Abstract

Poster presented on: Sunday, November 17, 2013, Saturday, November 16, 2013:

Purpose: WebQuests are instructional webpages that have unique designs to engage learners in higher order thinking, such as analysis, critical thinking, evaluation and synthesis in learners. Consistent with constructivist philosophy, a WebQuest can be used for staff development, continuing education, and/or academic education. There are six main components to a WebQuest: introduction, task, process, conclusion, evaluation and resources/credits (Dodge, 1995). Educators can design probing questions into the Nursing WebQuest and use simulation in the design. There is a gap in the literature of research related to the effectiveness and use of WebQuests in Nursing Education, yet a variety of teaching/learning strategies are important to use and study by nurse educator leaders. This study sought to examine the teaching/learning strategy of WebQuests from the learner's point of view.

Methods: A descriptive, mixed methods survey design was used to study the learner's perspective of WebQuests as a teaching/learning strategy in nursing. A convenience sample of 28 nursing students who used Nursing WebQuests in nursing courses was obtained.

Results: A majority of participants reported favorable use of the Nursing WebQuest, specifically in relation to organization, ease of use, allowing one to learn at their own pace, encouraging reflective thinking and prompted thinking about interacting with patients and families and nursing interventions.

Conclusion: Valuable information was discovered for nurse educators regarding what is effective in the WebQuest design for nursing learners. Areas for improvement were identified so that nurse educators can improve WebQuest use in Nursing Education. Further study and use of WebQuests in Nursing Education is recommended.

Description

42nd Biennial Convention 2013 Theme: Give Back to Move Forward. Held at the JW Marriott

Author Details

Nancyruth Leibold, EdD, RN, MSN, BSN, PHN, LSN; Laura Marie Schwarz, DNP, RN

Sigma Membership

Mu Lambda

Type

Poster

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

N/A

Research Approach

N/A

Keywords:

Teaching/Learning Strategy, Higher Level Thinking, WebQuests

Conference Name

42nd Biennial Convention

Conference Host

Sigma Theta Tau International

Conference Location

Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

Conference Year

2013

Rights Holder

All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.

All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository.

All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.

Acquisition

Proxy-submission

Share

COinS
 

The learner's perspective of WebQuests as a teaching/learning strategy in nursing education

Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

Poster presented on: Sunday, November 17, 2013, Saturday, November 16, 2013:

Purpose: WebQuests are instructional webpages that have unique designs to engage learners in higher order thinking, such as analysis, critical thinking, evaluation and synthesis in learners. Consistent with constructivist philosophy, a WebQuest can be used for staff development, continuing education, and/or academic education. There are six main components to a WebQuest: introduction, task, process, conclusion, evaluation and resources/credits (Dodge, 1995). Educators can design probing questions into the Nursing WebQuest and use simulation in the design. There is a gap in the literature of research related to the effectiveness and use of WebQuests in Nursing Education, yet a variety of teaching/learning strategies are important to use and study by nurse educator leaders. This study sought to examine the teaching/learning strategy of WebQuests from the learner's point of view.

Methods: A descriptive, mixed methods survey design was used to study the learner's perspective of WebQuests as a teaching/learning strategy in nursing. A convenience sample of 28 nursing students who used Nursing WebQuests in nursing courses was obtained.

Results: A majority of participants reported favorable use of the Nursing WebQuest, specifically in relation to organization, ease of use, allowing one to learn at their own pace, encouraging reflective thinking and prompted thinking about interacting with patients and families and nursing interventions.

Conclusion: Valuable information was discovered for nurse educators regarding what is effective in the WebQuest design for nursing learners. Areas for improvement were identified so that nurse educators can improve WebQuest use in Nursing Education. Further study and use of WebQuests in Nursing Education is recommended.