Adaptive Learning Technology is Quickly Changing How Nursing Courses Are Taught

PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- This summer, nursing schools across the country are busy changing their course curriculums to integrate PrepU, a new adaptive learning solution that is improving student performance and understanding.  At Salem State University, instructors tested Lippincott Williams & Wilkins' (LWW) PrepU in the school's Nursing Fundamentals course and noted a marked improvement in test scores and performance.  They we were so satisfied with the results that they are adding PrepU to many nursing classes for the fall 2012 semester. 

"PrepU helped our students apply new knowledge and make clinical decisions in a very thoughtful way," said Paula Burnett, RN, CNE, who coordinates the undergraduate program for all 700 nursing students at Salem State University, Massachusetts. "A successful nurse must know that among multiple good treatment choices, one will be the best, based on the patient circumstances.  PrepU questions help my students think about their textbook and classroom learning at a higher level, prepare for their exams, and ultimately, become more competent practicing nurses."

Working with the National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards and Student Testing at UCLA, LWW has evaluated PrepU results in 16 undergraduate nursing courses involving nearly 700 students since 2010.  The research shows that students who use PrepU to support classroom and textbook learning frequently outperform both prior classes that did not have access to the tool, and current classmates who choose not use the tool. 

PrepU offers students customized online quizzes that help them master course concepts throughout the semester. PrepU automatically adjusts questions to meet each student at their current level of learning, based on prior responses, and students are directed to specific textbook content for review at the end of each quiz. 

Salem State first introduced PrepU to 80 students in its Nursing Fundamentals course in the fall of 2011, and expanded access to an additional 100 students in the spring of 2012.  This fall, Salem State will use PrepU in its introductory nursing class for sophomores, Health Assessment.  Students will also use PrepU in Nursing Fundamentals and in Adult Health.  Salem State has switched its course textbooks to those published by LWW to ensure consistency with PrepU, and is also adopting use of LWW's DocuCare EHR, a simulated electronic health record teaching tool.

"Last semester, students who answered more questions scored higher on the course final exam than classmates who used the tool less," said Burnett.  "Next semester, I plan to use PrepU for pre-class quizzes, so I can understand student comprehension and adjust my classroom teaching. I also use the questions on my exams, which encourages students to spend more time with this learning tool." 

"PrepU is helping hundreds of nursing programs like Paula's provide an even better learning environment, where students go beyond memorizing facts and really learn how to apply them," said Susan Driscoll, President of Wolters Kluwer Health, Professional & Education.   LWW is part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading global provider of information, business intelligence and point-of-care solutions for the healthcare industry. 

About PrepU
PrepU is an online adaptive assessment platform that bridges the gap between what students know and what they don't know. Built by educators, PrepU's personalized, adaptive quizzes move students toward a better grasp of material and better grades. Instructors can compare their class's individual and overall scores to those of classes that are using PrepU for the same course across the country. PrepU is part of Macmillan New Ventures, a division of global education publisher Macmillan that discovers, develops and markets innovative technologies that make learning more engaging. LWW is offering PrepU as a support tool for 27 nursing textbooks and e-books for the fall 2012 semester.  For more information, go to thepoint.lww.com/prepu.

About Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (LWW) is a leading international publisher of trusted content delivered in innovative ways to practitioners, professionals and students to learn new skills, stay current on their practice, and make important decisions to improve patient care and clinical outcomes.

LWW is part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading global provider of information, business intelligence and point-of-care solutions for the healthcare industry. Wolters Kluwer Health is part of Wolters Kluwer, a market-leading global information services company with 2011 annual revenues of €3.4 billion ($4.7 billion).

SOURCE Wolters Kluwer Health