New normal in nursing education: sophomore students' expectations of and readiness for online learning in the era of COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Background: The global disruption of the COVID-19 outbreak in education has resulted in a new normal in how education is delivered. Traditional face-to-face nursing education has suddenly transitioned into a remote and online learning environment to help mitigate virus transmission. Students' anticipations and how set they are in this new learning platform should be investigated.

Objective: This study determined the expectations of and readiness for online learning of sophomore nursing students in one nursing school in developing country.

Methods: This study employed a cross-sectional research design. The Students Expectations of Online Learning Survey (SEOLS) and Online Learning Readiness Scale (OLRS) were the instrument used to gather data administered online. Descriptive statistics and non-parametric statistical tests were used in the data analysis.

Results: Nursing students had high proficiency with technology but more than one-fourth had an unstable Internet connection. Nursing students generally had high expectations of and readiness for online learning. Although high, expectations about social interactions in the online learning environment obtained the lowest mean score among the five subscales of the SEOLS. Readiness for online learning significantly differed based on family income status and Internet stability. Bivariate analysis indicated a significant positive correlation between students’ expectations and readiness for online learning.

Conclusions: Students’ expectations may play a role in students’ readiness for online learning. This study suggests that while students appear ready to take on online learning, the different students’ circumstances along with the challenges associated with online learning such as limited internet connectivity must be properly addressed. It may be necessary for nursing schools to meet students’ expectations in the new learning environment to fully maximize learning and facilitate success and learner readiness in the new normal in nursing education.