C922 Curriculum Technology Proposal

Executive Summary

Technology has become more popular as a medium for teaching and is imperative to today’s learning environment. To foster active learning and meaningful learning experiences, nursing schools are shifting paradigms by integrating technology into the teaching environment. The purpose of this proposal was to identify a nursing curriculum technology that would promote the learning and student outcomes for the “ The Role of the BSN Nurse in Promoting Community Health” course.

The first step of the proposal involved the conduction of a literature review and the identification of gaps in the use of technology in nursing education. Evidence from literature indicated that despite the shift in technology, the nursing education sector experienced challenges in demonstrating meaningful use of the various educational technologies. To solve this challenge, a needs assessment was conducted to identify a gap in technology use and propose solutions. It was observed that the current mobile technology provided students with little opportunity to adapt to the ever-changing healthcare environment. As a solution, the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS) was proposed.

To effectively incorporate the LMS technology into the new curriculum, different stakeholders including the administration, academic nurse educators, IT team, and learners were involved. Through collaborative approaches, it was agreed that the new technology was the solution to engage students in active learning. Lewin’s change management theory was identified as the most appropriate approach to implement the new change in the organization.

Curriculum Technology Proposal

The use of technology is central to the success of many sectors of society today and its integration into the education process has great promise for student learning. Technology ushers a structural change to education to promote and support learning due to the evolving needs of students. Although technology is finally being integrated, its use for teaching and learning remains a challenge. Many educators depend on the traditional methods of instruction leaving a gap in the utilization of innovative ways of learning (Cloete, 2017). This discussion identifies technology for the promotion of nursing education and how it fills a curriculum gap in the ‘The role of BSN nurse in promoting community health’ course.

Literature review

Credible Sources

Please review Appendix A “Literature Review Summary Table”.

Summary of Sources

Utilization of Technology in Nursing Education

Technology is an integral part of nursing practice and it is necessary to be integrated into the nursing curriculum. The call for the use of active learning strategies in nursing education means that technology provides a platform to achieve this goal. According to recent research, technology has become a medium for teaching and imperative for today’s learning environment (Silveira & Cogo, 2017). In the United States, technology use in education is supported by research to be an innovative way to improving the efficiency of learning. A study by Serdyukov (2017) found out that technology use increases effectiveness in education, especially in the online learning environment. For instance, the use of web streaming allows educational facilities to increase their outreach to a larger number of scholars. Students are able to connect freely with their educators without physical contact, and this promotes learning using various environments.

Technologies for Nursing Education

Technology is the primary method through which individuals and organizations use to transmit information today. In recent years, various technologies have been supported to promote nursing education. One of those approaches is virtual simulation technologies that provide students with accounts used for simulation learning (Foronda et al., 2017). Other technologies like the digital clinical experience allow the development of clinical reasoning through simulation-reality learning. A study by Williamson and Muckle (2018) found out that more than 95% of nursing students are comfortable using various technologies in learning. These technologies including the use of smartphones provided an opportunity for innovative learning and to overcome challenges in content delivery. While these technologies provide safe learning platforms for students, they are faced with some challenges. Cloete (2017) explains that these technologies require a lot of time and money to operate leaving the society with an economic gap to fill. Additionally, technology use increases the workload and has led to the production of more dependent students that cannot think clearly without technological assistance.

Needs Assessment

The first step towards the identification of the needs included a student survey to identify the learning methods used and how they met their expected outcomes. It was observed that most of the student learning occurred using the traditional classroom method. Secondly, a curriculum review was conducted to identify learning strategies proposed for students and how they met the course objectives. The purpose of these assessments was to identify a gap in technology use for nursing students and propose a new technology that can be used during the implementation of the new course.

Need-Gap Analysis

A systematic process was used to assess the need for a technology that could promote student learning in the new course. The first approach was the use of a student survey to determine their need for the technology and perceived benefits. The survey also helped in identifying the student outcomes that required improvement and those that could be improved using the new technology. The second approach involved conducting a literature review to identify a technology that best suited the new course. Upon literature review, there was a need to involve key stakeholders from the nursing department and the institution to ensure the identified technology was relevant and met the requirements of the institution.

Stakeholders

Learners: The nursing students were consulted during the process to identify the challenge of education without technology and how the new approach would benefit them. They were responsible for filing the student survey and giving feedback on areas that required improvement.

Administration: The hospital administration was part of the curriculum review committee formed to discuss the technological approach to nursing education. The role of the administration was to provide guidance and financial support necessary to plan for the implementation of the new technology.

Academic Nurse Educators: These individuals were involved during the analysis of student survey results and identification of learning gaps in the student assessments. Their knowledge and expertise were crucial to the identification of the new technology and methods of achieving the desired student outcomes in the new course.

Methods of Collaboration

To collaborate effectively with stakeholders, the first approach involved the provision of adequate information about the technology gap and the proposed solution. The literature review and the student survey results provided adequate evidence about the need for technology in the new course. Secondly, effective communication strategies were used to encourage the participation of the stakeholders. For example, zoom meetings were held to engage the stakeholders and get their views on every step of the technology development process. The use of emails ensured that stakeholders received updates about all meetings and matters discussed. Lastly, the use of phone calls created room for consultations and passing of information between different teams, especially from the MSN student to the curriculum development team. These communication avenues ensured that stakeholders worked together at every point of the technology implementation phase.

Curriculum Technology Need-Gap Analysis

Current Curriculum Technology	Desired Curriculum Technology	Need-Gap	Action Steps to Meet the Need-Gap
The current education system capitalizes on mobile technology where students access e-books and journal articles.	Canvas learning Management System	As technology in nursing and medicine increases, nursing education also needs to shift to technology use. The traditional classroom learning only provides students with textbooks and raw learning material that hinder active learning.	1. Conduct a survey to identify learning needs and student outcomes that can benefit from technology use. 2. Perform a literature review to identify a technology to utilize in the course. 3. Discuss the technology with the curriculum development committee and other stakeholders. 4. Plan for resources and purchasing of the technology. 5. Train necessary stakeholders on technology use and implement the new change. 6. Evaluate the new technology and make necessary changes.

 

Current Technologies

The current technological approach to nursing education in the facility uses e-books and online journal articles. This approach ensures that students get extra resources outside the physical library and can access the materials using their phones. The advantage of this technology is that many students can easily access material and it offers an easy way of learning from any point. To its disadvantage, mobile technology online provides limited access to materials and content.

The proposed technology will utilize the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS) which provides access to both the students and educators. This software handles all facets of the e-learning process, including delivering content, handling registration for courses, and tracking and reporting (Cudney et al., 2017). The technology is advantageous because it has high-security measures that protect student’s information, can be customized according to the learner’s preference, and offers an opportunity for students to increase their critical thinking skills (Endozo et al., 2019). To its disadvantage, LMS relies on a stable internet connection, requires high maintenance costs, and data breaches can cause harm to the learners and educators.

Technology Challenges

The current technology used in the institution is mobile technology that allows access to materials and communication. This technology poses a challenge to students because it provides limited exposure to active learning strategies. Secondly, it hinders students from developing critical thinking skills due to inadequate active learning approaches. Due to the inability to promote active student learning, the current technology allows for a limited interaction between the student and the learner. Consequently, students are not encouraged to share their decisions, or believe in the capacity to lead making the technology less useful in promoting student-centered learning.

Overcoming Challenges

The introduction of the Canvas LMS will be a better solution to the challenge of technology use in the facility. The technology provides online access to information to both the students and educators. This software handles all facets of the e-learning process, including delivering content, handling registration for courses, and tracking and reporting (Cudney et al., 2017). Through the utilization of approaches like online discussions and flipped classrooms the students will be able to increase their critical thinking skills. Additionally, the technology will allow for individual tracking of the student’s performance throughout the course rather than relying on end-of-semester examinations. Regarding student-centered learning, the LMS technology will provide a platform for conducting projects, presenting the projects, and inquiring from their instructors on a regular basis. These approaches will ensure students are involved in planning for their learning and more participation in community-driven environments through the projects.

Summary of Findings

The analysis phase demonstrates that there is a lack of adequate utilization of technology in nursing education in the facility. There is a challenge of promoting active learning using various methods due to much focus on traditional learning strategies. The current mobile technology fails to promote critical thinking that is crucial for the management of the healthcare system today. To effectively deal with this challenge, collaboration with stakeholders identified the Canvas LMS as the best option. Using approaches like online discussion, flipped classrooms, and early delivery of feedback, the new technology will help improve learning.

Collaboration with Stakeholders

To reach the consensus of implementing the Canvas LMS technology, stakeholders including the IT department, administration, and the nurse educators were involved. The literature review of various articles provided a ground for argument on the need for a technology that could foster student-centered learning. Based on evidence from student surveys, it was observed that mobile technology provided little input on improving learning outcomes. Through meetings and discussions of the technology, a consensus was reached that the LMS technology was crucial for the implementation of the “The Role of the BSN Nurse in Promoting Community Health” course. Some stakeholders were concerned about the costs of implementing the new technology including the time required for training and support of the technology. However, a cost-benefit analysis revealed the new approach will lead to more productivity for students and the organization.

Force Field Analysis Assessment

Forces FOR Curriculum Proposal		Curriculum Proposal		Forces AGAINST Curriculum Proposal
The need to incorporate technology into nursing education.		Implementation of the Canvass LMS – learning platform.		Uncertainty of technology use in nursing education.
Improving student learning and meeting course objectives.				Costs for adoption and maintenance of the technology.
Competitive healthcare environment that requires technology use.				Presence of other technologies.
Reliability and value for money in the organization.				Time barrier for adoption and training f educators.
The need to improve critical thinking among students.				Organizational culture for change.

 

Organizational Factors

Internal factors that might hinder the adoption of the technology include financial constraints and lack of support from stakeholders. The Canvas technology will be costly to install and maintain leading to huge initial costs. The administration might be reluctant to release funds for the installation of the technology. Another factor is the lack of support from stakeholders especially the academic nurse educators. Failure to support the technology means that sustainability and its effectiveness will reduce with time leading to poor student outcomes. External factors like licensing bodies and security breach issues can affect the adoption of the technology. The organization should provide adequate evidence that the technology will be beneficial and will follow guidelines for technology use in nursing education.

Forces for Integration

The first force for integration of the LMS technology is the need to incorporate technology into the existing nursing curriculum. The identified gap demonstrates that students will greatly benefit from active learning strategies promoted through technology use. Secondly, Canvas LMS is a cloud-based e-learning platform that has been chosen because it is open-source, flexible, and able to customize features (Endozo et al., 2019). This feature will promote the acceptance and integration of the new change. Lastly, administrative support of the new technology and the need to improve organizational performance will strengthen the adoption process of the technology.

Challenges for Integration

The first factor that is likely to impede the new technology adoption is the associated financial costs. The expenses of training, purchasing hardware, and maintenance are likely to slow the process. Secondly, the uncertainty of new technology adoption may lead to sluggish incorporation into the new course leading to undesirable outcomes. Lastly, employee resistance to change may be a factor hindering the new technology adoption. For instance, most of the educators have taught for years using traditional approaches and the new technology might sound challenging.

Change Theory

Kurt Lewin’s change management theory will be used for the integration and adoption of the new technology.

Justification of Change Theory

Lewi’s change management theory describes three stages of change that occur in any organization. These stages include unfreezing, change process, and refreezing. The change management theory functions to evaluate the process of change in organizational environments and how the status-quo could be challenged t realize effective changes (Wojciechowski et al., 2016). For instance, the first stage recognizes human behavior as a quasi-stationary equilibrium. During this stage, the appropriate actions include determining what needs change, ensuring support of the change, and creating the need for change through communication and marketing.

During the change process, the focus is on communication, promoting action, and involving stakeholders as much as possible through collaborative practices. The refreezing stage involves tying the new change into the organizational culture. Lewin’s change theory will be crucial in the adoption of the new technology because it provides a simple standardized way of incorporating new approaches to change in any organization (Wojciechowski et al., 2016). Additionally, it provides an intuitive and fundamental understanding of how changes occur, in the context of the social behaviors observed at an individual and collective level within a group.

Potential Resistance to Technology

The potential resistance to the adoption of the new technology will be from the academic nurse educators. Most of the faculty educators have used the traditional classroom method with little incorporation of technology for years. Bringing the Canvas technology into place may fail to provide adequate evidence that it will improve student outcomes when their traditional methods have worked for thousands of students. Apart from this factor, financial organizational readiness to change may be a barrier to the adoption of the LMS technology. Time factors may also slow the process of adoption due to the training required for nurse educators and students.

Plan to Implement Change Theory

The implementation of the LMS technology will follow three steps as outlined in Lewin’s change management theory. During the unfreezing stage, a survey will be conducted in the organization to understand why the change is necessary, talking with stakeholders to obtain support, and creating the need for change through communication. I will communicate the change to the students and seek administrative support. During the change process stage, I will clarify the importance of the LMS technology to the organization, actively involve stakeholders, and encourage them to adopt the new change. During the refreezing stage, I plan to identify any barriers, involve stakeholders in solving the barriers, and establish a feedback process to anchor the change. Additionally celebration of success through rewards will strengthen the new approach to nursing education.

Conclusion

Rationale and Purpose

The purpose of the proposal is to identify a nursing curriculum technology that will promote the learning and student outcomes for the “ The Role of the BSN Nurse in Promoting Community Health” course. The technology will provide an opportunity for active student learning using various strategies and ensure engagement and collaborative practice in the community health nursing course.

 

Filling the Curriculum Gap

The current technology utilized in nursing education is mobile technology and it provides limited exposure to the evolving nursing world. Students are only able to access learning materials and communicate with their instructors. To adequately prepare students, the Canvas LMS technology provides a platform to fully utilize the online learning environment. Engagement in discussions, evidence-based practice use, and interaction with peers will improve the critical thinking that is required for community health nursing.

Significance of the Proposal

The proposal provides the organization with an opportunity to incorporate technology in nursing education. This approach will ensure students maximize their learning experience and prepare adequately to deal with the evolving demands of patients and the healthcare industry. The proposal also signifies the role of nurse educators in changing the nursing education sector through the utilization of technology and evidence-based practices.

References

Cloete, A. L. (2017). Technology and education: Challenges and opportunities. HTS Theological Studies, 73(4), 1-7.  https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v73i3.4589

Cudney, E. A., Murray, S. L., Groner, B., Kaczmarek, K. M., Wilt, B., Blaney, K., & Phelps, J. (2017). Using the voice of the student to evaluate learning management systems. American Society for Engineering Education. https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/engman_syseng_facwork/459/

Endozo, A. N., Oluyinka, S., & Daenos, R. G. (2019). Teachers’ experiences towards usage of learning management system: CANVAS. Learning, 5, 6. https://10.1145/3369255.3369257

Foronda, C. L., Alfes, C. M., Dev, P., Kleinheksel, A., Nelson, D. A., OʼDonnell, J. M., & Samosky, J. T. (2017). Virtually nursing: Emerging technologies in nursing education. Nurse Educator, 42(1), 14-17. https://10.1097/NNE.0000000000000295

Serdyukov, P. (2017). Innovation in education: What works, what doesn’t, and what to do about it?. Journal of Research in Innovative Teaching & Learning, 10 (1), 4-33. https://doi.org/10.1108/JRIT-10-2016-0007

Silveira, M. S., & Cogo, A. (2017). The contributions of digital technologies in the teaching of nursing skills: an integrative review. Revista Gaucha de Enfermagem, 38. https://doi.org/10.1590/1983-1447.2017.02.66204

Williamson, K. M., & Muckle, J. (2018). Students’ perception of technology use in nursing education. Computers, Informatics, Nursing : CIN, 36(2), 70–76. https://doi.org/10.1097/CIN.0000000000000396

Wojciechowski, E., Pearsall, T., Murphy, P., & French, E. (2016). A case review: Integrating Lewin’s theory with Lean’s system approach for change. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 21(2), 4. https://doi.org/10.3912/OJIN.Vol21No02Man04

Appendix A: Table 1. Literature Review Summary table

Table 1.
Literature Review Summary Table
First Author (PubYear)	Title	Purpose	Context	Findings	Relevance	Strength of Evidence
Silveira, 2017	The contributions of digital technologies in the teaching of nursing skills.	Present the topic, focus, purpose or question that underpins your proposal.	The study was conducted in Brazil and involved a review of 30 articles discussing the use of technology in nursing education.	Technologies for nursing education commonly used included videos, learning management system, and other applications like virtual reality simulators.	This article is relevant to my study because it identifies variety of technologies used to promote learning and acquisition of skills during nursing education.	Level I, Integrative review Strengths: Thoroughly analyzes various technologies used in nursing education using an array of articles. Weaknesses: Many of the summaries provided in the research did not describe participants and settings of study.
Cloete, 2017	Technology and education: Challenges and opportunities	The aim of the article is to illustrate the complex nature of technology as a medium in education.	The article focused on the use of technology in higher learning and provided opinions on the importance and setbacks of technology use in education.	Technology was found to be a socially embedded medium and was the driving force behind the modification of education. However, technology use had disembodiment regarding online education.	The article provides evidence that technology can be used positively to influence education and can also have challenges.	Level VII, Expert opinion Strengths: There is use of adequate supportive evidence on the use of technology in education today. Weaknesses: It is just an expert opinion.
Foronda, 2017	Virtually nursing: Emerging technologies in nursing education	To disseminate knowledge about emerging technologies  that may potentially fill a gap in nursing education.	Using a qualitative approach, the study identified 6 technologies that can influence college-level and pre-hospital groups in nursing education.	Augmented reality and virtual simulation technologies provided solutions to meet the needs of nursing programs. More application-based learning was observed when using technology in nursing education.	The article is relevant to my proposal because it demonstrates how technology use can lead to application-based learning and improvement of student outcomes.	Level VII, Expert opinion Strengths: The article clearly demonstrates how different technologies impact nursing education. Weaknesses:The study only provides opinions based on findings from other researches.
Williamson, 2018	Students’ perception of technology use in nursing education	The study aims at analyzing the perception of nursing students’ use of various technologies while in school.	The population of focus was BSN nursing students. 375 nursing students were used for the study.	It was observed that incorporating technology tools successfully supported innovative learning. Students were comfortable using various technologies for leaning.	The article supports my proposal which aims at using a modern technology to influence nursing student learning.	Level IV, Case Study Strengths:A substantial number of participants (375) were used for the study and analysis done using a well-recognized tool. Weaknesses: The study was only conducted in a single institution.
Serdyukov, 2017	Innovation in education: What works, what doesn’t, and what to do about it?	The purpose of the paper is  present an analytical review of the educational innovation field in the USA.	Focused on nurse educators and curriculum developers in the US.	The article found out that the primary focus of innovation in education was on teaching and learning. Critical areas of technology use included cost, time and efficiency of learning.	My proposal uses technology to influence teaching and student learning as supported by the article.	Level V, Meta-synthesis Strengths: Numerous sources were used for the study and practical recommendations are provided. Weaknesses: Most of the studies used in the article were qualitative studies that lack testing of the proposed solutions.