Learning and educational theories may serve as the philosophical foundation of a nursing curriculum.
Select one of these theories:
Behaviorism
Cognitivism
Humanism
Constructivism
Idealism
Realism
Essentialism
Pragmatism
Reconstructionism
Progressivism
Existentialism
2. Describe how you would use the theory or paradigm as the basis for a nursing program curriculum.
3. Include the rationale for your theory.
*I thought about constructivism and how it could be incorporated with Adult learning such as Knowles theory or Andragogy. It can promote learning.
***This paper has to be wriiten at graduate level. The papers that I submitted on Curriculum Overview and Curriculum theory, frameworks and models received very poor grades 35% out of 100! Informatics in Nursing program curricula was 60% as well as Mission, Philosophy and goals. Please do better
Learning Paradigms and Educational theories
Different learning paradigms and theories exist to guide and explain how learning takes place. Nursing curriculum as well is based on these theories. Understanding how these theories approach learning is important to enhance nursing program curriculum. This paper focuses on the constructivism theory of learning and how it is can be used for a nursing program curriculum.
Constructivism theory view learning as an active and contextualized process as individuals construct knowledge as opposed to acquiring it (University of Sydney, 2014). Therefore, learners borrow from their experiences and environment hypothesis as they construct their knowledge. Hence, the theory can be used as a basis for nursing program curriculum by allowing the learners to incorporate their own experiences in learning (Woolfolk Hoy, Davis & Anderman, 2013). Learners are given an opportunity to reflect about their own experiences and other people experiences through socialization in accumulating their knowledge base. Therefore, the curriculum is designed in a manner that, it allows subjectivity whereby learners are given an opportunity to provide their own interpretation to different concepts.
The rationale for adopting this theory in nursing program curriculum is because, it is applicable and appropriate to Andragogy or adult learning. Most learners that pursue courses in nursing at a mature stage have had vast experience in the environment and in health settings and this therefore, allow them to use this knowledge to enhance their learning process (University of Sydney, 2014). Therefore, this theory makes learning a better experience to the learners as they use real experiences they have. Furthermore, this theory when well incorporated in learning, it make learning enjoyable and fulfilling. Learners find it very easy to translate theoretical learning into practical. Therefore, it is the best paradigm that learners and nursing program curriculum should always adopt in their learning.
References
University of Sydney. (2014). Constructivism.
Woolfolk Hoy, A., Davis, H., & Anderman, E. (2013). Theories of Learning and Teaching in TIP. Theory Into Practice, 52(1): 9-21.