Becoming Lifelong Learners: A Study in Self-Regulated Learning.

While health professions educators espouse the need to develop lifelong learning skills in students, little is written about such attempts. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of educational and awareness interventions designed to promote self-regulated learning processes as a means to improve lifelong learning skills. First-year students in respiratory care and radiologic imaging sciences took the Learning and Study Skills Inventory (LASSI) in fall and spring semesters.

Respiratory care clinical education: a needs assessment for preceptor training.

Background: There has been a growing interest in the use of volunteer clinical preceptors to provide clinical instruction to respiratory therapy (RT) students. However, many RT preceptors have had little or no training in preceptorship. We sought to identify the preceptor training needs of programs that lead to the Registered Respiratory Therapist or Certified Respiratory Therapist credential (RT programs).

Perceived benefits of the use of learning contracts to guide clinical education in respiratory care students.

Background: The benefits of contract learning have been identified in the literature as increased individualization to meet the student's individual needs, promotion of learner independence, and development of lifelong learning behaviors among students.

Methods: I used an "action research" approach to implement the contract-learning method into a clinical course. Clinical learning contracts were designed to provide students with the opportunity to focus on any identified areas of unsatisfactory or desired practice.

Distance education in respiratory care.

This study would not have been possible without the valuable insight of program directors across the country who were willing to share their experience. Although not conclusive, the results of the survey of program directors indicate that online education is being used in a small number of respiratory care education programs. The benefits and difficulties related by these program directors are similar to those found in the larger body of literature in higher education.