The Situation of Constructing a Blended Learning Approach To Meet With Student Diversity In Nursing; An Insight Into The Literature

Abstract

The historical nature of nursing has bore witness to the evolution that has seen its rise from a traditional industry educated approach to the current scholarly teachings of today's professional nurse (McBride, 1999). It is an occupation that attracts a diverse range of people who all come with varying ideas of what it is to be a nurse, demonstrate unique attitudes towards learning, hold different education styles and needs as well as having a number of fundamental outside lifestyle commitments (Felder & Brent, 2005; Gallagher, 2007; Gaynor, et al., 2007; Robinson, 2009). The traditional role of a face-to-face mode of learning can be argued as being less desirable amongst this particular population and their diversity calls for Higher Educational establishments to offer a more flexible approach to learning and teaching. The overall concepts are situated within a constructivist approach which is said to offer guidance in explaining how students draw from different sensory processes and social and cultural influences, in order to construct meaning and argues how the milieu which is blended learning, is an ideal platform to offering flexibility for Students, the wider University Communities and the Nursing Profession in meeting with the increasing diversity and enabling a more significant learning experience through engagement of this diverse nursing student body (McLoughlin & Luca, 2002; Oliver, Herrington, & Reeves, 2006; Rovai, 2004; Vygotsky, 1978). This paper presents an insight from the literature that supports a notion of constructing authentic learning situations using interactive applications suggestive of helping to contextualise students' experiences, in particular within a theory driven nursing research course. It explores the opportunity for uptake of alternative information and computer literacy skills necessary to succeed in an increasingly technologically driven workforce and argues for the value of engaging learners in learning through an interactive experience. Keywords - Blended Learning, Constructivism, Student Engagement, Nursing.