Reply to classmates’ post, at least 125 words each and 1 scholarly reference within last 5 years for each
Post 1
Nurse educators are responsible for formulating program outcomes and designing curricula that reflect contemporary health care trends and prepare graduates to function effectively in the health care environment. To participate effectively in curriculum design and evaluation of program outcomes, the nurse educator should ensures that the curriculum reflects institutional philosophy and mission, current nursing and health care trends. This competency requires nurse educator to demonstrates knowledge of curriculum development including identifying program outcomes, developing competency statements, writing learning objectives, and selecting appropriate learning activities and evaluation strategies. The educator should also base curriculum design and implementation decisions on sound educational principles, theory, and research & create clinical partnerships that support educational goals. This competency also requires designing & implementing program assessment models that promote continuous quality improvement of all aspects of the program. (NLN Core Competencies for Academic Nurse Educators, 2021).
I can utilize this competency by collaborating with other educators & learning how to design based on student centric learning model. Even though I have practiced for 14 years as a critical care nurse & been a preceptor to new grads as well as TIPS program fellows & residents, I am a novice in the field of nurse education. I am realizing that understanding of varied learning styles especially for the non-traditional students are key to any curriculum design. Designing curriculum to fit the needs of learners would include adding elements that address visual, auditory, kinesthetic, & multi-learners. One of the biggest challenges I think I will face is designing curriculum that addresses affective aspects of learners. In order to apply principles of skills & knowledge, it is crucial to generate emotion that affects behavior. I believe this is one of the hardest aspect of education today. Very often, students simply learn facts & skills based on knowledge alone & do not incorporate it into their personal or professional behavior. But nursing is the compassionate art & science of human healing. Therefore, developing strategies that can engage students & help them reflect more deeply about the practice is essential. Brining about change in behavior based on knowledge alone is not an easy feat & curriculum needs to be geared towards the ethical & moral aspects of patient care just as much as towards the pathophysiological concepts.
Post 2
The overarching purpose of curriculum is to provide planned learning experiences & optimizing student performance & outcomes. The curriculum is the vital link between education and learning, between educator and student. The National League for Nursing (NLN, 2012) has outlined expected competencies for nursing faculty that include a strong focus on the role of educators in curriculum development, delivery, and evaluation. Course design follows a sequential process, starting with broad program outcomes and ending with specific
lesson plans. Major elements in curriculum structure includes instructional objectives, learning outcomes, learning content, instructional plan, and evaluation. (Halstead, J. A. 2019).
Instructional Objectives: These are course objectives, which broadly describe what is being covered in the entire course. These objectives should align with the educational philosophy & the mission/vision of the institution. This provides guiding principles that unify & serve as a criteria for evaluation. Objectives can then be broken down into lesson or class objectives which are more specific to the topic.
Learning outcomes: These are the educational objectives, which define what the students should be able to learn at the end of the course. Learning outcomes are specific to each course & cover contents of each topic. These are specific statements of what students will be able to do after they successfully complete a learning experience. They are student-centered & specific, measurable achievable, realistic & must have a certain period. (SMART). Learning outcomes can be designed at the program level or an individual course level.
Learning content: Good learning content is based on focused learning objectives & specific learning outcomes. These include themes, concepts facts, skills & knowledge that the students need to grasp in order to learn. This also includes the learning experience, which provides students the opportunity to practice the desired behavior. If the objective is to develop critical thinking & problem-solving skills, the students should have many opportunities to solve problems. This should also be relevant to students needs & abilities & must align with their intellectual capacity. Learning content should be learner centered & should use cognitive, affective, & psychomotor domains. (Billings & Halstead, 2019)
Instructional plan: This consists of the educational strategies used to reach the objectives defined for the content. There are multiple ways to implement the learning content. Effective learning occurs with constructivist approach where the environment in which the learner is, consists of active participation. Learners who learn through experience, problem solving, & reflection undergo transformative learning. Strategies that can be utilized to provide instruction include interactive instruction with peers, use of technology, flipped classroom, concept mapping, case studies, EBP skills, simulation, reciprocal teaching, & lecture (Horntvedt, Nordsteien, Fermann, & Severinsson, 2018)
Evaluation: Evaluation is the process of making a value judgment that attaches meaning to the data obtained by measurement and gathered through assessment. Evaluation compares student performance with a standard and makes a decision based on that comparison. The standard or outcomes that students are expected to achieve must be established at the beginning of the instructional process. Evaluation must be fair & objective & based on carefully constructed and administered classroom measurement instruments. (McDonald, 2017)
