Study Guides

[cicinurse]

Need to touch base:

I am a new educator and have been teaching both the clinical as well as didactic arena for a little over a year. In my current two courses, I have been developing a study guide as an added tool with each unit for the students and the students are very receptive to using the study guides. Since the instructor resources for my textbooks do not have prewritten study guides, I have been basing my study guides on the learning objectives for each unit, case study exemplers, and critical thinking questions. Recently, I was told, by my director, that my study guides are too specific and should be more generic. Are there any resources or templates that can guide me on developing beneficial study guides?

Thanks

[noreenl]

I don't understand. what did your director mean by too specific? My understanding of a study guide is to direct a student to the important points of the lesson being taught. Did she/he give an example?

[dorimar, BSN, RN]

This is the kind of thing that irks me to no end!!! I too give study guides that are based on the learning objectives. I truly believe the students really learn this way. Most of the stuff we test them on is at the level of application or analysis!!!! You cannot give them the answers if you are testing them at the appropriate level. They NEED to have the basic knowledge (so they need to know what they need to know), before they can apply it.

If I tell them they need to be able to analyze ABGs and be able to make vent changes based on those ABGs.... That is just so they can develop the tools they will need to do that... I find that when I tell them what they need to know to be able to apply the stuff, that they are walking away from my class with knowledge that some practicing nurses don't even have...

How is that a problem?

[cicinurse]

Thanks for your reply and yes, the director gave me an example of a study guide she thought was appropriate which basically gave a list of key terms for example: milia, icterus, sternal retractions, .........I feel this is of little value to the students because it does not illicit critical thinking which is my goal as the knowledge not only needs to be retained. The students need to apply their knowledge to a given situation. Therefore, my study guides illicit questions based on the knowledge or as in the case of the learning objectives using Bloom's taxonomy. For example: Milia-what is this condition, when does it appear, what is it caused by and what teaching should we provide to the parents? or compare/contrast the anterior fontanalle and the posterior fontanalle including abnormal/normal findings and associated conditions related to abnormal findings. I am at a loss as to why this is counterproductive as my role is to teach and assist the students in gaining the necessary critical thinking skills to provide safe care.

[cicinurse]

Thanks for your reply and I don't see my study guides as a problem at all and have received numerous thanks and aha moments from my students which only substantiates the study guides effectiveness. I am wondering if this is an "old school" mentality, perhaps. I am more learner-centered than teacher-centered in my instructing which may make some nursing instructors uncomfortable.