Module 1 SOLO by Nick Curry https://padlet.com/Nick_Curry/ya7cdcc3ty6v830y en-us 2023-05-24 17:07:54 UTC 2023-05-29 21:57:55 UTC hello@padlet.com Learning Point #1: Formal vs Informal Curricula Nick_Curry https://padlet.com/Nick_Curry/ya7cdcc3ty6v830y/wish/2603602810 Formal & Informal Curricula

Formal curriculum is the planned program of study which an academic degree follows. Informal curriculum is the extracurricular activities students take part in which parallels coursework (Deboor & Keating, 2023, pp. 90). Examples of informal curriculum are honor society meetings, study groups, or even holiday parties.

Informal curriculum is also called hidden, or co-curriculum. Both are essential for learning in nursing programs for the following reasons. Formal curriculum ensures every student has developed competent levels of clinical judgment required for safe clinical practice. Basically, the students know what they are doing and can justify their actions with objective knowledge. Informal curriculum improves the learning environment and allows students and faculty to work together to build strong positive relationships. Informal curriculum can be thought of as having intangible benefits which aid students in achieving success.

Additional Learning:
It would benefit an educator to know what types of informal curricular activities can be held for students and how they would provide benefit. Examples specific to nursing education may be inviting special guest speakers to discuss nursing specialties and share anecdotal stories of their practice. Additionally, alumni association activities could be held to provide mentorship for current students which would prep them for entering the workforce.  Learning about the themes of informal curriculum would benefit educators. Understanding these themes and the ethos behind them could assist an educator in applying them to practice.

Putting Learning to Practice:
Four themes are identified by the textbook which contribute to successful use of informal curriculum. As a future educator I plan to apply these themes as they are crucial to implement and adhere to, otherwise informal curricular activities will hold little scholarly merit. Instead, such activities will still be fun, but not educationally relevant.  According to Deboor & Keating (2023), the first theme to apply is, Creating Pedagogical Space, which is the faculties tendency to be flexible with assignments and provide responsive communication. This helps students feel supported. The second theme, Being Inclusive and Aware, ensures a welcome space for diverse students. The third theme, Being Engaged and Engaging Students, is about finding balance in the difficulty of challenges posed to students. As an educator I want to challenge my students appropriately without making things so difficult it breaks their spirit. Fourth and final theme is, Doing More Than Teaching, this refers to being genuine and caring for the student’s well-being. I want the students to feel like they matter.
In practice, understanding the need for curriculum reform will guide how I teach students and what faculty/administrative actions I take place in. For example, I would like to participate in program curriculum committees. Faculty engagement in such activities evaluate if program objectives, outcomes, and if the vision and mission are being accomplished (Deboor & Keating, 2023, pp. 33). As a novice educator there is also the option to be mentored by senior faculty who have experience evaluating and suggesting changes to curriculum until such a time comes that I feel confident enough to do so on my own.


Reference:
DeBoor, S. S., & Keating, S. B. (2023). Keating’s curriculum development and evaluation in nursing education. Springer Publishing.]]> 2023-05-24 17:19:11 UTC https://padlet.com/Nick_Curry/ya7cdcc3ty6v830y/wish/2603602810 Learning Point #2: Curriculum Reform in Nursing Education Nick_Curry https://padlet.com/Nick_Curry/ya7cdcc3ty6v830y/wish/2603608063 Curriculum Reform in Nursing Education

Health care as an environment is fluid, requiring nurse’s roles to continually develop to meet the needs of patients. Many nursing programs are revising curriculum from a traditional educational approach to a concept, or competency-based one to address this requirement. 

Moving to a concept or competency-based curriculum in nursing is necessary. According to Deboor & Keating (2023), changing to these models is the best way to teach students the material they need for the job. It equips them with critical thinking and collaboration skills necessary for delivering the best patient care. Issues with traditional curriculum is it presents extensive information while allowing minimal time for students to organize and apply the information. Essentially, it’s the worst of both worlds. While this style of learning may be beneficial for specific professions, it is not appropriate for nursing, hence the need for change.

Additional Learning:
Understanding the implications and differences between surface and deep learning would be of benefit to the nurse educator. It’s important to know deep learning is the preferred level of understanding nursing students should strive for and educators should optimize their curriculum for. Understanding these concepts is necessary for the successful application of them.

Surface learning is the acquisition of knowledge only with the external motivation of passing exams. Deep learning on the other hand involves the acquisition of knowledge and understanding of underlying principles, mechanisms, critical thinking, analysis, and possible applications (Alsayed et al., 2021). This is far more appropriate for nursing as it will help the nurse analyze a situation beyond what is apparent and obvious.

Putting Learning to Practice:
In practice, understanding the need for curriculum reform will guide how I teach students and what faculty/administrative actions I take place in. For example, I would like to participate in program curriculum committees. Faculty engagement in such activities evaluate if program objectives, outcomes, and if the vision and mission are being accomplished (Deboor & Keating, 2023, pp. 33). As a novice educator there is also the option to be mentored by senior faculty who have experience evaluating and suggesting changes to curriculum until such a time comes that I feel confident enough to do so on my own.


References:

Alsayed, S., Alshammari, F., Pasay-an, E., & Dator, W. L. (2021). Investigating the learning approaches of students in nursing education. Journal of Taibah University Medical Sciences, 16(1), 43–49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtumed.2020.10.008

DeBoor, S. S., & Keating, S. B. (2023). Keating’s curriculum development and evaluation in nursing education. Springer Publishing. 
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