Nursing Education in the Digital Age

Posted: April 13th, 2023

Nursing Education in the Digital Age: Adapting Curriculum and Teaching Methods for Online and Hybrid Learning Environments

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the traditional face-to-face teaching-learning activities in nursing education and forced many nursing schools to switch to online, distance, or hybrid learning modes. Online learning refers to the delivery of educational content through the internet, while hybrid learning combines online and in-person components. Online and hybrid learning can offer flexibility, convenience, and accessibility for nursing students who have to balance school, work, and family responsibilities. However, online and hybrid learning also pose challenges such as stress, dissatisfaction, lack of interaction, technical issues, and reduced academic performance. Therefore, nursing educators need to adapt their curriculum and teaching methods to meet the needs and expectations of online and hybrid learners and ensure the quality and effectiveness of nursing education in the digital age.

Online and Hybrid Learning in Nursing Education: Benefits and Challenges

Online and hybrid learning have been growing in popularity and acceptance in nursing education even before the pandemic. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), enrollment of master of science in nursing students in distance learning programs increased by 13.7% from 2015 to 2019 (Munday, 2022). Online and hybrid learning can provide several benefits for nursing students, such as:

– Flexibility: Online and hybrid learning allow students to choose when, where, and how they learn, according to their preferences and schedules. Students can access the course materials anytime and anywhere through the internet, which can reduce travel time and costs. Students can also pace their learning according to their abilities and progress.
– Convenience: Online and hybrid learning can accommodate students who have work or family commitments that prevent them from attending regular classes on campus. Students can balance their personal, professional, and academic responsibilities more easily with online and hybrid learning.
– Accessibility: Online and hybrid learning can increase the access and availability of nursing education for students who live in remote or rural areas, or who face barriers such as disability, transportation, or financial constraints. Online and hybrid learning can also expand the diversity and inclusivity of nursing education by reaching out to students from different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences.
– Innovation: Online and hybrid learning can leverage the potential of technology to enhance the teaching-learning processes in nursing education. Technology can facilitate communication, collaboration, feedback, assessment, simulation, gamification, multimedia, interactivity, personalization, and analytics in online and hybrid learning.

However, online and hybrid learning also present some challenges for nursing students, such as:

– Stress: Online and hybrid learning can cause stress for students who have to cope with the changes in the learning environment, expectations, and requirements. Students may feel overwhelmed by the amount of work, deadlines, assignments, exams, or projects in online
and hybrid courses. Students may also experience anxiety or frustration due to technical problems or lack of support.
– Dissatisfaction: Online and hybrid learning can affect the satisfaction of students who prefer face-to-face interaction with their instructors and peers. Students may feel isolated or disconnected from the learning community in online and hybrid courses. Students may also perceive online
and hybrid courses as less engaging, rigorous, or valuable than traditional courses.
– Interaction: Online and hybrid learning can reduce the opportunities for interaction among students and between students and instructors in nursing education. Interaction is essential for building rapport, trust, motivation, collaboration, feedback, socialization, and critical thinking in nursing education. Online
and hybrid courses may rely more on asynchronous communication methods such as email or discussion boards, which can limit the immediacy,
frequency, quality, or depth of interaction.
– Technical issues: Online and hybrid learning depend on technology for delivering educational content and facilitating teaching-learning activities. Technology can pose challenges for students who have limited access,
skills, or familiarity with technology. Technology can also malfunction or fail due to various reasons such as power outage,
internet connection,
software compatibility,
or hardware damage.
– Academic performance: Online
and hybrid learning can influence
the academic performance of students
in nursing education.
Academic performance
is determined by various factors such as cognitive abilities,
learning styles,
motivation,
self-regulation,
study habits,
and assessment methods.
Online
and hybrid courses may require different or higher levels of these factors than traditional courses.
For example,
online
and hybrid learners may need more self-discipline,
self-direction,
self-monitoring,
and self-evaluation
to manage their learning effectively.

Adapting Curriculum
and Teaching Methods
for Online
and Hybrid Learning Environments

To address
the benefits
and challenges
of online
and hybrid learning
in nursing education,
nursing educators need to adapt their curriculum
and teaching methods
to suit
the online
and hybrid learning environments.
Some of the strategies
that nursing educators can use are:

– Aligning the curriculum
with the standards
and competencies
of nursing education
and practice.
The curriculum
should reflect
the goals,
objectives,
outcomes,
and content
of nursing education
and practice,
as well as the expectations
and needs
of online
and hybrid learners.
The curriculum
should also be consistent,
coherent,
and integrated
across the online
and hybrid courses.
– Designing the courses
with the principles
of online
and hybrid learning
in mind.
The courses
should be structured,
organized,
and sequenced
in a clear,
logical,
and manageable way.
The courses
should also provide guidance,
direction,
and support
for online
and hybrid learners.
The courses
should also incorporate various elements such as syllabus,
learning outcomes,
learning activities,
learning resources,
assessment methods,
feedback mechanisms,
communication channels,
and evaluation criteria.
– Selecting the appropriate technology tools and platforms for delivering and facilitating online and hybrid learning. The technology tools and platforms should be reliable, accessible, user-friendly, and compatible with the online and hybrid learning objectives, content, and activities. The technology tools and platforms should also support communication, collaboration, interaction, feedback, assessment, simulation, multimedia, interactivity, personalization, and analytics in online and hybrid learning.
– Engaging the online and hybrid learners in active, meaningful, and relevant learning experiences. The learning experiences should be designed to stimulate the interest, curiosity, motivation, and participation of online and hybrid learners. The learning experiences should also be aligned with the learning outcomes, content, and assessment of the online and hybrid courses. The learning experiences should also provide opportunities for interaction, collaboration, reflection, application, synthesis, and evaluation of the online and hybrid learning.
– Providing timely, constructive, and individualized feedback and support for online and hybrid learners. Feedback and support are essential for enhancing the learning process and outcomes of online and hybrid learners. Feedback and support should be provided regularly, frequently, consistently, and promptly to online and hybrid learners. Feedback and support should also be specific, clear, actionable, and encouraging to online and hybrid learners. Feedback and support should also address the academic, technical, emotional, and social needs of online and hybrid learners.

Conclusion

Online and hybrid learning are becoming more prevalent and prominent in nursing education in the digital age. Online and hybrid learning can offer many advantages for nursing students who seek flexibility, convenience, accessibility, and innovation in their education. However, online and hybrid learning can also pose many challenges for nursing students who face stress, dissatisfaction, lack of interaction, technical issues, and reduced academic performance in their education. Therefore, nursing educators need to adapt their curriculum and teaching methods to accommodate the needs and expectations of online and hybrid learners and ensure the quality and effectiveness of nursing education in the digital age.

References

Munday R (2022) Post-Pandemic Expansion of Distance Education in Nursing. NurseJournal.org accessed 9 November 2023

Oducado RMF & Estoque HV (2021) Online Learning in Nursing Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Stress Satisfaction & Academic Performance (2021) 4 Journal of Nursing Practice 1

Goodwin University (n.d.) Hybrid Nursing Program accessed 9 November 2023

HC.edu (n.d.) Benefits of Hybrid Nursing Programs accessed 9 November 2023