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Graduate student perceptions: feeling the passion of caring online
Debra Woodard Leners1, Kathleen Sitzman
1University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, USA.
Nursing Education Perspectives
|January 30, 2007
Summary
Caring in online nursing education is possible. Graduate students identified instructor empathy, timely communication, and appreciative tones as key to conveying caring in virtual classrooms.
Area of Science:
- Nursing Education
- Online Learning
- Healthcare Pedagogy
Background:
- Traditional nursing education emphasizes face-to-face interaction for conveying care.
- Existing research covers online teaching effectiveness and student support but not the specific conveyance of caring.
- The efficacy of online platforms in fostering caring in nursing education remains underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore graduate nursing students' perceptions of how instructors convey caring in online learning environments.
- To identify key elements that facilitate or hinder the perception of caring in virtual nursing classrooms.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study utilizing open-ended online surveys.
- Inclusion of doctoral and master's nursing students from a research-intensive university.
- Thematic analysis of student responses to identify recurring themes.
Main Results:
- Key themes included the importance of an empathetic perspective from instructors.
- Timeliness of communication and an appreciative tone were crucial for students to feel cared for.
- Students also highlighted instructor passion and fostering a harmonious learning environment.
Conclusions:
- Caring can be effectively conveyed in online nursing education through specific instructor behaviors.
- Focusing on empathy, communication, and appreciation can enhance the online learning experience for nursing students.
- These findings offer practical insights for improving online pedagogy in nursing programs.
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