Experiences of undergraduate nursing students on an authentic mobile learning enactment at a higher education institution in South Africa.

BACKGROUND: Mobile technology has infiltrated our day to day existence through provision of inexhaustible access to communication and information. In education, mobile devices are not only used as tools to reinforce information, motivate and accentuate engagement, but it additionally enables the delivery of course content. The adoption of authentic technological innovations using the variety of distinguishing attributes available on mobile devices could potentially promote a mobile learning enactment. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to explore the experiences of undergraduate nursing students who participated in an authentic mobile learning enactment aimed at enhancing their learning experiences. DESIGN: This study used a qualitative contextual design. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Undergraduate nursing students, of a School of Nursing in a Faculty of Community and Health Sciences at a university in South Africa, were the study participants. All students (n = 101) registered for the primary care and clinical skills module were invited to submit reflections based on their experiences on an authentic mobile learning enactment using WhatsApp Messenger. METHOD: Students submitted electronic reflections after every two-week cycle of the enactment. The data collected was categorised into emerging themes as analysed by the researcher guided by Tesch's (1990) systematic process. An independent coder reviewed the data and, through consensus, themes identified were confirmed. RESULTS: One hundred and one participants (n = 101; 100%) submitted online reflections on their experiences during the authentic mobile learning enactment. Seven themes were identified which included: mobile devices afforded a learning platform; mobile learning enactment enhanced engagement; learning within a group made learning easier; flexibility in time allocated to complete tasks; challenges experienced with data/airtime/Wi-Fi; impaired communication due to poor network access and use of mobile devices in practice perceived as unprofessional. CONCLUSION: The study provided valuable insights into students' experiences of the authentic mobile learning enactment, as well as suggesting ways to enhance the effectiveness of such an enactment.

Undergraduate nurses reflections on Whatsapp use in improving primary health care education.

BACKGROUND: The global use of mobile devices with their connectivity capacity, and integrated with the affordances of social media networks, provides a resource-rich platform for innovative student-directed learning experiences. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to review the experiences of undergraduate nurses on the improvement of primary health care education at a School of Nursing at a University in the Western Cape, South Africa, through the incorporation of a social media application, WhatsApp. METHOD: A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive, and contextual design was used to explore and describe data collected from a purposive sample of 21 undergraduate nursing students. The study population was engaged in a WhatsApp discussion group to enhance their integration of theory and clinical practice of the health assessment competency of the Primary Health Care Module. Participants submitted electronic reflections on their experiences in the WhatsApp discussion group via email on completion of the study. Thematic analysis of the qualitative data collected was done according to Tesch's (1990) steps of descriptive data analysis in order to identify the major themes in the study. The electronic reflections were analysed to explore their rich, reflective data. RESULTS: Seven themes were identified that included: positive experiences using the WhatsApp group; the usefulness of WhatsApp for integrating theory and clinical practice; the availability of resources for test preparation; opportunity for clarification; anonymity; exclusion of students as a result of the lack of an appropriate device, and the application caused the battery of the device to run flat quickly. CONCLUSION: The results of the experiences of students in the WhatsApp discussion group could be used to inform the use of social media applications in teaching and learning, with the purpose of enhancing the integration of the theory and clinical practice.

Exploration of the affordances of mobile devices in integrating theory and clinical practice in an undergraduate nursing programme.

BACKGROUND: Promoting the quality and effectiveness of nursing education is an important factor, given the increased demand for nursing professionals. It is important to establish learning environments that provide personalised guidance and feedback to students about their practical skills and application of their theoretical knowledge. OBJECTIVE: To explore and describe the knowledge and points of view of students and educators about introduction of new technologies into an undergraduate nursing programme. METHOD: The qualitative design used Tesch's (1990) steps of descriptive data analysis to complete thematic analysis of the data collected in focus group discussions (FGDs) and individual interviews to identify themes. RESULTS: Themes identified from the students' FGDs and individual interviews included: mobile devices as a communication tool; email, WhatsApp and Facebook as methods of communication; WhatsApp as a method of communication; nurses as role-models in the clinical setting; setting personal boundaries; and impact of mobile devices in clinical practice on professionalism. Themes identified from the FGD, individual interviews and a discussion session held with educators included: peer learning via mobile devices; email, WhatsApp and Facebook as methods of communication; the mobile device as a positive learning method; students need practical guidance; and ethical concerns in clinical facilities about Internet access and use of mobile devices. CONCLUSION: The research project established an understanding of the knowledge and points of view of students and educators regarding introduction of new technologies into an undergraduate nursing programme with the aim of enhancing integration of theory and clinical practice through use of mobile devices.

Undergraduate Nurses Reflections on Whatsapp use in Improving Primary Health Care Education

Background: The global use of mobile devices with their connectivity capacity; and integrated with the affordances of social media networks; provides a resource-rich platform for innovative student-directed learning experiences.Objective: The objective of this study was to review the experiences of undergraduate nurses on the improvement of primary health care education at a School of Nursing at a University in the Western Cape; South Africa; through the incorporation of a social media application; WhatsApp.Method: A qualitative; exploratory; descriptive; and contextual design was used to explore and describe data collected from a purposive sample of 21 undergraduate nursing students. The study population was engaged in a WhatsApp discussion group to enhance their integration of theory and clinical practice of the health assessment competency of the Primary Health Care Module. Participants submitted electronic reflections on their experiences in the WhatsApp discussion group via email on completion of the study. Thematic analysis of the qualitative data collected was done according to Tesch's (1990) steps of descriptive data analysis in order to identify the major themes in the study. The electronic reflections were analysed to explore their rich; reflective data.Results: Seven themes were identified that included: positive experiences using the WhatsApp group; the usefulness of WhatsApp for integrating theory and clinical practice; the availability of resources for test preparation; opportunity for clarification; anonymity; exclusion of students as a result of the lack of an appropriate device; and the application caused the battery of the device to run flat quickly.Conclusion: The results of the experiences of students in the WhatsApp discussion group could be used to inform the use of social media applications in teaching and learning; with the purpose of enhancing the integration of the theory and clinical practice

Exploration of the Affordances of Mobile Devices in Integrating Theory and Clinical Practice in an Undergraduate Nursing Programme

Background: Promoting the quality and effectiveness of nursing education is an important factor; given the increased demand for nursing professionals. It is important to establish learning environments that provide personalised guidance and feedback to students about their practical skills and application of their theoretical knowledge. Objective: To explore and describe the knowledge and points of view of students and educators about introduction of new technologies into an undergraduate nursing programme. Method: The qualitative design used Tesch's (1990) steps of descriptive data analysis to complete thematic analysis of the data collected in focus group discussions (FGDs) andindividual interviews to identify themes.Results: Themes identified from the students' FGDs and individual interviews included:mobile devices as a communication tool; email; WhatsApp and Facebook as methods of communication; WhatsApp as a method of communication; nurses as role-models in the clinical setting; setting personal boundaries; and impact of mobile devices in clinical practice on professionalism. Themes identified from the FGD; individual interviews and a discussion session held with educators included: peer learning via mobile devices; email; WhatsApp and Facebook as methods of communication; the mobile device as a positive learning method; students need practical guidance; and ethical concerns in clinical facilities about Internet access and use of mobile devices.Conclusion: The research project established an understanding of the knowledge and points of view of students and educators regarding introduction of new technologies into an undergraduate nursing programme with the aim of enhancing integration of theory and clinical practice through use of mobile devices