Critical thinking instruction and technology enhanced learning from the student perspective: A mixed methods research study

The concept of capability in pre-registration nursing education: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

Capability in nursing education is an emerging concept that includes various requisites, which can be applied in complex or unfamiliar clinical settings. Despite growing research for practising nurses, the requisites of capability for pre-registration nursing students entering the workforce remain unclear.

OBJECTIVE

The objective was to identify the requisites that constitute capability for practice among pre-registration nursing students as well as the enablers to develop capabilities.

DESIGN

A scoping review was performed using the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology.

DATA SOURCES

Records published without date restriction were searched using MEDLINE, Embase, Emcare, CINAHL, and Scopus databases. Grey literature and reference list searching was conducted.

REVIEW METHODS

Sources explicitly reporting requisites of capability or enablers of capability development in pre-registration nursing education were eligible. All global sources written in English and available in full text were included. Data were extracted and synthesised using a specifically designed extraction tool.

RESULTS

The number of records reviewed totalled 896. Twenty-three studies met the criteria for inclusion in the synthesis. Nineteen capability requisites for practice were reported. Whilst various enablers to support development of capability requisites were reported, some challenges were also identified.

CONCLUSION

This study identified requisites of capability for practice and enablers that may support development of capability in pre-registration nursing education. This holistic set of capabilities has previously not been reported. Given the emerging nature of the concept, this collective set of requisites may not be indicative of all required capabilities of nursing students upon graduation. Efforts to develop a definitive set of requisites and explore strategies to support and enable capability development are needed to advance this concept in the pre-registration nursing education context.

Enhancing EFL students' critical thinking skills using a technology-mediated self-study approach: EFL graduates and labor market in perspective

This research project bridges the gap between Saudi Vision 2030 and labor market needs by strengthening English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students' critical thinking skills. The increasing unemployment rates may not be due to insufficient vacancies in the labor market, but graduates' lack of the general abilities deemed vital to meet the labor market needs. With employability in mind, this study reiterates that graduates should ideally be advanced specialists, critical researchers, creative initiators, and active communicators to be more competitive and contribute to the prosperity of their nation. Therefore, this research employs a quasi-experimental design (time series design) to investigate how effectively students' critical thinking skills are enriched using a video-mediated self-study program through Telegram. Studies in this respect, regarding the Saudi EFL context, are limited. Therefore, this research employed a video-mediated self-study program through Telegram on learning critical thinking skills for EFL students majoring in English or Translation. The data collection included a pre-and post-test on critical thinking skills and a semi-structured interview. The findings showed that students improved their critical thinking skills due to the training program compared to their performance before the treatment at a low level. Besides, the participants evaluated learning critical thinking skills from thinking ways, feelings, benefits, motivation, challenges and problems, and suggestions. In light of the findings, recommendations were presented.

Exploration of critical thinking and self-regulated learning in online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic

An in-depth analysis of today's online biochemistry learning is required to ensure better learning in the future. As a skill that students need to enter the world of work, critical thinking remains a goal in higher education. To develop critical thinking, students need to self-regulate by developing their self-regulated learning (SRL). This study aims to analyze students' critical thinking and SRL during online biochemistry learning. The research sample comprises 54 University of Mataram students. The data on critical thinking and SRL were gathered using tests and questionnaires. Supporting data were collected from observations on the Moodle platform, which was used as a learning tool during the learning process, and free-response data. The results revealed low average scores for three components of the students' critical thinking in online biochemistry learning, namely hypothesis testing, developing conclusions and argument analysis. Among the indicators, metacognitive skill had the highest average score and help seeking had the lowest average score in the SRL measurement. Students' low critical thinking in online biochemistry learning may be caused by a lack of student-student interaction.

Bachelor nursing students´ and their educators´ experiences of teaching strategies targeting critical thinking: A scoping review

AIM

The objective of this scoping review was to review the published literature on existing teaching strategies targeting bachelor nursing students' critical thinking and explore how these strategies are described by students and educators. The research questions were: (i) Which teaching strategies are described in the literature targeting critical thinking among nursing students? and (ii) How are these teaching strategies described and experienced by students and/or nurse educators?

BACKGROUND

Critical thinking is integrated in the many clinical assignments and responsibilities with which registered nurses are faced. Therefore, it is important that nurse educators implement teaching strategies supporting bachelor nursing students' development of critical thinking to prepare them for their professional responsibilities.

DESIGN

Scoping review, Open Science Framework (OSF) registries DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/D89SB.

METHODS

The scoping review followed the six steps of Arksey and O'Malley (2005). Systematic searches were conducted using the databases PubMed, CINAHL, ERIC, ERC and PsycINFO. Eligible studies were quality assessed and text excerpts answering the research questions were analysed by a thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Our findings represent 19 published studies and can be understood according to two themes: the importance of the educational conditions and the impact of implemented teaching strategies. The first theme reflected not only the descriptions of important traits in the educational milieu facilitating the development of critical thinking but also the importance of how the content targeting such skills were delivered and organised. The second theme mirrored descriptions of how the students, through the teaching strategies, realized the need for collaboration to facilitate critical thinking. Further, it showed how the teaching strategies fostered professional growth and learning adaptation, by encouraging the students to question their knowledge and facilitating their development of clinical knowledge.

CONCLUSIONS

The strategies used in the facilitation of critical thinking need to incorporate collaboration and student-centredness, creating a relaxed climate where the educators can assist through guidance and support. This calls for the implementation of teaching strategies whereby both educators and students are active in facilitating the learning environment.

Learning Outcomes of Digital Learning Interventions in Higher Education: A Scoping Review

Implementing digital technologies has become a policy priority worldwide among all types of education. The COVID-19 pandemic has further accelerated educational institutions' efforts to reorganize their teaching and introduce new digital learning technologies. Although using digital technologies in higher education, including nursing, is considered a modern and innovative way of teaching and learning, uncertainty exists concerning these technologies' actual usefulness in achieving positive learning outcomes. The aim of this scoping review was to examine the current evidence related to the effects of using digital technologies on learning outcomes in higher education. The authors searched five electronic databases for relevant studies and used a scoping review method to analyze and synthesize the evidence. Eighty-six articles from six disciplines met the selection criteria. As a key finding, the outcomes of the interventions were mainly positive. Increased professional knowledge, skills, and attitudes reflect the advancement of professional competence. Academic, collaborative, and study skills, in turn, contribute to general competence development. Our findings suggest that digital technology has the potential to improve learning in various disciplines.

Digital Learning Interventions in Higher Education: A Scoping Review

This scoping review was undertaken to synthesize and describe research related to digital learning interventions in higher education, focusing on technological outcomes. Five electronic databases were searched, and 86 articles were included in the review. The data related to positive and negative technological outcomes and authors' suggestions were analyzed using inductive content analysis. The articles represented six disciplines across six continents and included quantitative (n = 65), qualitative (n = 3), and mixed-methods (n = 18) intervention studies. For positive technological outcomes, digital formats of learning were considered effective and participatory forms of learning in a majority of the articles. The students appreciated individualized and self-paced learning, and the digital form increased their motivation to learn. Automatized technical solutions that enabled learning and teaching had several advantages, and digital learning was believed to save the resources of students, teachers, and organizations. For negative technological outcomes, the technical difficulties in using the digital devices or platforms were described the most, and a need for resources was identified. Feedback from teachers was considered important from positive and negative viewpoints. Authors' suggestions for future digital teaching and learning as well as related interventions consisted of various activities, resources, environments, and methods.

Effects of high-fidelity simulation on the critical thinking skills of baccalaureate nursing students: A causal-comparative research study

BACKGROUND

Critical thinking has been identified as one of the standards for nursing school accreditation and a long-standing outcome of nursing education and nursing practice. High-fidelity simulation is one method currently used by nursing programs to increase critical thinking in nursing students. Despite these expectations, there is limited empirical evidence which compares the effects of simulation to other teaching strategies.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to examine whether statistically significant differences existed in mean critical thinking skill scores within groups (pretest to posttest) and between groups (simulation versus written case studies).

DESIGN

A quantitative causal-comparative methodology with a pretest/posttest design.

SETTING

A private university in the midwestern United States which offers a four-year Bachelor of Science Nursing program.

PARTICIPANTS

Baccalaureate junior nursing students (N = 69) were recruited from a convenience sample and divided into two groups which consisted of a simulation group (n = 36) and a written case studies comparison group (n = 33).

METHODS

This research study consisted of a pretest, three weeks of being in either the simulation group or the written case studies group, and a posttest. The Health Science Reasoning Test (HSRT) was the instrument used for the pretest and posttest to measure critical thinking skills of all participants.

RESULTS

A repeated measures mixed analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated there was no statistically significant difference in participants' mean critical thinking scores within groups (pretest to posttest) or between groups (simulation versus written case studies).

CONCLUSIONS

The use of high-fidelity simulation as a teaching strategy versus written case studies to increase critical thinking skills of nursing students was not supported.

The impact of an educational intervention on nursing students' critical thinking skills: A quasi-experimental study

AIM

In this study, we identified the impact of educational activities that focused on improving the competence and critical thinking skills of university nursing students.

DESIGN

A prospective quasi-experimental study was conducted, and assessments were conducted before and after the educational intervention, which consisted of seminars, lectures, case studies, and problem-solving activities.

METHODS

The Critical Thinking Questionnaire was used to collect data before and after the educational intervention between September 2017 and May 2018. The sample consisted of 112 first-year undergraduate students. To examine the data that were collected as a part of this quasi-experimental study, inferential statistics were used, and the results were tested against a significance level of P < 0.05.

RESULTS

The students obtained higher scores on the substantive dimension than on the dialogic one, and women scored higher than men. The educational intervention led to an improvement in every critical thinking skill across both dimensions, except listening and speaking skills, whereby men demonstrated a greater change in average scores for critical thinking skills.

CONCLUSIONS

The educational intervention improved the critical thinking skills of undergraduate students and had a greater impact on men than on women. This finding underscores the need for educational interventions that can enhance critical thinking skills. Developing these skills will improve future nurses' ability to make health care management decisions in a reflective, agile, and evidence-based manner.

The Effect of Concept Mapping on Critical Thinking of Jordanian Nursing Students

AIM

The aim of this study was to explore the effectiveness of concept maps in improving the critical thinking of nursing students.

METHOD

This quasi-experimental study was conducted using a pretest-posttest design among two groups of a total of 115 nursing students. Participants were either exposed to concept mapping sessions or taught with traditional lecturing; the assessment tool was a test of critical thinking completed before and after the intervention.

RESULTS

The mean scores for critical thinking were higher in the group that engaged in mapping sessions compared to the traditional lecture group.

CONCLUSION

This study supports the usefulness of concept maps as a teaching strategy to promote development of nursing students' critical thinking abilities. These findings could provide valuable evidence for establishing concept mapping as a promising teaching strategy for nursing students.

Combining Multiple Innovations to Foster Forum Reflection

This chapter is a case study showing how multiple innovations such as macro-chunking, forum silence, role-play, and an advance organizer describing mental models worked together to engender deep reflection and meaningful dialogue in an online graduate worldview course. It uses the community of inquiry framework to help define the purpose of the discussion forum to construct personal meaning and confirm mutual understanding. Specific pedagogical designs for facilitating deep learning are shared. These designs provide innovative alternatives to readers creating online courses. Quotes from the final discussion forum show how multiple innovations together created a powerful learning environment.

Contextualizing Instructional Technology to the Demands of Nursing Education

This article reviews current technologies in nursing education and the impact of technology on learning. The integration of technology into nursing curricula is thought to improve efficiency and enhance student experiences through active learning and interactive learning designs. The following focused questions are explored: (1) What are the current technologies used by university students and faculty in nursing programs? (2) How does that technology influence student learning? The primary themes were student-centered technology, with five subthemes, and faculty-centered technology. Consumers of healthcare (patients) demand quality care and expect highly skilled, compassionate, ethical practitioners; to this end, training and education of future nurses by skilled, qualified nurse educators who are comfortable with technological demands of all aspects of healthcare are fundamental. While it is essential that nurses and nurse educators continue to publish as a mechanism for open discussion and transparency in our teaching and learning approaches, we need higher levels of evidence to strengthen the argument that technology improves the learning environment and student outcomes and has a positive impact on clinical settings and patient care.

Expanding nursing simulation programs with a standardized patient protocol on therapeutic communication

Simulation is used with greater frequency by nursing programs to strengthen the learning process of student nurses. Best practices suggest active learning with the addition of standardized patients engages the student in realistic lifelike scenario. Therefore, the aim of the research study was to have nursing student's self-evaluate classroom learned communication skills through practical application on a standardized mental health patient simulated scenario. Undergraduate nursing students registered for three successive mental health nursing courses during one academic year were recruited. A self-reported pre/post survey measured the nursing student's level of confidence of learned therapeutic communication skills, preparation to engage their skills in clinical experience, and satisfaction with the standardized patient simulated experience. The self-reported online pre/post questionnaire return rate was 72.5% (N-116). The pre/post results suggest the standardized simulated experience enhanced nursing student confidence  p < .001; the nursing students felt prepared for clinical as noted by the mean score of 7.78 of 10 and overall were satisfied with the simulation process with a mean score of 8.04 of 10. The addition of the standardized patient in a mental health simulated experience promoted an active learning environment that highlighted individualized confidence in therapeutic communication skills through a realistic application process.