PONE-D-21-35186Pilot study to explore the use of mobile SPaced LEarning as a digital learning platform when teaching symptom management to undergraduate Nursing Students: SPLENdidS studyPLOS ONE

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Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

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Reviewers' comments:

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Comments to the Author

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Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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2. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously?

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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5. Review Comments to the Author

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Reviewer #1: Overall it is an interesting study. The manuscript is well written and structured. The mixed methods approach (case based and MCQs) used for the pilot study seems appropriate. However, some of the observation are as follows:

1. The authors have referred to some of the previous studies in the context. However, some more review of literature could be added to support the current pilot study.

2. The authors have only considered the first year students of the undergraduate nursing course. Why were the other year students not taken into consideration? This would have enabled the authors to get a better response rate (13% seems too low) and hence the study could have been more useful in drawing conclusions about spaced learning.

3. It would have been a more conclusive study if the authors would have added comments/solutions to some of the challenges faced in spaced learning quoted in the manuscript as comments from the participating students.

For example: “The likes of me I don’t have my student email sent to my phone so there was actually

that I completely forgot all about it and not getting any alerts…”

“I don’t know if I just remember the answers as opposed to the answer. If the question

had of been different… I was looking at it ‘oh that’s that one before I even read it…”

Reviewer #2: This is an interesting study. The paper is well-written and organized in general. Look for a few grammatical mistakes. Include a few recommendations based on your findings. The discussion and conclusion sections can be a little more in-depth.

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Reviewer #1: No

Reviewer #2: No

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Pilot study to explore the use of mobile SPaced LEarning as a digital learning platform when teaching symptom management to undergraduate Nursing Students: SPLENdidS study

PONE-D-21-35186R1

Dear Dr. Mc Veigh,

We’re pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been judged scientifically suitable for publication and will be formally accepted for publication once it meets all outstanding technical requirements.

Within one week, you’ll receive an e-mail detailing the required amendments. When these have been addressed, you’ll receive a formal acceptance letter and your manuscript will be scheduled for publication.

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Kind regards,

Prabhat Mittal, Ph.D.

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

Additional Editor Comments (optional):

I have revisited the manuscript and reviews with all attachments (tables and figures). Based on received reviews, author response and in my opinion, authors have appropriately discussed the use of quantitative and qualitative analysis (thematic approach) to meet the objectives of the manuscript. The analysis has been carried out based on a survey of undergraduate nursing students about the mobile spaced learning as a digital platform. Study recruitments (sample and participants) have also been appropriately justified in the manuscript. Table 2 and table 3 sufficiently discusses the results of the descriptive statistics and the summary of focused group discussion outcome of thematic analysis

Reviewers' comments: