(withdrawn) Interactive Teaching Strategies and the Effect on Knowledge and Outcomes

Purpose:
Interactive teaching methods are widely used to engage the participant as a means to enhance learning, but are sometimes perceived as ineffective. This study compares traditional, online, interactive teaching strategies and the effectiveness on knowledge and patient outcomes.

Background/Significance:
Among the many challenges nursing educators and staff developers face today is the need to provide a vast amount of ongoing education to be integrated into a variety of healthcare settings. With the need to educate is the need to captivate, and interest the learners effectively, whereby knowledge gained is retained, and is then transferred to improved patient outcomes. The question is, which teaching method is most effective in retention of knowledge and thereby affecting patient outcomes?

Methods:
The descriptive research study included fall prevention education of the nursing staff at a large community hospital in western North Carolina. Nursing staff, by randomly selected units, attended one of three classes based on teaching methods used: (1) traditional (lecture) class, (2) interactive class, (3) computer learning module. The participants were asked to complete pre and post tests related to fall prevention content. Additionally fall rates, by unit, were compared pre and post education to determine effectiveness of teaching method related to improved patient fall rates. Analysis of variance was used to determine statistical significance.

Results:
904 nurses participated in three different types of education pertaining to fall prevention. 288 received traditional (lecture) method of teaching, 231 participated in interactive teaching methods, and 385 completed the education via computer module. Results of data determined there was no significant change in knowledge gained between different teaching strategies (p= 0.3923). Likewise there was no significant change in average fall rates post education (p= 0.0709). It may be that learning styles and a preference for specific teaching strategies appear to influence knowledge retained and behavior modification based on knowledge learned.

Conclusions and Implications for Practice:
There is no one teaching strategy that will meet the needs of all students. Utilizing a variety may challenge learners and stimulate critical thinking while teaching important skills to affect positive patient outcomes.