The implementation of social media platforms for teaching and learning in basic nursing studies

Abstract

Lecturers in Nursing Colleges are faced with the basic nursing students of the 21st century, who are growing in a modernised world of technology. However, the researcher identified that the Nursing Colleges under study were lagging behind in implementing social media platforms in teaching and learning. The purpose of this study was to develop a conceptual teaching and learning model, using social media platforms that will integrate nursing theory and practice. The research setting was the three public Nursing Colleges offering a basic nursing programme, in Gauteng province, South Africa. An exploratory, sequential, mixed-method design was used in conducting this research over three phases. The population was lecturers teaching basic and post-basic nursing courses from 2018 – 2020, and first- and second-year student nurses enrolled for the basic nursing programme from 2018 – 2020. A non-probability purposeful sampling technique was used in phase 1, the qualitative phase. The sample consisted of 14 lecturers teaching basic and post-basic nursing courses, and 20 first- and second-year student nurses enrolled at three Public Nursing Colleges. Data were collected qualitatively through focus group interviews and were analysed by using descriptive analysis. The findings of phase 1 revealed that the participants supported the use of social media, with consideration of access to resources, availability of training workshops, interaction between lecturers and students, multiple teaching strategies and rules, regulations and policies to govern the system. Non-probability convenience sampling was used in phase 2, which was quantitative. The sample consisted of 56 lecturers teaching basic and post-basic nursing courses, and 696 first- and second-year student nurses. Data were collected quantitatively by means of self-developed questionnaires. The results revealed that most of the students (68.1%; n = 474) and lecturers (71.4%; n = 40) were open to new teaching strategies. The respondents preferred social media platforms such as WhatsApp, YouTube, Facebook and Skype, which could be easily accessed by all students and lecturers. Based on the findings in phase 3, the researcher developed a Conceptual teaching and learning model using social media platforms, which will integrate nursing theory and practice. Recommendations were made to promote training workshops on the use of multiple teaching strategies, the development of policies, rules, and regulations to guide basic student nurses’ and lecturers’ interactions when using social media platforms in teaching and learning. The developed Conceptual teaching and learning model is being tested in one of the public Nursing Colleges.