How Blended Delivery Can Work for Nursing Students

There have been significant developments and advancements in the field of education worldwide, and today there are multiple methods to develop and present courseware in ways that will capture the attention of students.

Blended delivery combines both the advantages of conventional classroom learning, as well as new-age methods of computer mediated activities. This strategy creates more integrated methods for both instructors and students to gain comprehensive knowledge on the topics of learning. Such courses blend face-to-face methodology of course delivery, such as in-class discussions, active group work, and live lectures with web-based educational technologies such as online course modules, online assignments, discussion boards, e-learning involving videos, audios and applets and other web-assisted learning tools.

It has been proven that where a student's interest is kindled, education automatically happens. These blended learning methods work to awaken the students' interest in a particular topic, through innovative delivery methods that capture student interest and therefore increase memory retention. Online and web-based designs can be developed using crystal clear imagery, visuals and graphics that elucidate all the principles being taught.

More practical advantages stem from the fact that online courses can be played back and reviewed any number of times till the student understands all the concepts; besides this the classes can be done at the students' own convenience of time and place. Online assessments and evaluations are instantaneous and can be reviewed by teachers and parents as well to judge the level of interest and performance of the students.

Combine this with the advantages of traditional classroom based courses as well, and you have an education system that has only positive applications. There may be students who prefer the one-on-one individual attention that is afforded through face-to-face learning methods, and they can be benefited equally through the blended learning methodology.

Today, more and more institutions of higher education are opting for blended course delivery methods for various reasons, including the following:

1. Such courses appeal to the market of busy senior students who choose to complete their college-level education while they are working in a fulltime regular job. Online courses allow them the convenience of fitting in face-to-face class time into their busy work schedules once or twice a week, while simultaneously working on the remainder of the course work over the internet.

2. Such courses reduce pressure on university classrooms, reducing their running costs of maintaining the university. Virtual classrooms reduce the space constraints on campus.

3. Students are brought together only when needed, as they can employ self study methods through recorded classes online. Nursing students may read up on the course content online and attend physical classes only for practical sessions.

4. Even in classrooms, teachers can benefit by playing videos from the internet or showing slides that can elucidate the learning matter, saving time and at the same time making concepts much clearer.

5. Students who may not want to go to regular school due to allergies or severe medical conditions, or fears of school violence or bullying can opt for the blended learning methodology where their time on campus is minimized.

A lot of institutes are offering specially designed nursing programs for nurses at the campuses, but they will get more enrolments if they provide the same course online and this is one of the major reasons every college or institute should start delivering online nursing courses. The students also love to go for online courses rather than the regular campus courses due to the wide range of flexibility and time saving aspects.

An online content writer offering services for clients from various niches. Also interested in spending time with travel and outdoor games.

Support Required From Your Employer When Pursuing Executive Education

The workforce of a company is undoubtedly the most important asset that it possesses. It therefore becomes necessary to invest in the workforce wisely. Whether the investments are of time, money, or trust, they pay off in the long run. Able and well talented employees will stick around if you give them ample support and opportunities to grow and better themselves. Growing professionally and intellectually gives an employee the motivation to do his best and perform well in his job. This also lends him the opportunity to apply innovative strategies and take his company to a higher pedestal. So, it is an established fact that supporting employees in their quest to improve their skills is bound to provide rich dividends to their employers.

There is a growing number of professionals who are going in for executive education today, in order to enhance their skills and improve their work ways as well as their associates and links in the their domain of work. This is a good move as it benefits employers in the long run. There are certain formalities that must be fulfilled in order for the employee to apply for the course successfully. These formalities generally relate to coming through on the application criteria. For this, the employee seeks the support of his employer.

Most executive programs require that the applicant solicit the approval of his / her employer and obtain an explicit statement of support from their company. This is an important condition levied by various institutes and admission is not approved unless this letter is received by the institute authorities. As simple as it sounds, this letter is more than just a letter recommending the applicant for a particular program. When signing off this letter, an employer is agreeing to release the employee for the given time in order for him to effectively participate in the classroom teaching, projects and other initiatives and travel (if need arises) to the location where the classes are held.

The employer might also be required to commit financial aid and support in the form of covering up the entire cost of the program. This, however, is not a mandatory condition and depends and varies from person to person and also from company to company. The extent of financial commitment is a matter that is left to the participant of the course and his / her employer. In some cases, tuition reimbursement is given to the student when he / she rejoin the company after finishing the course; in other cases, employers make special arrangements to cover all the costs as per the compensation package of the employee. In still other cases, the participants of the course assume the responsibility of covering up the education cost on their own.

In most cases, the employee is subject to be bound by a contract, so that after completing the course with set goals, he returns to his job and works for the company at a contract for a pre-decided period of time.

Starting a Career With a Masters in Healthcare Administration

Getting a hospital management degree is one of the best things you can do if you would like a career in healthcare. Honestly, there are not many jobs out there right now, but this career path truly will help you gain a position in a hospital or other healthcare organization. How many people have been laid off during the recession and are curious about what they should do next? Look no further, a Masters in Healthcare Administration degree will help you find a new job quickly.

The first thing you need to do is research every MHA degree program. Many of these programs can be done online from your home. The advantage of doing an online degree is that you still have the ability to work if you need to. If you do not need to work, then most of these programs get you in contact with other people in the field to help you find a job while you are pursuing school. After doing your research you need to decide on what type of degree you want, whether it is a residential or online program. Most residential programs are fulltime and do not allow you to work. In addition, something you should think about is whether the degree requires a test. If it does, then you will need to prepare yourself for the test to gain admission.

Next you need to take the proper steps to get admitted into one of these programs. You should develop a list of maybe 5 or 10 schools that you are interested in attending. Request information from those schools and begin your application. Most of the time these programs admit students in both the spring and the fall so that way you will have the option once you begin looking into these programs. Once you have your list of schools, you need to make sure that you focus on the requirements for each application. Create different folders for each school and keep all of the information for each program in the individual folder. That way when you are going to send out your application you will have all of the information in one place.

The next thing you need to do is simply wait. Often times admissions decisions are made on a rolling basis which means that you will get the decision in the order it was received. This can be a tough time for students because normally you do not have a job and you are not sure what will happen in the future. For now, I would suggest looking into volunteer programs at hospitals to help you understand more about how a hospital works. You can also send a letter to the individual schools telling them that you have gained a position in a local hospital or healthcare organization.

Once you have waited for the admissions decision, you will now start to see some decisions being made. However, while you are waiting you need to decide what program you would like to attend if you are admitted to the program. This can be tough, but the biggest thing you need to do is really evaluate each program individually. You should look at the reputation of the school, where people work that graduated from the school, and the courses that you need to finish to graduate. You also need to decide whether you want to be in an online program or a residential program.

Once you get into a school, you will notice that it is much easier to look for jobs. Just being in a Masters in Healthcare Administration program helps you be able to apply to very different jobs that you normally could not have applied to. Many students in degree programs do work while they are attending them as long as they are not fulltime. Remember, these types of programs are giving you a skill that not many people have and there is a tremendous need for health care administrators.

5 Proven Strategies of Effectively Managing Classes

Effective class management is one of the biggest challenges that a teacher has to face at the beginning of each academic year. Students come from diverse backgrounds and thus some turn out to be polite while some others may be loud and noisy. It becomes really difficult to maintain discipline in the classroom at times. To overcome this problematic situation, teachers need to employ effective organizational practices to bring in an atmosphere of peace and calm in the classroom.

Establish Rules

On the very first day, instructors usually tell the students to introduce themselves and most just tend to quietly give their names. However, this doesn't mean they are going to remain silent and disciplined for the rest of the academic session. A good teacher will always establish some efficient ground rules for pre-empting class behavioral patterns.

Promote Greater Interaction

It is the responsibility of the teachers to create a positive friendly ambiance in the classroom. Teachers should start interacting with each learner on a more personal level. For those shy students who feel uncomfortable to speak out in a packed classroom, they should be encouraged to email their problems or queries to the teacher or meet him/her outside class hours. A great way of constantly staying in touch with your students is through setting up of an online private social network. Another tried and tested method would be via social media channels.

Introduce Fun Elements

While reading through text books can be a bit boring, introducing slide shows and online presentations as part of the lesson can be really fun. It adds excitement to the whole learning experience and motivates students to stay focused. You can create educational based audio-visual slide shows and show it to the kids to enhance their attention levels.

Include Debates in the Classroom

Debates have a positive side to it; they help to gain in-depth knowledge in a specific subject or area. For example, I have seen many teachers taking a debate class for one or two days a week to encourage students to discuss various learning issues and how they can best address the same.

Review Students' Performance Regularly

It is essential to keep the students on their toes and for that you need to regularly keep on giving assignments and homework and see to it that they finish them on time. You can encourage students to start their own blogs where they can post their written articles, assignments, and project works for you to review. The school should also maintain a blog to provide all sorts of information and updates on a daily basis.

Various Forms of Continuing Education

Professional continuing education can be completed in a variety of ways. The most important thing is the professional learns something from the course(s) they take. Hopefully, the course will education them and help them provide better services for their clients. The worst thing a professional could face is a waste of time and money. If the course doesn't help them provide better services or make them more knowledgeable in their field it is a big waste of time. In this article we are going to discuss some different professions and ways continuing education is completed. We are going to cover online education, classroom education, and self-study.

Online continuing education is becoming more and more popular among adult learners. It doesn't matter if you are looking to go back to school for a master's degree, get continuing education credits for your insurance license, or need help budgeting a large project. There are classes online for everyone! These courses are usually the most flexible and easiest for full-time working adults to complete. They are mainly asynchronous so the student does not have to be online at a specific time. Many times the course can be spread out over time as well. So the student may start the course on Wednesday and complete it on Sunday. This allows for even more flexibility for the student.

Another popular form of continuing education is sitting in a classroom and listening to a lecture. The classroom is very interactive and conducive for visual learners. Sometimes they need to see and read things multiple times and ask questions. Live chat is not always an option in online learning. Insurance agents in Florida for example do have to have to complete an examination if they sit in a classroom for their continuing education credits. But, if you are an adult learner looking for a master's degree you will be writing papers, completing case studies, and taking exams to get your degree. Classes are held at a specific time on a specific day so they are not as flexible as online courses.

The third type of continuing education is self-study or correspondence courses. This is where the student will order study materials online and have them delivered to their home. This is not available for every type of profession. Students can study at their leisure then take an exam either online or at a testing center depending on what is required.

As you can see there are many different ways you can continue your education, you will just have to find the easiest and most convenient method that fits your needs.

Enroll for PMP Exam Prep Courses to Become a Certified Project Manager

A project is a temporarily undertaking that has a defined start and a defined end. A project consumes organizational resources. Examples of resources consumed are time, labor and money among other scarce resources. Since a project consumes organizational resources, it must be managed properly. The work of managing a project is left to a project manager. Every project is unique in itself--no matter how a project looks similar to a previous one, they cannot be the same. The uniqueness of different projects arises due to the time budgets and resources budgets differences. Even if the budgets are similar, which is unlikely, the start-times and end-times of the two projects are likely to be different making the two projects unique.

A project manager is a professional involved in the task of planning, organizing, managing, controlling and directing organizational resources to achieve a projects goal. The manager oversees the project from inception to completion. He or she ensures that the project takes up the planned amount of resources to deliver the expect results. A project manager needs to possess additional skills over and above those of an ordinary business manager. Not every manager can manage a project.

Since a project is a unique undertaking within the organization, the person to manage it needs to be in possession of project management skills. Although these skills can be acquired from the field over time through experience, it is advisable you get the skills formerly by enrolling with a training institution. By enrolling with a training institution, you will get the A to Z of project management. Through training, you will be able to make thought-out project decisions. There will no longer be cases of guesswork. When you make sure decisions, you reduce cases of project failure and increase chances of the project delivering expected results.

With the busy world we are living in, it becomes a great challenge for managers to enroll for project management courses. You find that many local colleges that offer the courses do not have flexible training timetables. They do not cater for the working group that wants to further their studies. To solve this challenge, you can enroll for Project Management Professional (PMP) exam prep courses. PMP prep courses allow you all the convenience you want in this busy world. The courses are offered in evenings and weekends. To increase accessibility, the courses are also offered online. With this kind of flexible training, no manager can have an excuse for not enrolling for a project management professional prep course. After successful completion of the course, the student (manager) takes an exam that leads to their certification.

After successful certification, you can undertake any kind of project. Although each project is unique in itself, training gives you the general and important skills that every project manager needs to possess. Training also gives you the tactics to go about the unique and special project. With a certified project management professional, the organization can be sure that their projects are in safe hands. No organization would be ready to leave their resources in the hands of unqualified managers.

Excel - An Important Analytics Tool in Corporate Environment

In recent surveys which have been conducted around the world, it has been concluded that Analytics is one area where organisations are going to differentiate themselves from their competitors. Gathering information from raw data with the use of analytics and taking informed decisions based on that information is the way forward for most of the organisations in today's times. For this purpose, organisation make use of several tools.

Excel is one of them. Excel is widely used in most of the organisations. Be it a small startup company or a major MNC all organisations in today's times use Excel. It might seem like a basic tool for conducting data analysis, but people who know how to make in depth use of Excel can gather immense information with the use of this tool. There are several options in Excel like goal seek scenario, Pivot tables, What if analysis which can be used to create multiple scenarios from a given set of data to aid decision making. Apart from these, there are functions which are inbuilt in excel such as financial, statistical and several others which can be used to perform quick analysis in just a matter of minutes. Excel has several chart options such as Pie Chart, Bar Chart etc. These charts can be used for Trend analysis, or looking at Company's market share vis-a-vis its competitors or its performance for a particular product or in a particular region. One can use a line chart to look at the Trend analysis as to how the company has been performing over a period of time.

Bar charts can be used to make comparisons. Then there are advanced filters which can be used to filter out only information which meets a particular criteria or to extract information meeting specific criteria from raw data. There are financial functions which can help quickly arrive at EMIs or loan Prepayments or arriving at the Internal Rate of Return on Investments. These financial functions can also be utilised to arrive at the Net Present Value of investments or arriving at the yield. The possibilities are endless.

In view of the above, there are several educational institutes, training institutes, coaching classes who provide a variety of training courses in Excel. They provide Excel training both as online trainings or classroom trainings. Executive across the world know that in the absence of knowledge of Excel they could be left behind and are signing up for these courses to upgrade their skills and knowledge.