Considering theory in assessing quality of web-based courses

Student outcomes of distance learning in nursing education: an integrative review

Distance learning offers a distinctive environment to educate nursing students. While there is a significant body of evidence in the literature related to course, program, and faculty outcomes of distance education, little attention has been given by researchers to evaluate student outcomes, with the exception of student satisfaction. There is a need to evaluate and translate findings related to student outcomes in distance learning into educational practice. Integrative reviews offer one strategy to contribute to evidence-based teaching practice initiatives. A search of available published qualitative and quantitative research on student outcomes of distance learning from 1999 to 2009 was conducted using a number of databases. Astin's Input-Environment-Output conceptual model provided a framework for this review. Thirty-three studies met the inclusion criteria. Bothcognitive and affective student outcomes emerged. The cognitive outcomes were student learning, learning process, and technology proficiency. Affective outcomes included personal and professional growth, satisfaction, and connectedness. Implications, recommendations, and future research are discussed.

From All Perspectives: Opinions of Students and Teaching Staff regarding Occupational Therapy Distance Education

Introduction:

A Canadian university's entry-to-practice occupational therapy programme offered all six academic courses in the first autumn semester using online technologies.

Method:

This formative study explored the perspectives of the instructors (n = 6) and students (n = 4) who chose this education format for their online teaching and learning. Students and instructors participated in interviews and focus groups.

Findings:

Emerging themes from analysis were issues and recommendations related to course delivery, communication and support, courses particularly suited to distance delivery, and technical assistance.

Conclusion:

This study is unique in presenting the insights of multiple education stakeholders who participated in a whole semester of online rehabilitation courses.

Re-thinking pain educational strategies: Pain a new model using e-learning and PBL

Despite some high profile reorganisation including the introduction of acute pain teams, many patients still experience unnecessary pain. Traditional teaching and learning strategies seem to have made little impact in clinical practice. This paper explores the possible reasons for this and identifies the need to help postregistration students transfer (re-contextualise) what they are learning to practice. A new, more flexible pain management module utilising a blended face to face/e-learning approach within a problem-based learning philosophy was introduced to increase knowledge in pain management whilst also attempting to overcome the barriers to knowledge transfer into practice. This is done by challenging attitudes and encouraging students to explore their clinical practice alongside theoretical concepts.

Planning a graduate programme in public health nutrition for experienced nutrition professionals

Objective

Public health renewal in Canada has highlighted the need for development and expansion of the public health nutrition workforce, particularly in northern and rural communities. The purpose of the present paper is to describe the planning of a more accessible graduate programme for experienced nutrition professionals. The planning effort was challenged by a short timeframe between programme approval and implementation and required intense collaboration with stakeholders and students.

Design

The programme planning model developed by The Health Communication Unit (THCU) at the Centre for Health Promotion was used to guide the process. This six-step model was familiar to key stakeholders and involved pre-planning, conducting a situational assessment, establishing goals and objectives, developing strategies and outcome indicators, and monitoring feedback.

Results

Resource constraints, short timelines and debates around distance education options presented challenges that were overcome by conducting a thorough needs assessment, creating an advisory committee, engaging key stakeholders in the planning process, and building on existing resources. Extensive involvement of the first cohort of students in ongoing planning and evaluation was particularly helpful in informing the evolution of the programme.

Conclusions

The THCU planning model provided a useful framework for stakeholder collaboration and for planning and implementing the new graduate programme in public health nutrition. Preliminary data suggest that graduates are benefiting from their educational experiences through career enhancement opportunities. The evaluation strategies built into the programme design will be useful in informing ongoing programme development.

Constructivism in cultural competence education

A graduate course on cultural diversity, based in constructivist theory and structured on the Process of Cultural Competence in the Delivery of Healthcare Services model, was developed and taught through classroom and online methods. The following research questions were explored: 1) Can an educational experience, built on constructivist learning theory tenets, change students' perceptions, attitudes, knowledge, and skills in the area of cultural competence? 2) Does the delivery method, online or traditional classroom, influence the degree of change? The study used a quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest control group design using the Inventory for Assessing the Process of Cultural Competence Among healthcare Professionals Revised. Findings showed significant changes (p<0.001) in cultural competence scores and subscores for all learners with both teaching modalities based on interval scale and in categories of cultural knowledge, skills, desire, and overall competence based on a nominal scale. The untaught construct of cultural desire showed the most significant improvement.

Electronic learning and constructivism: a model for nursing education

Nurse educators are challenged to teach nursing students to become competent professionals, who have both in-depth knowledge and decision-making skills. The use of electronic learning methods has been found to facilitate the teaching-learning process in nursing education. Although learning theories are acknowledged as useful guides to design strategies and activities of learning, integration of these theories into technology-based courses appears limited. Constructivism is a theoretical paradigm that could prove to be effective in guiding the design of electronic learning experiences for the purpose of providing positive outcomes, such as the acquisition of knowledge and decision-making skills. Therefore, the purposes of this paper are to: describe electronic learning, present a brief overview of what is known about the outcomes of electronic learning, discuss constructivism theory, present a model for electronic learning using constructivism, and describe educators' roles emphasizing the utilization of the model in developing electronic learning experiences in nursing education.

Transitioning a master's of nursing course from campus to on-line delivery: Lessons learned

Distance education continues to expand in nursing programs to service students in urban as well as rural areas in Canada. This article discusses the author's experience with transitioning a master's course in nursing from a traditional seminar format with 7-8 students to one that included distance students joining the classroom in real-time. The course, 'Nursing in Tertiary Health Care' which covers the fall and winter semesters addresses issues and concepts associated with advanced practice nursing for clients of all ages in tertiary care settings. The associated practicum selected by the student with the assistance of the faculty member provides an opportunity to examine the five domains of the Clinical Nurse Specialist role (consultation, education, research, leadership and practice) as one example of advanced practice nursing. The author has taught this course for 12 years in a traditional seminar format. During 2006-2007, a synchronous on-line version of this course was also offered whereby distance students joined the classroom at the same time as the other students in house at the university. This was done using personal computers from home or office, and a bridging program called 'Bridgit'. Lessons learned in making this transition will be discussed.

Applying Constructivism to Nursing Education in Cultural Competence: A Course That Bears Repeating

A graduate course on culture, diversity, and cultural competence was developed based on constructivist learning theory and Campinha-Bacote's constructs of cultural awareness, knowledge, skill, and encounters. The epistemology, structure, assignments, and activities used in both online and classroom courses were highly effective and well received by the students. Student course evaluations and outcome assessments of students' cultural competence levels, as compared to precourse levels, provided supportive evidence that the course design produced intended outcomes. Course resources are shared, making them available for use by others in cultural competence education.

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.

Evaluating a Web-enhanced bachelor of nursing curriculum: perspectives of third-year students

Little is known about nursing students' information literacy skills and perceptions of Web-enhanced educational approaches. This study examined graduating Bachelor of Nursing (BN) students' perceptions of a Web-enhanced learning environment, their computer literacy skills, and use of technology, and how these influenced their satisfaction. This Australian survey produced a 64% (n = 170) response rate. The 3-year BN program provides Web-enhanced learning opportunities by incorporating online activities and content such as quizzes, videos, and virtual laboratories that augment on-campus and off-campus learning approaches. Upon graduation, 61.4% of the students reported having competent information literacy skills. The quality and usefulness of the Web-enhanced material was rated fair to above average. The students' perception of technical and faculty support for Web-enhanced learning was low. Overall satisfaction with the Web-enhanced program was associated with level of information technology (IT) skills and perceived quality and usefulness of the Internet material. A regression analysis of factors contributing to students' overall satisfaction of a Web-enhanced learning environment (IT literacy skills, access, and perceived quality, usefulness, and support) accounted for 18.5% of variance. As more nursing programs use Web-based resources, greater attention should be given to the initial assessment and development of students' information literacy skills. Students with good IT skills are more likely to perceive Web-enhanced material as useful.

Design and evaluation of an online teaching strategy in an undergraduate psychiatric nursing course

Psychiatric nurse educators are challenged to prepare graduates in meeting the needs of individuals with a mental illness within an increasingly technology-based environment. This requires the development and evaluation of educational strategies that immerse students in web-based learning. This article presents an overview of a hybrid teaching design that includes classroom teaching and asynchronous threaded discussion in a teaching module in an undergraduate psychiatric nursing course. Evaluation of student preferences, advantages and disadvantages, and learning, as well as qualitative evaluation of students' description of critical thinking, supports the value of online teaching in psychiatric nursing education.

The seven principles of effective teaching: a framework for designing, delivering, and evaluating an internet-based assessment course for nurse educators

The quality of online course offerings is heavily dependent on research-based pedagogy such as that proposed by Chickering and Gamson's 7 principles of effective teaching. The author describes how WebCT was used to support the 7-principles framework for an online assessment course for nurse educators. Results from the students' evaluation of online teaching effectiveness and students' comments regarding course quality are reported.

A Model for Faculty Teaching Online: Confirmation of a Dimensional Matrix

As distance education options continue to become available for nursing programs, market competition increases. Nursing faculty are challenged to design online courses based on best practices, and teaching online has implications for faculty role changes. This article presents a Model for Faculty Teaching Online based on faculty wisdom and expertise that evolved inductively from an exploratory study with 18 faculty teaching online. A matrix was developed to explain the dimensions of faculty teaching online. Dimensions of the matrix were confirmed through a follow-up survey to determine their relevance. A national validation study with feedback from 68 faculty teaching online confirmed the major dimensions of the matrix, including antecedent conditions, context, strategies, and outcomes. Implications for educators and for future research are provided.

Integration of Internet-based learning and traditional face-to-face learning in an RN-BSN course in Korea

This article describes the development of and student satisfaction with a distance learning course using both online and face-to-face methods in an RN-BSN program in Korea. Four steps were used for course development: (1) assessment of students' learning needs and determination of objectives of the course, (2) designing of module/assignment instructions, (3) development of the Internet-based learning platform, and (4) evaluation of course and Internet-based learning platform. Student satisfaction was evaluated by using a 4-point Likert-type questionnaire. Forty-eight (92.3%) questionnaires were returned. Overall satisfaction with this course was high (X = 3.29). Appropriateness of learning methods (X = 3.35) was rated the most satisfactory, followed by appropriateness of content (X = 3.31). Most of the students enjoyed the course and they wanted more nursing courses to be offered through the online and on-site format. On the basis of the findings, additional courses using both online and face-to-face methods for RN-BSN students should be developed and implemented for RN-BSN nursing programs in Korea.

This new house: Building knowledge through online learning

The purpose of this study was to understand from baccalaureate-degree nursing students the experience of virtual learning in nursing and to understand how online education enhanced and detracted from learning. Three in-depth, focus-group interviews were conducted with a total of 27 baccalaureate nursing students. Hermeneutic phenomenology was employed to analyze the narrative data. Seven themes were identified from the data. The first theme was "making the framework": (1) providing flexibility; (2) enabling students through observing, guiding, and modeling; (3) faculty as facilitators; and (4) questioning as method. The second theme was "building incredible dialogue": (1) having great discussions, (2) sharing ideas/knowledge, and (3) not being inhibited. The third theme was "critical thinking--the 3-D effect": (1) sitting with the words, (2) using references/research, (3) seeing a variety of perspectives, (4) critiquing self and others, and (5) using selective language. The fourth theme was "personal and professional growth": (1) being connected, (2) feeling valued and respected, and (3) having intimate relationships. The fifth theme, representing the outcomes for online courses, was "more comprehensive learning": (1) deeper understanding and (2) better retention of knowledge. The sixth theme was "being overwhelmed", and the seventh theme was "being frustrated". As a result of this study, an understanding of the phenomenon of online learning was developed. The findings provide direction for future development of the pedagogy of distance learning.

Web-based teaching in nursing: lessons from the literature

Many in nurse education have partially adopted the Internet as a pedagogical approach. This has highlighted serious contentious issues for educators. These include, pedagogical vs. technological approaches to teaching, face-to-face vs. online communication and classroom vs. online teaching. This paper attempts to reassure educators about this new Internet-based pedagogy, by applying traditional educational theories and discussions on curriculum to web-based teaching. In particular, cognitive learning theories such as constructivism and the process model of curriculum development are discussed. These provide a solid theoretical framework from which to expand the Internet-based pedagogical approach among those whose interest is the promotion of learning. The paper concludes with the implications of web-based teaching for the personal and professional development of nurse educators.

Challenges of Web-Based Education in Educating Nurses About Evidence-Based Acute Pain Management Practices for Older Adults

Internet technology holds potential as a valuable educational tool, but several challenges continue to impede its use. This article describes the use of a web-based course to educate staff nurses regarding evidence-based acute pain management practices for older adults. Specific areas highlighted include: the steps involved in creating the web-based course; the materials and support required to disseminate the course; the challenges encountered in promoting use of the course; and responses to and evaluations of the course. The authors' experiences provide knowledge to assist other healthcare professionals on the use of a web-based course to educate staff nurses.

Student Experiences in Web-based Nursing Courses: Benchmarking Best Practices

The purpose of this study, part of a larger benchmarking study, is to seek to confirm benchmarks for best practices for teaching and learning in web-based courses. Six hundred thirty-one responses to two open-ended questions from a survey of nursing students in undergraduate and graduate nursing programs at five participating schools were analyzed to understand the student experience and confirm the predetermined benchmarks. Using qualitative description, responses were analyzed using content analysis procedures. Students provided rich descriptions of the study benchmarks such as use of technology, active learning, feedback, respect for diversity, interaction with faculty and peers, convenience, access, professionalism, preference for face-to-face interaction, connectedness, and orientation to technology use. The students also identified additional student support variables such as the need for information about the course, orientation to using technology, and the importance of learning resources that should be considered as additional benchmarks for best practices in web-based courses.

Overcoming barriers in international keypal exchange programs: an exemplar between Japanese and American nursing students

Electronic mail (e-mail) exchange programs among students of different cultures are an efficient and economical way to enhance understanding of cultural diversity and global awareness. However, a program that meets the objectives of all participating institutions depends upon careful planning, communication, and collaboration among faculty throughout all project phases. The authors describe strategies used in overcoming barriers to planning, implementing, and evaluating a successful e-mail exchange program between baccalaureate Japanese and American nursing students.