HLSC305 - Facilitating Learning in Clinical Settings

Year

Credit points

Campus offering

Prerequisites

HLSC122 Evidence for Practice

Teaching organisation

Unit rationale, description and aim

It is a requirement that all healthcare professionals to be clinical learning facilitators as well as practitioners. Clinical settings provide distinctive learning experiences and opportunities for beginning practitioners. Practitioners require a concrete understanding of current educational theory, learning and teaching processes and models of clinical education and supervision to be able to foster effective and safe learning environments. Learning in the clinical setting needs to be planned, structured, managed, coordinated, assessed and evaluated in order for beginning practitioners to become competent health care professionals who are influential and proactive in attaining the greatest outcomes for the patient and the profession.

This unit provides students with the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills to facilitate clinical learning of individuals and small groups. Selected models of clinical supervision and clinical reasoning will be critically examined in relation to simulated and real health workplace settings as they apply to the student's respective health discipline or specialty area. Students will also be provided with the opportunity to demonstrate adaptable and flexible professional expertise through the formulation and implementation of learning activities to enhance clinical learning in paramedic practice.

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

LO1 - critically evaluate a variety of models of clinical supervision as utilised within the context of the clinical setting; (GA8)

LO2 - evaluate clinical facilitation strategies in the clinical learning and teaching process; (GA4) 

LO3 - analyse the process of clinical reasoning and its application to practice/simulation and clinical learning; (GA4) 

LO4 - formulate and implement learning activities and assessment strategies that enhance and facilitate learning in the clinical learning environment; (GA5) 

LO5 - employ a variety of communication strategies that enhance and facilitate learning in the clinical learning environment. (GA9; GA10) 

Graduate attributes

GA4 - think critically and reflectively 

GA5 - demonstrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession 

GA8 - locate, organise, analyse, synthesise and evaluate information 

GA9 - demonstrate effective communication in oral and written English language and visual media 

GA10 - utilise information and communication and other relevant technologies effectively.

CAA Competency Standards: Learning Outcomes 

The Council of Ambulance Authorities Paramedic Professional Competency Standards developed in this unit are:  

Content

Topics will include: 

• Dimensions of the teaching and learning process 
• Role of participants in the process 
• Role of technology in clinical learning 
• Characteristics of clinical learning environments 

The use of clinical reasoning and its applications to clinical learning 

• Identification and development of clinical learning objectives 
• Aligning clinical learning activities with clinical learning objectives 
• Aligning clinical learning objectives with assessment 

Models of clinical supervision 

• Individual models of supervision 
• Group approaches to supervision 

Clinical facilitation strategies 

• Contemporary models of clinical facilitation 
• Supporting student reflection 
• Matching strategies to learner readiness and needs 

Facilitation and communication strategies 

• Clarifying objectives 
• Promoting learner’s self-efficacy 
• Documentation 
• Confidentiality  

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

This unit is delivered to practising paramedics who generally work rotating shifts. Thus, the unit is delivered fully online to allow the flexibility required by students who may not be able to attend on campus or in synchronous mode. As students are currently paramedic practitioners, a teaching and learning strategy which places them at the centre by drawing upon their own experiences best meets the learning needs of this cohort. This unit requires students to undertake 150 hours of focused learning to achieve the unit learning outcomes.  

Flexible asynchronous online learner-centred lessons are used to support student learning. Students are able to co-construct knowledge using online discussions. Problem-based learning is used in this unit to ensure evidence-based practice is utilised to solve challenges in clinical settings. 

Assessment strategy and rationale

A range of assessment procedures will be used to meet the unit learning outcomes and develop graduate attributes consistent with University assessment requirements. Assessments are sequenced and timed to support progress from assessment of lower level learning outcomes to higher as the semester progresses. Assessments are weighted accordingly. 

The discussion portfolio enables students to discuss, explore and articulate their thoughts and opinions to demonstrate their depth of knowledge to foster effective clinical learning through small group learning strategies. The reflective piece enables students to apply values, knowledge, skills and attitudes in the area of clinical learning and the facilitation of clinical learning through problem based learning. The major assignment provides the opportunity for students to consolidate knowledge developed throughout the unit. These assessments are required to engage students with content that will build knowledge which, by the conclusion of this programme, will allow the student to graduate as a health care professional who can locate and critically appraise discipline specific literature. This requirement exists because all people deserve to be treated with best practice. The major assignment will utilise problem-based learning strategies. 

Overview of assessments

Representative texts and references

Bernard, J. M, & Goodyear, R. K. (2014). Fundamentals of clinical supervision (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Merrill.  

Bishop-Clark, C. & Dietz-Uhler, B. (2012). Engaging in the scholarship of teaching and learning. Virginia: Stylus Publishing. 

Cockell, J. & McArthur-Blair, J. (2012).Appreciative inquiry in higher education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 

Dean, C. B., Hubbell, E. R., Pitler, H., & Stone, B. (2012).Classroom instruction that works (2nded). Alexandria, Virginia USA: ASCD. 

Gardner, J. (Ed). (2012). Assessment and learning (2nded.). London, UK.: Sage.  

Gravells, A. (2012). Preparing to teach in the lifelong learning sector (5th ed.) Exeter: Learning Matters.  

Higgs, J., Ajjawi, R., McAllister, L., Trede, F., & Loftus, S. (2012). Communicating in the health sciences (3rd ed). Victoria: Oxford University Press. 

Levett-Jones, T. (Ed). (2013). Clinical reasoning. Australia: Pearson. 

Price, K. M. & Nelson, K. L. (2014). Planning effective instruction (5thed). Australia: Wadsworth.