This was an evaluation study to determine whether, according to students' perceptions, mediated learning modules utilized in a baccalaureate nursing curriculum provided Gagne's Events of Instruction. Students, both generic and registered nurse degree completion, evaluated modules from the course in which they were currently enrolled. Additionally, representative students were interviewed. Data were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively.

It was determined that Gagne's formulation of Events of Instruction provide an adequate heuristic for constructing this aspect of a nursing curriculum. Module components defining these events were viewed differently by students across academic levels. Mastery quizzes were found to relate more closely to discussion questions than to enabling objectives, and were written at the lower or mid taxonomy levels of the cognitive domain. While modules directed students toward clients with certain pathophysiologic/psychologic conditions, there was little prescribing of activities which would assist students in bridging the gap between the classroom and clinical setting.

Specific activities were identified which would aid faculty developers to strengthen new and existing modules. Specifically, it was recommended that (1) more emphasis be placed on identifying relevance of module learning to professional goals, (2) enabling objectives be eliminated and replaced with module goals, (3) prerequisite learning prescriptions be limited to specific, relevant content, (4) pretests be included that measure mastery of critical prerequisite knowledge, (5) discussion questions be grouped together conceptually, (6) media be prescribed only if it is essential to the acquisition of specific knowledge, skills and attitudes, (7) posttests be constructed parallel to mastery quizzes, (8) higher levels of questioning be utilized in mastery quizzes in order to cultivate students' ability to analyze, evaluate and synthesize module content, (9) prescriptions for psychomotor skills be included in the module if they are relevant to new learning, and, (10) discussion questions and learning activities be included which are designed to assist the student bridge the gap between the classroom and clinical setting.