Evaluating E-Learning as a Method of Teaching Hand Washing to Nursing Students Using a Randomised Controlled Trial : Issues to Consider When Employing Students as Participants in Educational Research / Bloomfield
Published
[Place of publication not identified] : Sage Publications Ltd, 2017
Conducting research within nurse education is necessary to inform the most effective teaching strategies so that students are both prepared with the requisite knowledge and skills to work effectively as registered nurses and to enhance learning experiences. The use of e-learning in nurse education is increasing and it is vital that its effectiveness is evaluated. In 2004, researchers at a university in London conducted a randomised controlled trial to compare the effect of e-learning with face-to-face education for teaching the theory and practice of hand washing to first-year undergraduate nursing students. Outcome measures included knowledge and skill retention. The findings demonstrated that e-learning was not only an effective strategy but also at least as effective as conventional face-to-face teaching. This case report discusses the practical and ethical implications of conducting this type of experimental research design with students in a real-life educational setting
