Introducing Anecdote Circles as an Alternative Method to Focus Groups in the Pedagogic Impact Evaluation of a New Digital Nurse Navigator System

Abstract

Any item and its associated metadata held in the University of Cumbria's institutional repository Insight (unless stated otherwise on the metadata record) may be copied, displayed or performed, and stored in line with the JISC fair dealing guidelines (available here) for educational and notforprofit activities provided that• the authors, title and full bibliographic details of the item are cited clearly when any part of the work is referred to verbally or in the written form This PDF has been generated from SAGE Research Methods Cases. AbstractThe construction and labeling of a relatively disparate set of university information technology systems as the "Nurse Navigator System" were routed in the principles of broader design research where methodologies of teaching, learning, and assessment were used to drive educational innovation within and between clinical and academic teaching. In terms of pragmatic design and appearance, this was straightforward; however, the theoretical basis of the design was more complex and rooted in core pedagogic design principles. Responding to the outcome of the initial evaluation of the system was therefore critical in the iterative developmental design of the Nurse Navigator System. Evaluation necessitated the collation of data which could tangibly and qualitatively examine whether expectations of such a conglomerate set of information technology criteria were realistic in practice. This pilot period of adjustment was recognized as a time to allow for configuring, fine-tuning, and assessment of purposefulness to the student cohort using it and in keeping with the need to co-construct learning and resource needs of students in practice. Evaluating the effectiveness of the preliminary pedagogic design of the Nurse Navigator System necessitated reliable indicators of engagement and learning. This research methods case study provides an overview of the qualitative evaluation of the impact of the new Nurse Navigator System using anecdote circles as an alternative to Focus Groups. Learning OutcomesBy the end of this case, students should be able toUnderstand the process of a mixed-methods study using anecdote circles as alternative to focus groups Apply and transfer the fundamental principles of qualitative impact evaluation with anecdote circles to their own specific disciplinesUnderstand the complexities of integrating digital learning platforms in the context of a learning resource that encourages social interactivity in a pre-registration nursing programUnderstand the pedagogical and philosophical underpinnings of digital interactivity design and how this might potentially be applied to their own area of professional or clinical practice Project Overview and ContextResponses to educational reform have meant that in terms of the future potential employability of students, there has been a corresponding rise in needs-led curriculum design and new and innovative pedagogic approaches in digital interactivity in U.K. Higher Education (HE) (Tsiotakis SAGE Research Methods Cases SAGE