Biomedical subjects

Carol S Bond

Publications and source records attributed to Carol S Bond.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Learning to use the Internet as a study tool: a review of available resources and exploration of students' priorities.

BACKGROUND: The Internet is a valuable information tool, but users often struggle to locate good quality information from within the vast amount of information available. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to identify the online information resources available to assist students develop Internet searching skills, and to explore the students' priorities in online guides. METHODS: A qualitative approach was adopted with two phases. The first was a structured search of available online study skills resources. The second comprised 10 group interviews with a total of 60 students at all stages of five undergraduate health and social care related courses at a UK university. RESULTS: The study found that there were good online guides available, but that, perversely, the better guides tended to require the best searching skills to locate them. A few students were enthusiastic about using online support, however the majority felt that if they had the skills to locate such resources they wouldn't use a study guide to improve these skills, and if they did not have the skills they would not think of using an online guide to develop them. CONCLUSIONS: Students wanted assistance when they had problems or questions, rather than sites that offered structured learning experiences. Personal support rather than virtual support was also considered to be most important to the students in this study.

Attitude↗

PubMed2006

Nurses on the net.

Nurses need to be able to use the Internet effectively to support their own professional practice, and to help patients meet their information needs. A study was undertaken with new student nurses to investigate their access and use of the Internet, and their perceptions of their skills. The study found that whilst student nurses have access to computers and the Internet use is mainly limited to the World Wide Web and email. Skill levels tend to be poor when asked about anything other than the most basic tasks such as entering addresses in a web browser. Half of the students in this study could not efficiently locate information on the Internet, and only a third could check an email for viruses. Students also showed a lack of awareness of their own skill levels especially when compared to external standards such as the European Computer Driving Licence. Nurse education needs to make students aware of the skills and knowledge that they will need once qualified, and to give them sufficient opportunity to develop these.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Surfing or drowning? Student nurses' Internet skills.

The ability to use the Internet is an essential skill for nursing students, both to support their studies, especially as nursing students spend a lot of their time in placements away from the university campus, and to support their development of skills in using what is becoming an increasingly essential tool for professionals. A study at Bournemouth University, England, found that new student nurses had poor Internet skills and were not frequent users prior to starting the course. No link was found between the students' ages and their Internet use or skills. A clear link was however found between ability and frequency of use, except in relationship to the students' ability to conduct an effective search. Almost half of the respondents said that they find far too much irrelevant information when searching for information on the Internet. Given the importance of Information and Technology skills to nurses, both as lifelong learners and as competent practitioners and to nursing students throughout their pre-registration education, the inclusion of a programme to ensure that they develop these skills during their pre-registration education is essential.

Adolescent↗