Our Nursing class is losing their minds over CBL

Race Mom, ASN, RN · Sep 16, 2005

Whoa! That sounds crazy! I did a web search and came up with this link at this BB. It doesn't offer much help, but maybe these posters are still active here and you could try to pm them for help. Hope the link works.

https://allnurses.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5830

Lisa

JentheRN05, RN · Sep 16, 2005

What a mess! I hope you get this figured out. I would NEVER pass a class like that. I don't necessarily need the exam info handed to me, but at least COVER SOMETHING!!! I am so sorry for you. I think I would complain until their ears are burning or numb!

Nesher, BSN, RN · Sep 16, 2005

I hear your frustration.

But you also say some rather interesting things - such as that it is a huge learning curve. That is key - anything new is difficult, and many folks don't like change - both of which you described as issues. Because it is new it will take longer to figure out.

You wrote about the group process. You know groups can be the bane of any students existence - it sounds like what you need is to perhaps step in and take the reins and leadership role to help not only yourself as it will give you direction - but to guide the others who are floundering.

Instead of fighting against the CBL, try to opposite approach and grab onto it. Maybe meet with the instructor to talk about directions you could take to guide your group.

peaceful · Sep 16, 2005

This sounds beyond stuipd. Another "effective" method of teaching nursing that somebody has dreamed up. In school for me this was a complete waste of time project(s). Reminds me of cultural competency, every single class kept adding in this component because "politically correct" to teach in nursing school today. We had so many stupid group projects that took endless time and energy. All the cultural workshops overlapped and everybody kept repeating the same information. The students hated the projects, the instructors were bored, everybody eye's glazed over each presentation. But we all had to keep playing the game to pass. So much of nursing school is such a joke. All i can say is you have to play the game and just do your best. God i hope somebody someday comes up with an effective new way to teach nursing.

I am in a first year nursing class. Context based learning is our format.
The premise behind CBL is that the instructor does not TEACH. The students do all the teaching.
We are given a scenario: Based on a core concept map, we then brainstorm. Covering topics such as Code of ethics, Primary Health care system, etc that all apply to the particular scenario.
Then as a group we choose the topics to "research" and then research our topic and come back to the group and present our "findings".
The problem with this concept and I mean PROBLEM.....is that it is taking us hours and hours to research everything. The teacher provides little guidance and everyone is completely lost.
We never know if the topics we are researching are going to be "enough info" and so some of us worry that we will not know what will be on the exams. The teacher has never taught CBL before and is floundering...and so far we have not been given any feedback whatsoever on if we are on the right track or not.
We are now into our second week and still no one is "getting it".
Each monday we are to do an oral presentation to the class on what we learned...and then each student hands out their papers to each student in the group so everyone has everything.
Trouble is this: Not everyone is typing their papers out. I got three papers handed to me that were done in handwriting. It was complete chicken scratch. Couldn't read a dern thing. None of the concepts that I would have referenced were on these papers...they were all so vague so now I am finding that I am having to back home and research further so that I have enough information that might be on the exam. If that makes any sense.
As for group unity.....there is none. People are jockeying for position. No one can agree on how to approach this learning style. No one is used to having no Lecture...or tutorial.
Other groups who have gone before us complain that it was the most frustrating two years of their lives. With each exam that they took, they learned that they were never thorough enough with their "research" and missed many things that were covered on the tests. With all the unorganized classroom time, folks are starting to fight and get upset. We are all feeling pretty angry that we spent thousands on tuition and get no TUTORIALS.
It is not only with our class. It is across the board. In each area of my city that they are doing this CBL, all of the students are complaining of the same thing.
Some of the students have huge workloads and add to that all the research that we have to do, the pressure and stress and tension is reaching the boiling point.
If I knew that I would have to teach this class myself, I am not sure I would have applied for this program. The teacher listens to our presentations and nods her head and says hmmmmmmm not sure what will be on the test, maybe next time you can go more indepth.
Like what the heck is that????? Why are we responsible for GUESSING what we have to cover. It is absolutely insane.
I hate it.......it is a huge learning curve. So much time is being wasted on trying to figure out what we are supposed to be doing.
Give me a teacher who has experience and one who will stand there and lecture us .....who gives us page numbers and references and GOALS anyday......and someone who marks the stuff we are doing. No one has any clue what they are getting on their presentations. The teacher is not writing any notes or anything, all she does is sit there and listen.
Grrrrrrrr.......
Anyhow, I just needed to vent. Not sure what to do except be patient I guess. What a load of crap CBL is.
Sheesh!!!!

VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN · Sep 17, 2005

God i hope somebody someday comes up with an effective new way to teach nursing.

Not to sound disrespectful, but what would you suggest as a truly effective new way to teach nursing? Everyone I'm sure agrees with this goal: critical thinking, competency, and safe nursing practice. The prevailing wisdom in nursing education is to steer away from the lecture format, and for the instructor to be a facilitator for learning, the "guide on the side." The main responsibility for learning is with the student. The educator creates an environment conducive for learning. What do you think about this current trend and can you think of something better? The old model was to spoon-feed information to students, merely to have them regurgitate it back. This does not produce effective learning, nor critical thinking. :uhoh21:

Jolie, BSN · Sep 17, 2005

Not to sound disrespectful, but what would you suggest as a truly effective new way to teach nursing? Everyone I'm sure agrees with this goal: critical thinking, competency, and safe nursing practice. The prevailing wisdom in nursing education is to steer away from the lecture format, and for the instructor to be a facilitator for learning, the "guide on the side." The main responsibility for learning is with the student. The educator creates an environment conducive for learning. What do you think about this current trend and can you think of something better? The old model was to spoon-feed information to students, merely to have them regurgitate it back. This does not produce effective learning, nor critical thinking. :uhoh21:

Vicky, I see your point, and agree that the method OP described has the POTENTIAL to be useful, but it also sounds like her instructors are falling down in the area of facilitating learning. After all, the instructor is the expert. Once the students have done their research and presented their material to the class, it seems like the instructor should step in and "fill in the gaps" so to speak. These beginning students don't have enough knowledge or experience to be able to judge what is and isn't truly important on any given topic.

peaceful · Sep 17, 2005

I agree with you that the old model of "lectures and spoonfeeding" is not the answer to produce dynamic, critically thinking, professional nurses. Unfortunately my experience with the prevailing model is not working either. I shudder at the wasted bored hours spent on the newer models introduced in nursing schools accross the country these last few years. Students still come out of school terrified, not understanding the realities of real world nursing and often poor clinical skills. I have said this before if schools are still teaching bathing and bed making for weeks on end to BSN students there might be a tad something wrong with the educational system. Something is not working. Will forward you creative suggestions if any come to mind. Maybe others on this site have ideas?

Not to sound disrespectful, but what would you suggest as a truly effective new way to teach nursing? Everyone I'm sure agrees with this goal: critical thinking, competency, and safe nursing practice. The prevailing wisdom in nursing education is to steer away from the lecture format, and for the instructor to be a facilitator for learning, the "guide on the side." The main responsibility for learning is with the student. The educator creates an environment conducive for learning. What do you think about this current trend and can you think of something better? The old model was to spoon-feed information to students, merely to have them regurgitate it back. This does not produce effective learning, nor critical thinking. :uhoh21:

Nemhain · Sep 17, 2005

I'm glad my classes weren't like the OP's...I would have died. Luckly we didn't have any projects, just tests and one paper each semester.

No, I don't think that students should just be spoon fed; they do need to learn critical thinking. I can see VickyRN's point of "guide on the side" but my problem in some of my classes was that the professor wasn't just on the side, but way out in left field. Sometimes she wanted us to do critical thinking exercises BEFORE we even had the information and the tools necessary to do so. "So class what would you do...blah blah blah...." We all would just sit there in a coma.

I think the first 75% of the class time should be lecture and then the rest of the time would be used by the students to make applications of their new knowledge in critical thinking exercises through different pt. scenarios.

VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN · Sep 17, 2005

I think the first 75% of the class time should be lecture and then the rest of the time would be used by the students to make applications of their new knowledge in critical thinking exercises through different pt. scenarios.

This sounds reasonable to me. I'm a relatively new educator (~3 years) and still learning my own style. Most often I lecture (due to time constraints), but I prefer adding some "creative learning" exercises to make the class more interesting. What the OP describes sounds very chaotic and not very productive. New students do need a certain amount of structure and guidance in the classroom.

Dratz · Sep 17, 2005

Thanks to everyone who replied. I am sure as the weeks go by things will start to sink in.

VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN · Sep 17, 2005

Vicky, I see your point, and agree that the method OP described has the POTENTIAL to be useful, but it also sounds like her instructors are falling down in the area of facilitating learning. After all, the instructor is the expert. Once the students have done their research and presented their material to the class, it seems like the instructor should step in and "fill in the gaps" so to speak. These beginning students don't have enough knowledge or experience to be able to judge what is and isn't truly important on any given topic.

I agree 100%.