At 12:00 AM 22/06/01 -0400, Lynne wrote:
>Several weeks of the class emphasize the various aspects of
>lactation. I like to do some hands-on work when we talk about proper
>latch and positioning, plus I use several videos. Do any of you have
>ideas on how to adapt this type of thing for an online class?

Hi Lynne and welcome to Lactnet.

I have developed a full course in lactation which I deliver online.  I
think the first thing to realise is that just as you can't teach someone to
ride a bike online, neither can you expect to teach someone proper latch
online - or in a classroom for that matter - without a real mother and baby
to observe.  At the beginning of the course on Positioning and Attachment
the students are requested to find an experienced mentor to observe and be
observed by them.  I use text, photos and video to describe the theory and
the practice.  My students also complete a workbook and one of the
assessable activities in the positioning and latch course is that they must
observe a baby breastfeeding and another baby bottle feeding and do a
compare and contrast on them.

>  I have
>heard that there are some very good lactation educator classes taught
>online,

I hope mine is one of those :-)

>  I have
>been told that we cannot use videos in an online class.

I don't see why not.  I have copyright clearance from the producers of
mine.  The courses are all password protected so only students are actually
accessing them.

>do you know any particularly effective teaching methods to use online? I
>know we can use streaming and powerpoint presentations. I can also hold
>periodic chats in an online chatroom. Any ideas would be greatly
>appreciated.

If you are going to do this for a complete course than I suggest you use
proper educational software.  There are several available now and any
university moving into this method of teaching would surely use the
professional software.  I use WebCT which is a wonderful educational
software, but there are others available - Blackboard.com is another which
is gaining in popularity.  These software packages emphasise two-way and
group communication which is the absolute mainstay of education however it
is delivered, in my opinion; along with quality content of course.

If you'd like to discuss this more I'd be happy to privately.

>Mother of 4 beautiful breastfed children who wishes she know then what
>she knows about breastfeeding now.

I sometimes think this too Lynne - but then it was so simple back then when
I didn't know much except that I wanted to do it.  Maybe if we had known
what we know now we would have made it so much more complicated.  I was a
midwife when I had my babies and all I could think about through my
pregnancies were all the things that could go wrong and what I would do - I
think I must of willed some of them to happen!!
Denise

*************************************************
Denise Fisher BN, RN, RM, IBCLC
BreastEd Online Lactation Studies
mailto:[log in to unmask]
http://www.BreastEdOnline.com

*************************************************

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