Abstract
Exploring ways to help students achieve success in nursing programs is critical to improving student learning, success in nursing programs, and ultimately the number of graduates. Strategies for increasing NCLEX-RN pass rates range from modifying admission criteria, altering the number of times students can retake courses, and implementing remediation and progression policies. There does not appear, however, to be one single strategy which, when employed, can assure NCLEX-RN success. There is clear evidence, however, that studying using repeated self-testing has greater learning benefits that repeated reading, although it is unclear to what extent students understand and apply this principle on their own. In this paper we describe the implementation and use of an adaptive quizzing and learning system to provide students an environment for studying by self-testing to better master curricular material and prepare for exams. The study implemented a retrospective descriptive and correlational design to explore the relationship between usage and mastery measured in the system, course outcome data, standardized testing (ATI) scores, and NCLEX outcomes. Use of the system was voluntary and no course credit was assigned. All students (N = 36) used the practice quizzing feature of the system, answered an average of 574 questions with an overall average quizzing mastery level of 3.48 (on a scale of 1-8). There was a strong, positive correlation between the number of questions answered and overall mastery level; with increased usage students were better able to correctly answer more difficult questions and mastery of the content improved. All students in the group passed the NCLEX-RN (on the first or second attempt). Findings support the use of adaptive quizzing as a self-regulated learning strategy for nursing students and indicate that as students actively study and learn in the system, their mastery of course content increases. Additional implications will be discussed.
Highlights
Success on the NCLEX-RN is of concern to nursing students and faculty as for both groups failure has serious consequences
Students’ reliance on their own judgements of learning and mastery, may lead them to succumb to feelings of competence and notions that they know the content much better than they do
If they are constantly having to face situations in which they must choose answers to practice questions, and they don’t always get questions correct, they may end up with both a better sense of their competence and be likely to keep engaging in the practice
Summary
Success on the NCLEX-RN is of concern to nursing students and faculty as for both groups failure has serious consequences. Research evidence on best practices in testing and assessment directs nurse educators to systematically evaluate student ability with more than one indicator especially when making important decisions, which affect students’ futures [7,8, 9,10]. As Spurlock and Hunt (2008) noted: “Looking at a single, clinical-only indicator to represent students’ readiness for graduation devalues the rest of their education, whether it occurred in a community college, diploma school, or university setting [11]”. This means not making an important decision, like whether a student will graduate or not, on the basis of a single test score
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International Journal of Nursing & Clinical Practices
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
