Enhancing Student Engagement: Innovative Strategies for Intentional Learning

Aim: This paper presents four innovative teaching modalities conceptually designed and adherent to National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) indicators. Background: Nurse education has received ‘calls’ for transformation, demanding a pedagogical refocus that better equips the future workforce. A key aspect is the need to actively engage students in learning, an approach shown to improve outcomes. Method: Four innovative teaching modalities were incorporated into a baccalaureate curriculum, aligned to the NSSE indicators, and targeted an area of the curriculum where active student participation had the potential to improve the learning experience. Results: The four modalities: Theater of the Oppressed; Simulation as a Clinical Site for Active Engagement; Legal Simulation; and Creating Student Researchers were introduced at key stages in the curriculum and covered sophomore to senior levels. Conclusion: NSSE can be utilized to provide a robust framework on which to plan and deliver educational opportunities that support meaningful, student-centered participation.