Project report: Evaluation of two post-graduate pre-registration nursing modules ‘Finding the Blend’: An evaluation of the balance between online and face to face learning and teaching in a blended curriculum

Abstract

In the School of Health Sciences we have adopted a blended learning approach for the delivery of the current nursing curriculum. It is intended to enhance and extend the learning opportunities for students. This approach makes full use of available learning technologies whilst recognising the value of face to face interaction and facilitation. It fosters supportive and collaborative learning networks amongst students and encourages deep learning by engaging students in incremental learning tasks and, student directed learning. It also enables students to self- pace their learning. As our nursing programme is being implemented we have engaged both academics and students in a systematic and iterative evaluation of the blended aspects of the programme. Our aims were to: a) Investigate how students experience the current balance between their classroom and online activities b) Evaluate the effectiveness of the range of activities, both online and face to face c) Identify points of good practice based on project evaluation and available literature. In this paper we share the results of our evaluation and highlight key messages for further development and improvement of designing the ‘blend’. Our recommendations may be beneficial for design teams who may need to engage in similar projects in the future