Innovation
Active, meaningful, enjoyable and personalised learning from day one for our occupational therapy students. We integrate all subjects around potent real-world issues using ‘pure’ Problem-based Learning (PBL) in small groups. Facilitated by a skilled tutor, every two weeks students receive a new ‘case’ (developed with practitioners) which provokes discussion; through which they engage their empathy and compassion, practise reasoning, identify and specify what new knowledge they need, and participate in self-regulating learning, peer teaching, and collaborative problem management. Several other innovations are nested within, now embedded:
- we have designed 2 versions of each case, adapted for each of our pre-registration levels – BSc (part time) and MSc (accelerated)
- we have adapted the PBL process specifically to develop occupational therapy clinical reasoning (from the usual medical reasoning)
- we are now using special software (Scenario-based Learning Interactive, developed elsewhere) to maximise the realism and flexibility of each case through multi-media presentation
- we have created nice variety in a students’ day by incorporated skills practice within every problem
- each case is designed and graded for constructive alignment between learning activity and assessent, building skills sequentially with each problem
What prompted innovation?
The desire to create student-centred programmes which are based on all current understanding of andragogy, in particular, how to foster students’ Deep Approaches to Learning behaviours and to reduce Reproduction Orientations. We also wanted to create a community of practice of PBL tutors, developing our teaching and course–design skills. We discovered that PBL enacts occupational therapy principles, which has prompted the quest to marry the course with current understanding of the neuroscience of learning.
What makes innovation different?
This process of using PBL as it was intended, through understanding and managing its many variables. Capitalising on how human beings learn naturally, PBL develops teachers’ and students’ understanding and appreciation of how real-life situations provoke dissonance between what we know and don’t know, the key to triggering meaningful learning, hopefully inspiring life-long self-direction for CPD. Building students’ skills in linking theory learned on campus, to apply during their Practice Placements.
Changes in practice
We have had to change our teaching practice towards a tutoring/coaching approach to maximise active, emotive, collaborative and efficient learning in every session, balancing support, questioning, and just-right amounts of challenge. We have had to become more student-centred. The campus-based case work methods are now being used during Practice Placements, making implicit practice knowledge more explicit.
Impact
- We continue to receive positive appreciation from all stakeholders for this real-world approach to campus learning.
- Exiting students and alumni see its value for work-based learning.
- Employers seek out the transferable skills including high-quality team work, which ensures that we have very high rates of graduate employment.
- Our commissioners supported a new course development based on the outcomes of our PBL methods.
Dissemination
Through presentations at internal staff development and team meetings, at annual Teaching and Learning conferences, our Centre of Learning and Teaching workshops, national and international pedagogic and health professions conferences, and the pan European Master of Science in Occupational Therapy has adopted this approach in Sweden, Holland, Denmark and Swizterland. We have international visitors. We recently received an HEA Staff Development Grant to develop the multi-media aspect of PBL material constructions, to widen the use of our particular PBL approach. Thus this innovation relates to both teaching and technological aspects.