Nursing students' and educators' perceptions of their knowledge and use of computer -assisted instruction

This study investigated the nursing students' and nursing educators' perceptions of their knowledge and use of computer-assisted instruction (CAI). Thirty-five senior baccalaureate degree nursing students and 16 nursing faculty members from the mid-south completed a 26-item questionnaire that addressed the respondents' perceptions of their use and knowledge of computers and included activities such as word processing, electronic mail, statistical analysis, bibliographic retrieval, presentation graphics, and Internet capabilities. The instrument was a paper-and-pencil self-report that used a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 0 (none) to 4 (extensive) for past or present computer uses and from 0 (none) to 4 (considerable) for computer knowledge. A demographic section was included in the questionnaire to access descriptive data that included personal characteristics of subjects. The SPSS statistical computer application using the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with a significance level of 0.05, was used to analyze the data. There were no significant differences in the perceptions in the areas of general computer applications use and knowledge between nursing students and educators. With technology advancements, it is now possible for students to be in active learner roles. Opportunities for computers use and knowledge can reinforce skills and provide an environment to which students can relate.