When students and educators collaboratively work together we are able to support growth in one another and leave footprints on each other’s nursing professions. The Excellence in Nursing Education Model developed by the National League for Nursing describes the required essentials of competent nurse educators working to improve the nursing profession, and these essentials are encouraged for nursing faculty. The Excellence Model calls for the development of student-centered learning that is innovative in design. Adult learners benefit from learning environments that include active, authentic, applied, and experiential learning, and within distant learning settings, creating social presence is key.
Technologically enhanced teaching-learning resources promote active and authentic experiences that may otherwise be absent in online classrooms. These resources can be used to strengthen instruction by adding an interactive dimension to the experience. Graphs, videos, and images should be incorporated that support content learning and lend way to well-rounded engagements that meet the various learning needs of diverse student populations.
Multiple assessment and evaluation methods should be found within an effective distance learning environment. We find much merit in reflection, which can be assigned in many ways. Perception gained from advanced experiential background allows for nursing practice to be fluidly driven by intuition and deeper knowing. Nurse educators can encourage reflection on direct learning experiences to support experiential learning. Students can engage in unit, course, or program reflections by developing voice-over PowerPoint presentations or Glogster posters that foster creativity through the use of technology resources for expression. Remember, technology is used all around us in healthcare, so integrating it into your classroom provides support early on for nursing students who may not be as tech savvy, while also boosting tech time for those already familiar. In addition, guided reflection can be constructive when introspection supports intended goals for learning. Reflection promotes applied learning for nursing students to ponder what they have studied, while envisioning how new knowledge and skill can be applied to future practice.
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