The effects of class size and form of assessment on nursing studentsʹ performance, approaches to study and course perceptions

Class sizes in nursing education have increased enormously as a consequence of a number of structural changes. This paper reports a study of a large modular nursing degree programme involving the performance of 11799 students on 177 modules over 5 years and the use of the Module Experience Questionnaire on small and large enrolment modules. The study found that nursing students performed less well in large enrolment modules and that they performed better when there was more coursework assessment. Students adopted a surface approach (attempting to memorize material) to a greater extent and a deep approach (attempting to understand material) to a lesser extent on large enrolment modules where pure sciences were being taught. The implications for course design and teaching and assessment methods are discussed.