Participatory Learning and Democratic Engagement in Nursing Education

The integration of participatory culture and civic engagement frameworks into higher education signals a profound shift in how learning communities operate. As highlighted by McCorkle (2024), participatory learning transcends traditional classroom assignments and positions students as active contributors to public discourse. Similarly, Kahne, Hodgin, and Eidman-Aadahl (2016) assert that the digital age has redefined civic engagement, offering learners new ways to collaborate, investigate, and influence through participatory actions. Together, these frameworks suggest that the most transformative educational experiences are not those that reproduce knowledge, but those that empower learners to co-create meaning, act ethically in digital spaces, and cultivate agency within their professional and social communities.

In the context of nursing education, these ideas resonate deeply. Nurses, both in practice and in training, operate at the intersection of knowledge, ethics, and human experience. The profession’s social contract is grounded in advocacy and relational practice and aligns naturally with participatory and democratic educational models. Nursing educators who adopt participatory learning principles foster environments where learners are not passive recipients of information but active, reflective participants capable of influencing the systems and contributing to broader social change.

Participatory Culture and Knowledge Co-Creation

McCorkle’s (2024) case study demonstrates how participatory media projects can position students as creators of knowledge with audiences beyond the classroom. Students in sociology and law courses developed digital artifacts addressing racial inequality and immigration policy, situating their learning within real-world contexts. This mirrors the philosophy of knowledge building articulated by Scardamalia and Bereiter, where learners collaboratively construct and refine knowledge for the benefit of a community. When adapted to nursing, such approaches could empower students to create health education campaigns, clinical toolkits, or digital simulations that address community health disparities.

In nursing education, participatory learning may take the form of collaborative projects that link students with clinical partners or advocacy groups. For example, students in a community health course might co-develop an infographic series on vaccine hesitancy.  This could be accomplished by using local data and patient narratives to communicate evidence based messages. Instead of writing essays confined to grading rubrics, students would produce accessible, multimodal resources that are publicly shared, reviewed, and refined based on audience feedback. This approach mirrors McCorkle’s observation that authentic audiences increase student motivation and deepen understanding because learners see their work as contributing to meaningful change.

Participatory learning also challenges hierarchical norms within traditional nursing education. Instructors become facilitators of inquiry rather than gatekeepers of knowledge. This shift echoes Freire’s critical pedagogy, which rejects the “banking model” of education and instead positions dialogue as a tool for transformation. When nursing educators adopt participatory frameworks, they signal to students that their lived experiences, clinical insights, and personal values are legitimate sources of knowledge that enrich collective understanding.

Democratic Digital Literacies and Participatory Politics

Kahne, Hodgin, and Eidman-Aadahl (2016) argue that digital media have revolutionized civic and political engagement by enabling participatory politics.  This includes peer-based and interactive acts that allow individuals to influence on issues of public concern. This includes the creation and circulation of information, mobilization of networks, and critical evaluation of social issues. Within healthcare, these same practices are evident as nurses increasingly leverage digital platforms to advocate for policy reform, share clinical knowledge, and challenge misinformation.

For instance, during the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses across Canada used social media to communicate accurate public health messages, often countering false information circulating online. Many advocacy movements, such as “Nurses for Justice,” emerged through participatory digital engagement by blending professional expertise with civic responsibility. These activities align with what Kahne and colleagues describe as democratic engagement in the digital age. This allows for a blending of cultural, social, and political participation that redefines what it means to act as a professional citizen.

Incorporating participatory politics into nursing education requires reimagining how we prepare students to navigate digital spaces. Courses could include activities where learners critically evaluate online health information, analyze social media advocacy campaigns, and produce their own digital narratives addressing ethical dilemmas or patient rights. By teaching students how to engage ethically and strategically in online spaces, educators empower them to be informed professionals and active citizens capable of influencing health policy and public perception.

Authentic Audiences and Motivation to Learn

McCorkle (2024) emphasizes that when learners design artifacts for real-world audiences, they experience increased motivation, ownership, and accountability. These findings mirror the principles of self-determination theory. In nursing, students often express higher engagement when learning is connected to patient care or professional practice. For example, rather than writing a theoretical paper on pain management, learners could create a short educational video for long-term care staff that explains how to assess pain in residents with dementia. The authentic audience would include the staff who will use the resource. This would provide relevance and a sense of contribution beyond the classroom.

This approach not only motivates learners, but also reinforces professional identity. When students publish work that influences others, they begin to see themselves as contributors to the broader nursing community. This aligns with the Canadian Nurses Association’s emphasis on leadership and advocacy as integral components of professional practice. It also supports the shift toward outcome based education, where competence is demonstrated through authentic performance rather than abstract knowledge tests.

Critical Reflection and Ethical Digital Practice

Both readings underscore the ethical dimensions of participation in digital environments. Kahne et al. (2016) caution that while participatory politics democratize access to voice, they also introduce risks related to misinformation, polarization, and inequitable participation. Similarly, McCorkle (2024) notes that students producing digital artifacts must be guided to critically engage with their sources and audience to ensure accuracy, privacy, and respect. These concerns are directly relevant to nursing education, where ethical conduct in digital communication is vital.

Teaching digital ethics should be more than a technical checklist about confidentiality. It should involve guided reflection on the social and moral implications of online engagement. For example, nursing students could analyze case studies where health professionals faced disciplinary action for inappropriate social media use.  They could then discuss strategies for balancing authenticity with professional boundaries. These reflective exercises align with the participatory ethics described by McCorkle, where learners are encouraged to question how their digital actions reflect or challenge broader systems of power.

A critical pedagogical stance also invites students to consider whose voices are amplified or silenced in digital health narratives. Encouraging learners to evaluate media representation of marginalized patient populations can help them recognize structural inequities and develop cultural humility. In this way, participatory digital literacy becomes both a technical and moral competency essential to equitable healthcare practice.

Knowledge Building and Social Justice in Clinical Contexts

Participatory frameworks intersect with nursing’s social justice mandate. McCorkle (2024) draws on Reeve and Sharkawy’s notion of knowledge building for social justice, where learners generate knowledge that calls authentic audiences to action. In nursing, this might translate into collaborative projects where students identify health inequities in their local communities and develop interventions informed by both data and lived experience.

A real-world example comes from a clinical placement where nursing students partnered with a harm reduction organization to design a public awareness campaign on naloxone use. Rather than merely learning about substance use disorders in theory, students engaged with community members, co-created messaging.  They then disseminated digital content through social media. This project embodied the principles of participatory media space. The resulting campaign not only educated the public, but also reshaped the students’ understanding of advocacy as an integral part of nursing identity.

Such initiatives align with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action for health education in Canada, which emphasize the need for culturally safe and community engaged approaches. Participatory pedagogy provides a framework for fulfilling these ethical imperatives, fostering empathy, reciprocity, and respect for diverse knowledge systems.

The Educator’s Role: From Instructor to Facilitator of Inquiry

Adopting participatory frameworks requires educators to reimagine their own roles. McCorkle (2024) describes instructors who acted as facilitators, guiding students through structured but flexible processes of design and reflection. Similarly, Halverson’s principles, which include structure, assessment, and the integration of digital tools, offer a roadmap for balancing autonomy with accountability. In nursing education, this means creating environments where learners can safely experiment, reflect, and iterate while maintaining professional standards.

For example, in a clinical simulation course, an educator might encourage students to record and analyze their performance using digital tools, then collaboratively review the footage to identify patterns of communication, empathy, and decision-making. The educator’s role is not to provide all the answers but to ask guiding questions that lead students toward insight and self correction. This approach mirrors the participatory described by Kahne et al. (2016), where learners take ownership of their learning within a supportive, collaborative community.

Assessment, must also evolve to reflect process and product. Rather than grading only the final artifact, educators can incorporate reflective journals, peer feedback, and design milestones. These methods emphasize growth, adaptability, and metacognitive awareness. All of these are crucial competencies for nurses who must continuously learn and adapt in complex clinical environments.

Integrating Multimodality in Nursing Education

Both articles highlight the importance of multimodal learning. Participatory media spaces thrive on diverse modes of expression. In nursing education, multimodal approaches accommodate and reflect the multisensory nature of clinical practice. For example, students might use 360-degree video to record clinical simulations, annotate their performance with reflective commentary, and share insights in an online discussion forum. Others might design infographics that visualize patient safety protocols or short podcasts exploring ethical dilemmas in practice.

These multimodal activities align with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles, which advocate for multiple means of representation and expression. They also resonate with Kahne et al.’s emphasis on production and circulation as civic practices. When nurses create and share multimedia resources, they extend their professional influence and contribute to public understanding of healthcare. This not only supports student engagement but also builds digital fluency and public communication skills. 

Equity, Access, and the Participation Gap

While participatory frameworks hold transformative potential, both McCorkle (2024) and Kahne et al. (2016) caution against overlooking inequities in digital access and literacy. The so-called “participation gap” is not merely about technology availability but about the skills, confidence, and institutional support needed to engage meaningfully. In nursing education, this translates into disparities between students who are digitally fluent and those who are not, as well as between academic institutions with robust technological infrastructure and those with limited resources.

Educators must actively design learning environments that bridge this gap. Providing scaffolded instruction in digital tools, ensuring accessibility compliance under AODA standards, and fostering peer mentoring networks can create more equitable participation. At the same time, faculty development is essential. Many nurse educators were trained in eras where pedagogy emphasized standardization and hierarchy rather than collaboration and creativity. Supporting educators through mentorship, professional development, and reflective communities of practice is critical to sustaining participatory learning cultures.

Resonance with Nursing Professional Values

Participatory and democratic frameworks align strongly with nursing’s ethical foundations. The College of Nurses of Ontario emphasizes collaboration, advocacy, and accountability as core standards of practice. These values mirror the principles of participatory engagement, where dialogue, critical inquiry, and collective action are central. When nursing students engage in participatory learning, they are not just mastering content but embodying professional values in practice.

Moreover, participatory pedagogy nurtures the reflective capacity essential for compassionate care. Engaging with authentic audiences requires empathy, cultural awareness, and the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly.  These skills are equally vital in patient interactions. As learners navigate participatory projects, they rehearse the same interpersonal competencies that ensure safe and ethical clinical practice.

Conclusion

Participatory learning and democratic digital engagement offer a powerful framework for reimagining nursing education in both academic and clinical settings. The works of McCorkle (2024) and Kahne, Hodgin, and Eidman-Aadahl (2016) join on a shared vision of education as a process of empowerment, collaboration, and ethical action. By integrating participatory culture, educators can bridge theory and practice, align learning with social justice, and prepare nurses who are not only clinically competent but also civically engaged and digitally literate.

In a world where healthcare is increasingly mediated by technology, the capacity to think critically, communicate across media, and advocate effectively is essential. Participatory education nurtures these capacities by inviting learners to move beyond compliance toward co-creation. For nursing educators, this means designing experiences that cultivate not only skill but also agency, empathy, and a sustained commitment to democratic and ethical practice.

Personal Reflection

Therefore, how can nursing educators balance the need for structure with the freedom inherent in participatory learning?

In these situations, educators can establish clear frameworks for objectives and ethical boundaries while allowing students choice in how they demonstrate understanding. Structured reflection checkpoints and co-created rubrics ensure accountability without stifling creativity.

References

Kahne, J., Hodgin, E., & Eidman-Aadahl, E. (2016). Redesigning civic education for the digital age: Participatory politics and the pursuit of democratic engagement. Theory & Research in Social Education, 44(1), 1–35. https://doi.org/10.1080/00933104.2015.1132646

McCorkle, S. (2024). Participatory culture for social justice: Students deploying new media as a call to action and social change. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 24(3), 105–118. https://doi.org/10.14434/josotl.v24i3.35336