Information literacy is a crucial skill for nurses to retrieve, judge, and provide appropriate information to patients and their caregivers. This study aimed to develop a blended course to cultivate nursing students' informatics competency. This was a three-semester study including a development of the course, pilot-test and modification of the course design, and final implementation of the modified course design. Almost all class activities were done online except for periodical meetings for problem discussions. Information literacy definition, tool literacy, resource literacy, social literacy, research literacy, publishing literacy, and critical literacy were included in the course curriculum. Twenty-one and 18 students enrolled in the first and third semester of the study. Those students were invited to complete a survey consisting of 25 Likert-scale questions that asked about perception of blended-learning/teaching strategy, effectiveness of the blended course, and what was learned at the conclusion of the course. The majority of students perceived positively toward the teaching strategies, expressed that they understood more about information literacy, and presented abilities in applying information literacy skills in nursing. Structure of the course can be used to cultivate and improve nursing students' competency in informatics. The teaching model can be used in future online courses.

The aim of the present study was to empower mobile assisted social e-learning (eMASE) module that was designed based on social constructivism theory in higher education settings. This study reports findings from a group of undergraduates' expectations and perceptions of e-cooperative learning using mobile social networking apps. The eMASE module of the course was carefully designed by organizing various group activities which were emphasized to encourage social interaction and promote collaborative learning among students. The data come from two sets of questionnaires administered at the start and end of the course. The results indicated that using Web 3.0 technologies in a learning environment was effective in enhancing collaboration and promote students' learning motivation and confidence.

Cloud computing technologies, such as Google Docs, Adobe Creative Cloud, Dropbox, and Microsoft Windows Live, have become increasingly appreciated to the next generation digital learning tools. Cloud computing technologies encourage students' active engagement, collaboration, and participation in their learning, facilitate group work, and support knowledge or information sharing among students. With the cloud features, learning can be accessed anywhere at any time and the world can be a classroom. Students can learn from anywhere and teachers can teach from anywhere. Cloud-based app features such as convenient and on-demand network access to a shared pool of files are indeed providing support for learning and instruction. Learning is now turned into anywhere learning and collaboration, both locally and globally. This study focuses the scope of potential of these cloud technologies for future educators to develop an understanding of how they can be embraced into the instruction. This is a case-study research (n= 28) into the use of cloud-based technology, Google Docs, to support learning in a face-to-face college business writing class. Data pertaining to student Google Docs use and activities will be collected. The first section of this study summarizes the definition of cloud computing technologies with examples of cloud resources. The second section determines the effects of technology, specifically the integration of cloud computing technologies with business English writing instruction, on students' perception of teacher's role. The following section identifies the potential benefits to learning and teaching from cloud-based learning environment.

This paper reports the development and implementation of a web-based nursing information literacy course aiming to promote informatics competencies of intended nurses. This particular 18-month course in school years 2011-2012 underwent three distinct phases: initial design, pilot-test and modification, and final implementation. Participants were senior students in a professional nursing college in Southern Taiwan. The researchers conducted the class in a predominately online setting, where all class work took place except for prearranged meetings for class issues and/or problems that occurred unexpectedly. The results showed that the majority of students perceived positively about the teaching method, felt that they gained more knowledge and skills about information literacy and had the abilities to apply these skills in their future nursing practices. This teaching model can serve as a reference for educators and administrators when considering to implement informatics curriculum for nursing students to create opportunities for competency before graduation.

This study was designed to examine faculty's perceived integration of emerging technologies and pedagogical knowledge in the instructional setting. Understanding the relationship between learning theory and technology was considered important because educational practices are rationalized based on proven learning principles and processes. Participants were 313 full-and part-time nursing teachers in a nursing institute during the 2012-2013 academic year in southern Taiwan. The results of the study revealed that many of the faculty members who took part in this study believed in using learning theories as a foundation for selection technology for instruction. However, a great number of teachers felt they did not sufficiently matched learning theories with their selection of instructional technology. In addition, a proportion of the respondents acknowledged that they did not consider pedagogical principles such as learner's pace, design of activities, evaluations, etc. when planning for instruction using emerging technologies. Teaching professionals need to recognize that the heart of good technology integration lie with the recognition of the relationship between technology and pedagogy. The findings of the study aims to provide data to technology trainers and specialists to help them develop appropriate professional training materials and address teachers' needs during technology profession training in a way that connects pedagogical knowledge and the use of emerging technologies in instruction.