DNP 815 Week 5 DQ 1: learning theory in a program
The prompt says outside the classroom, so an in-service education session is the answer it is trying to prevent — the theory has to be driving a change programme, not a lecture.
Editorial process
Last reviewed · August 15, 2026
Outside the classroom is the whole point
Take outside the classroom literally, because it rules out the answer most people reach for first. A staff in-service, a patient education leaflet and an orientation module are all classroom work in a different room, and a post built on one of them will describe teaching rather than showing a theory driving a programme. Pick one of the three named targets instead. An organisational issue might be hand hygiene compliance, incident reporting that has fallen silent, or a new protocol nobody follows. A patient lifestyle target might be physical activity after cardiac rehabilitation. A specific unhealthy behaviour might be smoking, or medication non-adherence in a defined group. Each is a behaviour maintained by something, and that something is what the theory has to explain. Each of those is a behaviour maintained by something, and identifying what maintains it is the diagnostic step that decides which theory can help you at all.
Then choose the theory for the mechanism you think is operating rather than for familiarity, and say why. If the barrier is that nobody sees the consequences of their own behaviour, behaviourist reinforcement and feedback design is the right frame and gives you audit-and-feedback with visible unit-level data. If the barrier is that staff do not believe the behaviour matters, a cognitive frame and the health belief model's perceived susceptibility and severity constructs fit better. If people know and believe and still do not act, social cognitive theory's self-efficacy and observational learning point you at modelling and graded practice, while adult learning principles say the programme must connect to a problem the learner already has. Then describe the programme concretely — who, what, how often, over how long — and name the construct each element is targeting. That mapping is the whole demonstration, and without it any programme could be attached to any theory.
Likely learning objectives
Inferred from the brief — check these against your own rubric.
- 01Apply learning theory beyond formal teaching settings.
- 02Diagnose the barrier maintaining a behaviour before choosing a theory.
- 03Map programme elements to specific theoretical constructs.
- 04Design a programme concrete enough to be implemented.
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DNP 815 Week 5 Discussions DQ 1 Learning theories have implications for advanced practice nurses outside the classroom. I understand this is a lot of information to cover in 5 weeks, however, the Bible says in Philippians 4:13 that we can do all things through Christ that strengthens us. Even in times like this, we are encouraged by God’s word that we have that ability in us to succeed with His strength. I pray that each and every one of you receives strength for this course and life generally as we navigate through this pandemic that is shaking our world today. Relax and enjoy the course! Name: Discussion Rubric Grid View List View Excellent 90–100 Good 80–89 Fair 70–79 Poor 0–69 Main Posting: Response to the Discussion question is reflective with critical analysis and synthesis representative of knowledge gained from the course readings for the module and current credible sources. 40 (40%) – 44 (44%) Thoroughly responds to the Discussion question(s). Is reflective with critical analysis and synthesis representative of knowledge gained from the course readings for the module and current credible sources. No less than 75% of post has exceptional depth and breadth. Supported by at least three current credible sources. 35 (35%) – 39 (39%) Responds to most of the Discussion question(s). Is somewhat reflective with critical analysis and synthesis representative of knowledge gained from the course readings for the module. 50% of the post has exceptional depth and breadth. Supported by at least three credible references. 31 (31%) – 34 (34%) Responds to some of the Discussion question(s). One to two criteria are not addressed or are superficially addressed. Is somewhat lacking reflection and critical analysis and synthesis. Somewhat represents knowledge gained from the course readings for the module. Cited with fewer than two credible references. 0 (0%) – 30 (30%) Does not respond to the Discussion question(s). Lacks depth or superficially addresses criteria. Lacks reflection and critical analysis and synthesis. Does not represent knowledge gained from the course readings for the module. Contains only one or no credible references. Main Posting: Writing 6 (6%) – 6 (6%) Written clearly and concisely. Contains no grammatical or spelling errors. Adheres to current APA manual writing rules and style. 5 (5%) – 5 (5%) Written concisely. May contain one to two grammatical or spelling errors. Adheres to current APA manual writing rules and style. 4 (4%) – 4 (4%) Written somewhat concisely. May contain more than two spelling or grammatical errors. Contains some APA formatting errors. 0 (0%) – 3 (3%) Not written clearly or concisely. Contains more than two spelling or grammatical errors. Does not adhere to current APA manual writing rules and style. Main Posting: Timely and full participation 9 (9%) – 10 (10%) Meets requirements for timely, full, and active participation. Posts main Discussion by due date. 8 (8%) – 8 (8%) Meets requirements for full participation. Posts main Discussion by due date. 7 (7%) – 7 (7%) Posts main Discussion by due date. 0 (0%) – 6 (6%) Does not meet requirements for full participation. Does not post main Discussion by due date. First Response: Post to colleague’s main post that is reflective and justified with credible sources. 9 (9%) – 9 (9%) Response exhibits critical thinking and application to practice settings. Responds to questions posed by faculty. The use of scholarly sources to support ideas demonstrates synthesis and understanding of learning objectives. 8 (8%) – 8 (8%) Response has some depth and may exhibit critical thinking or application to practice setting. 7 (7%) – 7 (7%) Response is on topic and may have some depth. 0 (0%) – 6 (6%) Response may not be on topic and lacks depth. First Response: Writing 6 (6%) – 6 (6%) Communication is professional and respectful to colleagues. Response to faculty questions are fully answered, if posed. Provides clear, concise opinions and ideas that are supported by two or more credible sources. Response is effectively written in standard, edited English. 5 (5%) – 5 (5%) Communication is mostly professional and respectful to colleagues. Response to faculty questions are mostly answered, if posed. Provides opinions and ideas that are supported by few credible sources. Response is written in standard, edited English. 4 (4%) – 4 (4%) Response posed in the Discussion may lack effective professional communication. Response to faculty questions are somewhat answered, if posed. Few or no credible sources are cited. 0 (0%) – 3 (3%) Responses posted in the Discussion lack effective communication. Response to faculty questions are missing. No credible sources are cited. First Response: Timely and full participation 5 (5%) – 5 (5%) Meets requirements for timely, full, and active participation. Posts by due date. 4 (4%) – 4 (4%) Meets requirements for full participation. Posts by due date. 3 (3%) – 3 (3%) Posts by due date. 0 (0%) – 2 (2%) Does not meet requirements for full participation. Does not post by due date. Second Response: Post to colleague’s main post that is reflective and justified with credible sources. 9 (9%) – 9 (9%) Response exhibits critical thinking and application to practice settings. Responds to questions posed by faculty. The use of scholarly sources to support ideas demonstrates synthesis and understanding of learning objectives. 8 (8%) – 8 (8%) Response has some depth and may exhibit critical thinking or application to practice setting. 7 (7%) – 7 (7%) Response is on topic and may have some depth. 0 (0%) – 6 (6%) Response may not be on topic and lacks depth. Second Response: Writing 6 (6%) – 6 (6%) Communication is professional and respectful to colleagues. Response to faculty questions are fully answered, if posed. Provides clear, concise opinions and ideas that are supported by two or more credible sources. Response is effectively written in standard, edited English. 5 (5%) – 5 (5%) Communication is mostly professional and respectful to colleagues. Response to faculty questions are mostly answered, if posed. Provides opinions and ideas that are supported by few credible sources. Response is written in standard, edited English. 4 (4%) – 4 (4%) Response posed in the Discussion may lack effective professional communication. Response to faculty questions are somewhat answered, if posed. Few or no credible sources are cited. 0 (0%) – 3 (3%) Responses posted in the Discussion lack effective communication. Response to faculty questions are missing. No credible sources are cited. Second Response: Timely and full participation 5 (5%) – 5 (5%) Meets requirements for timely, full, and active participation. Posts by due date. 4 (4%) – 4 (4%) Meets requirements for full participation. Posts by due date. 3 (3%) – 3 (3%) Posts by due date. 0 (0%) – 2 (2%) Does not meet requirements for full participation. Does not post by due date. Total Points: 100 Name: Discussion Rubric
Turn the brief into deliverables
- 01One named target: organisational issue, patient lifestyle, or unhealthy behaviour.
- 02The barrier you believe is maintaining the current behaviour.
- 03One or more learning theories chosen for that barrier.
- 04A concrete programme with each element mapped to a construct.
Target, theory, programme, then the mechanism
The target and the barrier
Name the behaviour to change and what currently maintains it.
The theory chosen for that barrier
Select a learning theory and justify it against the diagnosis.
The programme
Set out who does what, how often and for how long.
The mapping
Attach each programme element to the construct it is targeting.
Learning theory applied outside education
Recommended databases
- CINAHL
- PubMed Central
- Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing
- AHRQ
Search sequence
- 1.Identify the barrier from local data before choosing a theory.
- 2.Search your behaviour AND audit and feedback for the behaviourist option's evidence.
- 3.Find one programme in the literature that names its theoretical constructs explicitly.
- 4.Check what outcome those programmes measured and over what period.
Reference shortlist
These are authoritative starting points, not a ready-made bibliography. A qualified reviewer must confirm that each source fits the assignment and supports the claim beside which it is cited.
Nothing here is cleared for citation until you have read it.
- 01
Learning theories application in nursing education
Journal of Education and Health Promotion / PMC · 2015
Learning theories applied in nursing, which is where the constructs are set out in the discipline's own terms.
- 02
The Health Belief Model of Behavior Change
StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf · 2024
The health belief model's constructs, the right frame when the barrier is belief rather than skill.
- 03
Stages of Change Theory
StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf · 2023
Stages of change, which decides whether your programme should be raising awareness or supporting action.
- 04
Enhancing adult learning through problem-based learning and knowledge scaffolding: a case study
BMC Medical Education · 2026
Adult learning through problem-based design, evidence for connecting a programme to a problem the learner already has.
Review before submission
Common mistakes
- Describing an education session, which is the classroom in another room.
- Choosing the theory first and fitting the problem to it.
- Naming constructs without attaching any programme element to them.
- Leaving the programme so vague it could not be run.
- Ignoring what is currently maintaining the behaviour.
Submission checklist
- Is your example genuinely outside the classroom?
- Have you diagnosed the barrier before selecting the theory?
- Does each programme element map to a named construct?
- Could someone run your programme from the description?
- Would a different theory have produced a different programme?
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