Death of the discussion board: Integration of online competency-based assessment in graduate nursing programs

Changes in the educational landscape and evolving parameters from academic accreditation partners require an evaluation of current pedagogical practices in graduate nursing education. Online educational platforms have grown in popularity, with 71 % of post-baccalaureate students reporting one or more online courses (NCES, 2022). Preparing nurses at the graduate level, proficient, and work-ready at an advanced level is a goal for graduate education. Accomplishing this goal requires increased faculty and student engagement levels in the online environment. In April 2021, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) approved new nursing education standards requiring nursing schools to adopt a competency-based framework. The requirements are the same for online and face-to-face course designs. Therefore, intentionally designed online courses with activities and assignments that meet the criteria for competency-based outcome criteria must be developed. Passive learning activities, including exams, reading assignments, formal/information papers, and even discussion boards, will require adjustments to meet the requirements of a competency-based outcome framework.