Connecting learners online: Challenges and issues for nurse education--Is there a way forward?

Nurse educators face many challenges due to what has undoubtedly been an era of massive change and innovation. Technological advances in the fields of communication, social media, and education generally have afforded new ways of connecting and working with students. In particular, the development of large-scale learning management systems has changed the face of higher education. Such technological innovations have inadvertently placed pressure on nurse educators to adopt online educational strategies that are not only pedagogically sound but also creative. At the same time, as this technological innovation has occurred, a corresponding emphasis on course design and curriculum renewal has emerged in the sector, calling for the embodiment of the principles of constructive alignment and engaged learning (Brill and Park, 2008; Bonk and Khoo, 2014). As a result, educators grapple to present courses that are grounded in educational theory, align with higher education standards, and provide appropriate activities to support student learning. However, despite access to theoretical and technological support, for the majority of educators, achieving such expectations can be overwhelming and downright frustrating. Revere and Kovach (2011) have noted that the pace of change is often so fast that educators often do not have the time to identify and integrate such changes into their subject design. As a result, there is a tendency for information to become content and resource driven rather than based around more engaging approaches. Simply put, for those nurse educators who are, metaphorically speaking, in the trenches and time poor, what is needed are practical guidelines that focus on sharing information on how to apply online teaching technologies that creatively engage students in the learning process.