Interactive Video Technology as A Mode of Teaching: A Qualitative Analysis of Nursing Students’ Experiences at A Higher Education Institution in Namibia

Abstract

Interactive video technology (IVT) remains one of the common modes of teaching utilised by various higher education institutions (HEIs) across the globe with an aim of catering to ever-increasing educational demands. The objectives of this study were to explore and describe the experiences of nursing students on the use of IVT as a mode of teaching General Nursing Science with a view to describing the aspects that affect their learning. The study was conducted at one of the satellite campuses of an HEI located in north-eastern Namibia. In this study, a qualitative, exploratory and descriptive design was used. A total of fifteen nursing students from the Faculty of Health Sciences in the School of Nursing, purposively selected from the population of fourth-year nursing students who were taught via IVT, participated in the study. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analysed by means of content analysis. Three main themes subsequently emerged: nursing students experienced the IVT as a beneficial mode of teaching; the use of IVT as a mode of teaching resulted in certain negative experiences for nursing students; and the presence of certain strategies that strengthen IVT as a teaching mode. The study identified both positive and negative student experiences resulting from the use IVT as a mode of teaching. It was therefore concluded that the School of Nursing should continue to use IVT as a mode of teaching, but should put certain interventions in place to strengthen it and to make the learning environment more favourable for students.