ACTIVE PARTICIPATION AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

ACTIVE PARTICIPATION AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

For my presentation I wish to focus on active participation and its benefit to achieving learning outcomes.

I wish to focus on a narrow aspect of a teaching session that I gave to a group of health care assistants (HCA).

I was due to give them a seminar on infection control measures. During the session I was asked what the six steps of hand washing were and to describe them. This was a surprise as hand washing is a basic skill which they should have all known as no one was new to the job. I decided that it was easier to show the group. The group then sprinkled on the UV powder onto their hands and washed them as they would do normally. Under a UV light we could ascertain what parts of the hands were missed during their usual hand washing techniques. The group then used the six steps approach to hand washing and saw the difference ie. Much less powder (germs) was on their hands now. This was linked to practice and discussed through question and answer, but also through discussion of problems in practice and to helping to resolve these. The learners were mature experienced individuals, who knew each other. Their comments at the beginning of the session never get sent on any training so they liked/appreciated the time away from the clinical area. The activity was backed by step by step slides and demonstration from myself and then practical experience by themselves.

The activity was well received with enthusiasm and keen engagement.

So I wished to explore this topic of active participation or active learning on achieving learning outcomes.

1Aims Understand importance of correct hand washing technique so as to decrease contamination and cross contamination of infection.

Part of government and Trust Infection control policies in helping to reduce infection rates.

2How activity aids learningLearn by doing

Learn through collaboration

Learn through experience

How does this particular activity aid learning?

Kvedaraite et al (2013) note that activities that support and enable learning are: learning by doing, learning through collaboration and learning through experience.

In the teaching session the students learnt by having a go but also from working with each other and then having another practice thus gaining more experience within a safe situation. George also noted that we learn from what we do. Joel Chijoke Nwalozie (2014) also finds activity central to learning. Knowledge was underpinned by theory and later from examples in practice.

Chapman (2006) also notes that active learning is more effective than passive learning. FSLT14 week 3 introduced the concept that learning is something that you do. A review of the literature and peer comments has emphasised the importance of activity to learning: that adults learn when their senses are stimulated and this is best achieved through participation. And participation assists with deep learning.

It is this knowledge that participation assists with deep learning that as a teachers i should try to ensure occurs with my teaching sessions, however small they may be.

3Kolbs experiential learning cycle

Using Gibbs reflective cycle and Brookfields 4 lenses I was able to reflect again but at a different level upon the scenario and view the importance of Kolbs experiential learning cycle as crucial, I feel, to students learning, especially in gaining physical skills, as in the scenario. Reflection from a different and a deeper perspective has enhanced the importance of the students perspective and active physical engagement in this type of learning.

The students were able to practice the skill have the experience feel and watch and then assimilate/reflect upon the information followed by thinking about the skills in relation to practice and finally try out the new skill and compare it to the old knowledge.

The students learnt through active participation with immediate self and peer assessment: they were able to assess their own techniques and view each others hand washing abilities and commented on them.

Reviewing Kolbs experiential learning cycle has helped me understand why activity learning was effective for this group of students: that of mature adult students who have a wealth of knowledge that also needs to be assimilating along with the new knowledge I presented. As Michelle Harrison noted learners take away more when they can bring their own experiences in to learning and build on them.

4Small group workGround rulesParticiptionFacilitator facilitatesInvolvementStudents proactive in own learningLearn from each other

When carrying out small group work it is important to remember following points:

Ground rules set at beginning, participation is by all and equal though teachers need be knowledgeable of learning styles they should encourage students not to stereotype themselves into a particular style.

With small group work it is important that the facilitator facilitates, involvement by all no free loaders - that students are proactive in their own learning and learn from each other.

Managing discussion say from during feedback from group work is a skill but as Jane Baxter noted discussion facilitates learning and collaborative learning.From the scenario and other experience of small group work, when the participants have very different experiences, learning can be very rich as students take on other perspectives they may not have thought of as I have found with my own online learning.

Reflecting on these points again has enhanced their importance again.

5Small groupsImproved student engagementImproved student performanceImproved retention of information by students

Small groups are associated with improved student engagement, performance and retention.

So activity was possible with the scenario and undoubtedly assisted in the students achieving the learning outcomes required but also additional skills due to flexibility of teacher.

The verbal and written feedback I had at the time was very positive and observation of the students participation was also positive stimulated further questions and discussion and all participated with enthusiasm. HENCE THE LEARNING AIMS WERE MET.

6Teacher/instructor/facilitatorOrganisedKnowledgeableConfidentEnthusiasticFlexibleSee students as individualsSo students will learn

The feedback I received on my reflection both by peer and tutor through the discussion boards and peer review encouraged me to once again use Brookfields lenses of reflection to view my role/performance.

Kendall and Schussler (2013) noted that where instructors are organised, knowledgeable, confident, enthusiastic, flexible, and see students as individuals then not only will students trust them but they will LEARN from them. An atmosphere where students feel comfortable will enable them to learn.George also noted importance of confidence and forthrightness when teaching.

To take this forward as a facilitator it is facilitating others to note these points, some of which are easier than others.7Future ActionImportance of student active participation in adult learning

Use of student engagement to check understanding

Anonymous questionnaires as to how learning experience for student could be improved

Peer feedback/observation

Importance of active participation the students perspective and engagement TO USE VARIETY OF SOURCES/ACTIVITES to enable this.

Use student engagements to check their understanding but first ascertain student expectations too so helping to achieve learning outcomes.

Use of anonymous questionnaires to improve student experience of learning.

Ask a colleague to observe some of my teaching sessions and receive peer feedback.

8Personal challengeSocial media

Online learning

Neil Current raised the issue of the importance of the relevance of the subject topic to student learning and this clearly was evident in the scenario.

Social media and online resources are as important to my students as they are to me and so they must be incorporated into teaching.

And this is the personal challenge for me - absorbing social media and online learning and incorporating them into my own teaching and hence participation in this course and hopefully the MOOC online learning course.9References Chapman, H. (2006) Towards effective group-work in nurse education. Nurse Education Today 29 p298-303

Clynes, M., 2009 A novice teachers reflections on lecturing as a teaching strategy: covering the content or uncovering the meaning. Nurse education in practice no 9 p22-27

Gibbs, G. The assessment of group work: lessons from the literature (FSLT14 week 1)

Dunn, L. (2002) Learning and Teaching Briefing Paper Series, June, Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development OCSLD. www.brookes.ac.uk/services/ocsd

Kendall, K., and Schussler, E 2013 More than Words: Probing the Terms Undergraduate Students Use to Describe Their Instructors. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education vol 25 no2 p200-212

10Kvedaraite, N., Jasnauskaite, R., Geleziniene, R., Strazdiene, G. (2013) Forms of Educational Activities that enhance self-directed learning of adults. Problems of Education in the 21st Century vol 56 p75-77

Marietjie de Villiers,1 Bresick G. 2, & Mash B.3 (2003). The value of small group learning: an evaluation of an innovative CPD programme for primary care medical practitioners. Medical Education 37:81582 Blackwell Publishing Ltd 1

Ping Lieser and Steven D.Taff (2013) Empowering Students in Blended Learning Journal of Applied Learning Technology vol. 3 NO. 3 p6-12

11References from FSLT14Neil CurrantGeorge RobertsMarion WaiteJoel Chijoke NwalozieLaura PilselHazel RotheraJane BaxterMichelle HarrisonDiscussion boards

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