The effects of multimedia presentation on cognitive learning and psychomotor performance of intramuscular injection technique and nursing students\u27 attitudes toward learning

The purpose of this research study is to explore whether use of multimedia in teaching injections to nursing students will result in a higher level of performance and cognitive learning than students taught the same skill using traditional methods such as lecture and demonstration. This study also intends to explore students\u27 attitudes toward learning via multimedia and traditional teaching methodologies. The basic design of this study is quasi-experimental. It is triangulated with a qualitative component involving open-ended interviews of subjects in the experimental group. The researcher selected a convenience sample from two community colleges (N = 23). The control group consisted of 11 subjects who were taught injection technique using traditional teaching methods. The experimental group consisted of 12 subjects who were taught injections via multimedia. All participants were given a pretest of cognitive knowledge. Observation of the first intramuscular injection in the laboratory setting, administration of an attitudinal Likert scale and a posttest of cognitive knowledge followed the educational intervention. At the conclusion of the study, all participants in the experimental group were interviewed concerning their attitudes toward the learning experience. Results of these interviews are reported in a narrative fashion. The pretest/posttest of knowledge, observational tool and attitudinal scale were developed by the researcher. Judgmental validity was obtained from experts in the field of nursing education. Results indicated no significant difference between groups on psychomotor performance of the intramuscular injection or in attitudes toward the injection laboratory experience. Also, there was no significant difference in posttest scores between groups. However, there was a significant difference in comparing pretest and posttest scores of the experimental group, indicating a significant learning gain in that group