Educational Analytics: A New Frontier for Gamification?

To determine the effects of gamification on student education, researchers implemented "Kaizen," a software-based knowledge competition, among a first-year class of undergraduate nursing students. Multiple-choice questions were released weekly or biweekly during two rounds of play. Participation was voluntary, and students could play the game using any Web-enabled device. Analyses of data generated from the game included (1) descriptive, (2) logistic regression modeling of factors associated with user attrition, (3) generalized linear mixed model for retention of knowledge, and (4) analysis of variance of final examination performance by play styles. Researchers found a statistically significant increase in the odds of a correct response (odds ratio, 1.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.0-3.4) for a round 1 question repeated in round 2, suggesting retention of knowledge. They also found statistically significant differences in final examination performance among different play styles.To maximize the benefits of gamification, researchers must use the resulting data both to power educational analytics and to inform nurse educators how to enhance student engagement, knowledge retention, and academic performance.

The Power of Presence in Virtual Teaching and Practice Environments.

This article examines the concept of telepresence and the use of video chat platforms to facilitate family and nurse presence in hospital settings. Ethical, technical, and logistical challenges for using video chat platforms at the bedside are addressed. In addition, the Community of Inquiry model is used to explore how human presence is facilitated in distance-accessible nursing education. Special focus is on the use of technology to meet the challenges of presence during virtual nursing instruction.

Addressing Gaps in Nurses' Knowledge of Sepsis: A Literature Review.

Sepsis is a dangerous and costly health care condition requiring prompt identification and emergency treatment. Bedside nurses have a crucial role in these early steps. Nurses should receive effective and timely education on identifying and treating sepsis in their patient populations. The purpose of this article is to review the literature and to identify how current sepsis education methods are addressing the gaps in nursing knowledge of sepsis. PubMed and CINAHL databases were used to search the literature. After inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, nine articles were chosen for synthesis. Synthesis revealed three major themes: (a) assessing nurse sepsis knowledge, (b) using electronic learning methods for education, and (c) incorporating simulation into sepsis training. Gaps in the literature were also identified. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2021;52(1):43-46.].

Gamification and education: A pragmatic approach with two examples of implementation.

Leveraging elements of game design and theories of human motivation, gamification provides a variety of techniques to engage learners in novel ways. Our Clinical and Translational Science Award created the software platform (Kaizen-Education©) to deliver gamified educational content in 2012. Here, we explore two novel use cases of this platform to provide practical insights for leveraging these methods in educational settings: (1) national training in rigor, reproducibility, and transparency and (2) attainment of learner competency (n = 7) as a gauge of curricular effectiveness across Master of Public Health degree tracks (n = 5). Data were captured in real time during player interaction with Kaizen-Education© to provide descriptive analyses of player engagement in both implementation examples. We then assessed item analysis to assess knowledge gain and competency attainment. We have just begun to leverage the potential for gamification to engage learners, enhance knowledge acquisition, and document completion of training, across various learning environments. We encourage a systematic approach to gamification applying insights from self-determination theory to learners and learning environments, a methodical approach to game design and rigorous analysis after implementation to generate evidence-based insights to maximize educational return for time invested.

Coffee in the Collaboratory: A Collegial Club for Nursing Faculty.

Nurse educators frequently strive to collaborate and share innovative teaching ideas. Finding dedicated time to discuss ways to improve teaching by engaging students is often difficult. Faculty at one university discovered a way to use a new space in an addition to the school of nursing. Faculty meet monthly for "Coffee in the Collaboratory" to share, test, and develop teaching strategies for face-to-face and distance accessible courses. During the meetings, faculty embrace opportunities to practice using new technology. Icebreakers and student-centered learning activities are demonstrated and tested. Faculty take turns sharing how new ideas might be incorporated into both undergraduate and graduate programs. Discussions are spontaneous and fun in this relaxed and friendly environment. A "Coffee in the Collaboratory" meeting can be beneficial in both academic and clinical settings by providing time and space for nurse educators to get together and explore innovative teaching strategies. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2020;51(8):387-388.].

"Playing for Bragging Rights": A Qualitative Study of Students' Perceptions of Gamification.

BACKGROUND: Nursing faculty sought to promote students' engagement with course material and their peers by using Kaizen, an online educational game. The purpose of this qualitative study was to learn more about nursing students' perceptions of team competition in an educational game and whether the game promoted their engagement with educational material in one fundamental nursing course. METHOD: Qualitative data collection included focus groups, observations of students, documents showing leaderboards and game participation, and "status of competition" e-mails. Data were transcribed and coded to determine emerging themes. RESULTS: Four themes emerged from data analysis: learning in teams, motivators to play, learning course content, and suggestions for game improvement. CONCLUSION: Students were overwhelmingly positive about using a gamified platform for its educational rewards. They perceived that playing the game increased their knowledge retention, and they believed it helped them improve their test-taking skills. [J Nurs Educ. 2019;58(2):79-85.].

If You Give a Nurse a Cookie: Sharing Teaching Strategies for Nurse Educator Development.

Nurse educators often do not have time or a space to discuss ideas about effective teaching. To address this issue, an instructor at one school of nursing initiated Cookie Swap, a bimonthly, school-wide e-mail featuring stories about teaching strategies and tools used in face-to-face, online, and clinical courses. J Contin Educ Nurs. 2017;48(1):12-13.

Benefits and Challenges of Teaching Nursing Online: Exploring Perspectives of Different Stakeholders.

BACKGROUND: Recruiting and retaining faculty to teach courses is crucial for online nursing programs to succeed. The purpose of this study was to gain a fuller understanding of the benefits and challenges of teaching nursing courses online by exploring the perspectives of faculty, administrators, and instructional designers at three schools of nursing in the southeastern United States. METHOD: This qualitative multiple case study explored perspectives of 21 participants from different stakeholder groups. Researchers used cross-case analysis and determined emerging themes in data collected from interviews, course demonstrations, and course documents. RESULTS: Data analysis revealed themes regarding benefits and challenges for nursing instructors in (a) teaching strategies, (b) instructor availability, (c) training and support, and (d) institutional issues. CONCLUSION: This study found gaps in perspectives between participant groups that indicated a need for institutions to address communication issues, training program objectives, and institutional policies and procedures regarding online course design and delivery to promote faculty success and satisfaction. [J Nurs Educ. 2016;55(8):433-440.].