Applying an E-Learning framework to explore learner nurses' and nurse educators' perceptions about technology...

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Educational Technology
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Technological platforms offer online support for higher education, yet some institutions underutilize them.
• The e-learning Context Design Delivery and Outcomes (el-CDDO) framework, effective in other fields, has seen limited application in nursing education for ICT integration.
• This study addresses the gap by exploring ICT platform utilization in nursing colleges using the el-CDDO framework.

Purpose of the Study:

• To adopt the el-CDDO framework for exploring learner nurses' and nurse educators' perceptions of ICT platforms.
• To investigate the use of ICT platforms supporting teaching, learning, and assessment at the Limpopo College of Nursing.

Main Methods:

• An exploratory-descriptive qualitative research design was employed.
• Focus group discussions were conducted with purposively selected learner nurses and nurse educators.
• Thematic qualitative data analysis was used, aligning data with the five dimensions of the el-CDDO framework.

Main Results:

• The el-CDDO framework identified key perceptions regarding ICT platform use in nursing education.
• Benefits include enhanced skills and knowledge crucial for patient care and academic progress.
• Barriers such as inadequate training, lack of integrated curriculum, and insufficient lecturer ICT skills were highlighted, alongside enabling factors like user willingness.

Conclusions:

• The el-CDDO framework is effective for evaluating ICT platform perceptions in nursing education.
• The study recommends utilizing the el-CDDO framework to assess the status of ICT platforms within nursing institutions.