Abstract:

eCoNNECT ‘enhanced Communication iN Nursing through Exchange of Clinical Teaching experiences’ is a project funded by Erasmus+ Strategic Partnerships. This project comprises a team from DCU School of Nursing and Human Sciences and Teaching Enhancement Unit and five institutions from across three countries (Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands) to develop an online / blended learning module to enhance nurse-teachers' and students' communication skills used during practice placements.

The module content is delivered though DCU’s virtual learning platform. One of the innovative features within the module is the use of interactive videos to enhance cross-country learning and to foster engagement with course materials. The DCU team specifically developed videos for this module. The process included scripting, working with professional actors, shooting and editing picture and sound. We will refer to some of the software programmes utilised, including Premiere Pro and H5P, in the presentation. H5P was used to create specific points within the videos for discussion among participants. One of the challenges with video production relates to language. The module is simultaneously taught across three countries and this necessitates that the videos and discussions within have to be available in three languages ‘English, Dutch and German’.

The first video on ‘Preparing for Practice Placement’ was tested with approximately 81 participants. Participants completed a four-week testing phase in which they watched, interacted with and discussed the video; the use of communication and interaction within practice-based teaching and learning. Online evaluation questionnaires and descriptive statistics were used to assess user-friendliness, professional collaboration and development of communication skills. Three focus group interviews (one in each participating country) were conducted with module participants and another focus group interview captured the experience of project member’s involved in developing the video and coordinating the testing phase. This presentation will include findings from the questionnaires and focus-group interviews to demonstrate the benefits and challenges related to videos in education.

Keywords:

Interactive videos, blended learning, work place teaching, collaboration, nurse education, nursing, video, learning, online, focus group, questionnaire, statistics, H5P.