Facilitating Learning and Assessment In Practice

 

 

 

Facilitating Learning and Assessment In Practice

 

 

 

Introduction

 

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I am a student nurse mentor and needs to tell the examiner how I mentor her during my placement. The examiner Catherine (not the real name of the examiner) and as a student nurse mentor I have to assess and evaluate the examiner’s performance based on my style of mentoring thus, in providing basic posits of teaching for learning facilitation is imperative to the session we have in a daily set of activities with Catherine. There was other examiner in the area but I believe Catherine needs extra attention in order for her to become effective examiner

 

Learning Needs, Planning and Managing

 

As a student nurse mentor I have full responsibility to whatever plan of actions there maybe upon mentoring the examiner, Catherine as a fact that she agreed to be the examiner I allowed Catherine to experience orientation within the area in which I am a part of and thus, explaining to her several resource materials that is integrated within the process. As for Catherine, she has enhance and focus more on the programs of learning and education specs for the betterment of her career path working in the field of examination division into the nursing education unit and I said to her if there are problems or unclear situations, she should not hesitate to tell me right away. Being a student nurse mentor, it is my duty to ensure proper facilitation for learning to be realized and that certain assessments have to be in parallel with such activities as well as the availability of the learning materials such as aids is a must for me to check and confirm.  Then, after explaining to Catherine, we had agreed to write down our views and come up with a discussion plan for a particular period of time, one week to be specific. Indeed, Catherine identified certain objectives as well as the learning needs and the style of learning approach she wanted thus, as student mentor I have to allow such examination centered evaluation and be it return to the organization after having the details and Catherine will have to assess me as a student mentor.

Working as a student nurse mentor is a challenging and rewarding activity that is pivotal to the effective development of such practitioners and as a nurse mentor I will be working collaboratively with other members of the care team and the academic staff as Catherine experience and receives feedback on her role progress. I have some essential responsibilities as follows:  (cited in, Spouse J, (1996; Spouse and Redfern, 2000)

-          Provides social and professional induction to practice and health care team

-          Has reasonable expectations of the student and be aware of their program of study

-          Assesses Catherine’s capabilities in order to help them progress through direct and indirect observation of practice

-          Provides regular feedback on the progress

-          Develops an action plan with the student should there be areas of improvement required

-          Maintains own professional knowledge and updating

 

I believe there can be a number of strategies in place to support my assigned work as a student nurse mentor as I can be a Practice Experience Facilitator being responsible for supporting the mentor in practice and for placing student in practice settings that are designed to meet their educational needs. Aside, as a Lecturer in Practice Education being responsible for liaising with specific, identified practice areas and where possible they will visit the student nurse/midwife at least once during their practice experience to provide academic support. I do provide support and guidance using different kinds of supervision:  (cited in, Spouse, 1996; Spouse and Redfern, 2000)

Collaborative supervision – that takes place when Catherine is new to the area of practice and requires opportunities to learn from direct contact with a qualified practitioner so she can observe and learn through active participation in care.

Coaching – here Catherine needed additional support through guidance and supervision to fulfill the activity which may involve a skill that is new to the student.

Occasional supervision – Catherine has demonstrated that they can work independently to deliver care and needs opportunities to consolidate and further develop her performance like the opportunity to take charge of the department under supervision.

 

Thus, certain learning strategies can be used respectively by the examiner in specific steps that could be taken upon building assessment consensus and provide enough basis for developing comprehensive learning strategy and the execution pertaining to a resource table for increased resources to be spent on education and learning as well as the establishment of ‘learning partnership’, bringing together relevant education and learning with view to considering the priority areas for action as enable students to engage in effective partnerships, using effective education experience and expert assistance from mentoring. The recent increase in published work relating to the supervision of nurses and in particular mentorship suggests that nurses value the opportunities that such schemes present for developing practice. Much of the literature surrounding mentorship concerns the supervision of students in practice settings but more recently, especially following the changes to post-registration education, attention has shifted to the supervision of qualified nurses. No one model is seen as more appropriate than another and choice usually depends upon the mentor’s familiarity with a particular framework (cited in, Spouse 2003; 2004).   It is also evident that there is inconsistency in the length and level of preparatory courses for mentors. The teacher was the expert on nursing education, the aims set for each practice, as well as student nurses and their skills, but then again the nurse mentor knew the ward on which students were practicing. This was why collaboration between nurse mentors and nurse teachers was considered very necessary.

 

As a student nurse mentor, I have to incur ample guidance and support as the student examiner does experience competence and I agree that several students need much attention guidance as compared to others. The duration of activity with Catherine are to be based on the learning needs and assessment as directed to her from knowing her capability to due the work assigned.

 

Catherine is diligent and can understand instructions well but, she lacks a charismatic touch in dealing to pressure oriented situations like, taking down proper minutes of the time needed for a successful examination. Then, I have the opportunity to ask her if she can handle pressure on both sides and she told me  that most of the time she’s hit by being too overly occupied in her actions, being too safe and careful to commit mistakes and failures at work. Furthermore, constructive feedback helps her to maybe twist her mind a bit on a brighter disposition so, I utilize constructive feedback strategy towards Catherine hoping and wishing her the best in terms of her role as an examiner and that motivation is the core domain in strengthening such learning medium thus, through scaling approach in such questions is the one I used in discovering Catherine more as an effective examiner.

The role Catherine and I must work in synchrony for good learning outcomes. The setting is important and places limitations on time, space and access as the student is expected to be an active adult learner; the faculty is expected to assess the student’s needs and arrange for learning environment consistent with program goals and to evaluate the student’s work in providing better teaching while meeting education practice expectations. Meeting the expectations is not always easy for any of the parties. Successful teaching is a complex process that requires not only expertise in clinical content but also positive personal attributes. However, I adopted reflective practice to Catherine as it can be focal notion dealing to professional development in nursing that has facilitated self-assessment of competence through reflective practice integration (cited in, Spouse 2003; 2004).  The technique known as narrative reflection, I have narrated to Catherine such approaches that she needs on a further weight knowing that narratives does provide important opportunities for uncovering nursing practices that often go unnoticed and innovative appreciation of the knowledge and skills of clinical practice as being embedded in practice and provide ways for knowledge and practice to be linked together into a meaningful dialogue that promote interpretation and reflection stance. As a mentor it is a must for me to be aware and understand the learning process that is ideal for Catherine. Research into the affective mode of continuing education fuelled research investigation into how learning explains changes in practice and the one assumption is through self directed learning and it is imperative that the student can surpass such stages as discussed (cited in, Bennett and Fox, 1993; Confessore, 1997)

Stage 1, the learning here is directed toward understanding and estimating personal levels of need to learn upon adopting change in practice

Stage 2 – certain energies are applied to learning fresh competencies needed to practice diverse process

Stage 3 – acquiring learning as organized around the problems of using specific skills, altering the practice environment to increase the goodness of fit

 

 

Catherine, as a learner will amicably need to understand how she learns and how her learning strategies may improve in order to become more efficient and effective in the process. Then, I do need to understand the natural patterns of assessment learning so that I can design learning programs and experiences that complement self-directed curriculums into nursing profession where change and learning are necessary to take place (cited in, Dimmock and Lear D, 2002; Watkins and Marsick, 1993).

 

In addition, “professional education in general should develop in students their own conceptions and theories of the profession which allow them to generate best practice. To achieve this aim, professional education involves not only developing students’ competencies in content knowledge and professional attitudes, but also provides opportunities for students to reflect on their experience and practice in order that they might see how their practice could be improved. In fact, developing reflective practitioners has become the core element in many professional education programs such as medical, nursing and teacher education. Dewey (cited in, 1933) defined reflection as “the active, persistent and careful consideration of any belief or supposed form of knowledge in the light of grounds that support it and the further conclusion to which it tends” (cited in, p. 7).  Thus, Schon (cited in, 1987) argued that reflection should be more tied to action, so he went beyond Dewey, and characterized reflective practitioners as being able to think while acting, reflection-in-action, and also subsequently after an action, to consider what has been done, reflection-on-action. The literature indicates that reflective journal writing enhances reflection, critical thinking, integration of theory with practice, and promotes professional growth (cited in, Brown and Sorrell, 1993; Callister, 1993; Kea & Backon, 1999; O’Rourke, 1998; Patton, Sinclair & Woodward, 1997). As an assessment process, reflective journals do not only provide evidence of understanding of content knowledge, reflection, professional judgment and application, but also enhance critical self- reflection and self-awareness (cited in, Biggs, 1999; O’Rourke, 1998), and improve student assessment performance (Conner-Greene, 2000)’’, (cited from, Tang, 2002 pp. 1-5)

 

 

 

 

 

Facilitating Learning Assessment

 

Learning assessments do play an important role in health care as for Catherine she needs to learn more values pertaining to learning and its underlying as duly required to for the development of Catherine’s confidence and competence into the area thus, determining that opportunities is a must to take place and that I facilitated Catherine through discussion plans we will be having into a form of learning documentation and the incorporation of such evaluation in such formative structure upon understanding Catherine behavior and personality thus, I do give suggestions to Catherine on how she can be effective driven examiner and by a targeted time, it does allow Catherine and me to acquire the needed learning and tell her to have specific goals and that Catherine should follow the following points and do take down notes

 

-          Introduce and discuss more about herself

-          Ask about learning experience of the health care area she belongs

-          Allow Catherine to write 3-4 sentences on what is the learning condition on the process before examination take place

  

For making the learning objective and practical experience clear to Catherine and the learning style had matched my teaching strategies was utilized accordingly and to gather evidence of learning is essential for facilitation success during feedback sessions. The process of documentation is important and that, I evaluate Catherine’s performance by summation approach of assessment as it is found at the end of such placement, where there focuses on the whole information about how much learning there is for Catherine to adopt. Then, I assess Catherine’s competency through tasking performance in providing some examinees that she will handle and observe her as an examiner if she has improved within the area successfully. Then, I told her that, she have undertaken activity on several occasions and given the understanding of why it is important to document clearly and accurately any assessment that she do. Her skills at conducting exams have improved over the last weeks and you she is now confident and demonstrate understanding at the level of good examiner (see, appendix one for standard relationship indication pointing to such development in learning)

 

Providing of Support and Guidance

 

 

The mentoring program allowed Catherine to move into her job far more smoothly and comfortably than if she had just been tossed in alone.  It would have been far more difficult to provide good service without the support of me as her mentor thus, certain mentoring components have been adopted in the process wherein there are:

 

 

 

Source, adopted from:  Kim Thiessen and Brian Buma in Mentoring the Mentors Creating a Mentoring Program

Available at: http://www.wwu.edu/depts/drs/contact.htm

 

 

 

Schedule by asking questions as:

Does the potential mentor have the time?

Can the mentor and the pre-professional be paired together for a real class? Without a shared class, the mentoring process is extremely difficult 

Mentor Personality/Skill asking will the mentor be a good match in terms of personality?, Does the mentor have the requisite skills for mentoring?

 

The experienced partner will be specially trained to be the independent lead in the mentoring process as each experienced team member will be provided with lists of introspective questions to elicit professional skill development with regular updates on Catherine’s progress. As Catherine said, mentoring allowed her to work at a pace which I could handle while still having sessions as my mentor saw things in my work which I would never have noticed, and by correcting those things I became a better examiner faster then I could have on my own. Catherine can adapt and follow the rules and regulation and be more committed and she is lucky to experience humanistic approach in her workplace where teamwork plays an important role upon observing new procedures that contribute to learning and support for Catherine’s achievement. In certain placements, media resources tend to be a few and that I do encourage Catherine to make use of the suggestions I gave because there is weight on such learning approach upon my effective and successful facilitation, I have provided needed guidance to Catherine upon the support for learning and that the earning process continue within greater heights as present with complete education and the practice of learning experience within competence applicability and that systematic paradigm approach do provide the ideal stature for Catherine and anyone who is a part of the workplace (cited in, English National Board, 2000; English National Board and Department of Health, 2001)

 

Furthermore, I instructed Catherine to create a reflection diary that will contain her thoughts and wishes for me as her mentor of the week long activity that we are together (in, Sumsion and Fleet, 1996), please refer to appendix two for the specific reflected diary). Thus, believing that, if Catherine set reflective writing as a task, she should know what she mean by having to make one as some students do not find it easy to write reflectively – perhaps either because they have the notion of academic writing so ingrained as a habit, teach students to write reflectively relating to assessment. However feedback is important for Catherine and myself and agreeing that mentoring assist Catherine in terms of adapting innovative circumstances and helps them to reach informed goals in life. During the process, there is guidance ideal for Catherine in support to her learning as acquired by proper education and level of competence as a core concern.

 

Summary

 

Learning to be composed student mentor is what I learn the most from the experience wherein I have made certain adjustments on how I communicate and interact to such intermittent situation wherein I should act as an ideal mentor and have understood the learning facilitation assessment and its related processes from within norms of standards and conformity and that being a mentor is not an easy role since, you have to be in rational aspect in terms of making decisions and imparting learning to others especially those within the other level of competence. Most of the reflective diaries were written from within suggested format and students will address the completion of a reflection while others adopted open format without adhering to what has been included as the concept helped me to evaluate more on my mentoring abilities for me to consider such things as possible for valuing in me as a mentor, that I should be effective no matter what, as there can be concrete evidence demonstrating achievement on the objectives into reflection on current application of theory and formulation of action plans for improvement as tit is helpful upon illustrating ample learning facilitation from within applicable aspects. Thus, it is a must for a mentor to be a good and effective listener in order to meet halfway with the attitude of a student as a focus of the mentoring agenda and that being a role model gives so much weight and relevance into professional development that astounds learning principles on direct and precise foundation and stance. Truly, proper management should play a vital part in mentoring like, time management wherein it is important to have such consideration of the things that are happening in black and white upon having a wonderful career realization in the field nursing education and study.

 

 

REFFRENCES

                                                                                                           

 

 

Bennett N L, Fox R D. (1993), Challenges for continuing professional education. In: Curry L, Wergin J F, eds. Educating professionals: responding to new expectations for competence and accountability. San Francisco: Jossey Bass

 

Biggs, J. (1999). Teaching for quality learning at university. Society for Research into Higher Education & Open University Press

 

Brown, H.N. & Sorrell, J.M. (1993). Use of clinical journals to enhance critical thinking. Nurse Educator, 18(5), 16-19

 

Callister, L.C. (1993). The use of student journals in nursing education: Making meaning out of clinical experience. Journal of Nursing Education, 32(4), 185-186

 

Conner-Greene, P.A. (2000). Making connections: Evaluating the effectiveness of journal writing in enhancing student learning. Teaching of Psychology, 27(1), 44-46

 

Confessore S. (1997), Building a learning organization: communities of practice, self directed learning and CME. J Continuing Educ Health Professions, 17:5-11

 

Dewey, J. (1933). How we think: A relation of reflective thinking to the educative process. Chicago: Henry Regnery.

 

Dimmock V, Lear D, (2002), Facilitating Learners in Practice – A Mentors Guide. London. City University

 

English National Board (2000), Practice and Assessment: An Evaluation of the Assessment of Practice at Diploma, Degree and Post Graduate Level in Pre and Post Registration Nursing and Midwifery Education. London. ENB Research Highlight No. 43

 

English National Board and Department of Health (2001), Preparation of Mentors

 

Kea, C.D. & Bacon, E.H. (1999). Journal reflection of preservice education students on multicultural experiences. Action-in-Teacher-Education, 21(2), 34-50

 

O’Rourke, R. (1998). The learning journal: from chaos to coherence. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education. 23(4), 403-413

 

Patton, J.G., Wood, S.J. & Agarenzo, T. (1997). Enhancing the clinical practicum experience through journal writing. Journal of Nursing Education, 36, 238-240

 

Schon, D. (1987). Educating the reflective practitioner. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass

 

Sinclair, C. & Woodward, H. (1997). The impact of reflective journal writing on student teacher professional development. Journal of the International Society for Teacher Education, 1(1), 50-58.

 

Spouse J, (1996), The Effective Mentor: A Model for Student-Centred Learning in Clinical Practice. Nursing Times Research 1(2) 120-132.

 

Spouse J, Redfern E, (2000), Successful Supervision in Health Care Practice. Oxford. Blackwell Science

 

Spouse J, (2003), Professional Learning in Nursing. Oxford. Blackwell Publishing

 

Spouse J, (2004), Mentor Guidelines. London. City University

 

Sumsion, J and Fleet, A (1996) ‘Reflection: can we assess it? Should we assess it?’ Assessment and Evaluation in HE 21, (2), pp121 – 130

 

Tang, C. (2002) Reflective diaries as a means of facilitating and assessing reflection. HERDSA

 

Watkins K, Marsick V. (1993), Sculpting the learning organization: lessons in the art and science of systematic change. San Francisco: Jossey Bass

 

Woodward, H. (1998). Reflective journals and portfolios: learning through assessment. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education. 23(4), 415-423.

 

 

 

APPENDIX    ONE

 

       

 

Developing professional and constructive relationships

Evidence

 

Standard

Have high expectations of people including commitment to ensuring that they can achieve their full educational potential and to establishing supportive and constructive relationships with them.

 

 

Hold positive values and attitudes and adopt high standards of behaviour in their professional role.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recognise that communication is a process and encourage parents and carers to participate in discussions about the progress, development and well-being of children and young people.

 

 

Have a commitment to collaboration and co-operative working where appropriate.

 

 

Manage student behavior constructively by establishing and maintaining a clear and positive framework for discipline, in line with the school’s behaviour policy.

 

 

Use a range of behavior management techniques and strategies, adapting them as necessary to promote the self-control and independence of the examiner, as a learner.

 

 

 

 

 

Work within mentoring program and identify opportunities for working with students, managing their work where appropriate and sharing the development of effective practice with them.

 

 

Ensure that students working are appropriately involved in supporting learning and understand the roles they are expected to fulfil.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Professional skills

Evidence

 

Planning and assessment

 

Standard

Plan for progression across the age and ability range they teach, designing effective learning sequences within lessons and across series of lessons informed by secure subject/curriculum knowledge.

 

 

Design opportunities for the learner to develop their literacy and thinking and learning skills appropriate within phase and context.

 

 

 

 

 

Make effective use of an appropriate range of observation, assessment strategies for setting challenging learning objectives and monitoring progress

 

 

Provide learner and carers with timely, accurate and constructive feedback on learners’ attainment, progress and areas for development.

 

 

Support and guide learners so that they can reflect on their learning, identify the progress they have made, set positive targets for improvement and become successful independent learners.

 

 

Review the impact of the constructive feedback provided to learners and guide learners on how to improve their attainment

 

 

 

 

Developing practice

Evidence

 

Standard

Evaluate performance and be committed to improving their practice through appropriate professional development.

 

 

Have a creative and constructively critical approach towards innovation; being prepared to adapt their practice where benefits and improvements are identified.

 

 

Act upon advice and feedback and be open to coaching and mentoring.

 

 

Review the effectiveness of their teaching and its impact on learners’ progress, attainment and well-being, refining their approaches where necessary.

 

 

 

 

 

APPENDIX   TWO: THE REFLECTIVE  DIARY

 

August 2008

 

9.00 am          I greeted my mentor hi Sir and good morning with a cheerful smile. Mentor is feeling great and this day is my evaluation as an examiner to such nursing students.

9.30 am          I am happy and excited by then as my mentor gave me a nice smile and has asked me if I am okay and if I need anything. I told him that I am just fine in giving extra details into the examination. That’s cool he said and believes in what I do and trust me on the preceding events.

10.45 am       One student approached me and clarifies something to me, my mentor was an inch away observing me communicating with the student and giving further instruction. After, I review such examination details in order for me to in right pace. The whole process was organized and my mentor commended me for a job well done and agrees to the steps I made

11.20 am       I went for a snack break together with my mentor into the cafeteria and told me that I can be more effective if I learn the essence of learning into a more systematic way but, anyhow he is confident I will succeed in whatever way

11.52 am       He provided some significant points and I take down those points into my personal journal and he has taught me how to be effective yet objective examiner.

12.40 pm       Lunch break has come and me and my mentor went out near the area and have lunch together with his other colleague

2.15 pm         My supervisor came over to observe us and talked few reminders with my mentor. After the talk my supervisor face was calm and happy and went beside me and said congrats for a nice work. I feel good and motivated to go beyond my limitations and discover in me my potentials. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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