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Using Learning Outcome Measures to assess Doctoral Nursing Education
Published on: June 21, 2010
Using a constructivist approach with online concept maps: relationship between theory and nursing education
Simone C O Conceição1, Linda D Taylor
1University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Education, USA. simonec@uwm.edu
Nursing Education Perspectives
|October 20, 2007
Summary
Concept mapping in online nursing education, combined with reflective journaling, helps students organize data and develop critical thinking skills. This approach supports knowledge integration and validation within a constructivist learning framework.
Area of Science:
- Nursing Education
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Concept maps are established tools for organizing and analyzing data in nursing education.
- Assessing higher-order thinking processes in online learning environments presents unique challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of concept mapping combined with self-reflective journaling in assessing nursing students' thinking processes.
- To explore the developmental learning journey of students using concept maps in an online course.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative analysis of self-reflective journals from 21 nursing students over two semesters.
- Utilized concept mapping as a primary tool for data organization and knowledge representation.
Main Results:
- Three key themes emerged: factors influencing concept map creation, the developmental learning process, and knowledge validation/construction.
- Concept mapping with reflective journaling facilitated content integration aligned with constructivist learning principles.
- Student learning integration was influenced by personal preferences, map design, and content complexity.
Conclusions:
- Concept mapping and reflective journaling offer a valuable method for assessing cognitive processes in online nursing education.
- This approach supports students in making new connections, integrating prior knowledge, and validating existing knowledge.
- Early evidence suggests concept mapping in online settings fosters a developmental learning process crucial for knowledge construction.
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