Amanda Gridley
English250
A.R. Mallory
January 31, 2014
A Summary of the Value in Web-based Learning and Communication in Optometry Education
My chosen career is Optometry, the health care profession of eye care. Like all chosen career paths, it is important to learn the material that is needed to do the desired job. How is this information learned? Communication. Communication plays a key role in almost every aspect of life,including secondary education. Students are taught the information they need to know in order for them to come successful. As the article “Optometry and WebCT: A Student Survey of the Value of Web-based Learning Environments in Optometric Education” by Peter Herse and Alvin Lee states, some forms of communication work better than others. This is true for Optometry students. A survey was given to the students of Optometry and Vision Science at the University of New South Wales, after the completion of their third year and just before their forth year of clinical learning, that produced interesting feedback in their desired form of communication. These results, reflect the way that communication is done, at this day-and-age, in my chosen career field.
The survey was given to one-hundred and thirteen students, who had experience in a variety of communication methods over the course of their schooling. The communication methods included anything from textbooks, and lectures, to chatrooms and power-points posed online. The students were asked to rank the usefulness of the learning tools they had used over the course of their secondary education. These tools included, calendars, note-taking programs, and online chats. After compiling the data, the results concluded that the most desired and most successful communication methods, were those that involved direct communication with other students, and/or professors. Lab sessions and material add to WebCT (the online equivalent to Blackboard at ISU) that had an added chat program to discuss material directly with a professor or another student, were the top two preferred communication methods, while self written assignments, oral presentations and individual labs were the least favorable.
These results prove that communication, especially direct communication, is very important in optometry. Direct communication is desired over indirect because there is less likely for a miscommunication during the “telephone” of passing down the information. The best way for students to learn is to be taught by others, and there-by communicating and being communicated with. Without the communication and collaboration with others, information is more slowly build upon, results are often unfinished, and less likely to be shared with people of whom it would benefit.
In conclusion, communication is very important in almost all aspects of careers, but especially in my desired field of optometry. Students of the field benefit the most through direct communication, such as one-on-one’s with others and online chats. This is because direct communication is the least likely to have a miscommunication and learning can be done quicker without the fear of error in a miscommunication.
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