Overview

Oshki-Pimache-O-Win Education & Training Institute in partnership with Confederation College, Meno-Ya-Win Health Centre, and Northern Ontario School of Medicine, will be developing chemistry digital learning objects to help support web based learning for First Nations students in the Pre Health Sciences program.

The “Improving Student’s Pre Health Sciences Success through Web based Learning” project will embrace a visual based chemistry course site that will be designed in response to the unique learning needs of the people of Nishnawbe Aski that will facilitate and increase greater student success in the Pre Health Sciences. This unique new approach would assist with both student comprehension and endeavour to make the course material more interesting through the use of interactive digital learning objects along with some 3D modeling and animation. This innovation would also incorporate culturally relevant teaching and learning models.

Pre Health Sciences

Approximately eighty percent of the Sioux Lookout Meno-Ya-Win Health Centre is First Nations people. The management wants this reflected in the future hospital’s human resource complement. To meet the First Nation human resource needs of the new health care facility, OSHKI is responding by offering the Pre Health Sciences Program as a starting point.

The shortage of health care workers is both a national and international issue. This shortage is in crisis proportions in the 49 First Nations communities of Nishnawbe Aski Nation. In addition to this, it is well-documented how Aboriginal people are under-represented in all health care fields when compared with the success that the general population has found in obtaining health sciences qualifications and subsequent employment.

Therefore, OSHKI is developing innovative approaches to post secondary education to positively alter the supply and demand for Aboriginal health human resources. The e-Learning in the Pre Health Sciences project is one example. OSHKI aims to increase the awareness of NAN members, including youth, about health care careers and studies and to establish standards of practice and certification for community-based health care workers. Benefits will be experienced by all people in the NAN territory, as well as by health care providers in and for the NAN communities, and the organizations and associations that are mandated to provide health care or services and by the colleges and universities whose cultural awareness and appropriate levels will be enhanced.

There will be an increased need for a revamped health care workforce in the near future. Moreover, there is an urgent need for students specializing in chemistry and other laboratory skills-related areas. Hospitals across northwestern Ontario are anticipating a shortage of laboratory workers. Opportunities such as the e-Learning in the Pre Health Sciences project will be among those that respond to this identified need.

Aims & Objectives

The project aims to increase the success and retention rate of First Nations students enrolled in the Pre Health Sciences post secondary education program through effective access and use of online teaching and learning technologies. The project will:

• Design, develop, and deliver introductory level chemistry-based online learning content and materials to Aboriginal learners in the Pre Health Sciences program.
• Facilitate collaboration between OSHKI and Negahneewin College of Academic and Community Development at Confederation College in the creation, sharing and use of quality digital educational learning objects and online course modules for Pre Health Sciences chemistry.
• Facilitate the infusion of Aboriginal social, cultural and pedagogical needs and considerations in the design, development and delivery of e-learning for Aboriginal learners in the Pre Health Sciences chemistry.
• Demonstrate and validate the use of free/open source software tools, systems and standards to support the delivery of Pre Health Sciences chemistry.
• Measure the impact of web based learning on Aboriginal student’s knowledge of Pre Health Sciences chemistry.
• Identify best practices for web based teaching and learning for Pre Health Sciences chemistry.

Methodology

The project will be implemented in five phases that conform to the ADDIE instructional design model. Working in collaboration with our Partners we will conduct the Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of the Pre-Health Sciences chemistry learning objects and online course modules in terms of both technology and pedagogy.