Student experiences in web-based nursing courses: benchmarking best practices

The purpose of this study, part of a larger benchmarking study, is to seek to confirm benchmarks for best practices for teaching and learning in web-based courses. Six hundred thirty-one responses to two open-ended questions from a survey of nursing students in undergraduate and graduate nursing programs at five participating schools were analyzed to understand the student experience and confirm the predetermined benchmarks. Using qualitative description, responses were analyzed using content analysis procedures. Students provided rich descriptions of the study benchmarks such as use of technology, active learning, feedback, respect for diversity, interaction with faculty and peers, convenience, access, professionalism, preference for face-to-face interaction, connectedness, and orientation to technology use. The students also identified additional student support variables such as the need for information about the course, orientation to using technology, and the importance of learning resources that should be considered as additional benchmarks for best practices in web-based courses.