Student nurses’ perceptions of Facebook ™ as an interactive learning platform in nursing education

Abstract

Background: The use of Facebook ™ in nursing education is under-researched. Objective: To assess students’ perceptions of using Facebook ™ as an educational mean to support their study. Methods: One group pretest–posttest study was conducted in one nursing school in Jordan. Facebook ™ pages were created for two nursing courses. Students completed a questionnaire about students’ perception of using Facebook ™ as educational platform in the first lecture of the semester as a pre-test, and then at the end of the semester as a post-test; after interacting with the created Facebook ™ page. Results: Students perceived that Facebook ™ is an effective tool for nursing education (n = 119, 78.8%). It can facilitate the communication, ease access to course materials, and provide support for students. However, a few students believed that Facebook ™ is a distraction from study, requires users to have special skills, and does not protect privacy. Conclusion: This preliminary evaluation revealed that Facebook ™ can be used as an instructional tool to support nursing education.