All faculty members have heard students say, “Just tell me what is on the test!” Translated, this response generally means, “There is too much content for me to comprehend — I have a life/family/work — and I can’t manage it all!” Faculty also report that students say, “I hate participating in active learning in class. I want teachers to teach me — I am not paying money to teach myself.”
The goal of all nursing and health professions education is to prepare students to be safe and effective clinicians. Despite students’ desire for faculty to simply “tell them what is on the test,” the research related to effective learning is clear: Student engagement improves student learning outcomes.