The virtual forum as a teaching tool in the nursing degree internship or placements

Abstract

Background: The virtual forum is one the active methodologies taking advantage of the possibilities offered by the information and communication technologies. They are an asynchronous communication method used to develop essential skills among nursing degree students, including their writing, reflection, and critical thinking skills. Objective: To reflect on the use of the virtual forum as a teaching tool in supervised practice. Main topics under analysis: In the Nursing Degree of the University Center of Health Sciences San Rafael-Nebrija, discussion fora were implemented in 2014/2015 as a directed activity within the digital portfolio included in the Intermediate Internship of the 3rd-year of the Nursing Degree (4 years in total). Conclusion: As an innovative teaching tool, discussion fora are useful for the acquisition or update of knowledge through literature searches and for the development of students’ synthesis and prioritization skills, promoting their self-learning.