Web-based teaching in nursing: lessons from the literature

Use of videos to teach basic science concepts in a doctor of chiropractic training program

OBJECTIVE

This study examined the effectiveness of teaching biochemical concepts by video in a doctor of chiropractic training program.

METHODS

Students in a biochemistry class were taught the Krebs cycle through a video exercise and glycolysis in a traditional lecture format. They received a review of both concepts and were tested. Test performance was examined. Students answered a questionnaire following the exercise.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences in test performance on the topic learned by the video exercise. However, students felt that both lecture and review were more effective learning tools than video.

CONCLUSION

Despite the results of other authors, our students preferred traditional didactic lecture with review rather than video. With no difference in test scores observed, the role of videos in our basic science course remains unclear, perhaps only used as an occasional supplement. These results were not expected, given the often-preferred use of technology by current learners.

The Effectiveness of Workshop and Multimedia Training Methods on the Nurses' Decision-Making Skills Regarding Weaning From Mechanical Ventilation

BACKGROUND

Nurses can safely and effectively wean patients from mechanical ventilation (MV) by the use of proper instruments and planning.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of 2 training methods on the decision-making skill of intensive critical care (ICU) nurses with regard to weaning from MV.

METHODS

In this quasi-experimental study, 80 nurses working in ICUs participated in 1 of 2 educational groups in 2016. The interventions were workshop and multimedia training for decision-making skill regarding weaning from MV. The data were gathered from a questionnaire based on the Burns Weaning Assessment Program tool before and 1 month after the intervention. Data were analyzed by independent t test, the χ test, and the Fisher exact test using the software SPSS v. 17.

RESULTS

The decision-making skill with regard to awareness of weaning factors (physiological and respiratory) increased in both groups after the intervention (P ≤ .001), but the difference between the 2 groups was not statistically meaningful. Considering the mean scores before and after the intervention, the general skill of decision-making regarding weaning from MV was higher in the multimedia training group compared with the workshop training group (P ≤ .001).

CONCLUSION

The multimedia training method, which has been more successful, is recommended owing to its characteristics of virtual education, such as accessibility, flexibility, learner centeredness, and expansibility, as well as nurses' lack of time.

Determination and Comparison of the Factors Related to Effective Blended Learning in Medical Sciences from the Viewpoints of Instructors and Learners

INTRODUCTION

According to rapid growth of innovation in use of technologies in education and learning, blended learning has become an effective method in the student's education. The purpose of this study was to extract the factors related to effective blended learning and compare the viewpoints of students and instructors in this regard.

METHODS

Mixed method model was used in this study. A content analysis approach was employed in the qualitative phase of the study. Seven faculty members and eight master's students of medical sciences selected through purposive sampling participated in the qualitative phase. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted for data collection. In the quantitative phase, appropriate and relevant items were designed based on the main concepts of theoretical and practical definitions that were extracted in the qualitative phase.

RESULTS

The results of the qualitative phase were 5 categories and 40 subcategories, including student's capabilities, teacher merits, technological aspects, pedagogic topics and supportive environment.

DISCUSSION

The results of the questionnaire analysis showed no significant difference in student capabilities and supportive environment between the viewpoints of students and faculty members while there were significant differences in other categories. Although new technologies have offered promising opportunities, they do not result in effective education. The results of the present study suggest that a major revision in student and instructor admission and provision of required technical facilities can promote the status of this type of education. On the other hand, instructor empowerment programs in this field can enhance the effectiveness of virtual education.

New Zealand nursing students' perceptions of biosciences: A cross-sectional survey of relevance to practice, teaching delivery, self-competence and challenges

BACKGROUND

Bioscience subjects are one of the most discussed nursing curricula contents in terms of the longed known teaching and learning challenges for nursing students. Recent studies examined the specific use of technology as teaching strategies. However, there are still significant gaps around nursing students' perception of biosciences within nursing education and the significance of teaching delivery methods to these perceptions.

OBJECTIVE

The study examined students' overall perception of biosciences within New Zealand undergraduate nursing programmes in terms of relevance to practice, teaching delivery, self-competence and challenges encountered.

METHOD

A descriptive, cross-sectional survey design on perceptions of New Zealand nursing students on biosciences was undertaken.

RESULTS

Five hundred and forty students were included. Fifty-five percent (55%) preferred biosciences papers be taught classroom - based but using a blended learning delivery instead of an exclusively traditional classroom setting (55% vs. 21%). Perception towards the biosciences was positive and the mean perception of older students and those in Year 3 was higher compared to the other students. Overall, students believed biosciences had relevance to the practice of nursing.

CONCLUSION

Positive perceptions of bioscience become more evident when nursing students reach their final year in the nursing programme. The contemporary profile (age) of students studying nursing are sensitive to their preferred teaching delivery. A fully online teaching approach to biosciences for nursing students will most likely require a robust approach and careful decision making for implementation.

Students' experiences of blended learning across a range of postgraduate programmes

The article describes the students' experiences of taking a blended learning postgraduate programme in a school of nursing and midwifery. The indications to date are that blended learning as a pedagogical tool has the potential to contribute and improve nursing and midwifery practice and enhance student learning. Little is reported about the students' experiences to date. Focus groups were conducted with students in the first year of introducing blended learning. The two main themes that were identified from the data were (1) the benefits of blended learning and (2) the challenges to blended learning. The blended learning experience was received positively by the students. A significant finding that was not reported in previous research was that the online component meant little time away from study for the students suggesting that it was more invasive on their everyday life. It is envisaged that the outcomes of the study will assist educators who are considering delivering programmes through blended learning. It should provide guidance for further developments and improvements in using Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and blended learning in nurse education.

Nurses' Internet self-efficacy and attitudes toward web-based continuing learning

OBJECTIVE

There are increasing opportunities for nurses to engage in continuing learning via the Internet; hence, it is important to explore nurses' attitudes toward web-based continuing learning.

METHOD

This paper explores 267 Taiwanese clinical nurses' attitudes toward web-based continuing learning. In addition, the role of the nurses' Internet self-efficacy in their attitudes is investigated. This study utilizes two questionnaires to respectively survey the nurses' Internet self-efficacy and their attitudes toward web-based continuing learning. In particular, the Internet Self-efficacy Survey includes two scales: 'Basic self-efficacy' (the perceived confidence of using basic Internet functions, such as the confidence in using a web browser or searching for online information) and 'Advanced self-efficacy' (the perceived confidence of using advanced Internet functions, such as the confidence in online discussion or making online payments).

RESULTS AND FINDINGS

Exploratory factor analyses indicated adequate reliability and validity of the two questionnaires. The regression analyses revealed that both nurses' basic and advanced Internet self-efficacy can positively explain the perceived usefulness, ease of use and friendly feeling when using web-based continuing learning environments, whereas nurses' advanced Internet self-efficacy was the only predictor to explain how they intend to use web-based continuing learning environments more.

Nursing students' perception of a Web-based intervention to support learning

Tailoring information to the needs of the learner is an important strategy in contemporary education settings. Web-based learning support, informed by multimedia theory, comprising interactive quizzes, glossaries with audio, short narrated Power Point(R) presentations, animations and digitised video clips were introduced in a first year Bachelor of Nursing biological sciences subject at a university in metropolitan Sydney. All students enrolled in this unit were invited to obtain access to the site and the number of hits to the site was recorded using the student tracking facility available on WebCT, an online course delivery tool adopted widely by many educational institutions and used in this study. Eighty-five percent of students enrolled in the subject accessed the learning support site. Students' perception of the value of a learning support site was assessed using a web-based survey. The survey was completed by 123 participants, representing a response rate of 22%. Three themes emerged from the qualitative data concerning nursing students' perception of the web-based activities: 'enhances my learning', 'study at my own pace', and 'about the activities: what I really liked/disliked'. Web-based interventions, supplementing a traditionally presented nursing science course were perceived by students to be beneficial in both learning and language development. Although students value interactive, multimedia learning they were not ready to completely abandon traditional modes of learning including face-to-face lectures. The findings of this study contribute to an understanding of how web-based resources can be best used to support students' learning in bioscience.

Strategies to teach family assessment and intervention through an online international curriculum

A Web-based certificate program for international health professionals to acquire understanding of family health and strategies to implement culturally sensitive health care of families is outlined. In four Web courses and a project, students progress interactively to apply culture, family, and interdisciplinary health system theories to assessments and clinical interventions with families in the interdisciplinary setting. Four online educational strategies to facilitate student success from the virtual classroom to actual clinical care are described: adjusting to the technology, communicating the learning progress openly, giving mutual feedback, and implementing evidence-based family care. Outcomes addressing student learning and skill enhancement, family interaction, and student and faculty experiences in the virtual learning environment are explored. Overall, students learned to work successfully with families in health care, experienced increasing comfort and competency in challenging situations, introduced family care in their work setting, and emerged as leaders while working in interdisciplinary teams.

Research and evidence based practice: using a blended approach to teaching and learning in undergraduate nurse education

AIM

The following paper provides insights into the challenges of teaching research and evidence based practice to undergraduate student nurses. It provides a critical discussion as to the factors driving the inclusion of this subject area in pre-registration nurse education curricula as well as the reported challenges in teaching research at this level. The authors of this paper offer their own approaches to overcoming such barriers and as such provide some innovative means by which student engagement and interest can be enhanced.

APPROACH

Work to date which looks at evaluating approaches to teaching and learning in the field of research and evidence based practice has offered a number of approaches, which address traditional problems relating to student attitudes toward the subject, knowledge and understanding and appreciating the application of evidence in practice. However, from theories of teaching and learning it is known that solutions to these problems are not straightforward and educationalists must develop content and delivery carefully to encompass the needs of what is often a heterogeneous group of learners.

CONCLUSIONS

The paper concludes that the application of a blended approach to teaching and learning may offer a solution to the reported problems to date.

Is nursing ready for WebQuests?

Based on an inquiry-oriented framework, WebQuests facilitate the construction of effective learning activities. Developed by Bernie Dodge and Tom March in 1995 at the San Diego State University, WebQuests have gained worldwide popularity among educators in the kindergarten through grade 12 educational sector. However, their application at the college and university levels is not well documented. WebQuests enhance and promote higher order-thinking skills, are consistent with Bloom's Taxonomy, and reflect a learner-centered instructional methodology (constructivism). They are based on solid theoretical foundations and promote critical thinking, inquiry, and problem solving. There is a role for WebQuests in nursing education. A WebQuest example is described in this article.

Educação a distância sobre cardioversão e desfibrilação para enfermeiros

Este estudo teve como objetivo desenvolver e avaliar um curso a distância, sobre Cardioversão e Desfibrilação para enfermeiros, utilizando o ambiente virtual de aprendizagem Teleduc. A metodologia de ensino escolhida para este curso foi a Aprendizagem Baseada em Casos, explorando a característica de aprendizagem colaborativa. Foram convidados 23 enfermeiros, sendo que 21 iniciaram o curso e 11 o concluíram. O curso foi avaliado por profissionais com experiência em Educação a Distância e Unidade de Terapia Intensiva, que consideraram o curso adequado, mas que, no geral, precisava de pequenas reformulações. Quanto à avaliação do curso pelos alunos, a grande maioria apresentou opinião favorável, com boa aceitação da metodologia utilizada e bom desempenho durante o curso.

Panorama brasileiro do ensino de Enfermagem On-line

O objetivo deste estudo foi identificar os cursos de Ensino Superior Nacional de EAD por área de concentração, região geográfica, nível de formação e os cursos de EAD no ensino superior de Enfermagem. O método adotado foi um estudo exploratório descritivo em que foi realizado um levantamento nos sites e portais governamentais e não-governamentais relacionados à educação nacional e EAD das Instituições de Ensino Superior (IES) que praticam EAD. Nos resultados foram identificados apenas dois cursos de pós-graduação lato sensu oferecidos especificamente em Enfermagem. Assim, há necessidade de maior investimento das IES de Enfermagem na criação e avaliação de cursos de EAD, bem como de infra-estrutura e de implementação de uma política de capacitação tecnológica.

Web-based instruction: getting faculty onboard

Although many colleges and universities have embraced distance education, a significant number still have not. Approximately 40% of faculty from these institutions have not accepted the value and legitimacy of online education [Allen, I. A., & Seaman, J. (2003). Sizing the opportunity: The quality and extent of online education in the United States, 2002, 2003. Needham, Mass: The Sloan Consortium]. One reason for this may be that faculty are not sufficiently informed about online learning and the role they might play in teaching in this environment. A number of salient issues are addressed: who our students are; what drives colleges and universities to offer distance education; which educational theory underpins distance education; how distance education fares in terms of quality as compared with face-to-face instruction; what the advantages and disadvantages of teaching online are; how teaching style is affected; and what types of support faculty need in providing instruction in this medium. Some recommendations are included for faculty who are considering teaching online. In this article, distance education refers to an asynchronous, web-based, and online format.

Preparing Child Care Health Consultants to Address Childhood Overweight: A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Web to In-Person Training

OBJECTIVES

Child care centers have recently become targets for overweight prevention efforts directed at young children. Child Care Health Consultants (CCHCs), who provide consultation to these centers, receive little training on the basic nutrition and physical activity principles important for the promotion of child healthy weight. Traditional approaches, such as in-person training, are limited in their ability to disseminate health information to a geographically diverse population of health professionals. The purpose of this study was to determine if web-based training is as effective as in-person training.

METHODS

A randomized controlled trial was conducted between August 2005 and June 2006 with 50 CCHCs. Web-based and in-person trained CCHCs were compared to each other and to controls. The main outcome of this study was performance on a test of nutrition knowledge related to childhood overweight measured by a 28-item multiple choice test administered pre- and post-training.

RESULTS

Results from the ANCOVA model suggest that web trained CCHCs performed similarly to in-person trained CCHCs on the knowledge test (P < .0001). Additionally, both training groups improved significantly compared to controls (P < .0001 for each group).

CONCLUSIONS

This study found no significant differences in post-training knowledge between in-person and web trained Child Care Health Consultants. Scores on the post-training knowledge test were within 0.5 points for the in-person and web trained groups. These results demonstrate that web-based instruction is as effective as in-person training on improving basic nutrition and physical activity knowledge for promoting healthy weight in preschool children.

Distance education in nursing: an integrated review of online nursing students' experiences with technology-delivered instruction

One proposed solution to educating more nurses to decrease and eventually eliminate the nursing shortage is distance education. But what are nursing students' experiences with distance education? Answering this question can assist in the development of effective teaching and learning strategies to provide for the development of quality distance education programs. This article provides an integrative review of the nursing literature to ascertain the student perspective of distance education. A review of nursing literature was completed using a number of databases and specific criteria to locate research studies specific to this topic. The studies were analyzed for validity and reliability, and limitations were mentioned. Student perceptions garnered from the research studies analyzed are summarized with the acronym DISTANCE ED. Implications, recommendations, and needs for future research are discussed. A supplementary review of the literature is used to augment the findings.

Distance Learning and Perioperative Nursing

Distance learning in nursing education is arriving with unprecedented speed, which has led to much uncertainty among educators. This article provides an overview of distance learning and its application to perioperative nursing. Lack of face-to-face interaction is of foremost concern in distance learning, and educators must develop new teaching strategies to address this problem. Models for assessing outcomes and effectiveness are important tools to use when implementing a distance learning program. Basic perioperative nursing concepts, skills, procedures, and recommended practices can be introduced effectively with online distance learning modalities and then reinforced through a clinical component.

Earning and learning: recruitment and retention in post registration nurse education

The [Dearing, R., 1997. The Report of the National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education. London, DFEE.] and the [Department of Health, 1998. A First Class Service: Quality in the New NHS. London, DOH.] have recommended widening access to Higher Education in the United Kingdom. Attention has recently focused on qualified nurse education. This has evolved as a result of the Government drive to expand the role of the nurse as a consequence of the shortage of doctors and the ambitious proposals set out in the NHS Plan [Department of Health, 2000. The NHS Plan: A Plan for Investment, A Plan for Reform. London, DOH.]. Subsequently whilst they are learning, many qualified nurses need to work in a demanding environment in addition to caring for their families. These combined activities often result in difficulty in sustaining their required learning experiences. This study explores how the positive aspects of University based learning may be combined with more flexible means of learning to improve recruitment and retention. A flexible modular programme may provide a solution to the problem of combining earning with learning. However, an effective staff and student support infrastructure must be established to ensure that flexible learning modes remain successful and viable alternatives to more traditional means of learning.

The development and evaluation of the use of a virtual learning environment (Blackboard 5) to support the learning of pre-qualifying nursing students undertaking a human anatomy and physiology module

Students commence nurse education with varying levels of understanding of human anatomy and physiology due to a wide range of previous exposure to the topic. All students, however, are required to attain a broad knowledge of this topic prior to qualification. This paper describes the use of a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), Blackboard 5, and the associated development of appropriate resources aimed at supporting nursing students undertaking a human anatomy and physiology module at Higher Education Level 1. The VLE was used as part of a blended learning approach. The results suggested that the majority of students utilised the VLE throughout the academic year. Opportunities for independent and self-directed learning were available in that students chose when and where to learn. Students generally commented favourably on ease of use and type of resources available. Frequency of use of the VLE, however, did not correlate strongly with the final examination mark achieved. Overall the VLE and the associated available resources appeared useful in supporting student learning and has been adopted for use in subsequent years.

Active Learning in Nursing Education (ALINE)

ALINE is a pedagogical model developed to aid nursing faculty transition from passive to active learning. Based on the constructionist theory, ALINE serves as a tool for organizing curriculum for online and classroom-based interaction and positioning the student as the active player and the instructor as the facilitator of nursing competency.

Strategies for Online Teaching and Learning

Distance learning and Web-based learning are accepted components of the American higher educational system. Strategies for teaching and learning in this medium require a different perspective on the teacher-student relationship and the educational process. The authors describe an innovative online learning endeavor focusing on a specialty practice area in contemporary healthcare: wound, ostomy, and continence nursing. Special emphasis is placed on the teaching-learning approaches that were successfully incorporated into the program.