Incorporating pedagogical principles in developing an online nursing research course

Area of Science:

• Online Education
• Instructional Technology
• Nursing Education

Background:

• A public commuter university focused on online course development for nontraditional students since 1998.
• Faculty concerns about online instruction quality led to exploring pedagogically sound methods using instructional technology.
• A seminar series based on the Seven Principles of Undergraduate Education provided a framework for online course development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To redesign an online nursing research course to be more learner-centered.
• To improve the quality of online instruction by increasing student interaction.
• To accommodate students' diverse learning styles and external responsibilities.

Main Methods:

• A seminar series on the Seven Principles of Undergraduate Education informed course redesign.
• The online nursing research course was restructured to enhance student-to-student and student-to-faculty interaction.
• Seven interactive modules were developed to cater to diverse learning styles.

Main Results:

• The redesigned online nursing research course was more learner-centered.
• Increased student-to-student and student-to-faculty interaction was achieved.
• Students successfully learned course concepts while balancing work and family commitments.

Conclusions:

• A learner-centered approach, incorporating interactive modules and increased interaction, is effective for online nursing education.
• Online courses can successfully accommodate the needs of nontraditional students with work and family responsibilities.
• Pedagogically sound methods, grounded in principles like the Seven Principles of Undergraduate Education, enhance online course quality.