Multifarious instructional design: a design grounded in evidence-based practice

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Abstract

The National League for Nursing developed core competencies for nurse educators. These competencies require nurse educators to develop evidence-based teaching practice, utilize technology, and manage individual students' learning styles (www.NLN.org).

In an effort to decrease attrition and increase student retention in a beginning medical–surgical course, a multifarious instructional design was implemented. This design was developed based on evidence-based teaching and learning styles to address the diverse student learning styles encountered in an associate degree nursing program. Multifarious instructional design incorporated technology to enhance the learning in the classroom. This design improved student retention by 30%.

Introduction

The need for change in the nursing education curriculum has been well documented. Educators have been encouraged to move away from the traditional lecture-style format presentation to new methodologies that include active participant learning, such as digital technology. This new pedagogical approach was introduced in an associate degree RN program (Billings and Halstead, 2009, Halstead et al., 2005).

In an effort to decrease attrition and improve learning outcomes in a beginning medical–surgical course, a multifarious instructional design was designed. In the past, this course was primarily taught by using the traditional lecture presentation along with the occasional use of PowerPoints and group presentations. Huxham (2005) has demonstrated that traditional lectures do not stimulate thoughts or change attitudes, nor does it fulfill the variable learning styles. According to Fleming (1992), this method of teaching only appeals to the auditory and read/write learner. Students learn based on one or more of the preferences of learning, which are Visual, Auditory, Read/write, and Kinesthetic (VARK). One-dimensional teaching styles lead to student and instructor frustration, likely resulting in a 30%–40% students failure rate, and high attrition rates among the nursing students in a community college. Traditional teaching strategies seemed to prove ineffective in lowering the attrition rate. Revisions were made in this medical–surgical course based on the assumption that students learn in different ways. Students were not given the VARK questionnaire or any other learning style survey.

A revised pedagogical approach improved the educational outcomes in this medical–surgical course. Digital technology was combined with traditional teaching strategies to expand classroom walls and extend class time.

Section snippets

Multifarious instructional design

In nursing education, there is a large amount of content to be disseminated in a short period. Each content area is evaluated for its retention, whether on course examinations or on the National Council Licensure Examination. A poor understanding of content can have a rippling effect on the success of a student. An educator's responsibility is to present the content effectively to address the variety of learners.

According to Webster's Dictionary (2009), multifarious means to have many elements

Advantages of integrating technology into the course

Some educators shy away from the use of technology, not realizing that they have been using a basic form of technology for many years. In the past, educators would roll overhead projectors, portable cassette players, and TV/VHS carts into the classroom for audio and video presentations. Using more sophisticated technology in a course can help instructors manage different learning styles that they often encounter in the classroom.

  • According to Dockstacker (2000), some of the important reasons to

The reconstruction of the Course

A beginning medical–surgical course was reconstructed to address the diverse learning styles of the student population. This course was offered in the second semester of a four-semester associate degree nursing program at a community college. The content areas in the medical–surgical course included respiratory disorders, cardiovascular disorders, cardiac disorders, orthopedics, and gastrointestinal disorders. The purposes of the reconstruction were to improve student retention, decrease

Lecturing

Heritage Dictionary (2009) defines lecture as an exposition of a given subject delivered before an audience or a class. There are benefits to using lecture as a teaching strategy, such as time efficiency for covering complex material and provision of background information not available to students. It also allows for clarification of complex, confusing, and/or conflicting concepts. Nilson (2003) believes that this is a passive teaching strategy, as most students neither absorb nor retain the

Video casting

Video casting is the delivery of audio and video content on demand. Video casts are an excellent way to produce video or PowerPoint lectures. There are hundreds of commercial and free softwares available that can be used for creating video casts. Examples of free software include Windows Movie Maker, iMovie (Apple), and Windows Media Encoder. Examples of commercial software are Adobe Premier Elements, Corel Video Studio, and Nero (Ahead Software). Hardware needed to create video cast include

VoiceThread

VoiceThread is a Web-based tool that allows the user to upload videos, images, documents, and presentations and have a discussion about them. Participants can add comments by using one or more of the following methods: telephone, webcam, microphone, text, or upload of a document. It even allows participants to draw on the screen.

Kinesthetic learners prefer to learn through real-life experience or simulation. VoiceThread appeals to the kinesthetic learner because it can be connected to reality

Reading assignment

Most classes have a required textbook, and students are assigned reading assignments. Reading assignments appeal to the students who prefer the read/write method of learning. When a class is composed of a mixture of learners, it becomes difficult to integrate active learning strategies when only a small portion of the students actually read the assigned reading. It becomes more challenging if the students who have read the material do not understand it. The question then becomes, how does an

Active learning strategies

Engaging students is a challenge when they are unprepared for the lesson. To implement active learning activities into the course, there are many assignments given to improve their knowledge base prior to class time, such as reading assignments, lectures, case studies, and questions. The teaching modalities that were used during class time were simulation, games, concept maps, and role-play. Simulation and role-play were used most of the time because it is the most effective way to address the

Discussion

The implementation of a multifarious design in a beginning medical–surgical course was a slow process. Faculty researched all teaching modalities that were used in the course. First, the teaching modality was evaluated for best teaching practices and the type of learner to whom it appealed. Each modality was modified to the meet standards for best teaching practice for the individual teaching strategy. For example, PowerPoints were edited to meet the best teaching practice using this method of

Conclusion

In order for instructors and students to benefit from the advantages of the multifarious design or technology in the classroom, the instructor must be willing to learn new technology and teaching strategies. Faculty must have the full support of the administration. The support of the administration plays an important part in the success of a new pedagogy being integrated into a curriculum. The administration has to support the instructor by providing faculty development and sometimes incentives

Acknowledgments

Special thanks goes to Albert Robinson for teaching me the Technology and providing resources to incorporate the technology in a classroom setting. Thank you to Helen Papas-Kavalis, Deborah Morris and Lorrain Emeghbo for giving me support, encouragement, and above all reading and editing the article. Last but not least, thank you to BCC Faculty who allowed me to flourish as a novice educator.

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