Stories and lessons from a study of the enhancement of learning process on a social work degree programme Gary Clapton University of Edinburgh

Introduction  The role of the academic tutor  Developing debate: ‘What is happening to tutor-student contact in British universities? Is it dropping to dangerously low levels?’ (Times HE Supplement 25 June 2009) HEA recommends ‘using one-to-one tutorials for feedback on assessed work’. (Exploring the National Student Survey: Assessment and feedback issues, February 2008)

Today’s challenges for Social Work lecturers and tutors  Research vs. teaching…  External pressures…  = tutorial in danger of becoming neglected space  Tutors?  ‘Adapt or Die’

Our work  Measures to bridge theory-practice gap  Tutor role under-researched  Questions: ‘What’s a tutor for?’ ‘What skills are necessary?’ ‘Where do they ‘fit’ in students’ learning experiences and processes?’

Survey results  Integrated learning = ‘the capacity to connect’ (Taylor, Huber and Breen, 2006)  How is it done?  Where does it take place?  And with whom?

Findings  Target Group  Returns  Q. Focus

1. Hopes and Expectations of university tutor  A relationship: ‘someone I could talk honestly to, ask advice, receive support’

2. Expectations met?  9 students felt not: ‘tutor unapproachable’  7 answered in the affirmative: ‘appreciated relationship’  The negative comments regarding tutors’ people skills, described one student’s tutor who ‘just made me want to get away from uni and back to work’  Importance of quality of contact: e.g. rapport ‘felt had built good rapport’

3. Who was or became significant in learning process?  Practice teachers  Other students  Tutors

Dream Ticket? ‘the relationship with the practice teacher was more intense and challenging than that with the tutor, but the tutor helped me to look at it from a distance and digest it so that I could decide what I thought as a professional separate from my practice teachers and their styles and opinions. The other students were also a vital part of my learning…discussions with them helped me to develop my own ideas and opinions by providing another viewpoint in addition to my tutor, practice teacher or lecturer.’

4. Who was significant in fostering a feeling of ‘connectedness? Practice teachers and other students: ‘Other students, practice teachers and link supervisors provided me with a sense of connectedness. Unfortunately felt that none of the social work department staff at uni conveyed a sense – often felt cold and impersonal…’

Messages from the class-room When students are able to interact with their faculty as well as their peers through class discussion, small group activities, and hands-on activities, they gain greater conceptual knowledge about the course topic when compared to traditional lectures and labs. (Hake, 1998).

Conclusion The relationship between the practice teacher and student is seen as key no matter what model of placement teaching is adopted’ (Dick et al, 2002,emphasis added). Walk it and talk it.