Collaborative Learning in Higher Nursing Education: A Systematic Review

Background: Collaborative learning has been used in nursing education for more than two decades. However, little is known about its relationship to quality of nursing education, its implementation process as well as what factors likely influence the effectiveness of the teaching approach. Methods: Previous relevant literature had been searched and located from three electronic databases including CINAIL, PubMed, and Google Scholar. Results: Collaborative learning had been employed in classroom teaching, clinical education and online course teaching. The strategy of instruction was found useful for improving nursing knowledge and skill performance, improving student clinical competency, as well as promote student group skills and learning behavior (e.g., Class engagement, motivation for learning, self-confidence). Conclusions: It was recommended to integrate collaborative learning into nursing education due to positive influences on student learning.