Complex discoveries in healthcare and increasing demands and expectations of the healthcare workforce requires nurses to be engaged in learning and active participants throughout their student careers. A goal for the School of Nursing (SON) is to help students fully engage and participate in active learning to improve student learning outcomes. To this end the SON has committed to infusing the curriculum with mobile, digital technology with a 1:1 iPad Innovative Learning Environment Accelerating Discovery (iLead) initiative, for students and faculty. Similar initiatives have been implemented in other schools (Stec, Bauer, Hopgood, & Beery, 2017; Clark, Glazer, Edwards, & Pryse, 2017; Maryville University, n.d.; University of Lynchburg, n.d.) and lessons learned are incorporated into this study. All faculty received iPads and completed three formal Apple Professional Learning sessions in preparation for teaching using iPads to facilitate deeper learning in an active learning setting. The summer cohort of BSN students was the first to participating in an iPad lease requirement for the duration of the four-semester program. Each subsequent incoming cohort will participate in this process. The purpose of this study is to determine how the students and faculty adapt to the iLead initiative that includes integration of mobile, digital technology (iPad) to deliver course content and increase student engagement and active learning in the curriculum.
Methods:
A quasi experimental study identified several aims for this study including: identifying the impact of mobile, digital technology on the attainment of student learning outcomes; correlating student learning preference with their perceived self-efficacy for technology integration; evaluating a group of at-risk students’ performance in a course using the intervention (iPad and active learning activities) with their previous performance in the same course without the intervention; and the impact of the intervention and faculty development on faculty perceived self-efficacy. Several instruments were employed in the study to address the specific aims including: Student Technology Integration Survey, adapted from a survey designed by George, Dumenco, Doyle, and Dollase (2013) and adapted by Stec et al (2017); VARK (n.d.), Fleming and Baume (2006), and Peyman et al (2014); Faculty Confidence with Technology Integration, adapted from Computer Technology Integration Survey by Wang, Ertmer, and Newby (2004). Additionally, the effect of the initiative on student learning outcomes was compared with a control group from a previous cohort.
Results:
Study ongoing, preliminary results will be reported.
Conclusion:
Study ongoing, conclusions will be reported.