The Neighborhood: a Web-based platform to support conceptual teaching and learning.

The need for reform in nursing education has been clearly defined.The difficulty has been in finding ways to facilitate the process. This article describes an innovative web-based virtual community, The Neighborhood, used to promote conceptual learning across a new curriculum at the University of New Mexico College of Nursing. The Neighborhood features 30 fictional characters that represent various cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds and demonstrate a range of health and psychosocial prob-lems. These characters interact with various community agencies in numerous health care settings. The Neighborhood has strong links to three well-founded teaching strategies: storytelling, case-based learning, and interpretive pedagogy. Because the cases unfold over time, in much the same way problems develop in real life, ongoing exposure to a concept is permitted, facilitating deep understanding.