Abstract

This report summarizes the evaluation process and outcomes of a thirteen-week McGill University mentored doctoral-level course, (NUR2 783) "Psychosocial Oncology Research." This seminar-based initiative in Psychosocial Oncology Research Training - PORT (Loiselle, Degner, Butler, Bottorff, 2003-2009, ST1-63285), is a core component of the CIHR-ICR/NCIC Strategic Training in Health Research program. The purpose of this study is to investigate the benefits of using, web-based learning environments and their effects and students' reactions to using instructional technologies for learning. This training course focused on evidence-based research developments in psychosocial oncology---the study of personal, contextual, and social factors that affect people's experience with cancer. The evidence base interventions were conferred through weekly seminars mediated through a videoconferencing medium broadcast within four Canadian Universities, a two-day face-to-face workshop and a computer-mediated communication system, WebCT. Data was collected through questionnaires and surveys, interviews and observations. Results showed the trainees had acquired effective learning strategies prior to the course, experience with computer based technologies especially an asynchronous medium such as electronic mail and learned best when the acquisition of knowledge was meaningful. The trainees indicated having gained a significant amount of knowledge to apply to their professional lives. The computer-mediated communication system made available to the trainees and mentors to provide a collaborative conference area, view the course syllabus, exchange ideas, confer through synchronous and asynchronous discussions, access information and documents, was quite inactive