The Economic Feasibility of Utilizing Computer-Assisted Instruction as a Primary Teaching Strategy in Schools of Vocational Nursing in Texas

• Main Author: Wilson, Bruce K. (Bruce Keith)
• Other Authors: Miller, Bob W.
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: North Texas State University 1987
• Subjects: vocational nursing programs; teaching methods; computer assisted learning; Texas; Nursing > Texas > Computer-assisted instruction.; Nursing > Study and teaching > Texas.; Nursing schools > Texas.
• Online Access: https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc332090/

Each vocational nursing program in Texas was surveyed to determine the faculty and media costs per student classroom instructional hour. Data were obtained from 131 schools, or 99 per cent of the population. These schools taught a total of 4,718 students. The average faculty cost was $1.72 per hour. Faculty cost ranged from $0.17 to $7.75. The average media cost was $0.12 per student hour with a range from no media expenditure to $7.55. The reliability of these costs was not demonstrated. Each program director was asked to identify a principal textbook representing the content taught for each content area in their program. A total of 75 textbooks were identified by two or more programs. A cross tabulation analysis procedure yielded 1,582 combinations of 2 or more textbooks from 2 or more schools. Twenty-five per cent of the schools used the most frequently identified combination of two textbooks. Computer hardware and operating expenses were subtracted from the combined faculty and media cost per student classroom instructional hour. The amount remaining for software purchase was identified as $1.61 with a range of from $0.03 to $7.85 per hour for teaching the required 600 hours. The twenty textbook combinations with the greatest remainder for software utilization were identified. The combination with the largest arithmetic mean remainder was used by 624 students. It was $1.61 per hour. This combination consisted of Ingalls and Salerno's Maternal and Child Health, used to teach maternal and child health, and Hood and Dincher's Total Patient Care, used to teach Medical-Surgical Nursing.