Student education
Feedback from attendees following the introduction of polls and virtual whiteboards was positive ; everyone said they liked being able to take a physical resource away at the end of the sessions .
McBride L , Fitzgerald C , Costello C , Perkins K ( 2020 ) Allied health preentry student clinical placement capacity : can it be sustained ? Australian Health Review , 44 ( 1 ), 39 – 46 .
© fizkes via Getty Images effective teaching is maintained and learning needs developed .
Feedback from our peers included that the sessions were well planned and paced , allowing open discussions and interaction between attendees and instructors .
Comments were also positive about the use of technology , including breakout rooms and the use of the flipped classroom approach .
Learning points included use of other technological functions , such as virtual whiteboards and polls , and guiding discussion to create wider learning from case studies .
For example , it was suggested to use one case study to discuss SMART objectives that might be put in place to support a struggling student . Another suggestion was to discuss how a student may be graded when there are issues with professional behaviour .
Our reflections
Following each session , we participated in verbal reflections and made minor changes to resources and session plans , based on what went well and what did not go well .
We also reflected on the feedback we had received from attendees and peers and included the use of polls during introductions to gauge the years of experience educators had in supporting students .
Furthermore , we incorporated a virtual whiteboard to capture key learning points in sessions , which provided attendees with a resource to take away and use as required following the sessions .
Looking to the future
Clinical placement is fundamental to occupational therapy and physiotherapy education , so ensuring placement capacity is maintained through educator training is vital . Providing educator training virtually , instead of through faceto-face sessions , not only reduced contact time for academics , but was also reported to improve the overall experience and flexibility for participants completing the course .
Going forward , continual peer support and reflection from each other , as well as feedback from educators and peers , will ensure that the course continues to meet learning needs and provide active learning in sessions .
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Words BECKY ANTICH , Occupational Therapy Lecturer , and Heidi Boyd , Physiotherapy Lecturer , Faculty of Health Studies , University of Bradford
February 2022 OTnews 27