What sort of pre-questionnaire is needed + Started work on web page

Last week was a terrible loss for my family as my maternal aunty passed away. The worst thing about it is she died whilst I and my sister were taking turns doing chest compressions on her. Even here the thoughts of the use of ICT were in my mind. Could the ECG machine have told me something was up early? Shouldn't it be a standard in all ECG machines? The BP monitor should work better in low pressure situations. The pulse oxymeter did not work well at low SpO2 levels. More instructional videos for the nurses how to react in an emergency may have saved minutes. The doctors needed it too. All in all I felt the need for ICT.

Pre-questionnaire to nurses

• General Information: Name, Age, Nursing Level (Students, Nurse, Senior Nurse, Sister)
• General ICT Information: Use of Computers, Use of Internet, Use of an online course (probably nobody would have)
• Human Computer Interface: Choose from a range of colors, Choose from a range of fonts
• Multimedia: Preference for images, audio (local languages), video

Or since I have done a LR and have concluded that a multimedia driven system is preferable is this necessary and will only a General Questionnaire do?

Rough plan for the LMS:

• Basic structure.
• Emphasis on a colorful interface as possible
• Moodle itself is not very pretty.
• I can make the web pages I create somewhat attractive.
• Prior to deployment (?Jan 20) I shall at least have Pulmonary TB up and running as I hear most students are working on only one module.

Feasibility Report Sent

Well I knew it was feasible. I had mentioned in my project proposal as well what was feasible. But I had to break it down into certain parts:

• Economic Feasibility - Is it financially feasible (Man, Material, Money)
• Technical Feasibility - How technically challenging is it (Use of HW and SW)
• Legal Feasibility - Are their legal issues? (Licencing, Agreement with client)
• Organizational Feasibility - Do you have the team to do it?
• Alternative System - Do you have a plan B?
• Cost Benefit Analysis - Benefits you can see (tangible) and cant (intangible); is it worth the investment?
• Risk Analysis & Mitigation (What can go wrong and what is a possible solution)
• Organizational risk
• Product risk
• Project risk 
• Technology risk  

All in all its a good refresher!

Interim Report Sent

So without posting again I sat down to write the my 1st interim report of my project. What I have done:

• Made a frame for the whole thesis
• Concentrated on Introduction
• What is nursing
• Situation of nurses in SL Government then Private then Western Infirmary
• Analysis of the current course
• Problems
• Proposed solution
• Literature Review
• Definitions of the terms used in the thesis
• The review
• Conclusions I drew out of the review
• What is my research question
• What are my objective

Thinks I need to think about

• How to get the nurses to give their view on how a LMS system should be. Mr Anuradha feels I should do it through a questionnaire and I do agree but to construct a good one I am doubtful. Perhaps a simple one.
• Justification of using what I will use in Moodle (HCI, Multimedia)

 Thats is about it!

Meeting with Mr Anuradha + Dr Roshan 14.12

Highlights:

• No need for specific UML modelling
• You can do overview diagrams
• SRS is not required
• Feasibility Report should be submitted
• Write about the Human-Computer Interface
• Fonts Used
• Colors Used
• Other HCI priniciples
• Write about the principles of multimedia

Meeting with Dr Gominda 6.12.10

Highlights:

• Submitted curriculum blueprint
• Small pox removed from lessons
• Clinical skills is different from clinical procedures
• Keep the lessons simple
• Front end should be attractive, at the moment dull
• Curriculum map should be introduced in the front page, I have suggested a flash
• Each lesson
• Will have separately designed web pages
• Navigation will be easy inside a lesson
• Theory should be in a scenario style
• Relevant multimedia
• At least one video in the course
• At least on animation in the course
• Interactivity will be useful
• Since they are adult learners they should be able to go through different sections of the course
• Use the outputs with a questionnaire and make an assessment
• Literature review
• Do the review
• Decide on the research question
• Make objectives to answer this question
• Discussion forum should be included as an added incentive
• Send Dr Gominda & Prog Jayantha a revised Project Charter and Literature Review

Stop & Think

OK Perhaps this irregular posting means I need to think from the start:

• Project Proposal

• Done
• Schedule and Deliverables needs amendment to January 31st
• Activity: Resubmit to Dr Gominda & Prof Jayantha

• Literature Review

• Done
• Again needs amendment in structure
• Activity: Resubmit to Dr Gominda & Prof Jayantha

• Lessons Planning

• No nurses to help create the lessons
• Will have to do it on my own

• LMS Design

• I still have some viewing to do on Moodle
• Fortunately I have about 8 hours of good instructional videos to fall back on!

OK that is the flashback. So how should I proceed?

1. Use the time available well. Im thinking giving about ten days to the nursing students to use the system should be adequate. So Im probably looking at a 20.1.11 deadline
2. Resubmit a working proposal and review inside this week. This helps the final report as well.
3. Will have to do two things at the same time. Writing the report as well as develop the system as there wont be time for dedicated work methinks.
4. Probably better to meet my supervisors at least every 2nd week.
5. Rough schedule looks like:

• December

• 3rd Week: Assignment 2 + 3, Rewrite PP + LR, Finish Moodle Videos, FR, Common Cold
• 4th Week: SRS, UML, LMS Frame, Measles, Thesis Writing
• 5th Week: Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Thesis Writing

• January

• 1st  Week: Pulmonary TB, Pertussis, Thesis Writing
• 2nd Week: Diptheria, Herpes, Thesis Writing
• 3rd Week: Deploy, Thesis Writing, Develop questionnaire
• 4th Week: Feedback & Interviews of nurses, Troubleshooting, Thesis Writing, System Manual
• 5th Week: System Manual & Submission

I pray that I follow these targets!

Delay!

Well one minute I was on the ball and the next minute I dont post for nearly 2 weeks! What happened?

1. Got lost
2. Got lazy

Why did this happen?

1. Did not understand the scope of Moodle
2. Suddenly got stuck with the whole lesson plan development
3. No push from the system (perhaps deadlines, interim reports) to motivate me

So what have I done about this?

1. Had a look @ some instructional videos of Moodle but a lot more viewing to do
2. Am due to meet Dr Gominda for the lesson plan and Moodle structure and then will meet Prof Jayantha about the eLearning 2.0 part. I have realised I have no choice and I must make the lessons myself using the curriculum blueprint as a starting point.
3. Today all the students had a discussion and we realised that we need to tap into our BOS and ask them for a few motivators like deadlines and more importantly mini deliverables like interim reports. Some students had issues with method and objectives and Alhamdulillah due to my supervisors I have had no such issues

So this week then I meet Dr Gominda and race to the finish line which seems to have become January 31st but my target is now December 25th InshaAllah.