Exploring e-learning among nurse educators in undergraduate nursing

Abstract

Background: Nurse educators' use blended learning pedagogy to support student centered learning in undergraduate curriculum. E-learning technology has been used to engage students in conceptual and experiential opportunities in higher education. Objective: The objective of the study was to explore the perceptions of use and satisfaction of e-learning (Moodle) among nurse educators in an undergraduate nursing curriculum. Methods: A cross-sectional research design was used among 50 nurse educators in undergraduate nursing in February 2010. Ethical approval was sought from the College ethics committee. A validated and reliable self-administered Faculty Satisfaction Survey was used to collect data. Inferential statistics was used to analyze the data. Results: Nurse educator's perceptions were divergent, acknowledging the benefits of moodle, while some of them expressed concerns regarding overtime , limited resources, increased workload, and poor technical support. Some of the nurse educators exhibited positive attitudes towards the pedagogical value of moodle in engaging students, while some lacked the confidence to embark on developing courses using moodle. Conclusion: The study showed a rising awareness of the use of e-learning among nurse educators and moderate satisfaction as a blending learning approach. Implication: Nurse educators may need to incorporate moodle in the teaching-learning at a self-directed pace, using flexibility and convenience for higher learning approaches.