Using Neuroscience Learning Theory and Visual Strategies to Teach Concepts

Purpose/Aims: Nursing education is in a state of shifting from content driven curriculum to a concept based curriculum. This paradigm shift compliments the change from a teaching to a learning approach. A concept based curriculum, if taught in way that builds conceptual knowledge helps students develop conceptual thinking, be independent thinkers and become lifelong learners. This presentation demonstrates how faculty used neuroscience learning theory through the incorporation of teaching visual strategies to help students acquire conceptual knowledge in a Foundations of Community-Based Nursing Practice course. 

Rationale/Background: Linfield-Good Samaritan School of Nursing implemented an integrated, concept based curriculum in 2011. A concept based curriculum promotes a deeper understanding of content and helps students acquire conceptual knowledge which can readily be applied in nursing practice. Teaching concepts requires faculty to use a conceptual way of teaching. The faculty in a Foundations of Community-Based Nursing Practice course use neuroscience learning theory and visual teaching strategies to promote conceptual knowledge acquisition in a way that matches how an individual’s brain processes new information. Neuroscience learning theory suggests that faculty must understand how the learners’ brain processes new information rather than other learning theories that purport pattern recognition and rule-based knowledge.

Description: Baccalaureate students are expected to be prepared to have broader perspective, and equipped with knowledge and skills to care for complex clients. The Foundations of Community-Based Nursing Practice course introduces and begins to integrate fundamental concepts for the nursing curriculum. Using neuroscience learning theory, concepts are presented starting with the whole concept which is then broken down into specific critical thinking questions about the concept and ends with interventions and evaluation. Students are taught to learn a concept through the following questions: 1) What is the concept described in your own words? 2) What do people who have this problem look like (objective) and what do they say (subjective)? 3) Why do they look that way and say that? 4) What do I do (nursing actions) when I see or hear these symptoms? 5) What do I expect collaborative care to include? 6) What evaluation criteria inform me the client is better, worse or the same? 7) What do I need to do next? This conceptual way of teaching combined with the use of visual strategies, such as drawing in real-time, connecting concepts together, and seeing how clients change over time results in students acquiring basic conceptual knowledge that they can build on across the curriculum of study.

Outcomes Achieved/Documented: Scores on HESI exams and comprehensive course tests improved since using these teaching/learning strategies, especially for English as Second Language students. Student feedback on course and teacher evaluations clearly support that they gained a deep level of understanding.

Conclusions: When shifting from a traditional curriculum focused on content to a concept based curriculum can be overwhelming. The purpose of this presentation is to show how to use a conceptual teaching/learning theory (neuroscience) to teach concepts in a concept-based curriculum. Using neuroscience learning theory helps students acquire conceptual knowledge.