Learning Theories and Diversity
The main objective of nursing education globally is to promote professionalism and clinical competencies in making sure that the quality and safety of care provided in improved. Since nursing is considered a practical discipline, the process of educating nursing students thus involves both theoretical classroom discussions and sufficient clinical placements to promote the application of these theories into clinical practice (Tsimane & Downing, 2020). Nursing education plays a significant role in nursing professional development as stated by the American Nurses Association, which champions clinical expertise by learning in institutions of higher learning. Nurse educators in institutions of higher learning are normally faced with several challenges such as cultural diversity and the theory-practice gap among others. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the use of educational theory in course development for culturally diverse nursing students in an institute of higher learning.
Influence of Learner’s Culture, Gender, and Experiences on Teaching and Learning
As a nurse educator in an institution of higher learning, I intend to develop a course that focuses on the development of cultural competencies to promote culturally sensitive nursing care for the increasingly diverse population. The target population for this nursing education program will comprise nursing students enrolled in the institute of higher learning. Studies show that some of the diversity reported among nursing students enrolled in institutes of higher learning in the United States include ethnic variance, age, multiculturalism, gender balance, and socioeconomic status among others (Fawaz et al., 2018). Such factors serve as a barrier to the effective delivery of nursing education to promote professional development in the institutes of higher learning. For instance, most nursing students in the 21st century come from different ethnic backgrounds with different socioeconomic statuses, which requires the adoption of appropriate educational theory to be able to overcome such diversities. Most nursing students who will also benefit from this course will also be of different ages and both genders.
Consequently, due to multiculturalism among nursing students in higher learning institutions, the educator must identify and respect the values and beliefs of each student to promote a positive learning environment. It is also important to note that not all nursing students will be from a high socioeconomic status, as some may be faced with financial challenges (Salifu et al., 2018). As such, the nurse educator needs to promote the use of easily accessible and affordable resources to be utilized in this course to promote maximum benefit from all students irrespective of their socioeconomic status. It is thus crucial to adopt the most effective educational theory and evidence-based teaching strategies to help promote the development of a nursing program that will benefit the diverse nursing student population enrolled in the higher learning institution.
Educational Theory and Evidence-Based Teaching
To guide the development of this nursing program I will utilize the social, ecological model – SEM alongside the theory of interpersonal relations. Through evidence-based teaching, SEM has been reported to encourage culturally congruent education by promoting decisions that are acceptable to all cultural values and beliefs at all levels (Ivankova & Plano Clark, 2018). The model comprises five main stages including individual, interpersonal, community, organizational, and public policy. The individual-level mainly focuses on the knowledge and skills of the person. Encouraging adequate knowledge of the different cultural beliefs and values will help promote a positive attitude and use of culturally sensitive language in educating a diverse nursing student population as described above.
The interprofessional level focuses on the development of an appropriate relationship between individuals. For instance, in the development of this course, it will be necessary to encourage the use of effective communication skills to promote healthy interpersonal relationships between the educator and the nursing students, and among nursing students themselves to promote a conducive learning environment for the diverse population (Zhang & Cui, 2018). The organization-level comprises ways in which the organization such as the institute for higher learning, can help promote a culture of understanding and welcoming for all nursing students, irrespective of their diversities. Consequently, at the community level, studies show that a coalition of the organization in the community will help in promoting a louder voice and create more funds to promote culturally sensitive nursing practice. Finally, through public policy, the institute of higher learning will be able to implement policies that encourage a culture of diversity in the nursing school such as addressing inequality and re-evaluating the teaching materials.
Create a 5–7-page high-level teaching plan for a diverse learning environment that is designed around an appropriate educational theory.
Note: Assessments in this course build on each other and must be completed in sequential order.
When beginning to design a course, nurse educators need to identify the learning theory or theories that will form the foundation of a course’s design, and to consider the needs of the population of learners who will take the course.
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:
Competency 1: Appraise the influence of learner’s culture, gender, and experiences on teaching and learning.
Describe the diversity of an intended group of learners.
Competency 2: Apply educational theory and evidence-based teaching practices when implementing teaching strategies.
Identify a learning theory that applies to a selected educational topic and audience.
Competency 3: Apply a variety of teaching strategies appropriate to diverse learner needs, content, and desired learner outcomes.
Justify the application of a learning theory in a particular context.
Competency 4: Integrate best practices for classroom management
Describe evidence-based strategies for managing conflicts that could arise in a diverse classroom.
Competency 5: Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and consistent with the expectations of a nursing education professional.
Support a position with effective written communication; use correct spelling, grammar, punctuation and mechanics, and APA style and formatting.
Assessment InstructionsNote: Assessments in this course build on each other and must be completed in sequential order.It is important to consider the role of diversity and learning environments when selecting appropriate theories and approaches for a desired learning outcome. For this assessment, you will implement these considerations in an educational environment of your choosing.Preparation
Take time to review educational theories that you have studied in prior courses or used in your work. Do additional research on educational theories and approaches as necessary.
Optional: Practice implementing these considerations in the Vila Health challenge provided in the Resources before beginning your work here.
Instructions
For this assessment, you will create a 5–7-page high-level teaching plan in which you do the following:
Select a topic for a course that you would like to teach in an educational environment. (For example, maybe you would like to be a nursing instructor in an institution of higher learning, a staff development educator in a clinical facility, or a patient educator in a hospital.) Briefly describe your course and the environment that you will utilize for teaching. Also describe the intended audience for your course.
Select an educational theory that you could use to guide the development of your course. Describe the key points of the theory you selected and explain why you think this theory fits the topic, audience, and context of your course.
Be sure to cite textbooks or articles from peer-reviewed journals to support your choice.
Identify and discuss potential diversity in the group that you anticipate teaching. (Diversity can include multiculturalism, age, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, Limited English Proficiency (LEP), or other cultural barriers that you feel could impact your learning environment.)
Use current research to describe how you will address these issues in your learning environment.
Describe how you will manage conflict in the classroom that may arise from the anticipated diversity among learners.
Additional Requirements
Format: 12-point Times New Roman or Arial font, double-spaced in Microsoft Word.
Length: 5–7 pages, plus a title page and a references page.
Use correct APA format, including running head, page numbers, and a title page.
Writing should be free of grammar and spelling errors that distract from content.
Suggested Resources
The resources provided here are optional. You may use other resources of your choice to prepare for this assessment; however, you will need to ensure that they are appropriate, credible, and valid. The MSN-FP6105 Library Guide can help direct your research, and the Supplemental Resources and Research Resources, both linked from the left navigation menu in your courseroom, provide additional resources to help support you.Learning Theories
100 Years of Learning Theory | Transcript.
Learning Environment
Vila Health: The Learning Environment | Transcript.
SHOW LESSTeaching Styles and Strategies
Curran, M. K. (2014). Examination of the teaching styles of nursing professional development specialists, part I: Best practices in adult learning theory, curriculum development, and knowledge transfer. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 45(5), 233–240.
Curran, M. K. (2014). Examination of the teaching styles of nursing professional development specialists, part II: Correlational study on teaching styles and use of adult learning theory. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 45(8), 353–359.
Gardner, S. S. (2014). From learning to teach to teaching effectiveness: Nurse educators describe their experiences. Nursing Education Perspectives, 35(2), 106–111.
Learner Diversity and Cultural Sensitivity
Decelle, G., & Sherrod, D. (2011). A call to address learner diversity in health professions education. Journal of Best Practices in Health Professions Diversity: Education, Research, & Policy, 4(1), 574–584.
Dewald, R. J. (2012). Teaching strategies that promote a culturally sensitive nursing education. Nursing Education Perspectives, 33(6), 410–412.
