Implementation of Mastery Learning in Nursing Education

Abstract

Mastery education has proven to be a useful strategy for improving student learning outcomes. However, few articles have described the use of mastery learning in nursing education programs. This article describes the implementation of mastery education in a nursing program and demonstrates how this approach was used to successfully increase National Council Licensure Examination ® scores among diverse students. [J Nurs Educ. 2013;52(4):234-237.] M astery learning, also known as outcomes-based and competency-based education, has been successfully used in various disciplines to ensure student success. In general, the method promotes student success on the basis of preset criteria. These criteria are not based solely on students' academic ability but allow for fl exibility in instruction and content. Mastery learning can thus be an integral component of a nursing program that admits diverse students. Mastery learning can enhance the academic performance of diverse students despite differences such as geographic location or ethnic and racial group. Because of its various components, mastery learning can be adapted for use in many disciplines. However, there is limited documentation on the use of this method to assure student achievement in nursing.

The Development of an Automatic Test Assembly System for a Formative Assessment in Mastery Learning Instruction: Case of the SQL Mastery Course

“…Many studies have pointed out that mastery learning can increase the outcomes and enhance the learner's confidence in the subjects [2,9,10]. For example, applying the mastery learning in nursing education programs improves the pass rate of certificate examinations [3,4]. Furthermore, since mastery learning has been applied to computer science education [11], it can also be applied to teaching the SQL programming language to enhance the learning outcomes and the pass rate of the certification exam.…”

“…The mastery learning teaching method can effectively improve the learning outcomes [2] and increase the pass rate on licensure or certification examinations [3,4]. When adopting the mastery learning instruction, lecturers must administer formative assessments so as to confirm the mastery of the learning topics and provide feedback and corrective actions to the students.…”

Improving performance and self‐efficacy of novice nurses using hybrid simulation‐based mastery learning

“…Simulation‐based education (SBE), extensively examined in nursing contexts, has been shown to have a positive impact on nurses' knowledge and confidence (Crowe et al, 2018), critical thinking skills and clinical competency (Kaddoura, 2010), and self‐efficacy in novice nurses (Franklin & Lee, 2014). However, the evidence base for SBML in nursing is much more limited, suggesting both underutilization in nursing contexts and opportunities to close the preparation–practice gap (Cook et al, 2013; Lipsky et al, 2019; Roberts et al, 2013; Rutherford‐Hemming & Alfes, 2017). Reviews of literature examining SBE's efficacy in improving nurses’ confidence and knowledge in treating deteriorating patients (Crowe et al, 2018; Hallenbeck, 2012) have not specifically addressed mastery learning.…”