The relationship between nursing students' technology addiction levels and attitudes toward e-learning during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study

Exploring the association between internet addiction and time management among undergraduate nursing students

BACKGROUND

Modern undergraduate nursing students face unique challenges as digital natives balancing internet activities with the substantial academic demands of nursing studies. Given the detrimental effects of internet addiction on students' academic performance and well-being, having time management skills is crucial.

AIMS

To assess the prevalence and levels of internet addiction and time management and their association among undergraduate nursing students.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional, survey-based research design was used.

SETTING

The Faculty of Nursing at Alexandria University in Egypt.

SUBJECTS

A stratified random sample consisting of 825 undergraduate nursing students.

TOOLS

The internet addiction test and time management questionnaire were utilized to collect data.

FINDINGS

Internet addiction was prevalent among 98.8% of students, with 56.0% exhibiting mild levels, 40.0% showing moderate levels, and 2.8% having severe levels. A statistically significant negative correlation was found between students' internet addiction and overall time management (r= - 0.387, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

A considerable level of internet addiction was revealed among the great majority of undergraduate nursing students; however, many students also demonstrated strong time management skills. Furthermore, internet addiction and overall time management were negatively associated, indicating that students with higher levels of internet addiction tend to have poorer time management abilities.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Individual counseling and educational training programs should be developed to teach nursing students how to manage time and effectively plan internet usage.

Online (versus face-to-face) augmented reality experience on nursing students' leg ulcer competency: Two quasi-experimental studies

AIM

The aim of this study was two-fold. Firstly, to describe the influence of an augmented reality (AR)-based online educational experience on the academic performance and learning determinants of nursing students related to the study of leg ulcer care. We also set out to compare these online results with those obtained in the same experience developed a year before but in a face-to-face design.

BACKGROUND

Undergraduate education in nursing aims to train students towards an acceptable level of competence for professional practice. Sometimes, some essential clinical areas of knowledge are particularly challenging for both students and nurse educators. One of these is the care of chronic wounds, particularly in leg ulcers where nurses play a key role. Currently face-to-face teaching methods are evolving to more active contexts and alternative means such as online learning and AR are becoming widely used, garnering encouraging results.

DESIGN

A quasi-experimental design was used. Two experiments were carried out to meet the aims of the study, the first one was a pre-test post-test design in one group and the second one a post-test two experimental groups design.

METHODS

Participants were undergraduate nursing students from the School of Nursing of the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain). The two experimental groups received the same training but in different environments: online during 2019/2020 (n = 111) and onsite during 2018/2019 (n = 72). The instruments selected were a knowledge and skills test and two validated questionnaires.

RESULTS

Regarding academic performance, the study demonstrated significant differences towards learning after the AR-based online experience (Z = -9.074; p ≤ 0.001). The participants also showed good results in relation to the learning determinants studied. Compared with students receiving AR-based face-to-face teaching, the students with the online learning approach scored better in the dimensions Autonomous Learning (U=3104.5; p = 0.020) and 3D Comprehension (U=3167.0; p = 0.035). However, the participants in the onsite experience scored higher in the Attention dimension (U=3163.0; p = 0.035).

CONCLUSIONS

AR positively influences academic performance and diverse educational variables when this experience is carried out online. Since both the online and face-to-face experience show statistically significant benefits in different dimensions of the learning determinants, the need to improve the AR learning experience through blended-learning environments should be promoted.

The effect of technology addiction training given to nursing students on the perspectives and addiction levels of students

OBJECTIVE

The study was conducted to investigate the effect of technology addiction training given to nursing students on their Internet and technology addiction perspectives and addiction levels.

METHOD

The data of the experimental research with a control group and a pretest-posttest design were collected online using the Personal Information Form and the Technology Addiction Scale. Sample size was 82. Technology addiction training was given for 10 weeks. Post-test data were collected after the training. The Mann Whitney-U test, t-test, Tukey HSD test, Kruskal Wallis test, and Bonferroni-Dunn test were used for statistical analysis. The Fisher's Exact Test and the Chi-Square test were used to analyze the categorical variables.

RESULTS

The level of technology addiction of the students in the experimental group was 52.69 ± 17.218 in the pre-test and 51.31 ± 14.931 in the post-test. In the control group, the level of technology addiction was found to be 54.03 ± 18.955 in the pre-test and 53.39 ± 20.159 in the post-test. Thus, it can be stated that the students in both groups were moderately addicted to technology and no significant difference was observed between the pre-test and post-test mean scores of the groups after the training.

CONCLUSION

The study revealed that the students were moderately addicted to technology and used technological devices at a high rate. In addition, the ineffectiveness of the training, and being aware of the harms of technology, but disregarding the importance of these harms were the interesting findings that showed the severity of the problem.

CLINICAL TRIALS ID

NCT05277545.

Nurses' perspectives, attitudes and experiences related to e-learning: A systematic review

OBJECTIVE

To summarize the current evidence on registered nurses (RNs) perspectives, attitudes and experiences related to e-learning.

DESIGN

A systematic review of the literature.

DATA SOURCES

The CINAHL, PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, Scopus and Web of Science databases were searched for studies published in English from 2000 to 2021.

REVIEW METHODS

The study followed the 2020 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Inclusion criteria comprised studies with cross-sectional, quasi-experimental, qualitative, and randomised control designs on the attitudes toward, perspectives and experiences of registered nursing about e-learning. Quality appraisal for each study, based on their designs, was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal checklist. Data were synthesized using a narrative approach.

RESULTS

In the 15 included studies, 4 were high quality while 11 were moderate quality. Four themes were revealed in this review including e-learning approaches, facilitators of e-learning and barriers to e-learning barriers to e-learning among RNs and learning in practice barriers.

CONCLUSIONS

The systematic review uncovered that E-learning is an effective method for integrating knowledge with practice and promoting professional development among RNs in healthcare settings. However, RNs may lack motivation to engage with E-learning and face challenges associated with user-friendly platforms.

Nursing students' nomophobia, social media use, attention, motivation, and academic performance: A structural equation modeling approach

AIM

To investigate the interrelationships of nomophobia, social media use, attention, motivation, and academic performance among nursing students.

BACKGROUND

There is a preponderance of studies about nursing students' nomophobia, social media use, and academic performance. However, the mediating role of motivation and attention between nomophobia and academic performance remains a blind spot in nursing literature.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional design and structural equation modeling (SEM) approach.

METHOD

Students from five nursing institutions in the Philippines were recruited via convenience sampling (n = 835). We used STROBE guidelines in reporting this study. Three self-report instruments (Motivational Strategies for Learning Questionnaire [MSLQ], Media and Technology Usage and Attitude Scale [MTUAS], and Nomophobia Questionnaire [NMP-Q]) were used to collect data. SEM, mediation analyses, and path analyses were used for data analysis.

RESULTS

The emerging model afforded acceptable model fit indices. Nursing students' nomophobia positively influenced social media use whereas negatively impacting motivation and attention. Social media use, motivation, and attention directly affect academic performance. Path analyses depicted that motivation and attention mediated the indirect effect of nomophobia on academic performance. Motivation mediated the indirect impact of nomophobia on attention. Finally, attention mediated the indirect effect of motivation on academic performance.

CONCLUSION

Nursing institutions and educators can use the proposed model in developing guidelines for evaluating nomophobia and regulating social media use in the academic and clinical context. These initiatives could support nursing students' transition from school to practice while assisting them in maintaining their academic performance.

Study-related wellbeing, behavior, and attitudes of university students in the Netherlands during emergency remote teaching in the context of COVID-19: A longitudinal study

Introduction

During the COVID-19 pandemic, emergency remote teaching was implemented at all conventional Dutch universities; however, the degree of limitations in on-campus teaching and learning varied during the pandemic dependent on the strictness of the measures. In the present study, it will be investigated how study-related experiences of university students changed in the face of varying limitations in on-campus teaching and learning.

Methods

The study had a longitudinal natural experiment design with three points of measurement during the academic year 2020-2021: November-December 2020 (t1; campuses partially open), March 2021 (t2; campuses fully closed) and June-July 2021 (t3; campuses partially open). In total, 680 Dutch university students (65.9% female; age: M = 21 years, SD = 2.06) filled in online surveys measuring study-related wellbeing (academic burnout and study-engagement), study-related behavior (study effort), and study-related attitudes (education satisfaction, online self-efficacy, and attitudes toward online education).

Results

Overall, students reported moderate levels of academic burnout, study engagement, study effort, education satisfaction, and online self-efficacy; their attitudes toward online education were rather negative. Students' study-related wellbeing and education satisfaction decreased in the period when on-campus teaching and learning was impossible (t2) compared to periods in which on-campus teaching and learning was possible at a low level with several restrictions (t1 and t3). Students' attitudes toward online education and online self-efficacy slightly increased at the end of the academic year (t3); however, the attitudes toward online education remained negative.

Discussion

The findings indicate that students' academic burnout, study engagement, and education satisfaction varied over the course of the academic year in the context of changing limitations in on-campus teaching and learning. To facilitate positive study-related experiences, universities are advised to offer as much on-campus education as possible in times of pandemics.

An eLearning module is comparable to face-to-face teaching in a nursing human pathophysiology subject

BACKGROUND

Human pathophysiology is important in undergraduate nursing education to help students develop clinical reasoning skills. Traditionally pathophysiology education in undergraduate nursing is taught face-to-face. However, eLearning in nursing curricula may provide flexible delivery options.

OBJECTIVE

With increased inclusion of technology enhanced learning in nursing curricula, a hematology eLearning module was evaluated in a pathophysiology subject to determine whether it was comparable to face-to-face learning.

DESIGN

Single-blind randomized pre-test/post-test controlled trial.

SETTING

School of Health and Behavioural Sciences, University of the Sunshine Coast.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 271 second-year undergraduate students enrolled in Human Pathophysiology were included in the study. Students were from three bachelor programs: Nursing Science; Paramedic Science; and Clinical Exercise Physiology. Students were randomly allocated to either the experimental group (n = 85) or the control group (n = 186).

METHODS

A hematology eLearning module was designed to be self-directed and learner-centered, guided by constructivist learning theories for delivery in the human pathophysiology subject. The experimental "eLearning" group completed the module independently, and the control "face-to-face" group completed equivalent paper-based activities facilitated by a tutor. All students completed a pre-test assessment and two post-test assessments two weeks after the intervention and at the end of the subject.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference in assessment scores between the experimental and control groups, or between nursing and other programs.

CONCLUSION

eLearning was comparable to face-to-face teaching in this study. We recommend further research to strengthen the links between pathophysiology theory to clinical reasoning skills using eLearning.

Managing university e-learning environments and academic achievement in the United Arab Emirates: An instructor and student perspective

The present research evaluates how E-learning environment, E-learning adoption, Digital readiness, and Students attitudes towards E-learning, affect Academic achievement. The study focuses on a much-neglected cultural context, Gulf Cooperation Council countries (GCC), since Student’s readiness as well as institutions and professors’ endowments greatly varied within countries and among universities. The study further incorporates Instructors attitudes and evaluates the mediation effect of Academic engagement on Academic achievement. The methodology relies on Partial Least Squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The research findings emphasize the role of E-learning environment, Digital readiness, Academic engagement, students as well as instructors E-learning attitude as the decisive factors that determine students’ Academic achievement. This implies that institutions who adapt to a changing environment by aligning students and instructors’ goals to develop a positive and supportive E-learning environment, will foment Academic engagement and promote students’ Academic achievement.

Associations Between Online Learning, Smartphone Addiction Problems, and Psychological Symptoms in Chinese College Students After the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background

Smartphone-based online education gained popularity during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Although recent studies have highlighted the association between problematic smartphone use (PSU) and mental health symptoms, the potential role of online learning in this relationship remains unclear. This study aimed to analyze the relationships between higher education modes, PSU, and related psychological symptoms in university students.

Methods

A total of 1,629 Chinese university students from five provinces completed a web-based questionnaire survey between March 2020 and October 2021. Demographic characteristics and learning conditions were recorded. All participants completed the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version, Patient Health Questionnaire, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, and Athens Insomnia Scale. Multiple regressions models and stratified analyses were used to examine the association between online education mode, PSU, and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and insomnia.

Results

The prevalence of PSU was 58.5%. Students who relied primarily on online learning had a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms (29.95% vs. 22.24%), anxiety symptoms (25.13% vs. 18.91%), and insomnia symptoms (75.89% vs. 70.27%) than those who relied on traditional face-to-face learning (Ps < 0.05). After adjusting for covariates, subjects with PSU were more likely to report depressive symptoms (AdjOR = 3.14, 95% CI = 2.26–4.37), anxiety symptoms (AdjOR = 3.73, 95% CI = 2.13–4.59), and insomnia symptoms (AdjOR = 2.96, 95% CI = 2.23–3.92) than those without PSU. Furthermore, the associations of PSU with depressive symptoms (OR = 4.66 vs. 2.33, P for interaction = 0.015) and anxiety symptoms (OR = 6.05 vs. 2.94, P for interaction = 0.021) were more pronounced in the online learning group.

Conclusion

Our study provides preliminary evidence that Chinese university students have serious smartphone addiction problems, which are associated with depressive, anxiety, and insomnia symptoms. Online learning is found to exacerbate PSU and mental health problems. Our findings provide valuable information for targeted psychological interventions in the post-COVID-19 era.

Exploring undergraduate nursing students' experiences towards home-based learning as pedagogy during the COVID-19 pandemic: a descriptive qualitative exploration

Background

The global COVID-19 pandemic has led to the need for educators to explore online platforms in delivering lessons to students. Home-based learning is one of the most commonly-used teaching methods that allow learning to take place despite a physical separation between the students and the educators.

Methods

A descriptive qualitative approach was used to explore the experiences of nursing undergraduates when using home-based learning as a pedagogy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected from twenty-three nursing students (n = 14 in year one; n = 9 in year two) of their full-time pre-registration nursing program in a public-funded university in Singapore. Semi-structured interviews using an interview guide was conducted through Zoom-based video-conferencing from November 2020 to January 2021. The interview lasted between 45 and 65 min (median = 45 min). Data collection took place concurrently with thematic analysis through Braun and Clarke’s six-step approach. This study was reported according to the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research.

Results

Three main themes identified during the data analysis were: (1) challenges of home-based learning, where students detailed their experiences and difficulties encountered during the process; (2) the effectiveness of home-based learning, which explored the pedagogy’s impact on the students’ learning experience; and (3) students’ motivation to learn, where the effects on student morale and motivation in partaking in learning tasks were discussed.

Conclusions

Results from this study suggested that universities should incorporate more home-based learning opportunities as home-based learning to continue playing a crucial role in the foreseeable future. Universities should continue to incorporate more home-based learning opportunities into the existing nursing curriculaa in order to test their capacities and address technical challenges in online learning. Future studies should also consider incorporating other pedagogical strategies when conducting lessons online.