Case study

Case study Nursing education aims at equipping with necessary knowledge and skills for practice. This paper seeks to explore a case that involves introduction of a technology into a course curriculum. The paper will identify possible learner objectives from the case, evaluate methods for the identified objectives, and associated advantages or disadvantages of the evaluation methods.
Overview of the case
A faculty member who wishes to expose students to circumstances that require application of ethical principles, irrespective of distance, intends to introduce ‘ Internet Broadcast Simulation’ technology into the students’ course curriculum. Aims of the faculty member involve issues relating to distance, ethical considerations in practice and application of evidence based nursing professional standards in internet technology.
Learner objectives
One of the learner objectives in introducing the technology is to develop, among students, the ability to bridge distance as a barrier to nursing practice as demonstrating the technology’s application will inform students of facilitated online communication. Another learner objective of the technology’s inclusion in the course curriculum is to promote ethics in practice through exposing the students to technological application and its involved ethical environment. Inclusion of the technological application also aims at equipping students with ability to implement evidence based nursing professional standards in internet simulation strategy. Research findings by Rush et al support the ability of technology to facilitate learning and to bridge distance barrier (2008).
Evaluation methods for the objectives
The first learning objective, to facilitate the students’ ability to bridge distance barrier, can be evaluated through asking the students questions about what they have learnt. This evaluation can be achieved through direct questions after learning sessions or through designed questionnaires. Responses exhibits students understanding of taught concepts and are an indicator that they can apply the concepts in real life (Morris, 2011).
The goal to promote professional ethics among learners can be evaluated by “ direct observation” (Morris, 2011, p. 150). This method can be achieved through observing students’ demonstration of a real life application of the technology and its involved ethics (Morris, 2011).
Written examinations can however be used to evaluate the objective of developing students’ ability to implement evidence based nursing professional standards in internet simulation strategy. Subjecting the students to similar questions prior to and after lessons, or the course, identifies the extent of achieved learning (Morris, 2011).
Advantages/ disadvantages of questioning
Questioning, as an evaluation method, has the advantage of getting objective achievement levels per student as it generate unincorporated response. It is therefore likely to offer an accurate assessment of the learning initiative. Application of the evaluation approach also allows for an unbiased sampling in assessment. Results of the evaluation may however not be representative, especially because it is normally based on random sampling (Morris, 2011).
While observation has the advantages of offering an “ immediate feedback” and facilitating further learning through students’ involvement, group participation may not offer accurate results (Morris, 2011, p. 150). This is because a group may rely on one member’s active participation to cover other’s weaknesses.
Written examinations are suitable for evaluating learning in large classes. Its major disadvantage however, is the fact that the set questions for evaluation must be precise for effectiveness (Morris, 2011).
References
Morris, J. (2011). Dietitians Guide to Assessment and Documentation. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
Rush, K., Dyches, C., Waldrop, S. and Davis, A. (2008). Critical thinking among RN-to-BSN distant students participating in human patient simulation. Retrieved from: http://www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/pubmed/19010048