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As more nursing programs move to online education, nurse educators are challenged with the rapid expansion of online technology while balancing instruction that engages students and aligns with curriculum (Stott & Mozer, 2016). Despite the growing trend in online instruction, limited attention has been given to effective teaching strategies that are specific to the online setting (Smith & Crowe, 2017). As nursing programs continue to expand online, innovative pedagogies that support online teaching and learning practices grounded in theoretical constructs are needed. Moreover, increased use of online delivery for the nursing education necessitates course designs that promote student interaction and foster community. Collaborative learning activities through the use of various technologies have been found to be effective in addressing specific areas of the curriculum, while promoting social presence (Fox, 2017).
The purpose of this project is to promote instructional teaching and learning practices through online engagement using learning management system (LMS) technologies that are supported by theoretical constructs in an online RN-to-Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program. The nurse educators in this project developed video-recorded simulation scenarios and used VoiceThread© (VT) technology to create a model of online instruction that promotes active student participation and aligns with course objectives and content. Kolb's experiential learning theory (Kolb, 1984) serves as the theoretical framework for this project and is a learner-centered approach that focuses on the learner actively problem solving and contributing to the experience.
Background
Too often, online learning is static and content laden, with an overreliance on reading and writing tasks in the online classroom despite the availability of technologies that can be used to enhance social interactions and deliver different instructional modalities (Andrew, Ewens, & Maslin-Prothero, 2015; Stott & Mozer). The literature attests to effective online learning through pedagogical practices that stimulate active student engagement (Andrew et al., 2015; Stott & Mozer, 2016). To promote collaborative learning in an asynchronous environment, educators are finding value in audio and video technologies that create social presence (Fox, 2017; Guhde, 2010a; Miller & Metz, 2015). An example of this technology is VT, a cloud-based application that permits instructors and students to create interactive presentations that take advantage of technologies allowing for audio, video, and written comments asynchronously (VoiceThread, 2017). For example, an instructor can upload...