Catherine Macdona

Assessing and Teaching for Dental Nurses

OUTCOMES: Recognise the skills and attributes needed

to become an effective assessor or tutor. Discuss the importance of good

communication skills relevant to the assessing and teaching process.

Have a clear understanding of the qualification process and where to access training.

Explore the career pathways for assessors and tutors working in dentistry.

Why become an assessor/tutor?

Advantages? Opportunity to be able to have a new career. A good way for me to maintain interest in my

chosen profession. Opportunity to be able to pass on my own

skills and knowledge. I will be constantly learning new things/ will

keep me current. Will help me to identify gaps in my own skills

and knowledge. ANY MORE?

Disadvantages? Time element involved in retraining. Lack of confidence in my abilities. Lack of knowledge in my profession. Worried about my lack of key skills. Could I stand in front of a class and

deliver a lecture? ANY MORE?

Skills and Attributes Organised Professional Honest Articulate Committed Flexible Good

communication skills

Empathic Respectful Supportive Patient Realistic Assertive Fair

Challenges you may face when teaching adults.

Boundaries – even adults need rules! Limited basic skills of your learners. Bad experience/past experience. Time issues – family pressures. Cultural/language difficulties.

How can you overcome some of these barriers? Identify key skills at initial training – signpost

learners to access extra support. Treat adults like adults! Let the class set some

ground rules and write them down to refer to if needed.

Be professional at all times – let learners know they can come to you for support and advice.

Arrange 1 to 1 tutorials for learners who may need extra support.

COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY

QCF Qualifications and Credit Framework is a

national credit transfer system. Every qualification has a credit value.

AWARD – 1 to 12 credits CERTIFICATE – 13 to 36 credits Diploma – 37 credits or more I credit represents 10 hours of learning

time

Assessing Usually but not always one to one. Can assess in a college or a work

environment. QUALIFICATIONS AVAILABLE: Three new QCF

units replacing the A1/D33/32 Qualifications Level 3 Award in understanding the principles

and practices of assessment. This is a theory based assignment, suitable for people wishing to understand the role of the assessor, but not currently working with candidates.

Level 3 Award in assessing vocationally related achievement.

Suitable for those assessing in a college or training environment.

You must have access to at least two students. You are required to plan four assessment

activities – two for each student. You will be observed by your college tutor at least

once. Portfolio of evidence required. You complete Understand the principles and

practices of assessment assignment as part of your award.

Level 3 Award in assessing competence in the workplace

The same criteria applies to assessing vocationally related achievement, but you assess learners in their place of work.

You can complete all three units together by taking the level 3 Certificate in assessing vocational achievement.

What next? You could go on to complete

Internal Quality Assurance qualifications within your place of work.

Become an internal verifier/moderator for the qualification you are involved with.

Assessing and mentoring other assessors.

PTLLS, CTLLS, DTLLS Preparing to teach in the lifelong learning

sector level 3/4

Certificate in teaching in the lifelong learning sector level 3/4

Diploma in teaching in the lifelong learning sector level 5 (also called Cert Ed)

(New suite of qualifications being rolled out in 2013).

Mentoring

A role usually taken on by an experienced person who can pass on their knowledge and experience to a less experienced colleague.

Can be formal or informal. Focus is usually on career and personal

development. Mentoring courses are available in

colleges/distance learning so you can achieve a formal qualification.

How do you see yourself? How do your

students see you?

A little bit about communication...

NON VERBAL – body language – including ACTIVE listening skills.

VERBAL – including paralinguistic – tone of your voice.

How would you handle the following situations?

ACTIVITY

What will I learn? Planning learning – how to identify needs The training cycle How to write session plans, schemes of work Aims and objectives – SMART Formative and summative assessment

principles Learning styles and how to use them effectively Theories and principles of learning – humanist

etc A lot about yourself!

Berne’s(1973) Transactional Analysis Theory A method of analysing communications

between people. He identified three personality states – CHILD - PARENT - ADULT Adult to adult state is best. Recognition that people need encouragement

and appreciation to achieve. Can you think of any examples of these

three states, perhaps in your own work environment?

MOTIVATION

Comes from within – a learner may want to learn something just because the subject interests them.

They may want to learn something in order to advance in their place of work/earn more money.

INTRINSIC EXTRINSIC

Motivation can be difficult to sustain.

Maslow (1960)

Hierarchy of needs

Responsibilities of a Tutor Completing attendance records Learners progress reports Marking homework Giving feedback Preparing sessions/lessons Attending standardisation meetings Keeping records (very important)

Who can you go to for help? Line manager where you deliver your

course Awarding body - NEBDN, CITY&GUILDS

etc An experienced colleague A mentor Internal moderator/verifier External QA Syllabus to follow

Feedback and evaluation Feedback should be developmental and

constructive. Even negative feedback can be useful to

a learner if given in a professional manner.

THE PRAISE SANDWICH! Always try to turn negative to positive. Evaluation of yourself and your session

should be carried out also – a good teacher is always learning!

Feedback exercise

Legislation Equal opportunities legislation Health and safety Data protection Disability Discrimination The protection of Children GDC The awarding body for your course –

always follow the guidelines and principles laid down by them

What next?

Examiner for the NEBDN Formal assessing position in a college Informal assessing role in your place of work Mentoring role/new staff/trainees Formal teaching position in local college or

training centre The confidence to seek out other

duties/place to work – confidence to further your nursing career (post qualifications?)

“By learning you will teach; by teaching you will learn” (Latin proverb, quoted in Sedgwick, 2008)

Useful contacts www.leedscitycollege.ac.uk 0845 045

7275 www.yorkcollege.ac.uk 01904

770400 www.wakefield.ac.uk 01924

789789 www.nebdn.org.uk Catherine.macdona@yh.hee.nhs.uk