Description/Overview: Synchronous (real-time) and asynchronous (anytime) computer-based technologies are expanding the realities of worldwide education in student, professional, and consumer populations. For example, in higher education during 2009, 30% of the students in the United States participated in at least one course in online education. In 2005, Taiwan reported that 40% of all universities offered online classes. Within academic and clinical nursing education, online modalities transcend the boundaries of time, place, and person inherent in the traditional classroom. Globally, scarce money, time and resources are being spent to facilitate and implement these newer technologies in clinical and classroom education. However, little evidence-based research exists on learning and clinical outcomes with these technologies. If evidence is to drive practice, research of sufficient rigor is needed to ensure that meeting pedagogical objectives, not merely the newest technology, determines the educational process. In this symposium, three evidence-based, randomized controlled research studies will be presented. The purpose of this symposium is to provide beginning evidence to inform educational practice of the efficacy of three online technologies used to deliver nursing education and to explore global possibilities for use of such technology. These presentations will focus on three different aspects of online technology for academic and clinical nursing education: the webinar, the interface design, and computer-assisted instruction. The study populations varied from undergraduate nurses in a Bachelor of Science program to clinical staff registered nurses on an intrapartum unit. In the three scientifically designed studies, outcomes were based on measures such as student satisfaction, learning, and change in clinical practice. Present realities, ongoing challenges, and global implications will be discussed.

Learner Objective #1: Describe the outcomes of three experimental studies focused on the use of online technology for nursing education.

Learner Objective #2: Discuss current challenges and future global implications of three online education technologies: webinar, interface, and computer-assisted instruction.