Teaching strategies and knowledge retention.

This project compared nurses' knowledge retention after completion of either a competency-based, written self-learning module or a competency-based, didactic lecture module. Using a pretest/posttest quasiexperimental design, a convenient sample was selected from a group of registered nurses who attended a mandatory yearly review of standards from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and the Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA). The 67 subjects were given pretests, the same content material using the two types of presentations, and posttests. An analysis of covariance was used to determine posttest differences between the groups, controlling for pretest scores. Results indicated no significant differences among posttest scores of the treatment group and the control group; alpha level was 0.05. Knowledge retention essentially was the same, regardless of the antecedent teaching methodology. The advantages of one teaching method versus another may be in the flexibility afforded the staff educator. After desired outcomes are identified, a teaching method can be determined based on the staff educators' requirements, the resources available, and the learners' needs.