Moving from participation to engagement in online education: Writing cases that engage

Online student-centered constructivist teaching is frequently accomplished using cases, which can be done in a variety of ways ranging from authentic problem-based learning to unfolding cases.  Most faculty agree that teaching with cases promotes storage of knowledge in cognitive structures in the manner in which it will later be retrieved.

However, writing these cases to incorporate the vast amount of content that needs to be covered in NP education can be daunting. A course content map is vital in both identifying content that will be featured in the cases as well as anticipating content that will be explored in the process of working through the cases. For it is during the cognitive process of exploration and "ruling out" that helps students organize content by signs and symptoms – the way in which patients present – that deep learning occurs and retrievable knowledge is gained.

Backwards Design (Wiggins and McTighe, 2005) is a competency-based approach to both course planning and the development of engaging cases for group discussion that provides the foundation for content mapping across clinical courses. Engaging cases incorporate pathophysiology, pharmacology, social determinants of health, health promotion/disease prevention strategies, and evidence-based management strategies. The goal of these cases is to mimic the patient encounter that is often complex. Working through these cases during online group discussions places students actively and safely in the role of the NP allowing them to experience the uncertainties of practice. This presentation will discuss the process of content mapping and writing engaging case studies based on Backwards Design to provide a rich, realistic experience for NP students.

Wiggins, G., &  & McTighe, J.  (2005). Understanding by design, (2 ed.)  Alexandria,

VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.