Seeing From the Eyes of the Beholder: A Pilot Program for Learning Through Reflection in Graduate Nursing Education.

A key element in the comprehensive physical exam is the patient interview in which the nurse practitioner (NP) elicits information from the patient to help guide in the discovery of a health issue. Technologies that allow the NP student to view patient interviews from the patient's perspective may enhance interviewing techniques and promote therapeutic interview behaviors. We report the results of a pilot program for NP students enrolled in an advanced health assessment course. Student volunteers conducted interviews with patient actors. Actors wore Google Glass®, an optical head-mounted device with video-recording capabilities.

Transformational learning in graduate nurse education through podcasting.

AIM: To introduce faculty to podcasting, giving them opportunities for course integration in nursing. BACKGROUND: Faculty represented adult, gerontological, psychiatric, acute, and family health specialties interested in technology integration. METHOD: Faculty were invited to submit an abstract describing interest and experience with educational technology and intended use of podcasting. Each faculty received an iPod and sessions were held updating the required technical skills. Transformational learning was the conceptual framework, and faculty and students were encouraged and tutored in workshops to utilize podcast technology. Faculty launched podcasts on the university's platform, monitored students' responses, and conducted end-of-course evaluations. RESULTS: Faculty enthusiastically embraced podcasting's potential. Students' responses were mixed. Many viewed podcasts as extra work and preferred face-to-face class or written assignments. Podcasts were helpful to others, especially during commutes or for reviewing or reinforcing material. Auditory learners also preferred podcasts. CONCLUSION: Despite some technical difficulties, responses were positive. Using the theory of transformational learning and allowing students greater flexibility in obtaining knowledge, asynchronously, and at their own pace, proved beneficial.

Fostering significant learning in graduate nursing education.

Faculty who want to energize graduate students with creative classes that lead to long-lasting learning will benefit by designing course objectives, learning activities, and assessment tools using Fink's taxonomy of significant learning and Wiggins's insights on performance-based or educative assessments. Research shows that course designs relying on content-driven lectures and written examinations do not promote significant learning among adult learners. This article reviews six types of significant learning using Fink's taxonomy and examines Wiggins's "backward" approach to designing courses using performance-based assessments that gauge true learning and learning that promotes a lasting change. When designing courses, educators should ask: "What do I really want students to get out of this course?" The answers will direct the design of objectives, learning activities, and assessment tools. Designing graduate courses using Fink's taxonomy and Wiggins's backward approach can lead to significant learning to better prepare nurse practitioners for the future of health care.