The document describes the design of an online orientation for adult learners in SUNY Empire State College's RN to BSN nursing program. It provides an overview of the nursing program, which began in 2008 and currently has 860 students ranging from age 20 to 70. The orientation was developed to introduce newly enrolled nursing students to online learning and available supports. Project stakeholders including the dean, support staff, intern, and faculty were involved in gathering and selecting orientation content. The orientation features engaging activities and ease of navigation for students. Challenges included information being scattered and determining what content to include.

1. Jennifer Boisvert, MS
Rhonda Esposito, MS, RN
St. Rose Educational Technology Conference
May 17, 2013 Albany, NY
Designing an Effective Online Orientation for
Adult Learners

2. Overview of Nursing Program
• SUNY Empire State College
• Began in Fall 2008, fully online RN to BSN program
• Accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing
Education (CCNE) in 2010
• Currently 860 students
• Age Range: 20-70
• Gender: Male 11.3%, Female 88.7%

3. Project Overview
• Student Preparation
– Designed for newly enrolled students
– Introduce nursing students to online learning and available support
from faculty, staff, librarians, etc.
– Provide students with information on the program’s policies and
procedures, mission, values, outcomes, resources, and
organizational structure.
• School of Nursing
– Transitioned from CDL to School of Nursing
– Development of the program’s first RN to BSN online student
orientation

4. Project Stakeholders
• Who’s Involved
• Dean
– Selection, Design, and Approval of Content, Dean’s Welcome
• Support Staff
– Gathering Content
• Intern
– Design, Layout, and Gathering of Content, Collaborative Meetings
• Instructional Designer
– Design and Layout of Content
• Clinical Coordinator
– Gathering Clinical Forms Information
• Faculty
– Gathering Content, Providing Feedback
Image courtesy of Photos.com

5. Design Layout
• Content
– Order
– Brief and Concise
• Visually Appealing
– Images
– Font Size and Color

6. Design Layout cont’d
• Accessibility
– Implementing accessible technological tools
– Providing transcripts and closed captioning for audio components
– Background and font colors
– Alternative text for images
Alt text: image of the words true and false with
checkboxes and a checkmark in the box next to false

7. Design Layout cont’d
• Student Engagement/Ease of Navigation
– Novice vs. Expert
– Engaging learning activities
– Overview to introduce students to the orientation
– Detailed directions
Image courtesy of Photos.com

8. Content Selection

9. Orientation Activities
• Word Clouds
– Visual representation of text
– Free
– Wordle
(http://www.wordle.net)

10. Orientation Activities cont’d
• Avatars
– Create animated movies using text
and avatars
– Free
– Xtranormal
(http://www.xtranormal.com)
Xtranormal example

12. Orientation Activities cont’d
• Slideshare
– Digitally share presentations,
images, and/or documents
– Free
– Slideshare
(http://www.slideshare.net)

13. Challenges
• Information all over place
• What should and should not be
included?
• Moving to a new LMS in Fall
2013
• Location of faculty and schedules
to get information
Images courtesy of Photos.com

14. Questions
Image courtesy of Microsoft Clipart

15. Contact Information
SUNY Empire State College
Nursing Program
113 West Ave. | Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
Jennifer Boisvert: jennifer.boisvert@esc.edu
Rhonda Esposito: espositor@nehealth.com