| The purpose of this study was to determine if nursing students use critical thinking skills when engaged with an interactive video program and if they could describe these skills. The study consisted of fifteen Associate Degree nursing students at a large Midwestern community college. The students were told to "Think Aloud" as they worked through a case study on the video disc. The students were videotaped and observed. Transcripts were analyzed and elements of critical thinking were identified according to a predetermined definition. Student profiles were developed to describe the cognitive, affective and personality traits of the participants.;Data analysis revealed that forty per cent of the students used such critical thinking skills as inference, interpretation, explanation, evaluation, self-regulation and analysis. Some students could describe their thinking but inaccurately interpreted information. Others found it very difficult to describe their thought process.;The students who were able to verbalize critical thinking had certain traits in common. They had an adequate knowledge base as required by the IAV program, clinical experience specific to the case study and were self confident. Neither group found it easy to "Think Aloud.";Other emergent themes are discussed, such as the role of the educator, the instructional designer, and the media in the educational process. Data from this study suggest that interactive media encourage students to use critical thinking skills. Recommendations to educators and instructional designers are suggested.;Recommendations for further study include replicating the study with different groups of students or different interactive video programs. Since data suggest that students use critical thinking skills with media, studies might be done to see if repeated use of media can enhance critical thinking. Media may even facilitate transfer of these skills to the domain of practice. |
