1. Interface between technological
and human factors in nurse
education online: a preliminary
study
Natasha Reedy
Professor Lyn Karstadt
Vicki-Ellen Horner
Peter Ayriss

2. Alice: “Would you tell me, please,
which way I ought to go from here?”
The Cheshire Cat:
“That depends a good
deal on where you
want to get to.”.
Alice: “I don't
much care where.”
The Cheshire Cat:
“Then it doesn't
much matter which
way you go.”
Alice: “...So long as I
get somewhere.”
The Cheshire Cat:
“Oh, you're sure to do
that, if only you walk
long enough.”

3. Background
The academics story – Semester 2
Required to reconceptualise a
face to face nursing course to the
virtual learning space (VLS) ready for S2
The student story – Semester 1 Research
trigger
Why is this
occurring?
Pilot study
Anecdotal

4. VLS Design
Blueprint
Backward design
Bloom’s
taxonomy

5. VLS design
What is missing?

6. Definitions
Cognitive Load Theory: how a person learns,
thinks and solves problems - human cognitive
processes (Sweller, Ayres, & Kalyuga, 2011).
3 Aspects
1. Extraneous: mental effort - to access the
learning
2. Intrinsic: mental effort - the ‘ways of
working’.
3. Germane: mental effort - ‘learning’.
(Mayer & Moreno, 2010; Sweller et al., 2011).

7. Definitions
 HCI – Human Computer Interaction
Helps ensure students are satisfied with
4 key components of the computer interface.
1. Usability: Reflection on screen artefact
2. Utility: Reflection on efficiency of interaction
3. Functionality: Reflection on outcome v’s motive
4. Usefulness: value
(Lehane & Huf, 2005)

8. Purpose
 Investigation of first year nursing students’
experience of virtual learning space (VLS)
design and their effort to navigate the human-
computer interface to access the learning.

9. Hypothesis
time on learning
Time & Mental effort
Time & Effort with
Difficulty accessing
the learning and
difficulty with ways
of working

10. Research Question
 How does a virtual learning space design
based on best practice learning theories,
human computer interaction, and extraneous
and intrinsic cognitive load considerations,
impact the students’ experience using the
virtual learning space?

11. Research Design
 A Post-Positivist paradigm was best suited for
this research design due to its strong
capability to address the research question.
 This study used a mixed methods quantitative
and qualitative within each of the three
surveys.

12. Student population
 Semester 2 online nursing course, 2012.
 290 students
 2 campuses
 275 students studying in the blended mode (face to
face and online),
 15 students studying exclusively on-line

13. Method
 Three surveys: 3 consecutive online surveys in weeks
four, six and nine of a 15 week, Semester 2, 2012)
 Survey 1 gathered data on students’ previous online
learning experiences with Virtual Learning Space
designs generally.
 Survey 2 gathered data on the student’s live
experiences of the Virtual Learning Space used in this
study.
 Data were analysed from these two phases and relevant
changes were made to the Virtual Learning Space
design.
 Survey 3 of the study was used to identify students’
experiences of the modified design.

14. Response rates
Percentages of total enrolments (n=290) for the
three surveys were:
1. survey one (n=32) or 11%;
2. survey two (n= 28) or 10%;
3. survey three (n=13) or 4%.
From these three surveys, survey three had
lowest response rate of 4% which means these
quantitative results are less reliable, however,
the qualitative data response rates are
adequate.

15. Respondents’ demographic and broader
characteristics data
Age < 30
50%
30-40
31%
41+
19%
Gender Female
75%
Male
25%
Family/caring
duties
(hours/week)
0
12.5%
1-9
19%
10-19
15.5%
20+
53%
Paid and
voluntary
work
(hours/week)
0
19%
1-10
34%
11-20
19%
21+
28%
Study mode On-campus
(blended)
87.5%
External/On-
line
12.5%
First university
experience
Yes
47%
No
53%
Devices used at
least once a
week
Desktop or
laptop computer
Smartphone MP3 player Tablet computer
97% 44% 38% 30%
Social media
used at least
once a week:
Facebook
69%
YouTube
56%
MSN
9%;
Twitter
3%
None
22%
Table 1. Respondents’ demographic and broader characteristics
data

16. Comparative VLS experience:
Previous courses to current live course
Survey 1
Previous
Semester1 (S1)
VLS courses
Survey 2
Current
Semester2 (S2)
live VLS course
Survey 3
Changes made to
S2 VLS course from
student feedback
n=32, mean S1 sd n=28, mean S2 sd n=12, mean S3 sd
Q1 Navigation 3.43 1.00 3.68 1.19 4.58 0.67
Q2 Readability 3.94 0.88 4.07 0.98 4.33 0.89
Q3
Communication
4.19 0.82 4.04 1.00 4.42 0.51
Q4 Interaction 3.47 1.05 3.25 1.24 4 1.13
Table 2. Comparative VLS experience; ease of navigation, reading content,
communication and interacting with the content

17. Survey One: Previous online learning experience:
themes and subthemes
Theme one Dissatisfaction with the online learning spaces (n=19)
Subtheme 1.1 Creative content layouts
and usability issues for
students
Subtheme 1.2 Technology tools chosen
and navigation issues for
students
Subtheme 1.3 Technology tools chosen
and issues with the
number of mouse clicks
Subtheme 1.4 Timing of uploading of
learning material
Subtheme 1.5 ICT support
underpinning the
Learning Management
System and issues for
students
Theme two Satisfaction with the online learning spaces (n =9)
Subtheme 2.1 Technology tools chosen
easily support the
lecturer and students co-
construction of learning
Subtheme 2.2 Week by week course
layout easy to use

18. Survey One Overview of Results
 Findings indicated students strongly desired a
consistent VLS screen design and structured
information architecture for ease of
navigation.

19. Survey One
Theme one: Dissatisfaction with the online
learning spaces
Subtheme 1.1: Creative content layouts and
usability issues for students
 “Each course tries to be creative with the
content layout; however, this only creates
issues for students finding the resources they
need.”

20. Subtheme 1.2: Technology tools chosen
and navigation issues for students
 “Sometimes it's like some PlayStation game
where you have to go searching to get
through the levels”.
 “I have found that there have been too many
nooks and crannies that I need to search to be
able to find my reading materials and
assessments etc. “

21. Subtheme 1.3: Technology tools chosen and
issues with the number of mouse clicks
 “I don't like having to click on a lot of different
links to find course content, it’s confusing and
time consuming.”

22. Survey Two: Current online learning
experience: themes and subthemes
Theme one Social tools and building Community
Subtheme 1.1 Catering for different
learning styles and time
on learning
Subtheme 1.2 Complimentary learning
rather than mandated
learning
Theme two Access and usefulness of social tool
Subtheme 2.1 Ease of tool access and
time on learning
Subtheme 2.2 Difficulty accessing tool
and missing out on
learning
Theme three Course layout
Subtheme 3.1
Subtheme 3.2
Ease of layout to access
learning
Difficulty of layout to
access the learning
Subtheme 3.3 Number of mouse clicks
to access the learning
Theme four ICT Support
Subtheme 4.1 Tool efficiency

23. Survey Two
Theme 3: Course Layout
Subtheme 3.1: Course layout and accessing
the learning
Like:
“I like the online learning layout and access to
the content. I'm not sure there is anything I'm
unhappy with regarding the use and ease of
access.”
Dislike:
“I dislike the layout and I am confused with the
way the info is displayed”

24. Survey Two: Some students
recommended changes
“Simplify instructions”
“Buttons' to access information”
“Coloured buttons on page with topics so its just
one click and I'm where I want to be.”
“Clearer fonts”
“Should have icons to click on for each week”

25. Survey Two:
Some students recommended no changes
“No need to change the online learning space.
It's a winner :)”
“Make all my online learning pages like this
subject! Eg. Other subjects pages are horrible”
“Pretty happy with it.”

26. Survey Three
Student evaluation of the changes made
Positive
“These changes have improved my experience,
definitely. I'm very happy with them.”
“The new buttons for navigating to each week's
materials has helped a lot.”
“The quick links tabs are great.”
“Changes made have improved visual appeal as
well as ease of navigation.”
“Yes changes have been useful, helped to speed
things up.”

27. Survey Three:
Student evaluation of the changes made
Negative
 “It would be a positive change if directions for
activities and communication of expectations
were more clarified. This is not so much a
layout factor. All in all I'm happy with the new
page look.”

28. Discussion
 Human computer interaction (HCI), cognitive
load, digital pedagogy and early student
feedback are equally important parts of VLS
design to optimise time and effort on learning

29. Conclusions
 Respondents prefer consistent VLS layouts and
a structured navigation schema to optimise
time on learning rather than time on
navigating.

30. Optimising time on learning VLS model
= improved student satisfaction with online learning
Created by Natasha Reedy February 2012
Frees students short term memory
space to expend on deeper
construction of learning
Low
Extraneous &
Low Intrinsic
Cognitive
Load
HCI
Digital
Pedagogy
+ 2 early feedback
loops from
students, to guide
meaningful
changes and
evaluation in real
time
Quality
Improvement
Process

31. Future Research
 Focus on measuring the efficiency of the:
Optimising time on learning VLS model
 To validate a tool that optimises student learning in
the VLS called:
Time on Learning: Virtual Learning Space Optimiser