Information and communication technology in nursing education

Qualitative study with an approach based on the Straussian Grounded Theory, conducted with nursing professors at public and private nursing schools in the Mid-west Region of Brazil. For data analysis, the steps were open coding – identification of codes; axial coding – determining subcategories and categories; selective coding – identifying a central category that represented the set of data analyzed.

Results

The open coding carried out with the answers from the 22 nursing professors, identified the codes: learning, clinic, association, continuing education, didactic, WhatsApp, Facebook and Youtube. The axial coding resulted in categories (fragility of lecturer training; use of social networks as a teaching method) and subcategories (knowledge; continuing qualification; tools) which represent the studied phenomenon. The selected coding refined all categories and subcategories, giving rise to the central category called “The challenge of involving the student in the teaching-learning process and the generation gap between lecturer and students”.

Conclusion

It was possible to identify the use of ICTs through social networks (YouTube; Facebook and WhatsApp) as positive technological teaching strategies in nursing learning. However, for their implementation, it is necessary to overcome challenges related to pedagogical practice, students’ access to technology and generational conflicts. These difficulties point to the need to discuss the education of the nurse lecturer and an academic organization aligned with the contemporary profile of the students, who are increasingly connected to technologies.

Information technology; Teaching; Education, nursing; Nursing education research

	Categories	Subcategories	Codes	Representative statements
	Selective coding: The challenge of involving the student in the teaching-learning process and the generation gap between teachers and students	Fragility of lecturer training	Knowledge	Learning	The difficulty of technology... You see, it depends a lot on the student’s knowledge and experience. We have students who have more access to technology, and we have students with almost no access to this technology, you know? And when I, as a lecturer, see this difficulty in the student, it is something that I will be working on, I teach the student to develop this practice. (P1) This is a challenging moment for the lecturer, because today we work with Generation Y, a generation that is plugged and tuned into several windows. I think about what I use during the dialogic process... Sometimes, you seek information quickly and the student is inattentive, and you ask a question... The challenge is to seek, at that moment, the evidence you are discussing. (P19)
				Clinic	The use of cell phones and technology can hinder pedagogical practice. A lot, actually! The first thing I ask when going to hospital practice is to keep cell phones off. (P11)
				Association	In this case, it (information and communication technology) could be complementary for the implementation and teaching of a topic. (P18) So, I think we have to develop information technology, the student is working on a certain subject all the time. And the student is constantly researching on his cell phone to see if what we say is correct. So, we have to use technology in our favor in the classroom, of course I allow the students to use their cell phone or tablet, but I have to have control if they are using it for something related to the classroom context or not. (P17)
			Continuing qualification	Continuing education	We urgently need to have teaching workshops where we can equip ourselves to use these new technologies better. (P18) A difficulty we often have is the motivation of the worker... to adapt to new methodologies and working methods. (P15) Today, to work with teaching we need continuing training. Mainly of the lecturer, by the way. You always have to be up to date. (P11)
Selective coding: The challenge of involving the student in the teaching-learning process and the generation gap between teachers and students	Fragility of lect	Continuing qualification	Didactic	[...] they arrive prepared and we lack knowledge on how to better use technology for teaching. (P18)
	Use of social networks as a teaching methodurer trainingUse of social networks as a teaching method	Tools	WhatsApp	I don’t think WhatsApp has to be part of the classroom context. Because I see that the training process is composed of different processes. (P17) For me, this is fabulous! But we need to know how to use this correctly, [...] because it’s not cool to look at WhatsApp every 10 minutes! (P16) [...] social networks are more interesting than the informal network of the Moodle platform. WhatsApp groups... Orientations in smaller groups have also been occurring. pequenos grupos também têm acontecido. So, today, these new technologies can help a lot! (P21) [...] this WhatsApp thing... it disturbs the lecturer! (P22) [...] we have a WhatsApp group [...] and it can make it easier or harder. So, I show the student that if he spends a lot of time on his cell phone, he will waste his time just answering to groups!... He will lose interesting things. He could be reading articles, studying, taking texts from the library or consulting other books... (P15)
			Facebook	We have been using it... It has been an ally, because, initially, the university offers the Moodle platform. Then we realized that people didn’t access it and didn’t advance. So, we decided to create a closed group on Facebook and abolish Moodle for one semester. And we realized that even the most difficult activity, when it is on Facebook, they like it [laughs]! The use of the social network, like Facebook, has been very interesting for us! (P21)
			Youtube	[...] So we realized that it is more dynamic to use information and communication technologies and show bad and good information. We will have a class this week on important topics for health policies and a student sent me what he found on Youtube... (P17)

Escola Paulista de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal de São Paulo R. Napoleão de Barros, 754, 04024-002 São Paulo - SP/Brasil, Tel./Fax: (55 11) 5576 4430 - São Paulo - SP - Brazil
E-mail: actapaulista@unifesp.br

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[1] Corresponding author. Angela Gilda Alves E-mail: angelagildaalves@gmail.com