The effect of case-based e-learning on academic performance and problem-solving ability in nursing students: A pre- and post-test study

Case‑based learning is a modern learning approach, aims to prepare students for practical skills. In the present study, we aimed to determine the effectiveness of case‑based e‑learning (CBEL) on the academic performance and problem‑solving ability of nursing students.

In this pre‑ and post‑test study, census sampling method was used to select 128 nursing students who had nutrition courses during 2015–2017 at (blinded). Before and after the educational intervention, the students completed the problem‑solving inventory including problem‑solving confidence (PSC), approach‑avoidance style (AA), and personal control (PC) and a scientific test for evaluating academic function. Continuous variables before and after the intervention and categorical variables were analyzed using paired t‑test and Chi‑square test, respectively.

The mean scores of PSC, AA, and PC decreased after the intervention (P < 0.001). The mean scientific score of the students improved after the intervention (P < 0.001).

This study showed that the CBEL method had a positive effect on the ability to solve the learning problems and the academic performance of the students and can be used to train nurses to improve their ability to confront clinical problems in the future.