MethodologyMethodology

Students enrolled in selected nursing courses in four nursing programs participated in an alternative, innovative, learning assignment. A sample of a minimum of ten students per program, for whom demographic data was obtained, comprised the sample. The four nursing programs represent a cross section of educational institutions including Associate Degree, RN-BSN, generic BSN and diverse regions including Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Texas. The operational definition of innovative learning assignment was an activity that is creative in design or structure, and focuses on the learner. Inherent are activities where teachers serve as guides or facilitators. Students are actively engaged in the construction and the process of learning.

Students enrolled in the Health Assessment for Nurses course in Spring semester 2006 at Mount Aloysius College were subjects.  The innovative assignment involved students working in self-selected groups to develop learning objectives, learning activities, and an evaluation tool for the health assessment of special populations such as the pediatric, geriatric, or peripartum patient. The assignment included the use of digital assessment equipment and remote evaluation by the instructor and peers.