Every instructional improvement begins with understanding current practice. Before implementing new teaching strategies, educators must first examine how their instructional methods influence student engagement, participation, and learning.
Traditional lecture remains a valuable instructional approach in nursing education; however, research suggests that relying primarily on teacher-centered instruction may limit opportunities for active engagement, critical thinking, and long-term knowledge retention. Improvement Science as a methodology encourages educators to study their current systems, identify opportunities for improvement, and implement intentional changes based on evidence and data.
This pathway provides an opportunity to reflect on your own teaching practices, recognize your instructional strengths, and identify areas where active learning strategies may enhance student learning. This reflection serves as the foundation for the remaining pathways, where you will learn how Improvement Science and game-based review can be used to create meaningful instructional change.
Objectives
Upon completion of this pathway, participants will be able to:
- Evaluate current instructional practices using self-guided reflection.
- Examine why reflective practice is an essential first step in continuous instructional improvement.
Instructional Design: Passive or Active Learning
Instructional Practices
The Architecture of Learning Video examines how meaningful learning occurs when instruction moves beyond a primarily teacher-centered model of information delivery to a student-centered approach that actively engages learners in constructing knowledge. Students deepen their understanding by connecting new concepts to prior experiences, collaborating with peers, and repeatedly retrieving and applying what they have learned. Rather than viewing learning as a one-time transfer of information, the infographic emphasizes learning as an ongoing process that develops through active participation, reflection, and application. It encourages educators to critically examine whether their instructional strategies promote meaningful learning experiences that prepare students to apply knowledge for future professional development.
The Infographic below compliments the video while highlighting six essential elements of effective learning: engagement, knowledge construction, collaboration, practice and retrieval, reflection and application.
Scenario
As you read the scenario below, consider the instructional techniques and learning activities being used. Then, complete the sorting activity.
You are observing a three-hour Maternal-Infant Nursing class. The instructor begins by reviewing the learning objectives before presenting a well-organized PowerPoint lecture on hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Throughout the lecture, the instructor explains complex concepts, shares relevant clinical experiences, and answers a few questions from students. Most students remain quiet, take notes, and occasionally highlight information on the slides. A small number of students ask questions, but the majority listen without participating in class discussion.
Near the end of class, the instructor summarizes the key concepts and administers a five-question quiz to assess students’ recall of the material covered during the lecture. After completing the quiz, students receive the correct answers and leave class.
Let’s think back to the infographic or the video. Do you think there was more passive or active learning by students in this scenario? Which of the 6 Key Principles of Effective Learning were used? Keep those thoughts in mind as you complete the following activity:
Snapshot of Your Classroom
Every classroom has strengths and opportunities for growth. This activity is designed to help you reflect on your current instructional practices and identify patterns in your teaching and student learning. Click each accordion tab below to explore instructional practices. Some of these promote active engagement, while some practices are rooted in traditional instruction. As you review each topic, reflect on how these practices are currently incorporated into your own teaching. There are no right or wrong answers—this activity is intended to promote self-reflection and support your professional growth.
Complete the following activity:
Reflection Prompt:
Reflect on a recent class you taught. After exploring this learning pathway, how would you characterize your instructional approach? To what extent are your students actively engaged versus passively receiving information?
Describe your instructional practices below. There are no right or wrong answers—this is simply an opportunity to reflect on your current teaching practices.
Improvement Science Links
Key Takeaways
Reflection is the first step in the improvement process. In this pathway, you examined your instructional practices, identified an area for growth, and began thinking about factors that may be influencing student learning. If you’re interested, explore the improvement science resources linked above to learn additional strategies for analyzing problems.
Coming Up Next…
In the next pathway, you’ll explore the learning science behind effective teaching strategies and begin building a research-informed approach to instructional change.