Learning Lab RN
Learning Lab RN
Podcast Description
Learning Lab RN is the podcast where nurse educators explore innovative, practical teaching strategies to engage and inspire their students. Hosted by dedicated nurse educator and creator Martha Johnson of BreakoutRN, each episode reviews a specific active learning technique, featuring a guest expert. Whether you’re looking for fresh ideas to liven up your lectures or practical solutions to enhance critical thinking, Learning Lab RN delivers the insights, tools, and inspiration you need, one conversation at a time. Join us and discover new possibilities for your classroom!
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast emphasizes active learning methodologies, particularly in nursing education, showcasing topics such as student engagement, critical thinking enhancement, and classroom innovation. An example episode explores the use of clinical loitering tickets to encourage student involvement during clinical shifts, detailing how the tickets promote engagement and accountability.
Learning Lab RN is the podcast where nurse educators explore innovative, practical teaching strategies to engage and inspire their students. Hosted by dedicated nurse educator and creator Martha Johnson of BreakoutRN, each episode reviews a specific active learning technique, featuring a guest expert. Whether you’re looking for fresh ideas to liven up your lectures or practical solutions to enhance critical thinking, Learning Lab RN delivers the insights, tools, and inspiration you need, one conversation at a time. Join us and discover new possibilities for your classroom!
🎙️Building Community with Ice Breakers the First Day (and beyond!)
In this episode, Martha Johnson is joined by Dr. Natasha Nurse Clarke, assistant professor at Lehman College and founder of the Online Nurse Educator community. Together, they explore the importance of building meaningful connections in nursing education, especially in online spaces where community can be hard to create. Natasha shares how intentional icebreaker activities have transformed her courses and offers creative ideas to make student engagement more organic and fun.
From virtual gaming simulations to community-building discussion boards, this episode is full of strategies for cultivating a more connected, motivated, and resilient group of nursing students, both online or in person. If you’re feeling like you want to bring more community and conversation to your classroom, this episode is for you.
🔑 3 Key Takeaways:
Icebreakers are more than just fun. They foster trust and engagement.
- Regular, well-designed icebreakers help students feel seen and connected, creating a learning environment where they feel safe enough to ask questions and support one another.
Community is essential in online education.
- Without intentional community-building, online learners can feel isolated and disengaged. Natasha’s strategies help reduce attrition and build authentic connections between students as well as between the student and educator.
Gamification is a powerful tool when used to teach, not just assess.
- Adding gaming elements to simulations and pre-briefing modules improves learning outcomes and student confidence, especially when used to reinforce foundational concepts before assessments.
Resources Mentioned:
- Ready to use this in your own classroom? Get the Creative Ice Breakers Idea Book here: 👉 learninglabrn.com
- Subscribe to the show: learninglabrn.com
- Join the newsletter and explore active learning tools: breakoutrn.com
- Full transcript: HERE
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Disclaimer
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