As we lead nursing informatics training and education programs and courses, it is essential to ensure that we are leveraging our hierarchy cultures monitors of student learning. It is well known and documented that assessment drives learning and that the goals that we evaluate will be achieved. Therefore, we must plan to evaluate the most important aspects of the concepts we include in their courses to ensure optimal student learning outcomes. Leaders who need to know the participants have attained a benchmark or level of knowledge often require testing that demonstrates benchmark attainment. In the test out method, it is critical to ensure that test questions are valid and accurately evaluate the knowledge that is defined for achieving the competency that is addressed in the course. In our example standards course, we might test students on definitions of terms and interrelationships between standards. When we need to know that participants are able to perform critical tasks, we might require return demonstration for those tasks. In our example standards course, we might require that students demonstrate the ability to create a pivot table or bar chart from raw data and provide their interpretation of findings. Some scholars argue that true learning goes beyond the acquisition of knowledge and skills that we can verify through these evaluation methods. Rather, learning occurs when the learner is ready, when past experiences linked with new experience to create new neuronal pathways, when competencies can be applied in novel circumstances, when analysis and synthesis occur as a matter of course and we go beyond application, when hypotheses are tested and often when emotion is involved. This is our goal of course. But it is difficult to measure a substantial change in the brain's neural pathways. If learning is a deep nonlinear experience, we must prepare students to apply their new knowledge in novel real-world situations, and expected over time true learning will occur. Simulated novel circumstances create opportunities for students to begin that process. Thus, we may design a capstone assignment in which participants synthesize their knowledge to address a particular novel case or situation. This may be presented orally in a presentation or in a written paper or thesis. In our example standards course, we may require a presentation to a fictitious organization's leaders and decision makers to advocate for a desired outcome, that is accompanied by a written Executive Summary Report and by a data dictionary which details the meanings of all data points. What evaluation strategies will you incorporate into your course project? Now in our discussion for this module, consider active learning strategies, low fidelity simulation options, and types of evaluation for nursing informatics training and education. What strategies will you incorporate into your course project? Finalize and record your course introduction and then complete the required readings and take the quiz to test your new knowledge.
