Collaboration and constructivist learning around cultural competence student-centered learning and assessment

23^rd World Nursing and Healthcare Conference

July 10-12, 2017 Berlin, Germany

Mary Brown and Richard Windle

University of Nottingham, UK

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Nurs Care

Abstract :

One of educational conflicts that can arise during experiential learning is the issue of how to assess students in order to ensure that they meet module and academic requirements, while at the same time not narrowing the potential learning experience of the student, (Barrett, 2004). We recently introduced an e-portfolio to coordinate all aspects of an international elective placement process for second year nursing students. During their placements students were asked to reflect on their experiences and collate evidence of achievement. After their placement, they developed a portfolio of media to document and reflect upon their learning, aimed at supporting cultural competence development and group learning. While it was straightforward to determine the extent to which the e-portfolio fulfilled institutional assessment and management requirements, we also developed an evaluation tool based on Barret�s (2004) principles of e-portfolio functionality to determine the extent to which the process and subsequent portfolios were able to capture the students� ownership of their learning around cultural competence and the skills that they can take forward into future practice. Here, we will present our results showing how the process functioned as a robust and reliable assessment of cultural competence and the extent to which students were able to develop a constructivist learning resource that matched the characteristics of a student owned portfolio at the same time.

Biography :

Mary Brown Assistant Professor of nurse education and a Registered Children’s Nurse. Her particular area of interest within nurse education is international educational development within the nursing curriculum. She is nursing lead for Erasmus and the elective programme within the undergraduate nursing curriculum. Areas of teaching expertise lie within personal and professional effectiveness and cultural competency. Mary is joint lead for the e-portfolio model of teaching and learning for electives within the nursing curriculum. The use of an e-portfolio for module assessment of experimental learning and reflection the system allows students to collect and collate their learning experiences and produce a visible multimedia record of their learning. The e-portfolio gives students the opportunity to develop their personal account of their own understanding of cultural competency and awareness of global healthcare issues. The e-portfolio provides students with a visual collection of their learning that can be taken forward to help towards demonstrating employability.