Implementing web-based instruction in a school of nursing: Implications for faculty and students

The World Wide Web, a rich educational resource that can promote and enhance student learning, is increasingly being used in nursing programs to deliver course content. When implementing Web-based instruction into the curriculum, it is essential to consider carefully the implications for faculty and student development needs so that the technology can be efficiently and effectively used to support student learning. Teaching a Web-based course is a new experience for many faculty and requires a reconceptualization of the faculty role. Faculty issues to consider when implementing Web-based instruction include instructional design concerns, faculty-student interactions, time and technology management skills, and student outcome evaluation. Students, especially those who have a preference for faculty-directed classroom learning, also will find student role challenges in Web-based learning. Time and technology management skills, student-faculty interactions, and becoming more self-directed in their learning are student role development needs. This article describes the strategies used by one school of nursing to meet faculty and student development needs when the RN-BSN completion program was redesigned for Web-based instruction. Copyright (C) 2000 by W.B. Saunders Company.