An eLearning module is comparable to face-to-face teaching in a nursing human pathophysiology subject.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Nursing Education
• Health Sciences

Background:

• Undergraduate nursing education emphasizes pathophysiology for clinical reasoning development.
• Traditional pathophysiology teaching is face-to-face, but eLearning offers flexible delivery.
• Technology-enhanced learning is increasingly integrated into nursing curricula.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a hematology eLearning module within a pathophysiology subject.
• To determine if eLearning is comparable to face-to-face learning in nursing education.
• To assess the impact of technology-enhanced learning on student outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A single-blind, randomized pre-test/post-test controlled trial was conducted.
• 271 undergraduate students in Human Pathophysiology were randomized into experimental (eLearning) and control (face-to-face) groups.
• The experimental group used a self-directed, learner-centered hematology eLearning module; the control group used paper-based activities.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in assessment scores was observed between the eLearning and face-to-face groups.
• Results were consistent across nursing and other allied health programs.
• The hematology eLearning module demonstrated comparable efficacy to traditional teaching methods.

Conclusions:

• eLearning is a viable and comparable alternative to face-to-face instruction in pathophysiology.
• Further research is recommended to enhance the connection between pathophysiology theory and clinical reasoning via eLearning.
• This study supports the integration of eLearning for flexible and effective nursing education.