practical Uses and Benefits of ePortfolios
    (2019-03-14) Wensveen, Robert; Winchester, Ian; Patterson, Margaret; Jacobsen, Michele; Kawalilak, Colleen; McLean, Scott; Carter, Lorraine
    ePortfolios are a rapidly emerging, powerful, and iterative form for capturing student work including accredited evidence for lifelong learning in both academic and professional contexts. The purpose of this research is to determine if and how ePortfolios can serve as a foundation for individuals to obtain, or enhance opportunities toward, meaningful employment. The question that directs this undertaking is: What are the practical uses and benefits of ePortfolios for employment purposes among undergraduate and continuing education students? The research is addressed through a mixed methods research approach through the use of a survey to collect both quantitative and qualitative data, as well as semi-structured interviews. The results identify the perceptions students have regarding ePortfolios in showcasing their skills and knowledge, and potentially improving their employment opportunities. The responses indicate participants believe ePortfolios provide both direct and in-direct employment leads and opportunities, and they have had positive experiences that influence their motivation to create and maintain an ePortfolio. Participants also believe ePortfolios will play an ongoing and integral role in helping to seek or obtain employment, and in enhancing or augmenting the résumé or curriculum vitae, but not replacing it. On this basis, it is recommended that all graduates seeking employment have an ePortfolio and that Universities promote and encourage ePortfolio use among students by integrating ePortfolios into the curriculum. Continuing Education should develop a short ePortfolio development course and ePortfolio users should ensure they are maximizing the full features that the ePortfolio can provide. Future research into employer perceptions of ePortfolios is also recommended.