In August 2021, Kisha Thompson and Shiyon Mathew, students in the PhD in Nursing program, represented Pace University College of Health Professions at the Digital Innovators inaugural program. This was a collaboration between Apple and the Graduate Student Nursing Society (GNSA) designed to demonstrate how nursing education can be enhanced using technology.
Kisha and Shiyon were selected along with participants from 16 colleges nationwide through the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). Both are practicing healthcare professionals. Kisha has been a nurse for 23 years, 15 of which have been in nurse anesthesia, and Shiyon is a critical care nurse in an intensive care unit at a hospital in New York.
The pair’s presentation introduced the use of the “Unessay” in a Philosophy of Science course. The purpose of the Unessay was to encourage students to use creative and engaging ways to convey their views based on individual interests and strengths. The project entailed identifying an issue in nursing, taking a position, and making an argument based on a philosophical perspective. Their presentation provided a visual Unessay Choice Board demonstrating five potential choices for projects: video, audio, art, music, and digital. For students who chose the digital route, they also provided several apps that might be helpful.
"I enjoyed hearing about the cutting-edge learning strategies used at other institutions,” said Kisha. “Highlights of the program were sketchnoting on the iPad, making posters and Clips videos, and creating an EPub.”
"We become somewhat complacent when we conform to tradition and norms,” said Shiyon. “Taking part in the digital program challenged me to think unconventionally, not just from the perspective of an educator, but from the lens of the learner as well. The relationship is symbiotic."
In a nod to technology, participants created a Memoji for use in the course work.
"The faculty is very proud of Kisha and Shiyon and hope to be able to tap into the new skills that they gained,” said PhD Department Chair Dr. Sharon Stahl Wexler.
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