Journal of Women's Health Care
Open Access

Blended learning in post-graduate education: Staff and student perspectives

World Congress on Midwifery and Womens Health

August 29-31, 2016 Atlanta, USA

Siobhan Smyth

National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Womens Health Care

Abstract :

Blended learning is a term which refers to the integration of computer-based learning and face-to-face learning activities. It embraces a constructivist pedagogy which makes it suitable for use within nurse education. Blended learning provides an environment for dialogue, critical debate, negotiation and agreement. In the academic year 2008/2009 the School of Nursing and Midwifery, National University of Ireland, Galway began offering multiple postgraduate programmes via blended learning. The blended learning approach adopted combines online teaching and assessment of a range of web-based modules with typically two days of face-to-face skills based workshops for each module. Programmes cover a range of specialist areas including, accident and emergency, palliative care, oncology, midwifery and mental health. The aim of this presentation was to describe a study which explored nursing students� and staffs� experiences of taking/delivering a blended learning programme and to discover areas of excellence and areas for potential improvements. A qualitative interpretive descriptive design was used to gather and analyze data from participants based on the work of thorne. The first phase involved focus group interviews (n=6) with post-graduate students undertaking one of the post-graduate nursing programmes delivered via blended learning. In the second phase, key individuals involved in the provision of the blended learning programmes attended focus group (n=4) and individual (n=4) interviews. These individuals were Programme Directors, Module Leaders, Clinical Facilitators and Administration Staff. In keeping with thorne�s approach the constant comparative method of analysis was employed. The findings from this analysis revealed a number of themes under which to discuss the experiences of the participants. These themes included: Accessible and Flexible; Autonomy and Responsibility; Structured and Clear; Engagement; Managing the Blend; Ground Rules; Learning & Application; Adjustment; Feedback and; Excellence. These will be discussed in detail and recommendations made for how to achieve excellence in the delivery of blended learning programmes.

Biography :

Email: siobhan.smyth@nuigalway.ie