Technological Impacts during Transition from Face-to-Face Teaching to Synchronous during the Pandemic

Abstract

This basic qualitative study was an exploration of the experiences of nurse educators related to the rapid transition from onsite to remote synchronous teaching. In March 2019, the world was gripped by one of the worst pandemics in history, which affected all aspects of human life around the globe. Following a nationwide shutdown, educational programs were forced into the online environment to protect faculty and students. At the time of this study, the pandemic was ongoing, and research was sparse, leaving a gap in the literature related to nurse educators’ experience transitioning from onsite to remote synchronous education. The participants were 16 nurse educators from a compressed pre-licensure program. The study’s methodology included semi-structured interviews and hand coding of data until themes emerged. Seven themes illuminated the participants’ experiences and concerns: (a) barriers to transition: environment, (b) barriers to transition: technology, (c) transition: classroom management, (d) barriers to transition: teaching, (e) transition: faculty dissatisfaction, (f) effective transition: resources, and (g) transition to remote synchronous: lessons learned. The predominant theme, technological barriers, crossed over every theme. Internet-related technology issues presented obstacles related to bandwidth and connectivity for both students and faculty. Faculty experienced challenges with academic integrity and student engagement. Some students and faculty lived in rural areas and were unable to get internet access. Limitations included time, as the study was conducted one-year after the pandemic began. Had the study been conducted during the transition or soon after, participants may have had better recollection of the experience. Recommendations for further research include exploration of the psychological and physical impacts of the rapid transition. In addition, further research to determine the impact of the transition on learning outcomes and transition to practice may help nursing educators prepare for future use of virtual learning.