Academic leaders can better implement institutional strategic plans to promote online programs if they understand faculty perceptions about teaching online. An extended version of a model for technology acceptance, or TAM2 (Venkatesh & Davis, 2000), provided a framework for surveying and organizing the research literature about factors that have influenced faculty's adoption of online delivery methods for courses and their willingness to continue to teach online. This paper presents the results of a synthesis of 67 empirical studies about faculty teaching online published between 1995 and 2015, using TAM2 constructs as an organizing framework. This validated model provided a lens for understanding research about faculty perceptions of the user-friendliness and ease of use of technology for online course delivery, as well as the overall experience of teaching online. Studies in this review revealed concerns among faculty regarding their perceived barriers to student success in online classes, uncertainty about their image as online instructors, technical support needs, and their desire for reasonable workload and manageable class enrollments in online classes.

Mixed methods research has the capacity to intersect with other approaches, such as action research, by adding a solid methodological foundation and creating an integrated approach for addressing complex practical problems. Conceptual, philosophical, and procedural similarities between mixed methods and action research make integration possible and justifiable. Combining the two approaches can produce more scientifically sound and transferable results by synergistically integrating qualitative stakeholder engagement with quantitative outcomes to inform action/intervention planning, implementation, evaluation, and monitoring. We describe similarities between the two approaches, discuss advantages of applying mixed methods in action research, and illustrate applications using a methodological framework that captures their synergistic combination. Using this framework, we describe how two studies employed mixed methods in various phases of the action research cycle.

This study found gaps in perspectives between participant groups that indicated a need for institutions to address communication issues, training program objectives, and institutional policies and procedures regarding online course design and delivery to promote faculty success and satisfaction. [J Nurs Educ. 2016;55(8):433-440.].

To determine the effects of gamification on student education, researchers implemented "Kaizen," a software-based knowledge competition, among a first-year class of undergraduate nursing students. Multiple-choice questions were released weekly or biweekly during two rounds of play. Participation was voluntary, and students could play the game using any Web-enabled device. Analyses of data generated from the game included (1) descriptive, (2) logistic regression modeling of factors associated with user attrition, (3) generalized linear mixed model for retention of knowledge, and (4) analysis of variance of final examination performance by play styles. Researchers found a statistically significant increase in the odds of a correct response (odds ratio, 1.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.0-3.4) for a round 1 question repeated in round 2, suggesting retention of knowledge. They also found statistically significant differences in final examination performance among different play styles.To maximize the benefits of gamification, researchers must use the resulting data both to power educational analytics and to inform nurse educators how to enhance student engagement, knowledge retention, and academic performance.