Why Do Nursing Instructors Rely So Heavily On PowerPoints To Teach?

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I have completed 3 semesters of Nursing School and so far, every lecture instructor has used PowerPoints in the classroom to teach. This method has been used probably 99% of the time. The PowerPoints are provided ahead of time for download on a website, so students can bring them to class. Then, the instructor projects the PowerPoint on a screen and READS it at us for the lecture period (3-4 hours). Occasionally, there is a student question or the instructor may add something.

Why is this type of "teaching" popular? Why am I spending money to go to class to have somebody read to me when I am fully capable of reading the same material in the comfort of my own home? It seems lazy and insulting to my intelligence.

Any thoughts? Does anyone else have this experience? Does anyone benefit from this method of instruction?

I am a former corporate training director. All the previous comments are dead-on. The bottom line is, most nursing instructors just don't know any better. THEY need training in the application of adult learning principles and instructional design.

Specializes in nursing education.

I am an nursing professor, and I use ppt in class- but....I do not read them. THey are used to acentuate the lecture or other interactive activities I utilize in class. I beef my ppts up, but also the are a guideline for my lecture. I also do activites in class, and other things. As stated by others, it really is the professor who makes or breaks the class. With some instructors it wouldn't matter what tools they used--it would be boring.....

just my opinion

I am an nursing professor, and I use ppt in class- but....I do not read them. THey are used to acentuate the lecture or other interactive activities I utilize in class. I beef my ppts up, but also the are a guideline for my lecture. I also do activites in class, and other things. As stated by others, it really is the professor who makes or breaks the class. With some instructors it wouldn't matter what tools they used--it would be boring.....

just my opinion

The reading from the PowerPoints is the ONLY "lecture" we get from one of our instructors. I can stay home and get that!

Our other instructor doesn't use the PowerPoints very much. Instead, her "lectures" consist of discussions that ARE interesting but AREN'T useful for the tests, really.

I agree.. canned power points don't cut it for me. It would be ok as "background" material, but if you read your book before the class, you'd just have to take notes on the material you didn't already absorb. My instructor (just completed 1st semester Nursing School) taught by power points that I could find from the publisher, however she did add her own personal insites gathered through her many years of experience. That should be how it's done. Power points are guides.. instructors need to add their experience for or against what our books say.

Specializes in School Nursing.
AOx1, it is interesting to hear a faculty perspective on this. I have to admit that I would be one of the students who hated your class. Discussions and skits teach to the slowest students, and, as someone else has pointed out - I'm not there to hear my classmates uninformed opinions about nursing practice. I actually want to learn something, in an efficient and independent manner.

Another "vibe" I'm getting from this thread - which is common with young professors - is the willingness to change class format to make students happy. Well guess what. They are happy not thinking, talking away the lecture hour, and not listening. Part of the job of a good instructor is to practice tough love. You shouldn't always accede to their demands ... as with small children, often the things they want are not in their best interest.

It amazes me how many people think that their philosophy is the only 'right' one. I don't know about skits (never had that one before) but there isn't just ONE right way to teach because there isn't just ONE right way to learn. Perhaps you don't like certain teaching styles (because you think they are for 'slower' students) because they don't accommodate you.. making you the slower learner?

I am a very audio learning so lectures and lots of students/instructor questions and interactions is MY favorite kind of class. I find it to be the most effective for MY learning style. So a strict reading/regurgitating doesn't work well for me. Does that make me slower than the independent learner? I don't know... but I do go to class to LEARN from the knowledge of my instructor.. silly me...

BTW- What the heck is a clicker?

It amazes me how many people think that their philosophy is the only 'right' one. I don't know about skits (never had that one before) but there isn't just ONE right way to teach because there isn't just ONE right way to learn. Perhaps you don't like certain teaching styles (because you think they are for 'slower' students) because they don't accommodate you.. making you the slower learner?

I am a very audio learning so lectures and lots of students/instructor questions and interactions is MY favorite kind of class. I find it to be the most effective for MY learning style. So a strict reading/regurgitating doesn't work well for me. Does that make me slower than the independent learner? I don't know... but I do go to class to LEARN from the knowledge of my instructor.. silly me...

BTW- What the heck is a clicker?

It's a little remote control kind of device that usually has 4 buttons (A, B, C, D). The professor has a multiple choice question on a Powerpoint, and everyone answers on their clicker, the PowerPoint then shows how many students chose each of the answers and then the Prof shows the correct answer.

To answer the first part of your post. I'm a student, not an educator. I can only speak for what does and doesn't work for me. I'm also a predominantly auditory learner....which is why I don't like classroom discussions...I'd much rather hear the Proffessor say the right things, then have to listen to my class discover the right things (many which were in the readings!).

As far as skits and such being the least common denominator....any time I've spoken to my Prof's about those kind of teaching techniques...I've been told that they are employed to "bring along" folks who need assistance.

Thankfully, as I said earlier, I've only had one Prof who taught part of one course that ran theory class this way. The overwhelming majority of my Prof's are really skilled lecturers, who bring a lot to the table and are able to communicate it.

Specializes in School Nursing.
It's a little remote control kind of device that usually has 4 buttons (A, B, C, D). The professor has a multiple choice question on a Powerpoint, and everyone answers on their clicker, the PowerPoint then shows how many students chose each of the answers and then the Prof shows the correct answer.

Interesting. I don't think it would be a good replacement for good old instructor questions/students answer (the old fashioned way) but I've never experienced it so who knows, maybe its effective. :lol2:

Well I look at the PP as a blessing and a short cut from the phone book style med-surg book of reading. PP is not the worse of it, is the instructor that would make it bad. If they are reading word for word and thats it, well YEA thats absolutely lazy, but the ones I've had read it and give rationales, critical thinking and senerios cases about it to gie a clearer understanding. I enjoy the pp:nurse:

Well I look at the PP as a blessing and a short cut from the phone book style med-surg book of reading. PP is not the worse of it, is the instructor that would make it bad. If they are reading word for word and thats it, well YEA thats absolutely lazy, but the ones I've had read it and give rationales, critical thinking and senerios cases about it to gie a clearer understanding. I enjoy the pp:nurse:

One good thing I say about the PowerPoints is that in my Pharmacology class, the tests came directly from them so test prep consisted of reading over those. I got an A in Pharm. But still, I could have stayed home and read the PPTs instead of driving to class every day...

Specializes in nursing education.

I use the clickers during my lecture. They are great. I have the question pop up, then the students click their answer. It is a great tool because no one feel intimidated to answer. Then if quite a few students get it wrong, I can reiterate a concept. I like to intersperse my lectures with scenarios, activities, etc. I do some traditional lecturing, but always try to ask questions, give examples, etc. I can't stand being read to, so I don't read to my students. An instructor cannot make everyone happy in class, as there are so many different learnig styles. I try to incorporate many differnet syles in my classes. I want learning to be enjoyable.

I use the clickers during my lecture. They are great. I have the question pop up, then the students click their answer. It is a great tool because no one feel intimidated to answer. Then if quite a few students get it wrong, I can reiterate a concept. I like to intersperse my lectures with scenarios, activities, etc. I do some traditional lecturing, but always try to ask questions, give examples, etc. I can't stand being read to, so I don't read to my students. An instructor cannot make everyone happy in class, as there are so many different learnig styles. I try to incorporate many differnet syles in my classes. I want learning to be enjoyable.

I would love to have the clickers. Our instructor has mentioned it a couple of times. We do the NCLEX questions on the Evolve website as a class. People complain that others answer too quickly, not giving them time to "take it in" or whatever. There is also tons of debate over answers before we take a vote. Also, there is one girl who is always making snide comments to people who are actually able to answer a question correctly. So yeah, I would like to have the clickers!

I would love to have the clickers. Our instructor has mentioned it a couple of times. We do the NCLEX questions on the Evolve website as a class. People complain that others answer too quickly, not giving them time to "take it in" or whatever. There is also tons of debate over answers before we take a vote. Also, there is one girl who is always making snide comments to people who are actually able to answer a question correctly. So yeah, I would like to have the clickers!

This is exactly the kind of activity I'd prefer to not waste time in class doing. I gain nothing from listening to others calling out answers....and the tests always have a rationale for why one answer is right over the others. Clickers or not, I'd prefer to be listening to the Prof give us new information, or more depth information on the topics we're already covering.

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