Final Blog Post for Summer Course

It has been an interesting summer semester, to say the least.  The review of the chosen Web 2.0 tools have been enlightening for me and encouraged me to find new ways of educating our learner groups.  While it takes a great deal of time to search out some of the tools and learn how to effectively use them, once the user is comfortable with some of them they can easily use the to initiate new learning techniques and engage the learners in new ways.

In this post, I will briefly reflect on each of the tools that I reviewed this semester.  

1. Fuze: Communication tool that encompasses collaboration, presentation, and discussion capabilities.  I can see utilizing this tool in an education setting where physicians and educators can share content and meeting resources in a setting where learners can meet and provide feedback.  The instructor can post digital images, mock patient records, and additional resources for real-time learning.  I hope to use this tool in the future and encourage our medical student and residency educators to do the same.

2. Blabberize: Creativity tool with photos.  As I expressed in my blog post, while I think it is a novelty tool, I don't see using it in my educational setting.  However, I could see where some educators could use it to share information about specific techniques or educational information.  Blabberize is very easy to use, but not something that benefits medical students or residents more than a couple of times, based on my own brief experiences with it.

3. Text2MindMap: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving tool.  This was my first experience with mind map development and I could easily see connections on how to make this a useful tool for educational purposes.  I used it as a tool to share with the class the different specialties of residency/fellowship programs at Methodist.  By being able to separate them into medical, surgical, and pathology-based programs, the learners could then see what individual programs are sponsored at Methodist.  This was a very basic use of this tool, but I can see using it in future opportunities.

4. Flisti: Easy-to-use feedback tool. Flisti is a very easy to use web application tool that allows the user to create a simple, one-question survey or poll to provide to participants embedded on websites or sharing on other social media sites.  While I can see this as a valuable tool when trying to gauge very individual and minor thoughts of a learner, the inability to add questions makes this tool less user friendly and informational than a survey tool similar to that of Survey Monkey.  I do not foresee using this tool in the future.

5. Convert PDF to Word: Productivity tool. The final and most likely the tool that I will use most, was this one that converts PDF documents to Word documents.  This allows the user to modify the document to fit their needs or update information that may be on the original document in need of modification.  In the world of medical education, we share a variety of documents and information that is useful based on similar accreditation requirements.  Many, however, post in a PDF format to prevent changes or make the document "locked" in and many times fillable without experiencing format changes.  I can see using this for the creation of evaluation materials and other documents useful to learners.

I've learned a great deal this semester. I look forward to using some of these tools as I continue to learn the importance of engagement and introducing new learning techniques into the virtual and traditional classroom.

Web 2.0 for Medical Student Education

In my final presentation for this semester, I encourage you to listen to how I hope to incorporate Web 2.0 tools in medical student education.  As Houston Methodist embarks on a new adventure with Texas A&M Health Science Center medical students, it will be up to our clerkship directors and coordinators to find new and engaging ways to educate our learners.  I hope to share this presentation and ongoing discussions on how to implement these tools into the teaching arena to engage the students and formulate new ways of learning.

I hope that you enjoy my VoiceThread presentation found here:

Web 2.0 Tools for Medical Student Education

ConvertPDFtoWord Web 2.0 Tool Review

In the final installment of Web 2.0 tool reviews for this semester, please find the Screencast-O-Matic review of ConvertPDFtoWord.net. (Make sure you only use this web address.  Others opened several tabs and would not allow me to close - I had to completely shut down and start over.

This was an excellent, easy-to-use, and FREE tool that each user could use when converting a PDF document to a Word document.  I hope that you enjoy the presentation and are able to use the tool in the future!

P.S. I really enjoyed using this screen recording tool and look forward to using it in the future for sharing information to individuals that I work closely with and can share how to access or complete items in different places online.

Flisti - Module 5 Web 2.0 Review

Trevor's VoiceThread Presentation of Flisti

Name of the Web 2.0 Tool:   Flisti - —"Create free online polls without signing up"

URL of the Tool: www.flisti.com

Please select the one, primary category for this tool: —Easy-to-use feedback tool

Please describe this tool in your own words (a minimum of 150-250 words).

Flisti is a very easy to use web application tool that allows the user to create a simple, one-question survey or poll to provide to participants embedded on websites or sharing on other social media sites.  The interactive poll allows the user to ask their audience a multiple choice question and makes it very simple by not requiring a sign up or downloading of an application.  Flisti is a new startup and is developed to create a very quick and easy poll development application.

Download and install a program or plug-in for the tool to work properly?

The tool does not require that the user install a program or download a plug-in.  

What do you need to know before using this tool? (What skills do you need to have?)

Overall, this is a very simple-to-use tool that anyone could understand.  The user only needs a poll question and the multiple choice answer options.  Flisti then creates a link to the survey to be placed on a website, Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media site.  This is a very easy to use application..

What do you need to have before using this tool?

To effectively use the tool users need to have a question and potential answers in mind. 

How do you use this tool? (Write the basic steps using a numbered list)

1. Visit www.flisti.com

2. Type the question and the multiple choice answers in the boxes provided.

3. If the user needs to enter additional answer options, they can click on + Add Answer and if the audience has the option of choosing more than 1 answer, the user can set up the question by selecting the box that says "Multiple Answers". 

4. Press "Create a New Poll".

5. Embed the link into your preferred website or social media site.  

6. View Poll Results.

Locate or create your own example of an educational resource created with this tool

Trevor's Poll Question

Please describe a scenario of how you might use this tool in a teaching environment.

This tool would be useful only uf the user wanted to create a quick, non-scientific survey that could be sent out in an email or via a social media site or posted on a website.  It would allow an instructor to ask questions on certain topics that could provide a quick answer to a question that could spur additional discussions. For my own example, I created a Flisti survey question asking the participant about their preferred method of learning. 

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using this tool in a formal or informal teaching environment?

Advantages: Free, —No log in/download required, very simple to use, easy to share/add to website and/or other social media sites, responses easy to view 

Disadvantages: —Only one question can be asked at a time, not a scientific survey, and anyone can answer if they search it on the Flisti site

Would you recommend this Web 2.0 tool to others, or suggest that they explore a different tool?

I would probably not recommend this tool because of its limited use in the classroom.  It's easy to use, but with only one question being asked, you would have to make certain that the question creates enough interaction and discussion for the tool to be useful.