UNDERSTANDING PLACEMENT LEARNING Dr Poppy Turner

New Guidance on Evaluation of Work Placements New Frameworks and Models for Evaluation Both require a particular way of thinking about placement learning This workshop will examine some student feedback and (briefly) some learning theories The ‘work’ you will be asked to do involves categorising data, then matching it with useful theories Next workshop will use your feedback, frameworks & models.

Good Department’s placements had high reputation With positive feedback, we believed our placements were excellent Few placements were not so good. At the time, I was unable to explain the difference I felt that placements should be more than a numbers game, that it would be better to focus on learning potential Need to understand placement learning but HOW BEST TO DO IT?

Initial basic concept of learning Knowledge from experiences Altered ways of thinking It involves processes of change within the brain window on their minds Even this simple idea is fundamental to effective evaluation. Since learning is internal and personal to the individual learner or student, we need a window on their minds. Therefore …

Begin with student feedback. Think: ‘How best to interpret what students can tell us?’ First handout, examples of familiar positive feedback What is significant about good placements? Try to identify 4-6 categories of what is important in good placements You have about 20 minutes.

Now negative feedback: What is significant when placements are not so good? Try to identify 4-6 categories of what was not good about poor placements You have about 20 minutes. Handout: What has feedback told us? Handout: Placements are dynamic. Need open questions. Note the effects organisational culture

What do experts think? Whole libraries of books Learned academics debate at conferences Our understanding needs to be useful/practical So, with apologies, highly abbreviated kernels of learning theories Can we usefully match feedback from students to theory?

UNDERSTANDING LEARNING - the secret of effective evaluation Handout: something to take away and read Quick run through it with you then you can have a think about how it might help us understand the student feedback Go back to the student feedback, positive and negative, and have a go at matching it with these ideas

An expanded view of learning Powered by Activity Knowledge from Experiences Altered mental frameworks Learning involves processes of change within the brain that are driven by worthwhile activities and supported by supervisors, colleagues and ANYTHING that helps meaning-making Helped by instruction/ support for meaning Learning comes about through experiences acting on the student’s individual mental attributes (ability, personality, the impact of their previous experience, their perceptions etc).

Learning Outcomes: Slippery customers! Two different meanings: – expected learning outcomes = learning objectives – are different from the learning outcomes actually achieved Actual learning outcomes are not without problems either as learning is internal. Only the student really knows what has changed within their brain, i.e. what they have actually learnt Yet student performance is assessed against prescribed learning outcomes Academic responsibility for setting and assessing ‘Learning Outcomes’ = generic learning outcomes.

Generic, anticipated learning outcomes for placement unit: Essential learning intended from the placement unit in that discipline It must be possible for students to be able to demonstrate acquisition of skills and/or knowledge described by these generic learning outcomes For example, on successful completion of placement students will be able to demonstrate …, to solve …, to evaluate …, to analyse, to apply, to calculate, to create, etc. Generic intended learning outcomes should be provided to supervisors/line managers and to students.

Specific learning objectives, for individual placements: The learning likely to be achieved by the student in their particular placement situation Best identified by the student with their supervisor/line manager who knows the work or project and the skills/ knowledge necessary to do it Personal development plans (PDPs) can be useful in setting learning objectives, establishing training needs, setting milestones, monitoring progress and for assessment. Handout: with examples