Cambrian Nursing professors earn national award for teaching innovation – June 22

SUDBURY, ON – Two professors from Cambrian College’s School of Nursing have received national recognition for a new method of preparing students to write their certification exam to work as nurses.

Laura Killam and Frances Cavanagh are this year’s recipients of the D2L Innovation Award in Teaching and Learning. It is presented annually by the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE).

Under the current certification process, final year nursing students write a preparatory test which is used as a baseline to determine their probability of passing their National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). Students then undertake a series of standardized tests and prescribed methods to make up any gaps in knowledge before they attempt the certification exam. The process is often very standardized, with little opportunity for personalization to best serve the learning needs of individual students.

Instead, Killam and Cavanagh developed a method that supports students through personalized, evidence-informed strategies. Students analyze their own preparatory test scores, identify their gaps in knowledge, develop personalized goals and action plans to close those gaps, and track their progress using data visualization tools.

This method has been tested over the past three years with more than 180 Nursing students. The majority of students improved their grades and test scores from their baseline test and increased their probability of passing the certification exam.

“This award recognizes something we believe deeply: high-stakes exam preparation and meaningful, student-centred teaching are not competing goals, they reinforce each other,” explains Laura Killam.

“By trusting students to analyze their own data and direct their own learning, we are preparing them not just to pass their nursing certification exam but to be reflective, self-directed nurses for the rest of their careers.”

“Receiving the D2L Innovation Award is a huge honour, and I’m so proud of what we have built,” adds Cavanagh. “Generally, standard education relies on cookie-cutter methods as students in a class follow a strict recipe and take the exact same tests, with no personalization. Our goal was simply to give students the space and the tools to figure out exactly what they need to succeed. Seeing them step up, find their own paths, and build their confidence has been the most rewarding part of this entire experience.”

“This recognition reflects the dedication of our faculty to finding innovative ways to support student success,” says Janice Clarke, Cambrian’s Vice-President Academic. “Laura and Frances demonstrated the impact that thoughtful, student-centred teaching can have on learner confidence, preparedness, and success.”

Cambrian College offers both an Honours Bachelor of Science in Nursing program and a Practical Nursing program. For more information, visit https://cambriancollege.ca/schools-of/nursing.