FEATURE STUDENT EDUCATION
Individual learning contracts were written and
verified with feedback, to allow for individualised
learning for the students alongside them working
towards the usual placement learning outcomes (Oh et
al 2019).
To mirror the clinical educator role, feedback and
monitoring for individual students was provided by
an academic long arm supervisor, with an additional
process of feedback between the students and the
academic case study.
A face-to-face case study presentation was
presented by individual students at the end of the
PEEP. Long arm supervisors took the combined
evidence of the feedback processes, handbook
evidence, case study presentation and final
assessment paperwork and conversation to establish
whether the placement outcomes had been met or
not.
More details about the PEEP structure can be
found on the HEE website (www.hee.nhs.uk/our-work/
allied-health-professions/occupational-therapy-virtualpractice-placement).
Evaluation
Weekly evaluation was received from students to
gather their feedback on their experiences of the
placement. The long arm supervisors and the clinical
case study leads were also asked for their feedback
on their experiences of the PEEP.
The following questions were used to gather this
information: What learning did you find most useful
about this week? What learning do you think could
be included that was not in this week? Would you
recommend this week to other students? If yes why?
If no why not?
The responses from the evaluation were collated
and thematic analysis was conducted (Clarke and
Braun 2014).
There were some suggestions for improvements,
for example: more information in the induction week;
additional timetabled supervision sessions (although
there was unlimited informal supervision at the request
of students and peer groups); and live sessions, like
the initial interview sessions. But the feedback was
overwhelmingly positive from both students and the
academics.
The placement structure and format enabled
valuable learning around key areas of peer learning,
professional reasoning and transformative learning.
Peer learning and professional reasoning
The clinical case study weeks were structured,
supporting the students through the occupational
therapy process and reinforcing professional reasoning
(Parkinson et al 2011; Unworthy and Baker 2016).
One student fed back: ‘Constructive feedback from
case study leads was helpful to point out weaknesses
in our professional reasoning skills.’
Students challenged and defended their
professional reasoning in the ‘safety’ of the peer
group. Many students may feel less confident about
challenging clinical educators as they do their peers,
given that experienced clinicians are reported to least
likely articulate their professional reasoning (Parkinson
et al 2011).
Professional reasoning is fundamental for
occupational therapists, requiring a high level of
complex thought (Maquez-Alvarez et al 2019), which
was scrutinised and supported particularly through the
peer group work process during the PEEP.
Transformative learning
The process of transformative learning was facilitated
through the experiential live initial interviews (Zafran
2020) and the group work, long arm supervision
process and guided reflections in the student
placement handbook.
This process of learning reflects Wilcock’s ‘Doing
being and becoming’ concept, which is so familiar to
occupational therapists (Wilcock 1999).
Salmon’s (2011) five stages of
learning, provides a theoretical
explanation of the unique
pedagogical value of the
learning experienced by the
students via the PEEP.
Stage 5:
Development
Stage 4:
Knowledge construction
Stage 3:
Information exchange
Stage 2:
Online socialisation
Stage 1:
Access and motivation
Reproduced with permission from Gilly Salmon June 2020
40 OTnews July 2020