Adopting Competency-Based Nursing Education Through Course Redesign in Clinical Pharmacology

Presented by:

Cheryl VerStrate, Grand Valley State University

Employing alternative grading and active learning strategies can transform a learning space into an environment that encourages knowledge application and develops critical thinking skills.

Hear it from the author:

Adopting Competency-Based Nursing Education Through Course Redesign in Clinical PharmacologyCheryl VerStrate, Grand Valley State University

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Competency-based education allows faculty to shift their focus from a traditional, performance-driven approach to teaching that is centered around student outcomes and skill mastery. Implementing an alternative grading model with more in-seat instruction and active learning opportunities creates a learning environment that encourages critical thinking, reflection and real-world application. This approach better prepares students (in the nursing discipline specifically), for the complex world of clinical practice. In this presentation I share an example of major course redesign that transformed a historically challenging course, into a meaningful educational experience for students where mastery, not memorization, drives success. The result? Greater engagement, deeper understanding, and an improved readiness for clinical practice.

Key words:

Alternative Grading, Active Learning, Nursing Education

Abstract:

Competency-based education is an instructional method that emphasizes student outcomes and skill mastery. This system creates opportunities for reflective learning and moves away from a more traditional approach that is heavily performance driven. In this presentation, one exemplar of major course redesign will demonstrate how the implementation of alternative grading and active learning can create a student-centered environment that promotes critical thinking and knowledge application, essential skills for future nurses. These modifications have fully transformed a historically challenging course previously taught using traditional methods.

Outcomes:

1. Compare and contrast varying instructional methods related to competency-based education.

2. Analyze strategies from the presentation to determine whether they could be adapted and implemented within their own courses.

3. Summarize student feedback related to the use of alternative grading, active learning techniques, and a flipped classroom.

References:

American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2021). The essentials: Core competencies for professional nursing education. https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/42/AcademicNursing/pdf/Essentials-2021.pdf

Clark, D., & Talbert, R. (2023). Grading for growth: A guide to alternative grading practices that promote authentic learning and student engagement in higher education. Routledge.

Jiménez-Mijangos, L. P., Rodríguez-Arce, J., & Martínez-Méndez, R. (2022). Advances and challenges in the detection of academic stress and anxiety in the classroom: A literature review and recommendations. Education and Information Technologies, 28(2), 3637–3666. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11324-w

Nilson, L. B. (2014). Specifications grading: Restoring rigor, motivating students, and saving faculty time. Stylus Publishing.