Practice_Teaching

A critical account of how you have applied the principles of adult learning theory to enable another`s learning This essay firstly provides an overview of learning theories and adult learning styles. It then considers the effect of these on a particular learning situation: the 1 to1 supervision of an adult BA Hons social work student at the start of her first 100 day placement by her practice assessor ( myself). This example is then critically appraised and my own future learning needs as a practice assessor are discussed. Learning theories abound. I will consider those I feel most relevant to adult learning. Behaviourist approaches are personified by B. F. Skinners[i] work on reinforcement theory. The basic premise, which can be demonstrated empirically, is that learning can be measured by a change in behaviour of the student. To influence behaviour change, positive reinforcement ( eg encouragement, promotion at work ) is a more powerful factor than negative reinforcement ( eg punishment, withholding of benefits at work). The student is more or less a passive recipient of the “ learning” dispensed by the teacher. The teacher is responsible for all aspects of the learning; it`s content, process, outcomes and consequences. Holistic learning theory (Maslow,1943), Cognitive- Gestalt theory (Bode, 1929) and Sensory stimulation theory (Laird, D. 1985) all concentrate on different aspects of the internal existence of the student. This ranges from considering the importance of the imagination, experience and intellect of the student through to the more objective analysis of how the different senses are more or less responsive to learning.It is held that up to 75% of our learning is achieved through seeing.[ii] As a counterpoint to these theories, the humanist approach ( Carl Rogers, 1964), paves the way for ideas such as Experiential learning (Kolb), Action Learning (Revans) and Adulthood as a special case for learning ( Andragogy) (Knowles). Unlike the preceding theories, which focus on the individual experience of the student, Rogers concentrated upon the relationship between the student and teacher as significant in its own right. The purpose of this relationship is to facilitate learning. Both student and teacher are encouraged to be open, reflective, self critical and critical of one another. Experiential learning essentially describes the cycle of learning that can be achieved through this approach. Action Learning is an application of this idea , regular meetings of adults to explore and work on the development needs of members within their group. Finally, Andragogy distinguishes the case of adult learners from children. “ By adulthood people are self-directing. This is the concept that lies at the heart of andragogy ... andragogy is therefore student-centred, experience-based, problem-oriented and collaborative very much in the spirit of the humanist approach to learning and education ... the whole educational activity turns on the student.”[iii] Much of what we see in adult education : learners as experienced and resourceful, agreed outcomes to learning, user feedback and involvement in the construction of courses, student responsibility for learning, comes directly from the humanist tradition. As such, this school now dominates adult learning theory. It’s tenets are my starting point for exploring the role of the practice assessor. Adults, like children, come in all shapes and sizes! Men, women, black, white, gay, straight, the variation is endless. So it is not enough simply to apply a preferred theory of learning. Learning styles within a facilitative relationship are also critical. A good example to illustrate this is the infamous “ role play”, in which participants are asked to take different roles ( eg social worker, child, parent) within a given scenario ( eg an assessment of need and risk under the chidren act). Students will respond to this opportunity with differing emotions. One may become excited and therefore receptive to learning. Another may become anxious and therefore their learning potential is impaired. Learning styles have been formulated as: Activist (enjoys the experience itself), Reflector (spends a great deal of time and effort reflecting), Theorist (good at making connections and abstracting ideas from experience) and Pragmatist (enjoys the planning stage) .[iv] A key environment where learning can be explored and reflected upon is 1:1 supervision of the student by the practice assessor. Supervision fulfils several related roles for the supervisor, the supervisee and the organisations they are accountable to. Broadly, these roles can be categorised as: Managerial: ensuring the employee understands what is required of her by the employer, enabling the employee to perform better at fulfilling these functions. Supportive: Helping the supervisee deal with work and personal related stress. Educational: Increasing the knowledge, skill and experience resources of the supervisee. [v] Clearly, it is the educational aspect of supervision that is most relevant here. In an idealised Rogerian world, learning would occur via the open and honest exchange of information between supervisor and supervisee. Using reflection and mutual criticism, both would develop as workers and , indeed, as human beings. However, to properly understand how learning occurs within supervision , it is vital to accept the significance of power within the supervisory relationship. Power within supervision can be categorised as follows: Reward/ Punishment Power: In simple terms, the ability of the supervisor to provide, withhold or withdraw rewards (eg. passing a placement, promotion, granting of leave) to the supervisee. Modelling power: The supervisee seeks to emulate the behaviour of the supervisor in their actions at work. Expert power: Similar to modelling, the supervisee holds a belief that the supervisor possesses special knowledge that can only be accessed through the supervisor. Legitimate power: or authority. Both parties accept that the supervisor has a formal role to influence, including directing, the supervisee. This authority is founded in the roles attributed to the supervisor ( practice assessor) and supervisee ( student) conferred upon them by the institution employing them ( in this case a university). Legitimate power assumes that the supervisor possesses greater knowledge, skill and experience than the supervisee.[vi] So, as a supervisor seeking to facilitate my students learning according to a learning style that suits her, I have to understand these factors and how they may influence our relationship. CASE STUDY. I was allocated a 2nd year social work student, embarking upon her first 100 day placement. Both the student and myself were given very short notice of this allocation and the practice assessors handbook had not been published at the time of the allocation. The student was on a part time secondment, meaning she would only be on placement 2 days per week. A personal tutor was not allocated to the placement. These factors meant that there was no opportunity for the student and I to get to know each other, assess our suitability and that of the placement, or to check whether our plans for the placement were consistent with the requirements of the university. To address these deficiencies we did several things. Firstly, the student had completed a personal profile which I did have sight of before the placement. This gave me an insight into her circumstances, her aspirations and her learning needs. However, I had not completed such an exercise. So this also reinforced the power differences between us, as I knew more about her than she did about me. In future placements, I will ensure I have an up to date personal profile that prospective students can read. Secondly, we immediately arranged weekly supervision sessions, although we did not have a supervision agreement, learning objectives or clarity from a personal tutor at that time. Because of the part time nature of the placement, I deliberately geared the initial sessions to a “getting to know you” emphasis, as well as introducing theoretical and historical perspectives regarding the agency ( an acute mental health team). My aim here was to encourage the student to feel at ease, to allow her time to get a feel of what I was like, and to provide a strong theoretical basis before she embarked upon case work. Thirdly, we both examined the learning portfolio and practice handbook as these became available. I wanted to promote a joint enterprise ethos, where our relationship enabled the student to meet her learning objectives. In this way, I wanted to minimise the negative affects of power in our relationship and promote self responsibility for learning in the student. Despite the delay in receiving the handbook, I wrote a draft supervision agreement ( appendix 1), based on this enabling approach and geared towards learning. In supervision session 3 I asked the student to complete 2 learning style questionnarres ( appendix 2) and we analysed these in the following session. It would have been helpful if the university had already done this piece of work with their students as I could not access licensed questionnaires. The results of this exercise suggested that the student primarily learned in the visual and physical mediums, auditory being less useful for her. This is in conflict with my preferred teaching approach , which is primarily auditory using discussion to analyse and reflect upon theory and practice. With this in mind, I made a conscious effort to use more visual media in future supervision sessions:- diagrams, tables, using the whiteboard on the office wall etc. Whilst this took me out of my comfort zone, I hope it was beneficial for the student. After 5 supervision sessions I felt I was in a good position to reflect upon power and authority as it affected our relationship. Undoubtedly all 4 forms of power described above existed in our relationship. Their impact was further complicated by the uncertainty we both held regarding how the placement would work. This was a particularly relevant factor in terms of the reward/ punishment parameter as this was my first undertaking of the practice assessor role and the students first placement. We responded to this by deciding to put relevant questions to the practice tutor at our first 3 way meeting. Due to the availability of this person, this meeting did not take place until week 8 of the placement. However, our decision freed us to consider the other power factors in our relationship. The approach I took was to recognise that I was more “ expert” than the student, both in terms of technical knowledge about the placement ( mental health) and also in terms of experience of our profession. However, both these factors also carried with them the price of conscious and sub conscious prejudice:- adhering to “ my way” of seeing the world and doing things. Equally, I was aware that the student would meet colleagues with different though equally strongly held views as my own. To challenge the power both explicit and implicit coming from such an analysis, I did several things. Most importantly, I encouraged the student not to blindly accept what she was being told, be it by myself, a colleague or a college lecturer. To remember, she had relevant knowledge and experience from her life, her study and from her job from which she was seconded. I provided the student with various sources of information and knowledge that I knew challenged my own views I encouraged the student to think about and research the theoretical and evidence base for statements made by myself and colleagues or associates. I asked the student to gain a historical knowledge of mental health services and the interplay of social policy, medical power and pharmaceutical knowledge that explains this history. I asked the student to critically understand the implicit theoretical base upon which her placement was founded and the very significant implications that had for service delivery. I encouraged the student to reflect upon the use of language in mental health and how it affects perceptions. For example, the words illness, treatment, compliance, carer, patient. My hope is that, despite the naivety of the student to “expert” language and knowledge, taking this approach will enable her to be constructively challenging in her role as a social worker. Such an attitude has always served the social work profession well and is as relevant in other services as it is in mental health. In conclusion, I have used the course and this study opportunity to better understand learning theory and styles, reflect and improve my supervisory skills and incorporate a structure for analysing power and authority in my relationships as a practice assessor. In particular, I have identified the humanist mode of supervision as most relevant to the practice assessor role, gained insight into the relevance of learning styles and how to adapt to these and established means to challenge the dysfunctional aspects of power within a supervisory relationship. This is my first opportunity to be a practice assessor and I recognise I still have great deal to learn and develop to become comfortable and competent within this role. To this end, I am applying to attend the Practice educators course at UEA in 2011. Philip Tregear 15/11/10 APPENDIX 1 Supervision agreement   The primary focus of supervision is the welfare and safety of our service users. Beyond this, my student supervision incorporates: 1.      Hopes for Supervision a)     I aim to provide a supportive supervisory relationship where you can explore your work, your feelings in relation to your work and any other concerns, in an atmosphere that is non-judgemental and purposeful. b) I aim to create a learning environment in which you can reflect on your work as a student social worker. Supervision will always refer back to your learning needs in the context of this placement. c) I aim to provide feedback that is accurate and constructive with the aim of promoting your growth and development as a social worker. 2.      Code of Ethics  We both agree to follow the General Social Care Councils code of conduct and standards for social workers. 3.      Confidentiality a)     Supervision is confidential except were there are concerns that we cannot resolve.  b)     I maintain hand written notes of our supervision sessions.. You can see the notes at any time.    4.      Accountability  We agreed that we would resolve any future concerns I may have about your practice in the following way:   •        I shall discuss those concerns with you at the first opportunity •        We shall agree a plan of action to resolve the problem •        We shall review the plan at subsequent sessions •        If the matter remains unresolved we shall seek advice from your UCS personal tutor   5.      Session Format  At the beginning of each session we will agree an agenda that includes your work and any other issues you wish to 6.      Practicalities  a)     Supervision will take place at Carlton Court in an environment free from interruptions and distractions.  b)      Supervision will be 1.5 hours fortnightly c)     We will give each other as much notice as possible if either of us needs to reschedule a meeting.  e)     If you have any serious worries or concerns regarding your work it is OK to contact me between sessions.   Signed: Date: Philip Tregear Practice Assessor Signed: Date: Student Appendix 2 Below are the templates for the two learning style questionnarres employed. The results of these questionnarres are discussed in the text of the essay. | |  |visual   |auditory   |kinesthetic/physical   | |1 |when operating new |read the instructions |  |listen to or ask for an |  |have a go and learn by 'trial and |  | | |equipment for the first | | |explanation | |error' | | | |time I prefer to | | | | | | | |2 |when seeking travel |look at a map |  |ask for spoken directions |  |follow my nose or maybe use a compass |  | | |directions I.. | | | | | | | |3 |when cooking a new dish |follow a recipe |  |call a friend for explanation |  |follow my instinct, tasting as I cook |  | | |I.. | | | | | | | |4 |to teach someone |write instructions |  |explain verbally |  |demonstrate and let them have a go |  | | |something I.. | | | | | | | |5 |I tend to say.. |"I see what you mean" |  |"I hear what you are saying" |  |"I know how you feel" |  | |6 |I tend to say.. |"show me"  |  |"tell me" |  |"let me try" |  | |7 |I tend to say.. |"watch how I do it" |  |"listen to me explain" |  |"you have a go" |  | |8 |complaining about faulty |write a letter |  |phone |  |go back to the store, or send the |  | | |goods I tend to.. | | | | |faulty item to the head office | | |9 |I prefer these leisure |museums or galleries |  |music or conversation |  |physical activities or making things |  | | |activities | | | | | | | |10 |when shopping generally I|look and decide  |  |discuss with shop staff  |  |try on, handle or test |  | | |tend to.. | | | | | | | |11 |choosing a holiday I.. |read the brochures |  |listen to recommendations |  |imagine the experience  |  | |12 |choosing a new car I.. |read the reviews |  |discuss with friends |  |test-drive what you fancy |  | |13 |learning a new skill |I watch what the teacher|  |I talk through with the teacher |  |I like to give it a try and work it |  | | | |is doing | |exactly what I am supposed to do| |out as I go along by doing it | | |14 |choosing from a |I imagine what the food |  |I talk through the options in my|  |I imagine what the food will taste |  | | |restaurant menu.. |will look like | |head | |like | | |15 |when listening to a band |I sing along to the |  |I listen to the lyrics and the |  |I move in time with the music |  | | | |lyrics (in my head or | |beats | | | | | | |out loud!) | | | | | | |16 |when concentrating I.. |focus on the words or |  |discuss the problem and possible|  |move around a lot, fiddle with pens |  | | | |pictures in front of me | |solutions in my head | |and pencils and touch unrelated things| | |17 |I remember things best |writing notes or keeping|  |saying them aloud or repeating |  |doing and practising the activity, or |  | | |by.. |printed details | |words and key points in my head | |imagining it being done | | |18 |my first memory is of |looking at something |  |being spoken to |  |doing something |  | |19 |when anxious, I.. |visualise the worst-case|  |talk over in my head what |  |can't sit still, fiddle and move |  | | | |scenarios | |worries me most | |around constantly | | |20 |I feel especially |how they look |  |what they say to me |  |how they make me feel |  | | |connected to others | | | | | | | | |because of | | | | | | | |21 |when I revise for an |write lots of revision |  |I talk over my notes, to myself |  |imagine making the movement or |  | | |exam, I.. |notes (using lots of | |or to other people | |creating the formula | | | | |colours!) | | | | | | |22 |when explaining something|show them what I mean |  |explain to them in different |  |encourage them to try and talk them |  | | |to someone, I tend to.. | | |ways until they understand | |through the idea as they try | | |23 |my main interests are |photography or watching |  |listening to music or listening |  |physical/sports activities or fine |  | | | |films or people-watching| |to the radio or talking to | |wines, fine foods or dancing | | | | | | |friends | | | | |24 |most of my free time is |watching television |  |talking to friends |  |doing physical activity or making |  | | |spent.. | | | | |things | | |25 |when I first contact a |I arrange a face to face|  |I talk to them on the telephone |  |I try to get together to share an |  | | |new person.. |meeting | | | |activity | | |26 |I first notice how |look and dress |  |sound and speak |  |stand and move |  | | |people.. | | | | | | | |27 |if I am very angry.. |I keep replaying in my |  |I shout lots and tell people how|  |I stomp about, slam doors and throw |  | | | |mind what it is that has| |I feel | |things | | | | |upset me | | | | | | |28 |I find it easiest to |faces |  |names |  |things I have done |  | | |remember | | | | | | | |29 |I think I can tell |they avoid looking at |  |their voice changes |  |the vibes I get from them |  | | |someone is lying |you | | | | | | | |because.. | | | | | | | |30 |When I'm meeting with an |I say "it's great to see|  |I say "it's great to hear your |  |I give them a hug or a handshake |  | | |old friend.. |you!" | |voice!" | | | | |  |totals |visual |  |auditory |  |kinesthetic/physical | | Kolb Learning Inventory, Quick Activity 4= most like you, 1= least like you… rank each response. 1. When I learn: ___ I like to deal with my feelings. (CE) ___ I like to think about ideas. (AC) ___ I like to be doing things. (AE) ___ I like to watch and listen. (RO) 2. I learn best when: ___ I listen and watch carefully. (RO) ___ I rely on logical thinking. (AC) ___ I trust my hunches and feelings. (CE) ___ I work hard to get things done. (AE) 3. When I am learning: ___ I tend to reason things out.(AC) ___ I am responsible about things. (AE) ___ I am quiet and reserved. (RO) ___ I have strong feelings & reactions. (CE) 4. I learn by: ___ feeling. (CE) ___ doing. (AE) ___ watching. (RO) ___ thinking. (AC) 5. When I learn: ___ I get involved. (CE) ___ I like to observe. (RO) ___ I evaluate things. (AC) ___ I like to be active. (AE) AE‐ Active Experimentation Score: ______ RO‐ Reflective Observation Score: ______ CE‐ Concrete Experience Score: _______ AC‐ Abstract Conceptualization Score: ______ Which two scores are your highest scores ----------------------- REFERENCES 1 For example: B. F. Skinner, The Technology of Teaching, Prentice College Div (June 1968) ( extracted from google books). 2 overview in : "Presenting Effective Presentations with Visual Aids" May 1996,OSHA Occupational Safety & Health Administration U.S. Department of Labor. ( from google scholar) 3 Burns, R. 1995 The adult learner at work,Business and Professional Publishing, Sydney, p.233 4 Honey, P & Mumford, A, (1982). The Manual of Learning Styles. Maidenhead, UK, Peter Honey Publications 5 (Kadushin, A. (1992) Supervision in Social Work (3rd. edn.), New York: Columbia University Press.). 6 Gatfield, T. (2005) An Invetigation into PhD Supervisory Management Styles: Development of a dynamic conceptual model and its management implications. Journal of Higher Education Policy Research and Development, 23(3): 375-388. ( extracted from google scholar search) Bibliography Burns, R. The adult learner at work,Business and Professional Publishing, Sydney, 1995 Gatfield, T. An Invetigation into PhD Supervisory Management Styles: Development of a dynamic conceptual model and its management implications. Journal of Higher Education Policy Research and Development, 23(3): 375-388. 2005 Glover, J Historical Foundations of Educational Psychology (Perspectives on Individual Differences) Plenum Press; 1987 Honey, P & Mumford, A, The Manual of Learning Styles. Maidenhead, UK, Peter Honey Publications 1982 [pic]rª«[i] , - 6 X f Ï Ð \`tz¸¿Æ