Exploring nursing students’ perceptions of their learning experience in a gerontological nursing course with a technology-mediated learning environment

Abstract

This was a multi-method study employing pre- and post-course questionnaires and focus groups to explore nursing students’ learning experiences with a technology-mediated learning approach guided by the Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition (SAMR) model in the course Gerontological Nursing. 144 undergraduate nursing students completed the questionnaires. The findings suggest that the students perceived a significant improvement in their cognitive skills, class atmosphere, and educational practices at the end of the course when compared to the baseline. However, no significant increase was found in their perceived engagement in technology-mediated activities. Five themes emerged from three focus groups involving 17 students: Beneficial to my learning, Feeling less stressed, Motivating me to learn, Feeling more engaged, and Encountering some technical barriers and suggestions for improvement. Students’ perceptions of using technologies for teaching and learning were mostly positive. Digitalised teaching materials should be interactive and locally relevant to improve students’ learning experience and engagement.