Perceptions of the Community of Inquiry in an Online RN to BSN Program

Perceptions of the Community of Inquiry in an Online RN to BSN Program by Beth Ann Townsend MSN, Indiana University, 1993 BS, College of St. Francis, 1989 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Walden University December 2015 Abstract Basic nursing education is no longer sufficient to meet the escalating demands of today’s complex healthcare environment. Recognizing the need for the advanced cognitive skills incurred by these demands, increasing numbers of registered nurses (RNs) have been enrolling in online Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs. The problem identified in the RN to BSN degree completion program at a large Midwestern university was the lack of information as to how online teaching and learning strategies were experienced by students. Research has demonstrated that the online community of inquiry (CoI) model facilitates higher order thinking through collaborative learning strategies and the interaction of teaching, social, and cognitive presence. The purpose of this sequential explanatory mixed methods study was to investigate the perceptions of RNs enrolled in the program about a recently completed course utilizing a 34-item CoI survey and semistructured interviews. The data from 109 completed survey responses were analyzed via descriptive statistics and indicated that student perceptions of social and teaching presence were lower than perceptions of cognitive presence, meaning that the perceived establishment of online relationships and instructor engagement were not as high as were the perceived experiences of higher order thinking. Interviews with 15 purposefully selected students were analyzed for emergent themes and suggested limited online collaboration, which is considered to be fundamental to higher order learning. Based on these findings, a faculty development workshop was designed using the CoI model to encourage collaboration. A potential increase in RN proficiency in higher order thinking fostered by the CoI model will optimize the quality of patient-related decisions, minimize medical errors, and provide the impetus to challenge the status quo in health care.Basic nursing education is no longer sufficient to meet the escalating demands of today’s complex healthcare environment. Recognizing the need for the advanced cognitive skills incurred by these demands, increasing numbers of registered nurses (RNs) have been enrolling in online Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs. The problem identified in the RN to BSN degree completion program at a large Midwestern university was the lack of information as to how online teaching and learning strategies were experienced by students. Research has demonstrated that the online community of inquiry (CoI) model facilitates higher order thinking through collaborative learning strategies and the interaction of teaching, social, and cognitive presence. The purpose of this sequential explanatory mixed methods study was to investigate the perceptions of RNs enrolled in the program about a recently completed course utilizing a 34-item CoI survey and semistructured interviews. The data from 109 completed survey responses were analyzed via descriptive statistics and indicated that student perceptions of social and teaching presence were lower than perceptions of cognitive presence, meaning that the perceived establishment of online relationships and instructor engagement were not as high as were the perceived experiences of higher order thinking. Interviews with 15 purposefully selected students were analyzed for emergent themes and suggested limited online collaboration, which is considered to be fundamental to higher order learning. Based on these findings, a faculty development workshop was designed using the CoI model to encourage collaboration. A potential increase in RN proficiency in higher order thinking fostered by the CoI model will optimize the quality of patient-related decisions, minimize medical errors, and provide the impetus to challenge the status quo in health care. Perceptions of the Community of Inquiry in an Online RN to BSN Program by Beth Ann Townsend MSN, Indiana University, 1993 BS, College of St. Francis, 1989 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Walden University December 2015 Dedication I first dedicate this work to Our Lord who has given me the grace and strength to persevere in the journey and I thank Him for His help in overcoming the obstacles I encountered. I pray that the outcome of this study will be beneficial to nurse educators and students in ways that are tangible for them and for the greater honor and glory of God. In loving memory of my late husband George W. Applegate, MD, who made my academic dream come true, and my father, Edward Jindra, who taught me how to think in ways that would never have been possible without his tutelage. Finally, I acknowledge that, without the love and patience of my husband, the attainment of my doctorate would not have become a reality. Thank you, Terry, for all you have done, all you have sacrificed, and for all the times you lifted my spirits so that I could keep moving forward. You will never know how much gratitude and love fills my heart for your uncomplaining actions and the insightful words of comfort that literally kept me on the path to completion of this degree. You are truly a gift from God and I thank Him every day for sending you to me. Acknowledgments To my mother, Marian Jindra, who prayed for me around the clock. I thank my URR Dr. Beate Baltes and my patient and encouraging committee, Dr. Paul Englesberg and Dr. Edward Garten, whose teaching and learning strategies gave me exactly what I needed when I needed it. I am grateful to Laura Parker, who came to my analytical aid numerous times without complaint. Thank you to my kindred spirits Mary Ellen Slisz, Ellen Jose, Lynn Morris, and Carol Filkins – the friends who stayed the course with me and surrounded me with their love, encouragement, and support. With endless appreciation and gratitude to the mentors in my life, Sr. Sharon Richardt, D.C., and Mary Fisher, PhD, RN who helped me see what I could not and who selflessly gifted me with their expertise, lessons from lived experience, and their beliefs in life-long learning. Their intellectual brilliance is matched only by their humility and compassion.