Show me the learning - re-usable learning objects as an active learning experience and resource

Nurse education traditionally has adopted a didactic teacher centred approach to teaching and learning. Changes in practice and education, however, dictate that teachers are now required to adopt new educational approaches (Brown, Kirkpatrick, Magnum et al, 2008) to include the World Wide Web (WWW), wikis, virtual learning environments and Reusable Learning Objects (RLO's). The aim of this study was to elicit if student learning took place through generating their own RLO using a Problem Based Learning (PBL) framework. The literature review highlighted that RLO's and PBL are effective as long as they are facilitated correctly in order to engage learners in self-directed and lifelong learning. Additionally, learners are encouraged to take greater responsibility for their own teaching and learning needs drawing on previous knowledge (Murphy et al, 2009). Although RLO's and PBL have educational merit in their own standing, these pedagogies have the ability to enhance and support Teaching For Understanding (TFU) and relevant disciplinary knowledge. This study succeeded in stimulating intellectual curiosity, analytical ability, individual creativity, and critical thinking with this cohort, evident in student evaluations and feedback. The merging of RLO's and PBL is indeed an innovative and interactive teaching and learning strategy, and the reusability of this resource has the real potential to be applied to other clinical units of teaching and learning in an already broad and practical based curricula. Students were very positive of the inclusive teaching and learning approach used in creating and generating their own RLO. Moreover, they learned in a variety of ways and reported that being part of this process cultivated their awareness of communication, creative and critical thinking, reflection, and decision-making abilities through the application of theoretical and practical knowledge. More research is warranted, however, to establish if using RLO's, as opposed to generating them, will have the same impact on future student learning.