Browsing by Author "Shajani, Zahra"
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- ItemOpen AccessFostering Deeper Learning through Promoting Reflective Practice and Critical Thinking in Undergraduate Students(2015-05-12) Shajani, Zahra; Rutherford, Gayle; Rosenau, Patricia; O'Rae, AmandaIn this interactive presentation we will engage the audience in discussion of their experiences related to development of reflective practice and critical thinking with their students. In 2010, the Faculty of Nursing implemented a revised undergraduate curriculum that integrated theory and practice in a non-traditional manner, based on a premise that students improve their reflective practice and critical thinking when they explore their learning experiences in facilitated practice-related discussions. The concepts of reflective practice and critical thinking can be ambiguous and may cause educators to feel overwhelmed and thus reluctant to focus on developing these skills with students. Yet, for effective nursing practice, nursing education needs to prepare nurses to address the complexity of the health of the population (Benner, Sutphen, Leonard and Day 2010) including the ability to engage in both reflective practice and critical thinking. Using a constructivist grounded theory approach, we studied the instructors’ understanding of the meaning of reflective practice and critical thinking and the teaching strategies they used to promote the development of these attributes in their students at both the University of Calgary and at Medicine Hat College. We will present the preliminary findings of this study as a basis for the interactive discussion. The intended learning outcomes of the interactive session are for the audience to consider the meaning of critical thinking and reflective practice along with strategies for fostering these attributes in students and discuss how these thoughts resonate with their own definitions and teaching practice.
- ItemOpen AccessPeer led post exam review- a paradigm shift in undergraduate nursing education(2015-05-13) Snell, Diana; Shajani, ZahraTraditional approaches in nursing education for students to review exam answers involve a one-on-one interaction between the student and the educator. Students review exam answers and discuss questions with the educator. This may be daunting for many students who are uncomfortable with the traditional instructor-centered paradigm of a one-on-one interaction with educators and therefore may be reluctant to participate, seek feedback and ask relevant questions pertaining to their knowledge. However, this may not provide a supportive and effective learning environment for the student to problem solve and translate knowledge. Increasing student enrollment and faculty shortages are factors that must be considered when developing meaningful strategies for reviewing exam answers. A peer-led post exam review session, using a constructivist learning approach was implemented with second-year course in an undergraduate nursing program within Canada on two separate occasions. Educators facilitated student-centered 20-minute sessions with 12 to 15 students. Each student was provided with their exam answers as well as a copy of the exam answer key. Students were encouraged to be self-directed and actively collaborate with their peers to reflect on their exam answers; identifying areas of strength and growth. Students were allowed to access additional learning resources relevant to the course content. The objective of the session was to create a social learning environment for students that supported peer learning; building their knowledge and capacity to be self-sustainable in their learning. Overall both students and educators found this experiential learning meaningful and supportive.
- ItemOpen AccessStudy protocol for Attachment & Child Health (ATTACHTM) program: promoting vulnerable Children’s health at scale(2022-08-19) Anis, Lubna; Letourneau, Nicole; Ross, Kharah M.; Hart, Martha; Graham, Ian; Lalonde, Simone; Varro, Suzanna; Baldwin, Alanna; Soulsby, Angela; Majnemer, Annette; Donnelly, Carlene; Piotrowski, Caroline; Collier, Carrie; Lindeman, Cliff; Goldowitz, Dan; Isaac, Dawn; Thomson, Denise; Serré, Diane; Citro, Elisabeth; Zimmermann, Gabrielle; Pliszka, Harold; Mann, Jackie; Baumann, Janine; Piekarski, Joanna; Dalton, Jo-Anne; Johnson-Green, Joy; Wood, Karen; Bruce, Marcia; Santana, Maria; Mayer, Matt; Gould, Meghan; Kobor, Michael; Flowers, Michelle; Haywood, Michelle; Koerner, Michelle; Parker, Nancy; Muhajarine, Nazeem; Fairie, Paul; Chrishti, Rabea; Perry, Robert; Merrill, Sarah; Pociuk, Shellie; StephanieTaylor; Cole, Steve; Murphy, Tim; Marchment, Tmira; Xavier, Virginia; Shajani, Zahra; West, ZoeAbstract Background Children’s exposure to toxic stress (e.g., parental depression, violence, poverty) predicts developmental and physical health problems resulting in health care system burden. Supporting parents to develop parenting skills can buffer the effects of toxic stress, leading to healthier outcomes for those children. Parenting interventions that focus on promoting parental reflective function (RF), i.e., parents’ capacity for insight into their child’s and their own thoughts, feelings, and mental states, may understand help reduce societal health inequities stemming from childhood stress exposures. The Attachment and Child Health (ATTACHTM) program has been implemented and tested in seven rapid-cycling pilot studies (n = 64) and found to significantly improve parents’ RF in the domains of attachment, parenting quality, immune function, and children’s cognitive and motor development. The purpose of the study is to conduct an effectiveness-implementation hybrid (EIH) Type II study of ATTACHTM to assess its impacts in naturalistic, real-world settings delivered by community agencies rather than researchers under more controlled conditions. Methods The study is comprised of a quantitative pre/post-test quasi-experimental evaluation of the ATTACHTM program, and a qualitative examination of implementation feasibility using thematic analysis via Normalization Process Theory (NPT). We will work with 100 families and their children (birth to 36-months-old). Study outcomes include: the Parent Child Interaction Teaching Scale to assess parent-child interaction; the Parental Reflective Function and Reflective Function Questionnaires to assess RF; and the Ages and Stages Questionnaire – 3rd edition to examine child development, all administered pre-, post-, and 3-month-delayed post-assessment. Blood samples will be collected pre- and post- assessment to assess immune biomarkers. Further, we will conduct one-on-one interviews with study participants, health and social service providers, and administrators (total n = 60) from each collaborating agency, using NPT to explore perceptions and experiences of intervention uptake, the fidelity assessment tool and e-learning training as well as the benefits, barriers, and challenges to ATTACHTM implementation. Discussion The proposed study will assess effectiveness and implementation to help understand the delivery of ATTACHTM in community agencies. Trial registration Name of registry: https://clinicaltrials.gov/. Registration number: NCT04853888 . Date of registration: April 22, 2021.