Learning Theories and Diversity Essay

Learning Theories and Diversity Essay

Learning Theories and Diversity Essay

            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.

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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 21^st 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.

Teaching Strategies

With the application of the socio-ecological model, nurse educators have been able to adopt appropriate evidence-based teaching strategies which help in satisfying the academic needs of diverse learners promoting positive outcomes. Such teaching strategies include the development of individualized education plans (IEP) and the use of interactive methods (Salifu et al., 2018). The diversity of my target audience in the institution of higher learning as initially discussed will include nursing students from various ethnic, racial, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds. As such, the values and beliefs of these students will vary. It will thus be necessary to develop an IEP for each student to promote adequate satisfaction of their educational needs and enhance the achievement of their learning goals.

Interactive methods, on the other hand, comprise interactive lectures, journal clubs, small group works, clinical nurse presentations, reading quizzes, workshops, and problem-based learning. The interactive teaching strategy will involve active interactions among diverse learners (Tsimane & Downing, 2020). Effective learning among diverse learners greatly depends on the quality of teaching. The interactive teaching strategy is also considered a constructivist approach as it helps create a learning environment where the diverse nursing students will be able to actively take part in the learning process to gain experience and engage in reflections promoting problem-based, transformative learning. With active engagement, students will be able to identify and accept their diversities to promote equality throughout the learning process.

Conflict Management in the Classroom

In a diverse classroom, learners tend to encounter different forms of conflict which can be managed effectively by the use of evidence-based strategies. Such strategies include the implementation of a 6 step conflict resolution process that uses role-playing as the main conflict resolution method. The first step in the conflict resolution process involves finding the source of the conflict by interrogating the parties involved. Once the cause of the problem is known, the second step will involve the use of role-playing where the nursing students involved in the conflict will be given opposing roles for them to be able to view the situation from the other person’s viewpoint (Zhang & Cui, 2018). Role-playing is effective in resolving conflict among students as it helps promote empathy and understanding among individuals in conflict. The third step involves allowing the students in conflict to come up with solutions aggreging on a single solution that both parties are comfortable with. In the fourth step, both parties will be advised on how to look beyond the incidence and shake hands. The fifth step will involve learning from the experience to ensure that such as situation will never occur in the future. The final step will involve educating the entire class about such a conflict and ways to prevent or solve such problems in the future. However, evidence-based practice report that the likelihood of similar classroom conflicts occurring is limited, hence the need for each situation to be handled differently.

Conclusion

            Nurse educators in higher learning institutions are normally faced with several challenges, especially when educating diverse learners. However, with the adoption of appropriate educational theories such as the socio-ecological model, educators have been able to come up with teaching plans which promote the satisfaction of the learning needs of each student. Such strategies include the development of individualized education plans (IEP) and the use of interactive methods. Educating diverse learners may also lead to classroom conflicts which can be managed in several ways like role-playing as the conflict resolution method.

References

Fawaz, M. A., Hamdan-Mansour, A. M., & Tassi, A. (2018). Challenges facing nursing education in the advanced healthcare environment. International journal of Africa nursing sciences, 9, 105-110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijans.2018.10.005

Ivankova, N. V., & Plano Clark, V. L. (2018). Teaching mixed methods research: using a socio-ecological framework as a pedagogical approach for addressing the complexity of the field. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 21(4), 409-424. https://doi.org/10.1080/13645579.2018.1427604

Salifu, D. A., Gross, J., Salifu, M. A., & Ninnoni, J. P. (2018). Experiences and perceptions of the theory-practice gap in nursing in a resource-constrained setting: A qualitative description study. Nursing Open, 6(1), 72-83. doi:10.1002/nop2.188

Tsimane, T. A., & Downing, C. (2020). Transformative learning in nursing education: A concept analysis. International journal of nursing sciences, 7(1), 91-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnss.2019.12.006

Zhang, J., & Cui, Q. (2018). Collaborative learning in higher nursing education: A systematic review. Journal of Professional Nursing, 34(5), 378-388. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2018.07.007

 

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Create a 5-7-page high-level teaching plan for a diverse learning environment that is designed around an appropriate educational theory.

Introduction
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.

Note: 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.
As you prepare to complete this assessment, you may want to think about other related issues to deepen your understanding or broaden your viewpoint. You are encouraged to consider the questions below and discuss them with a fellow learner, a work associate, an interested friend, or a member of your professional community.

Note that these questions are for your own development and exploration and do not need to be completed or submitted as part of your assessment.

Think about some of the most effective educators you have learned with and from. What characteristics made these educators “good”?
How can nurse educators tailor their teaching methods in order to foster student engagement across multiple generations?
Have you ever completed a learning style inventory? If so, do you feel like it adequately assessed your learning style? Why or why not? (If you have not completed one, you might want to search for a free inventory online to see how its results align with your self-knowledge.)
How can you prepare yourself to be a culturally competent educator?
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.
Competencies Measured
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the course competencies through the following assessment scoring guide 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.