Experiences of undergraduate university nurse lecturers on the online assessment of the affective domain during covid-19 pandemic in city of Tshwane

Abstract

Introduction and background: Clinical assessment, which is an integral part of the affective domain, is usually conducted in a controlled environment where a nurse lecturer has close contact with a student nurse while performing the nursing skill or procedure. Due to COVID 19 pandemic in 2020, training institutions around the world came to a complete halt, and teaching and learning went completely online. In South Africa, Nursing Education Institutions (NEIs) introduced technology-based pedagogy to ensure that students have access to teaching, learning, and assessment while observing lockdown protocols. It was easy to deliver cognitive skills through online classes; however, due to its complexity, assessing the affective domain online became a challenge. Aim of the study: The overall aim of this study is to explore the experiences of undergraduate lecturers on assessing affective domain online during COVID-19 pandemic at universities. The findings will be used by stakeholders to better understand how nurse lecturers assessed the affective domain online during the COVID-19 pandemic and other future pandemics. Universities that require virtual assessment, due to decentralized training to reach students in rural areas. Method: A qualitative descriptive phenomenology design was used in this study. The study was conducted at a university offering an undergraduate nursing degree in the city of Tshwane. Participants who fit the inclusion criteria were selected. Data was collected through individual interviews, using a semistructured interview guide. The steps of content data analysis were followed to analyse the collected data. Trustworthiness was ensured basis of the criteria of credibility, transferability, dependability, confirmability, and authenticity. Significance: The study might contribute to the existing limited body of evidence on the assessment of the affective domain online. The South African Nursing Council might use the findings to develop teaching standards and policies. The findings of the study will support universities that offer decentralized training to reach students in rural areas.