Incorporating pedagogical principles in developing an online nursing research course

Since 1998, developing online courses to accommodate nontraditional students has been a major focus at a public commuter university in the southeast. Concern about the quality of online instruction prompted a number of faculty members in different disciplines to explore pedagogically sound methods for improving and evaluating their teaching using instructional technology. In response to the impetus to have a framework for the development of online courses, a seminar series based on the Seven Principles of Undergraduate Education was developed. On the basis of the pedagogical principles presented during the seminar series, the online nursing research course was redesigned to be more learner-centered by increasing student-to-student and student-to-faculty interaction. Seven interactive modules were developed to address students' diverse learning styles. Using this approach for teaching an online nursing research course, students were able to learn the important concepts typically taught in a traditional, face-to-face course, while managing family and work responsibilities.