Background and purpose: Despite the rapid growth in offering online RN-to-BSN programs, limited information is available on student perception of online courses. The aims were to develop and to evaluate Student Perceptions of an Online Course (SPOC) scale.
Methods: A quantitative study using a two-phase methodological design was applied. A convenience sample of 201 RN-to-BSN students was used to establish internal consistency and evidence of validity including exploratory factor analyses.
Results: Three factors of student engagement, organization, and resources were verified. The overall SPOC had high reliability with Cronbach's alpha =0.98.
Conclusions: The SPOC is valid and reliable. It can be used in research and quality assurance/improvement work on the delivery of online nursing education.
Keywords: Online RN-to-BSN program; Online nursing education; Student perception of online education.
Published by Elsevier Ltd.