Learning Objective #1: Describe four innovative e-learning strategies used to prepare advanced practice nurses as nurse educators

Learning Objective #2: Assess effectiveness of these teaching strategies using descriptive evaluation data presented as outcomes of the project

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As the need for nurse educators increases due to escalating market demands for registered nurses, web-based teaching programs are being used to train and certify postgraduate nurses in education theory and practice. This presentation describes the third course in a post-masters teaching certificate program, an innovative distance learning teaching practicum focusing on the role of the nurse educator. Analyses of quantitative and qualitative evaluation data validating success of the program will be presented. Precepted learning experiences were provided in diverse classroom and clinical settings for student teachers who were experienced nurses. Web-based teaching strategies were animated and interactive, incorporating principles of adult education. Discussion forums, group exercises, journaling, and games related to student teaching replaced traditional online lectures. Creative microteaching opportunities with actual student nurses or nursing staff were designed and tested to foster optimal learning. Classroom practice assignments included the design and development of teaching objectives and methods, test construction, and evaluation of didactic learning. Student lectures were videotaped, digitized, uploaded to a streaming server, and made available in WebCT. Videos were grouped with the related lesson plans, powerpoints, and teacher evaluations and posted for peer critique and discussion of the microteaching assignment. An instructional video “lab” was designed to enhance quality of the videotapes. Clinical teaching included evaluating learning environments, developing clinical assignments, testing and evaluating clinical performance of actual students, laboratory skill development and competency testing. Asynchronous peer group discussions using journals of clinical teaching experiences were used to evaluate effective teaching. To meet the challenge of pairing nursing students with appropriate and accessible patients in clinical settings, an interactive Flash-based patient assignment simulation was developed for practice in making clinical patient assignments. Student teachers “played” the game by pairing hypothetical students with patients on a typical clinical day and revised the assignment when unexpected events ensued.