Social Media in Educational Practice: A Case Study of an Ontario School of Nursing Catherine Giroux A thesis submitted to the University of Ottawa in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Health Professions Education Concentration Faculty of Education University of Ottawa © Catherine Giroux, Ottawa, Canada, 2020 SOCIAL MEDIA IN EDUCATIONAL PRACTICE ii Abstract Social media can provide a tool for nursing students, who frequently transition between learning in the classroom and clinical contexts, to consolidate both their formal and informal learning experiences. Furthermore, the majority of baccalaureate nursing students fall within the millennial generation, meaning that they have grown up with computers and other digital tools and likely already use them to share educational resources and maintain contact with their peers. We know little about how health professions outside of Medicine use social media in teaching and learning, especially outside the context of the classroom and assignments. This pragmatic three-phase sequential mixed methods case study explores nursing students’ perceptions of using social media to support their learning and teaching. Phase 1 involves a survey of nursing students at Nipissing University to understand their use of social media for teaching and learning purposes. Phase 2 consists of a digital artifact collection, which involves following nursing students’ social media accounts to see what content they share related to teaching and learning in nursing education. Finally, Phase 3 involves semi-structured interviews to gain a deeper understanding of what motivates nursing students’ decisions to use social media for teaching and learning purposes. Overall, the findings show that nursing students at Nipissing University’s School of Nursing use social media in their formal and informal teaching and learning; they also use it as a ‘third space’ to supplement existing educational and institutional structures. The findings also demonstrate that while nursing students are relatively motivated to use social media in their teaching and learning, issues of quality and reliability of evidence, professionalism, and faculty or program attitudes can influence nursing students’ decisions to use or not to use social media for teaching and learning purposes. Finally, the findings suggest that nursing students share content related to advocacy, health education, and their perceptions and realities of nursing SOCIAL MEDIA IN EDUCATIONAL PRACTICE iii practice. This study contributes practically to the existing conversations regarding teaching and learning, critical inquiry, communication and collaboration, and professionalism in nursing education and practice. Keywords: Social media; nursing students; nursing education; teaching; learning SOCIAL MEDIA IN EDUCATIONAL PRACTICE iv Acknowledgements This PhD caused me to push my personal boundaries, to learn more about my abilities, and to test the limits of my comfort zone. I am grateful to have had a supportive network of family, friends, and mentors who continually encouraged me to take far more chances on this adventure than I otherwise might have. There were many moments when I felt I might fall and I’m forever grateful to those who encouraged me to take the leaps anyway. I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to Wenda Caswell, Dr. Tammie McParland, Dr. Karey McCullough, and Dr. Rick Vanderlee for their assistance and support in establishing Nipissing University’s School of Nursing as my study site. I am indebted to Darlene Belanger for helping facilitate Phase 1 of my study. I would specifically like to thank my study participants for their participation in my year-long, three-phase study. Without their continuous and enthusiastic participation, my study would not be as rich or as meaningful as it is. I appreciate all of your valuable insights and I have learned so much from you and the experiences that you shared. Secondly, I am incredibly grateful for all of the support, encouragement, thoughtful revisions, guidance, and mentoring provided by my supervisor, Dr. Katherine Moreau. Katherine, not only did you help me craft my PhD dissertation, you have modeled for me how to be an amazing supervisor. I hope one day to be able to support students in the same way. I would also like to thank my thesis advisory committee – Dr. Doug Archibald, Dr. Julie Chartrand, Dr. Megan Cotnam-Kappel, and Dr. André Samson – for all of your comments and insights, which strengthened my project and pushed me to be a stronger academic than I ever thought possible. Un grand merci pour vos encouragements et votre soutien. It takes a village to support a PhD candidate in becoming a PhD and I am so grateful for mine. I am indebted to Dr. Susan Rogers Van Katwyk, Lindsay Wilson, Heather Woods, Lindsey Sikora, Dennis Newhook, Dr. Kristen Ferguson, Dr. Trista Hollweck, Dr. Michelle Schira Hagerman, and Dr. Cathy Kerzner. Your statistical coaching, search strategy development, coffee shop work sessions, mentoring, encouragement, and academic and emotional support throughout some personal challenges and a global pandemic were invaluable. Not only did your contributions facilitate the completion of this dissertation, they helped me become the person that I am. I appreciate each of you immensely. Finally, I would like to thank my parents for their unwavering support throughout my graduate school adventure. You instilled in me a love of learning from an early age and taught me the value of hard work and dedication. I am ever so grateful; those skills will take me far in this journey, wherever it goes. SOCIAL MEDIA IN EDUCATIONAL PRACTICE v Contents Table of Contents Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................ iv Contents .......................................................................................................................................... v Chapter One: Introduction .............................................................................................................. 1 Statement of the Problem ............................................................................................................ 1 Contributions to the Field ........................................................................................................... 4 Overview of the Dissertation ...................................................................................................... 5 Chapter Two: Literature Review .................................................................................................... 7 Types of Curricula ...................................................................................................................... 7 Formal curriculum. ................................................................................................................. 8 Informal curriculum. ............................................................................................................... 8 Hidden curriculum. ................................................................................................................. 9 Defining Social Media .............................................................................................................. 10 Current Applications of Social Media in Health Professions Education .................................. 13 Exploration of the Benefits and Challenges of using Social Media in HPE ............................. 15 Benefits. ................................................................................................................................ 15 Challenges. ............................................................................................................................ 18 Social Media in Nursing Education .......................................................................................... 25 Chapter 3: Conceptual Framework ........................................................................................... 30 Chapter Four: Overview of the Study Design and Philosophical Assumptions ........................... 34 Context of Nursing Education in Canada ................................................................................. 34 Nursing Education at Nipissing University .............................................................................. 39 Collaborative program. ......................................................................................................... 39 Registered Practical Nurse (RPN) to BScN bridging program. ............................................ 39 RPN to BScN blended learning program. ............................................................................. 39 BScN scholar practitioner program. ..................................................................................... 40 Positionality Statement ............................................................................................................. 40 Overview of Case Study Research ............................................................................................ 41 Overview of Mixed Methods Research .................................................................................... 43 Definition of MMR. .............................................................................................................