Using Mobile Learning to Enhance the Quality of Nursing Practice Education

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to review the research literature pertaining to the use of mobile devices in Nursing Education and assess the potential of mobile learning (m-learning) for Nursing practice education experiences in rural higher education settings. While there are a number of definitions of m-learning, we accept that advanced by Koole’s (2005) FRAME model, which describes it as a process resulting from the convergence of mobile technologies, human learning capacities, and social interaction, and use it as a framework to organize this literature. We also report on the initial stages of a project to integrate mobile learning into the Bachelor of Science Nursing curriculum in a Western Canadian college program. Third year students and instructors will be using mobile devices with wireless capability and selected software, such as Nursing decision-making and drug reference programs, during their practice in a community-based course. Course learning activities will be developed to test the use of these devices to support students' access to resources at the point-of-care, to connect to web-based resources, and for peer-to-peer communication. A formative evaluation is planned to determine if the use of mobile learning can be implemented and sustained in an independent learning setting, to assess the appeal of mobile learning use in a real life instructional setting to the target audience, and to judge the effectiveness of the program to enhance reflective practice in Nursing students.