Implementing a Standardized Discussion Forum Rubric Across 3 Online Nursing Programs Marydee Fisher, DNP,RN, CPN; Meigan Robb, Phd, RN; Debra M

Implementing a Standardized Discussion Forum Rubric Across 3 Online Nursing Programs MaryDee Fisher, DNP,RN, CPN; Meigan Robb, PhD, RN; Debra M. Wolf, PhD, RN; and Julie Slade, DNP, RN

ithinonline learningenvironments,1 thediscus- To develop the rubric, the committee worked through sion forum (DF) is used to facilitate in-depth the processes of (1) defining criteria to promote engagement W student interactions, reflections on practice, throughout the week, (2) selecting a point scale that sum- and knowledge base formation.2,3 A rubric is an evaluation marized behaviors not resulting in grade inflation, and tool used in online DF postings to assess student perfor- (3) crafting descriptors for each performance level that de- mance levels.4,5 This article describes how nursing faculty scribed expectations for faculty and students. The final ru- at a private university created a standardized rubric to be used bric design (see Table, Supplemental Digital Content 1, across online nursing programs (RN-BSN, MSN, and DNP) http://links.lww.com/NE/A601) reflected 5 main catego- to objectively assess evidence of learning within DF postings. ries tied to independent learning (main response due by Wednesday), collaborative learning (peer responses 1 and Approach 2 due on 2 separate days by Sunday), and netiquette (timeli- Anecdotal evidence suggested that faculty were inconsistently ness and academic writing mechanics). using the existing holistic rubric to evaluate student perfor- The rubric was piloted across the programs by the ad mance. Students with dual-track enrollments (RN-MSN and hoc committee members. Anecdotal reports were positive BSN-DNP) reported being confused due to multiple DF expec- regarding interpretation, usability, ease of grading, and ap- tations across programs. Therefore, an ad hoc committee with propriateness of point allotments. Faculty further indicated faculty from all programs was formed to address the concerns. therubricwasanapplicableDFassessmenttoolformultiple learning activities across programs. This feedback sup- Rubric Development ported undertaking a full program rollout. The committee first reaffirmed the purpose of the DF was to provide evidence of a student's ability to understand, apply, Rollout and evaluate core concepts. A review of literature suggested The first step was establishing a line of communication be- using an analytic rubric for evaluating online discussions tween the ad hoc committee and full-time and adjunct fac- decreased student frustration and subjectivity of the evalua- ulty. A narrated video highlighting differences between the tor through defining various levels of performance, describ- previous and revised rubric was created, and a link to the ing performance behaviors, and associating point values video was sent via email. The resources and supplemental ma- 2-4,6,7 with specific behaviors. The committee next identified terials were also posted on the Faculty Support Site in the learn- similaritiesanddifferencesbetweenDFrequirementsacross ing management platform to allow for referencing retrieval. program levels. Requirements for the number and timing of A checklist and tip sheet were shared with each course li- posts were consistent. However, activities (eg, typed response, aison (a full-time faculty member who oversees course design video comments, creation of a concept map, feedback on and maintenance) outlining steps to integrate the revised ru- drafted assignments, etc) that constituted a DF posting varied. bric. Liaisons were asked to (1) post a scripted announcement in the course about the change, (2) send a private email to stu- Author Affiliations: Assistant Professor (Dr Fisher), Assistant Professor, Assistant Director of Nursing Programs, and MSN Program Coordinator dents to reinforce the change, (3) upload the rubric, (4) revise (Dr Robb), and Assistant Professor, RN-BSN Program Coordinator (Dr Slade), the course grade book to reflect new point values, and (5) edit Department of Nursing, and Professor and Director, Healthcare Informatics the syllabus to reflect use of the standardized rubric. Program, Department of Healthcare Informatics (Dr Wolf), School of Health Sciences, Chatham University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Conclusion Correspondence: Dr Fisher, Chatham University, Woodland Rd, Eastside Well-designed rubrics enhance students' understanding of re- Campus, Office #230, Pittsburgh, PA 15232 ([email protected]). quired performance behaviors and increase consistency in Supplemental digital content is available for this article. Direct URL citations faculty grading practices. The incorporation of a standardized appear in the printed text and are provided in the HTML and PDF versions of this article on the journal’s Web site (www.nurseeducatoronline.com). analytic rubric across multiple nursing programs is one Accepted for publication: December 15, 2018 method for promoting consistent evaluation of student Published ahead of print: January 7, 2019 learning that occurs in online DFs. Involving faculty in DOI: 10.1097/NNE.0000000000000652 each step of the rollout of a pedagogical change is key.

Copyright © 2019 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved. Reference rubric for online courses: standardizing expectations of graduate stu- 1. Fact sheet: nursing shortage. American Association of Colleges of dents in online scholarly discussions. TechTrends. 2014;58(2):99-107. Nursing website. Available at: https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/ 4. McKinney BK. The impact of program-wide discussion board grading ru- 42/News/Factsheets/Nursing-Shortage-Factsheet-2017.pdf. Updated brics on students and faculty satisfaction. Online Learn J.2018;22(2):289-299. May 18, 2017. Accessed November 5, 2018. 5. Phillippi JC, Schorn MN, Moore-Davis T. The APGAR rubric for 2. Craig GP. Evaluating discussion forums for undergraduate and grad- scoring online discussion boards. Nurse Educ Pract. 2015;15(3):239-242. uate students. Faculty Focus. Available at: https://www.facultyfocus. 6. Renjith V, George A, Renu G, D'Souza P. Rubrics in nursing education. com/articles/online-education/evaluating-discussion-forums- Int J Adv Res. 2015;3(5):423-428. undergraduate-graduate-students/. Published 2015. Accessed August 17, 7. Minnich M, Kirkpatrick AJ, Goodman JT, et al. Writing across the curricu- 2018. lum: reliability testing of a standardized rubric. JNursEduc. 2018; 3. Wyss V, Freedman D, Siebert CJ. The development of a discussion 57(6):366-370.

TEACHING TIP Intervention for Focused Online Mentoring ne approach employed by schools of nursing to address the nurse faculty shortage is the use of adjunct faculty. While O adjunct faculty are expert clinicians, they are frequently novice educators who experience a transition from their role as clinicians to the academic setting. Organizational support during this transition may not be formal and varies greatly among nursing programs. This intervention addresses this need. Mentoring was provided using the group texting application Groupme. This application was free and simple to use and provided a common space for group members to communicate. Participants had access to the application by computer or mobile phone. Team leads monitored posts, answered questions, and shared messages on college events and meetings and what students were experiencing on campus. Twenty-eight adjunct faculty participated with an overall positive response. The Groupme application was convenient to use. Participants enjoyed the “real time platform to ask questions and receive answers quickly” and indicated it was “good to have full-time faculty checking in.” From this experience, we realized that a Clinical Faculty Information handout was needed as part of the onboarding for new adjunct faculty (Table, Supplemental Digital Content, http://links.lww.com/NE/A637). Team leaders fill out the top portion with site-specific details, and general information can be updated as needed. The handout is provided to faculty at orientation sessions. Online mentoring is a low-cost means of supporting new adjunct faculty. Once the Groupme application was set up, little time was required for maintenance. Providing the information handout at orientation sessions supports the intervention.

Supplemental digital content is available for this article. Direct URL citations appear in the printed text and are provided in the HTML and PDF versions of this article on the journal’s Web site (www.nurseeducatoronline.com).

By Elizabeth L. Mackessy-Lloyd, DNP, MA, RN, CNE, Assistant Professor, Prince George's Community College, Largo, Maryland, mackessylloydl@gmail. com; Karen Frith, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, CNE, Interim Associate Dean, Professor, University of Alabama, Huntsville, [email protected]; and Michele Dickson, DNP, MS, RN, CNE, Department Chair, Professor, Prince George's Community College, Largo, Maryland, [email protected]. DOI: 10.1097/NNE.0000000000000687

TEACHING TIP An Innovative Way to Teach a Blended Graduate-Level Course student-centered teaching strategy was integrated into an online graduate-level pathophysiology course. In this course, A there is a mixture of master's students with a focus in nursing education and clinical nurse leadership, and doctor of nursing practice family nurse practitioner (FNP) and nurse anesthetist students. Historically, this course was taught with graduate students from all options answering identical discussion and examination questions. Students had concerns about full group discussion. Based on their feedback, the course was rebuilt to better meet their learning needs. While the course is still offered to the mixture of students, application to their degree path is highlighted. In odd number weeks of the course, the students answer general discussion questions, applying that week's content to advanced practice nursing in general. In alternating weeks, the students are grouped together by their degree paths and discuss questions related to their focus. The nurse anesthesia students apply the content to the perioperative environment, FNP students to the clinic setting, and master's students to teaching or leading staff. Along with the weekly discussion questions, the examinations were also changed to be more reflective and centered to the specific degree paths of the students. All of the students take the same test. However, at the end of it, students answer an essay item based on their degree path. Similar to the discussion questions, the essays are used to apply the information to a situation they would encounter in their future career.

By Jason Mott, PhD, RN, CNE, Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh College of Nursing, [email protected]. DOI: 10.1097/NNE.0000000000000688

292 Nurse Educator • Vo l. 4 4 • No. 6. www.nurseeducatoronline.com