Applying ICT in the learning of professional nursing

Abstract

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have entered the educational field as auxiliary tools in the teaching-learning process. Previous studies show that ICT are mostly used for communication and that there is disuse in the educational field. An exploratory study was conducted; 58 nursing career students, with access to a blog as ICT assistant for learning during clinical practice, participated. UTAE-1 instrument (Use of ICT for Student Learning) was applied; it measured the degree of knowledge and difficulty in the use of ICT for learning, and academic performance was assessed before and after using the blog. 74% of students were women of age average between 21 and 23 years. There was no effect on students’ academic performance after using the blog as an aid for learning. ICT in current education are not the panacea in a learning environment, but they are auxiliary, a place where students can use their technological skills in benefit of their professional training. We propose to explore qualitatively the effect of ICT as an aid for learning on students.

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