Yvette Rolle
University of St. Thomas Carol and Odis Peavy School of Nursing, USA
Title: The effectiveness of blended learning in an undergraduate nursing research course
Biography
Biography: Yvette Rolle
Abstract
The digital age has had a significant impact on nursing education delivery models. Nurse educators have identified the need to revolutionize nursing education for active engagement for the digitally savvy generation of nursing students. Blended learning integrates multiple interactive teaching modalities with multimedia methods outside the classroom and face-to-face interaction inside the classroom. An evaluation was done to explore the effectiveness of the use of blended learning strategies to facilitate course delivery for an undergraduate course in nursing research. The blended learning strategies utilized were in class and online activities. Students were engaged utilizing role play, presentations, online and classroom discussions, internet searches, and case studies. Course objectives, outcomes, exams, and learning activities were closely aligned. The effectiveness of the course was evaluated by outcomes related to students’ surveys scores and course grades. The expectation was that 50% of the 37 students enrolled in the course would complete the student surveys. Sixty-two percent of the students completed the surveys. Another expectation was that 90% of the students enrolled in the course would successfully complete the course. The lowest grade was 83% and 100% of the students successfully completed the course. The last outcome focused on favorable students comment with a mean of 3.0 or more by students on a scale of 1-5 with one being the least favorable and 5 the most favorable. The students completed survey mean scores ranged from 3.0 to 4.0. Those findings demonstrated that blended learning was effective for this group of nursing students.