A Concept-Based Approach to Learning

Objectives  Define concept-based learning  Discuss ways that conceptual-based educational approaches promote learning  Describe the six components of a concept map  Identify student responsibilities in concept based learning  Describe the basic steps for creating a concept map

“The evolving health care practice arena requires nurses who are capable of providing safe, competent and efficient care within an increasingly complex array of patient care needs and interdisciplinary healthcare teams. More than ever before, nurses must be critical thinkers capable of making constructive contributions to desired health care outcome” (Gul & Boman, 2006).

Defining the Terms  Critical Thinking: “purposeful, outcome-driven thinking, which is driven by patients’ needs and guided by professional standards. It constantly reevaluates, self-corrects, and strives to improve” (Popil, 2012).  Clinical judgment: described by Tanner (2006) as a flexible and distinct ability to recognize salient aspects of an undefined clinical situation, to interpret their meanings, and respond appropriately” (Gerdeman, Lux, & Jacko, 2012, p. 11).

What is Concept Based Learning? “a guided approach to study of one nursing care concept. Concept-based learning activities provide a way for learners to study specific important aspects of nursing care regarding the concept being studied” (Nielson, 2009). Video: What is Concept Based Learning? (Amy Bray 6 minutes):

What is a Concept?  A concept is defined as “a construct or abstract idea or thought that originates and remains within the mind” (Mosby’s Medical Dictionary, 2009).  “a word or phrase that summarizes ideas, observations, and experiences…tools that provide mental images that can facilitate communication about and understanding of a phenomena” (Fawcett, 2005, p. 4).  Video: “What is a Concept?” (2 minutes)

Why Concept-Based Learning?  Success in nursing education involves understanding of complex concepts and associated nursing care  Students must demonstrate not only knowledge of concepts but application to actual patient situations  Ability to critically think and analyze complex situations is necessary when providing safe and effective care to today’s patient  Learning must be transferrable across the lifespan and through a variety of clinical settings

Advantages of Conceptual Based Learning Conceptual-based approaches to learning:  Decreases duplication of content and content saturation  Promotes content management  Improves active participation in learning, critical thinking, & clinical judgment  Promotes ability to care for a diverse population in a variety of clinical settings  Can be presented across the lifespan

Advantages of Conceptual Based Learning  Provides a foundation upon which to build future learning  Links theory to practice  Actively engages the learner and stimulates motivation and interest  Facilitates application of concepts learned in didactic courses to clinical situations  Promotes development of psychomotor and clinical decision-making skills, teamwork, communication, and delegation  Supports adult learning theory

Theoretical Foundation Supporting Concept Based Learning Constructivist Learning Theory  Proposes that learners are active participants in the learning process  Learners construct new knowledge based upon existing knowledge through personal interpretation of experience  Knowledge representation is subject to change as new knowledge is added

Characteristics of Adult Learners  Independent  Have preferred differences in learning styles  Prefer being actively involved in the learning process  Desire connection to and support of others in the learning process  Have life experiences providing a context for learning

Characteristics of Adult Learners  Self-directed  Internally motivated to learn  Seek to immediately apply new knowledge  Have accumulated experience which serves as a foundation upon which to build

Student Responsibilities in Concept Based Learning  Adult-learners capable of learning independently  Responsible for readings on selected concept & selected patient population  Active participation in discussions, case studies, and learning activities  Open discussion of patient problems, findings, possible solutions, and techniques  Exploration of alternatives and identification of relationships between ideas

Teacher Responsibilities In Concept Based Learning  Stimulate reflective thinking and discussion  Create a supportive learning environment  Promote peer collaboration  Facilitate understanding of relationships, principles, & generalizations (promote transfer of learning)

Concepts Examples of Concepts that will be covered:  ComfortTissue Integrity  EliminationDiversity  Functional AbilityGrief  MobilityHuman Development  Sensory PerceptionNutrition  SleepThermoregulation

Concept Mapping  Helps learners organize, analyze, and enhance understanding of complex information  Serves as a means to document association between two or more concepts in effort to enhance clinical reasoning skills  Provides a formula to visualize physiological, pathological, and psychological relationships and interactions in a concrete fashion

Concept Concept Mapping  Provides a means to connect and organize links between disease processes, body systems, and physiological effects of disease  Provides guidance for developing a plan of care  Complex information can be presented “at a glance”  May be used to enhance deeper learning of nursing concepts and to promote critical thinking in clinical settings  Video: Concept Mapping: (11 minutes)  Video: Simple Nursing Concept Maps (11 minutes)

Components of Concept Map 1. Nursing Care Directed toward what contributes to a normal concept and is thereby related to all factors involved in or with the concept. Not always needed to have a normal outcome. 2. Attributes: Defining characteristics of the concept What must occur for the concept to exist 3. Antecedents: What precedes the concept for it to exist Events or incidents that must happen before the concept

Components of Concept Map 4. Consequences: Negative or untoward events or outcomes that occur due to malfunction within the concept Positive events or outcomes that occur due to proper functioning within the concept 5. Interrelated Concept Concepts which can affect change in the other Concepts which work together to ensure a normal process Concepts which if depleted or impaired can cause a negative consequence in the other 6. Sub- Concept Critical components of major concept

Steps of Concept Mapping Steps of Concept Mapping:  Step 1: Identify central concept in the center of page enclosed in box or circle  Step 2: Identify all sub-concepts, attributes, antecedents, consequences, and interrelated concepts associated with the main concept  Step 3: Link these to the main concept using arrows or lines to signify a relationship  Step 4: Identify “linking” words to signify the relationships

Steps of Concept Mapping  Critical Thinking Strategies: Concept Mapping:  ceptmap.htm ceptmap.htm

Nursing Process Nursing Process Overview:  Provides a framework for clinical decision-making which helps to guide care and critical thinking  It is a systematic and goal oriented framework for problem solving  Critical thinking is used throughout the nursing process improve client care  The nursing process is cost efficient a a part of the standard of care---it is required by professional standards Nursing Process Overview: ADPIE (Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation and Evaluation) (9:19 minutes)

Nursing Process Nursing Process Overview:  The nursing process promotes professionalism  Enhances the quality of clinical decisions made  Promotes collaboration with the interdisciplinary team  Improves the efficiency and timeliness of care  Improves communication among nurses  Improves client participation in care  Promotes client autonomy and individualized care  Promotes continuity and coordination of care  Increased job satisfaction  (9:19 minutes)

Nursing Process Nursing Process Overview:  The nursing proves is dynamic and cyclical in nature  It is important to know the steps and be able to identify and know the purpose and action in each step  ADPIE (acronym used to remember the steps)  Assessment  Diagnosis  Planning  Implementation  Evaluation

References  Cook, L, K., Dover, C., Dickson, M., & Colton, D.L. (2012). From care plan to concept map: A paradigm shift. Teaching and learning in nursing, 7, Doi: j.teln  Fawcett, J. (2005). Contemporary nursing knowledge: Analysis and evaluation of nursing models and theories. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Company.  Germeman, J.L., Lux, K., & Jacko, J. (2012). Using concept mapping to build clinical judgment skills. Nurse Education in Practice, 13, Doi: /j.nepr  Giddens, J.F., & Brady, D.P. (2007). Rescuing nursing education from content saturation: The case for a concept-based curriculum. Journal of Nursing Education, 46(2),  Gul, R.B., & Boman, J.A. (2006). Concept mapping: A strategy for teaching and evaluation in nursing education. Nurse Education in Practice, 6, Doi: /j.nepr  Heims, M.L., & Boyd, S.T. (1990). Concept-based learning activities in clinical nursing education. Journal of Nursing Education, 29(6),

References  Nielsen, A. (2009). Concept-based learning activities using the clinical judgment model as a foundation for clinical learning. Journal of Nursing Education, 48(6), doi: /  Nielsen, A.E., Noone, J., Voss, H., & Mathews, L.R. (2013). Preparing nursing students for the future: An innovative approach to clinical education. Nurse Education in Practice, 13, doi: /j.nepr  Popil, I. (2010). Promotion of critical thinking by using case studies as teaching method. Nurse Education Today, 31, Doi: /j.nedt  Senita, J. (2008). The use of concept maps to evaluate critical thinking in the clinical setting. Teaching and learning in nursing, 3, Doi: /jteln  Vandeveer, M. (2009). From teaching to learning. Theoretical foundations. In D.M. Billings & J.A. Halstead (Eds.), Teaching in nursing. A guide for faculty ( ). St. Louis, Missouri: Saunders Elsevier