The use of virtual communities is an emerging pedagogical application that enhances student learning in nursing education. This study involved a sample of 40 undergraduate students enrolled in a baccalaureate nursing program using The Neighborhood as a teaching application across the curriculum. The students were followed over three successive semesters. Using the qualitative method of content analysis, student responses generated by open-ended questions were grouped and analyzed to identify major themes. Analysis of the data revealed two primary themes: (1) an emotional connection to specific characters or families, and (2) integration of characters and events into learning activities. Student feedback indicated that virtual communities provide a viable strategy for teaching nursing concepts and their application.
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Shuster et al. (2011) studied this question.
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