Preparing Nurse Educators to Use Simulation Technology: A Consortium Model for Practice and Education

Background: As nurses seek to advance their education through online courses, considering best practices in feedback is especially important. Rich and rapid feedback has long been considered a best teaching practice, but how to provide this feedback in an online course environment is not always clear. This study was conducted to identify how experienced faculty provide feedback to online students. Methods: This descriptive exploratory study surveyed faculty about their approach to feedback with broad exploratory questions and a validation survey. The sample included faculty in four different states who benchmark online educational best practices. Results: Content analysis was used to evaluate data, with 15 themes emerging. These themes were organized into three categories: using best available tools; having a system; and creating a feedback-rich environment. Conclusion: The findings support and extend the guidelines for best practices in online education, including a focus on multisource feedback opportunities during course design. J Contin Educ Nurs 2011; 42(11): 496-502.