Programmed instruction revisited: a solution to infection control inservice education

Recent standards established by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regarding protection against occupational exposure to hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) presents a challenge to staff development and inservice educators to provide the necessary education and training in light of the 24-hour operation of a hospital, the nursing shortage, and the use of part-time personnel. In order to provide initial and periodic infection control programs for nursing personnel, a self-managed module in the form of a programmed unit of instruction (PUI) was developed and tested to determine its effectiveness and efficiency for teaching the basic principles of infection control to inservice nurses. Results of the study indicated that nurses who took a PUI in the basic principles of infection control scored higher on posttests than those who attended a lecture, regardless of their pretest scores, educational level, and experience (p less than .0001).     

Improvement of nursing students' critical thinking skills through problem-based learning in the People's Republic of China: a quasi-experimental study

Abstract A quasi-experimental, two-group pretest–post-test design was conducted to examine the effect of problem-based learning on the critical thinking skills of 46 Year 2 undergraduate nursing students in the People's Republic of China. The California Critical Thinking Skills Test Form A, Chinese-Taiwanese version was used as both a pretest and as a post-test for a semester-long nursing course. There was no significant difference in critical thinking skills at pretest, whereas, significant differences in critical thinking skills existed between the problem-based learning and lecture groups at post-test. The problem-based learning students had a significantly greater improvement on the overall California Critical Thinking Skills Test, analysis, and induction subscale scores compared with the lecture students. Problem-based learning fostered nursing students' critical thinking skills.     

The effect of teaching method on objective test scores: problem-based learning versus lecture

This study investigated the effect of teaching method on objective test scores of students in a school of nursing. The hypothesis stated there was a difference between objective test scores of students who were taught content on diabetes using problem-based learning (PBL) and students taught the same content using the traditional lecture method. Junior nursing students enrolled in the Adult Health I nursing course in the fall of 2001 were taught the diabetes content using lecture as the teaching method, while students enrolled in the same course in the spring of 2002 were taught the same content using PBL. A pretest and posttest were administered to both groups of students. Both the pretest and posttest scores of the two groups were compared using an independent t test, and no statistically significant difference was found in the scores of the two groups. The results of this study support the null hypothesis: that there is no difference in objective test scores based on teaching method (lecture versus PBL).     

Cooperative learning and case study: does the combination improve students' perception of problem-solving and decision making skills?

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of cooperative learning techniques combined with case study on nursing students' self-perception of problem-solving and decision making skills in comparison with other teaching-learning methods. A quasi-experimental pre-test to post-test static group comparison design was used to determine the influence of the different teaching methodologies. Three associate degree colleges provided a convenience sample of nursing students (N=123). An experimental group (n=31) was taught through cooperative learning and case study. One comparison group, was taught through lecture and large group case study (n=46) and another comparison group was taught through lecture only (n=24). A third comparison group taught through lecture and occasional use of non-cooperative learning groups using continuing case study (n=22) was used as a post-test only control group. No two groups were significantly different at the 0.5 level. The results, however, showed that the experimental group obtained scores indicating somewhat better self-perception of both problem-solving and decision making skills.     

Changes in nursing students'' knowledge about and attitudes toward research following an undergraduate research course

This study examined changes in baccalaureate nursing students' attitudes toward and knowledge about research, following completion of a research course. The teaching methods used in the course included having students critique research articles, complete objective examinations, and work in small groups to develop research proposals. The sample of 54 students completed a pretest and two post-tests measuring research knowledge, and a pretest and one post-test measuring research attitudes. The pretest was administered at the beginning of the research course, and the first post-test was administered at the end of the course. The second post-test was administered during the students' last semester in the nursing programme. Students reported more positive attitudes toward research at the end of the programme than at the beginning of the course. Knowledge scores were significantly higher at the end of the course than at the beginning of the course or at the end of the programme. There was no differences in knowledge scores on the pretest and on the second post-test. The findings raise questions about the effectiveness of traditional research curricula in preparing baccalaureate nursing students to be competent research consumers.     

Teaching methodologies: knowledge acquisition and retention

In studying the curriculum of a nursing program, knowledge acquisition and retention by nursing students is a primary concern of nursing instructors. The purpose of this study was to determine if a lecture which stimulated several senses would significantly increase knowledge acquisition and retention compared to lectures that stimulate only the auditory sense. Forty-three, junior year, diploma nursing students who had essentially the same clinical experience were the subjects randomly assigned to either Group A or B for this study. Group A (control group) attended a formal lecture on "Spinal Cord Injuries" which stimulated only the auditory sense. Group B (experimental group) attended a lecture on the same subject which stimulated the auditory, visual, and tactile senses. A pretest was given to evaluate the knowledge base prior to the lecture, a posttest was given immediately after the lecture to evaluate initial knowledge acquisition, and a retention test was given three weeks later to evaluate amount of knowledge retained. Students attending the multimodal lecture demonstrated a significantly higher retention test score at the .05 level although they did not demonstrate a significantly higher gain score from pretest to posttest.     

The effectiveness of computer-assisted instruction in teaching nursing students about congenital heart disease

This study compared the effectiveness of three instructional intervention strategies for teaching nursing students about congenital heart disease (CHD). They are: (1) computer-assisted instruction (CAI), (2) traditional class room lecture (TCL); and (3) the combination of CAI and TCL. The subjects were associate degree nursing (ADN) students enrolled in a pediatric nursing course at the University of Cincinnati Raymond Walters College. Differences between pre- and post-scores on a 20-item multiple choice test were analyzed by analysis of variance. There was a significant improvement in scores for all groups but no significant difference in improvement in scores between the CAI group and the TCL group. The CAI/TCL group showed significant improvement in scores compared with the other two groups. The researcher concluded that when teaching strategies are comparable, CAI is as effective as TCL. Used together, a significant improvement is seen in student performance than when either strategy is used alone.     

Effect of a career decision-making course on the career planning of nursing students

This study assessed whether participation in a structured career decision-making course would enhance the career planning of 42 final semester associate degree nursing students. Levels of career planning were measured by the Career Planning Scale (CPS) (Super, Thompson, Lindman, Jordaan, & Myers, 1982), and the Nursing Career Development Inventory (NCDI) (Savickas, 1984). Subjects were randomly assigned to either an experimental or control group. The experimental group received a four-week career decision-making course, which included self-assessment of values, interests, and skills, and information on occupational opportunities in nursing. An ANOVA on the change scores from pretest to post-test revealed significance between the groups on the CPS (p = .002), and on the NCDI (p less than .00001). The experimental group progressed much more in career planning. All subjects were found to have lower levels of career planning than the average college student at pretest. Intercorrelational data and multiple regression analyses indicated that individuals who had worked in a nursing-related field had higher levels of career planning. Overall, the course emerged as being effective in enhancing the career planning of nursing students.     

A comparison of teaching strategies: lecture notes combined with structured group discussion versus lecture only

In this study, we compared two teaching strategies: lecture notes combined with structured group discussion versus lecture only. We sought to help nurse educators identify the most effective teaching strategies for nursing students. We compared the examination scores of two groups of students who took a 3-credit medical-surgical nursing course. The control group (N = 88) received lecture only as the teaching method, whereas the experimental group (N = 81) received word-processed lecture notes along with structured group discussion. A one-tailed, independent sample t test was used to compare the mean examination scores of the two groups. The chi-square test was used to determine whether a significant difference existed between the course-passing rates of the two groups. The results showed a statistically significant difference between the means of the experimental and control groups. However, no statistically significant difference existed between the course-passing rate of students in the experimental group and that of students in the control group. These results provide strong support for the use of lecture notes in conjunction with structured group discussion as a teaching strategy. We recommend replicating this study using samples from other courses, and conducting further studies that include students' NCLEX-RN results as a third dependent variable.     

The effects of interactive video on cognitive achievement and attitude toward learning.

The purpose of this experimentally designed study was to determine the effects of an interactive videodisc program, entitled "Diabetic Health Assessment," versus traditional lecture on cognitive learning and affective behaviors of baccalaureate nursing students. It was hypothesized that: 1) there would be no significant difference in the cognitive achievement scores between those students taught by an interactive videodisc program (experimental group) compared to those students taught by a traditional lecture method (control group), and 2) there would be a statistically significant difference in student attitude toward learning between those students taught by an interactive videodisc program compared to students taught by a traditional lecture method. Eighty-three third-year baccalaureate nursing students at a major urban university served as subjects and were randomly assigned to either a control (n = 41) or an experimental group (n = 42). The multivariate analysis of covariance with two criteria and the pretest as the covariate was significant (p = .000, df = 4, 140) indicating that the adjusted posttest scores on the two measures were significantly different for the experimental group compared to the control group. The univariate F for the cognitive measure was nonsignificant (p = .283, df = 2, 72) indicating that students' achievement under interactive video is not significantly different than under traditional lecture. The univariate F for the affective measure was significant (p = .000, df = 2, 72) indicating that the students learning by interactive video possessed a more positive attitude toward learning than those learning by traditional lecture method of instruction.     

The effects of computer-assisted instruction on the self-efficacy of baccalaureate nursing students.

As computer-assisted instruction (CAI) use has increased during the past few years, nurse educators have expressed concern regarding its effectiveness. The purpose of this quasiexperimental study was to determine if completion of a computerized simulation about a surgical patient increased baccalaureate nursing students' self-efficacy about caring for surgical patients in the clinical environment. Such an association is desirable because increased levels of self-efficacy have been associated with increased motivation, goal-setting, and achievement. A nonprobability, convenience sample (N = 23) of second-year baccalaureate nursing students was assigned randomly to experimental and control groups. The self-efficacy of the experimental group was measured three times: on an initial pretest; following the intervention of a computer simulation; and after an 8-week clinical rotation. The self-efficacy of the control group was measured on an initial pretest and after the 8-week rotation. Higher preclinical self-efficacy scores (p<.01) of the experimental group support the use of CAI as an important aspect of clinical education. Implications for nursing education, practice, and research are addressed. Computer-assisted instruction (CAI) has been available for several decades; however, its use in nursing education has escalated during the past few years. This intensified interest is the result of a decrease in the cost of computer hardware and an increase in the availability of relevant educational software (Wright, 1995). Cutbacks to educational funding, along with the rising costs of clinical teaching, have motivated studies of this method of nursing education. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine if completion of a supplemental computerized simulation about a surgical patient increased baccalaureate nursing students' self-efficacy about caring for surgical patients in the clinical area. The exploration of a link between CAI and self-efficacy focused on the processes of learning, thereby extending the literature.     

The effect of peer support approach on communication skills of nursing students in pediatric clinical setting

Peer support is a valuable teaching-learning approach to enhance deep learning in the clinical environment. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of peer support on the communication skills of undergraduate nursing students when interacting with hospitalized children and their parents. This was a pre-and post-test quasi-experimental study with two groups. Through the cluster random sampling method, six practical groups of students who undertook a 3-week pediatric practicum were selected. Three groups were allocated to the experimental (n = 51) and control groups (n = 52). Two volunteer post-graduate students in pediatric nursing formed the peer group. First, the peers participated in three 45-min sessions using different scenarios about communication skills. They then tutored the intervention group to improve their communication skills. The communication skills with 5 children and 5 parents were observed for each undergraduate student via the checklist. The experimental group demonstrated significantly higher mean scores of the communication skills than the control groups in post-test (P < 0.001). Moreover, the mean scores of communication skills was significantly higher in post-test than pre-test in both the experimental and control groups (p < 0.001). Peer support approach promoted the communication skills of undergraduate nursing students in pediatric clinical setting.     

Effect of a CVIS instructional program regarding therapeutic communication on student learning and anxiety

This quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest design study explored the effect of a computer video-interactive system (CVIS) instructional program regarding therapeutic communication on senior baccalaureate nursing students' learning and anxiety as they anticipated interaction with patients in psychiatric settings. The 75 subjects were randomly divided into two groups. Group I received a basic lecture and a supplementary CVIS instructional program on therapeutic communication, while Group II received the same lecture discussion on therapeutic communication and a videotape. Two hypotheses were tested, using analyses of covariance. Hypothesis I, that Group I would score significantly higher on a therapeutic communication posttest than would Group II, was supported (P less than .001). This finding validates previous observations that computer-video interaction programs do enhance learners' application of knowledge. Hypothesis II, that Group I would evidence significantly less state anxiety at posttest than would Group II, was not supported. Although there were no significant differences for state anxiety scores between the groups at either pretest or posttest, these scores remained higher than reported normative state anxiety scores. This finding suggests that anticipated interaction with psychiatric patients is an anxiety-inducing situation for nursing students.     

Effects of video-recorded role-play and guided reflection on nursing student empathy,caring behavior and competence: A two-group pretest-posttest study

AimThe study examined the differences in nursing student empathy, caring behavior and competence between the experimental and control groups before and after educational intervention and to predict the factors affecting their core competencies.BackgroundEducating nursing students in empathy and caring behaviors before entering clinical practice is challenging.DesignWe used a two-group pretest and post-test quasi-experimental design.MethodsFirst-year nursing students from medical schools in Taiwan participated in our study. Data were collected between March and May 2022. The learning method used with the intervention group was role-playing with videos and guided reflection. The control group was exposed to traditional curriculum. Empathy, caring behavior and competence were measured using the Jefferson Scale of Empathy- Healthcare Providers, the Caring Behaviors Scale and the Nursing Student Competence Scale.ResultA total of 72 participants (40 in the experimental group and 32 in the control group) were included in the final statistical analysis. The response rate was 92%. Statistically significant differences in nursing student empathy, caring behavior and competence were observed between the experimental and control groups (p < .05). The η² effect levels were 0.083, 0.223 and 0.270. Higher caring behavior scores were significantly associated with higher nursing student competence scores (β = 0.81, 95% CI:0.66–0.97).ConclusionsEducation based on video role-play and guided reflection improved empathy, caring behavior and nursing competence in first-year nursing students.     

Effects of case‐based learning on communication skills,problem‐solving ability,and learning motivation in nursing students

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of case‐based learning on communication skills, problem‐solving ability, and learning motivation in sophomore nursing students. In this prospective, quasi‐experimental study, we compared the pretest and post‐test scores of an experimental group and a nonequivalent, nonsynchronized control group. Both groups were selected using convenience sampling, and consisted of students enrolled in a health communication course in the fall semesters of 2011 (control group) and 2012 (experimental group) at a nursing college in Suwon, South Korea. The two courses covered the same material, but in 2011 the course was lecture‐based, while in 2012, lectures were replaced by case‐based learning comprising five authentic cases of patient–nurse communication. At post‐test, the case‐based learning group showed significantly greater communication skills, problem‐solving ability, and learning motivation than the lecture‐based learning group. This finding suggests that case‐based learning is an effective learning and teaching method.     

Effects of concept map teaching on students' critical thinking and approach to learning and studying

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of concept mapping in developing critical thinking ability and approach to learning and studying. A quasi-experimental study design with a purposive sample was drawn from a group of nursing students enrolled in a medical-surgical nursing course in central Taiwan. Students in the experimental group were taught to use concept mapping in their learning. Students in the control group were taught by means of traditional lectures. After the intervention, the experimental group had better overall critical thinking scores than did the control group, although the difference was not statistically significant. After controlling for the effects of age and the pretest score on critical thinking using analysis of covariance, the experimental group had significantly higher adjusted mean scores on inference and overall critical thinking compared with the control group. Concept mapping is an effective tool for improving students' ability to think critically.     

Faculty and student experiences with Web-based discussion groups in a large lecture setting

The exchange of ideas in a discussion format is a more effective way of developing critical thinking in students than a traditional lecture format. Although research has shown that discussion groups are more effective for developing skills in application, analysis, and synthesis of content, it is difficult to implement in a large lecture setting. The author discusses how computer discussion groups were incorporated into a class of 117 nursing students.     

Computer-managed instruction: an alternative teaching strategy

Computer-managed instruction is an instructional strategy whereby the computer is used to provide learning objectives, learning resources, and assessment of learner performance. Computer-managed instruction (CMI) aids the instructor in instructional management without actually doing the teaching. Central CMI themes discussed in the literature are individualization, behavioral objectives, and educational technology. The main objective of this study was to compare the outcomes of two teaching strategies: CMI versus the traditional lecture method. The learning objectives were based on specified theoretical content from a Health Assessment course for baccalaureate nursing students. The design of the study was quasi-experimental incorporating two experimental treatments applied to two groups on two occasions. Data analysis addresses differences between groups using CMI and the traditional lecture method. The variables examined were the cognitive performance of learners, the learner's attitude toward the instructional strategy, the learner's retention of knowledge, the time involved in mastering the learning objectives, and the relationship between learner characteristics and the effectiveness of the instructional strategy. No significant mean difference (p less than 0.05) was found between groups on cognitive performance as measured by written and practical examination scores. For these first-year baccalaureate nursing students, CMI did not prove to be a positive instructional method as assessed by the Attitude Questionnaire. The majority of students preferred a combination of instructional methods. There was no significant difference between groups in the time spent meeting the learning objectives by either teaching strategy. The findings suggested that these students preferred learning strategies that are traditional in nature and teacher directed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Comparison of methods of teaching children proper lifting techniques

This study was designed to determine the effects of two teaching methods on children's ability to demonstrate and recall their mastery of proper lifting techniques. Seventy-six third and fifth grade public school children were divided by grade into three groups. Two of the groups (experimental) were taught the correct method for lifting a heavy object, either by lecture demonstration or guided discovery teaching format; one group (control) was not taught. The students' knowledge was measured pretest, one-week posttest, and eight-week posttest with a written and practical test. The students in the experimental groups in both grades significantly (p less than or equal to .001) increased their scores on the written portion of the test over those of the control groups on the one-week posttest. No group, however, showed significant gains on the practical portion. No differences were found between teaching methods. Results of this study stress the importance of evaluating verbally learned motor skills in a practical application format in school settings and in clinical patient education.     

A comparison of student outcomes following problem-based learning instruction versus traditional lecture learning in a graduate pharmacology course

PURPOSE: To determine if there would be a difference in students' performance and level of satisfaction when taught pharmacology in a problem-based learning format as compared to traditional lecture format. DATA SOURCES: Control (n = 12) and experimental (n = 10) group means for middle-of-term examinations, final examinations, end-of-course numerical averages, and numerical scores of satisfaction were analyzed with a t test for statistically significant differences. CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant difference between groups for any of the items measured, suggesting that problem-based learning and traditional lecture format may be equally effective course delivery methods. Replication with a larger sample is recommended. IMPLICATIONS: The small sample size precludes generalizing results to the entire population, but outcomes of this pilot study suggest that problem-based learning may be at least as effective as traditional lecture and should be explored in larger studies.