By Susan Sportsman, PhD, RN, ANEF, FAAN
On September 14, 2020, I participated in the first-ever virtual 2020 NCLEX Conference offered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). There were many interesting presentations, but I believe that you will agree that the discussion about Next Generation NCLEX (NGN) was most important for nursing educators. So here is an overview of the discussion about NGN. Continue reading “Report from the 2020 NCSBN NCLEX Conference”
By Susan Sportsman, PhD, RN ANEF, FAAN
The Coronavirus pandemic has forced most nursing schools to increase their use of online testing, as we reported recently. As I talk to faculty around the country, I continue to hear concerns about the security and validity of online testing. How valid is this concern, and what can we do to mitigate it? Continue reading “Addressing Cheating in Online Testing”
By Susan Sportsman, PhD, RN, ANEF, FAAN
Most of us have been coping, both personally and professionally, with the results of social distancing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. While we would like life to return to “normal,” we also worry about the health impact of returning to our “face-to-face” lives. Equally important, when this crisis passes, what will the new normal look like? Continue reading “Testing Online in the Era of Social Distancing”
By Susan Sportsman, PhD, RN, ANEF, FAAN
Online discussion boards provide the most effective learning when students are given the opportunity to demonstrate higher order thinking skills. Regardless of the topic of discussion, students must be able to demonstrate that they can: Continue reading “Evaluating Online Discussions”
By Susan Sportsman PhD, RN, ANEF, FAAN
The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) recently posted on their website five types of questions that they will include as part of the Next Generation NCLEX (NGN) test revision. While the NCSBN intends to continue to use the multiple-choice test format which currently makes up a significant portion of the NCLEX exam, other types of test items will also be included. Continue reading “NGN-Style Questions—What Should We Do Now?”
by Susan Sportsman, PhD, RN, ANEF, FAAN
Last week I joined four hundred-plus nurse educators from the US and Canada to participate in the 2019 NCSBN NCLEX Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. From my perspective, here are the highlights of this event. Continue reading “Report from the 2019 NCSBN NCLEX Conference”
Writing test items for a faculty-made test is perhaps one of the most difficult tasks that a faculty member faces. In Critical Thinking in Test Item Writing, Morrison, Nibert, and Flick (2006) emphasize the importance of crafting a test item that requires test-takers to at least apply content in order to correctly answer the question. This recommendation reflects the National Council of State Board of Nursing’s policy that all NCLEX test items require cognition at the application level or higher. Yet, we all know how difficult it is to develop test items that correspond to the upper levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Cognitive Behavior.
Continue reading “The “Application or Higher” Dilemma in the Era of Next Generation NCLEX”Given the buzz around Next Generation NCLEX (NGN), you probably already have a good understanding of what NGN is and what you can be doing now to start preparing for this increased focus on clinical judgment. (If not, check out our recent articles on these topics.) This month we will drill down into the use of cues as a means of providing opportunities for nursing students to practice clinical judgment throughout their educational experience.
Continue reading “Next Generation NCLEX: The Importance of Cues”
