| Learning Objective #1: Discuss suitable topics and student groups that may benefit from the use of classroom debates | |||
| Learning Objective #2: Develop criteria for debate assignments |
Objective: To provide an effective methodology for nursing students to systematically explore, analyze, evaluate, and persuasively argue ethical issues
Design: Clinical groups discuss, research, analyze, and debate an ethical issue in front of the class.
Population, Sample, Setting, Years: 56 final semester baccalaureate nursing students in a combined theory/ clinical course on managing clients with chronic illness in community settings during 2000-2001.
Concept or variables studied together or intervention and outcome variables: Concept: critical thinking as the development of human thought and knowing. Variable: extent to which student opinion changes after exposure to ethical debate. Variable: Ways in which the debate assignment changed how students approach ethical issues.
Methods: Pre and post-debate testing of students to determine opinion on ethical topics. Post-debate surveying of students to determine ways in which the assignment changed how ethical issues is approached.
Findings: Pre-to-post debate opinion change ranged from 10.3% to 42.7% of students, depending on the topic. Seventy five percent believed that their ability to recognize ethical aspects of health care greatly improved. Overall, 47.8% felt that they would use the skills learned in the debate assignment frequently in their practice. Ways to approach ethical issues changed in three ways: conduct more research before taking a stance, be more open minded, be more empathetic in considering all aspects.
Conclusions: Debates can be an effective method to explore issues with diverse opinion and conflicting literature, such as health care ethics. The structured process of debates can be helpful in teaching a systematic process through which to approach ethical issues.
Implications: The debate method has implications for teaching any topic in which opinions are diverse. Because effective debate requires integrative skills of identifying, researching, analyzing, evaluating, and articulating persuasive argument, the process may be the most beneficial with students nearing the completion of their program.
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Back to 14th International Nursing Research Congress
Sigma Theta Tau International
10-12 July 2003