Abstract
BackgroundWhile there is evidence to suggest that teaching practices in clinical education should include activities that more accurately reflect the real world, many educators base their teaching on transmission models that encourage the rote learning of knowledge and technical skills. Technology-mediated instruction may facilitate the development of professional attributes that go beyond “having” knowledge and skills, but there is limited evidence for how to integrate technology into these innovative teaching approaches.MethodsThis study used a modified Delphi method to help identify the professional attributes of capable practitioners, the approaches to teaching that may facilitate the development of these attributes, and finally, how technology could be integrated with those teaching strategies in order to develop capable practitioners. Open-ended questions were used to gather data from three different expert panels, and results were thematically analysed.ResultsClinical educators should not view knowledge, skills and attitudes as a set of products of learning, but rather as a set of attributes that are developed during a learning process. Participants highlighted the importance of continuing personal and professional development that emphasised the role of values and emotional response to the clinical context. To develop these attributes, clinical educators should use teaching activities that are learner-centred, interactive, integrated, reflective and that promote engagement. When technology-mediated teaching activities are considered, they should promote the discussion of clinical encounters, facilitate the sharing of resources and experiences, encourage reflection on the learning process and be used to access content outside the classroom. In addition, educational outcomes must drive the integration of technology into teaching practice, rather than the features of the technology.ConclusionsThere is a need for a cultural change in clinical education, in which those involved with the professional training of healthcare professionals perceive teaching as more than the transmission of knowledge and technical skills. Process-oriented teaching practices that integrate technology as part of a carefully designed curriculum may have the potential to facilitate the development of capable healthcare graduates who are able to navigate the complexity of health systems and patient management in ways that go beyond the application of knowledge and skills.
Highlights
While there is evidence to suggest that teaching practices in clinical education should include activities that more accurately reflect the real world, many educators base their teaching on transmission models that encourage the rote learning of knowledge and technical skills
This study highlights several themes that are relevant for those interested in using blended learning as part of clinical education. These are summarised as follows: personal and professional development must go beyond “having” knowledge and skills, and should incorporate students’ emotional responses and personal values; clinical educators who aim to develop these attributes should consider teaching practices that are interactive, integrated, reflective and formative; technology-mediated teaching and learning can facilitate the development of attributes that have an impact on professional practice; and integrating technology into teaching practice goes beyond choosing what tools to add to the curriculum
It is clear that there are changing conceptions of the knowledge, skills and attitudes required for professional practice, which shift the focus from the products of learning to the process of learning
Summary
While there is evidence to suggest that teaching practices in clinical education should include activities that more accurately reflect the real world, many educators base their teaching on transmission models that encourage the rote learning of knowledge and technical skills. Effective clinical practice requires that health professionals work within the dynamic, non-linear and complex environments of healthcare systems, and to engage with illstructured problems that have no clear solutions [1] They need to “adapt to change, generate new knowledge, and continue to improve their performance” over time. In order to effectively operate within the complex environments of healthcare settings, practitioners need abilities that include, but go beyond the knowledge and basic technical skills (defined as competence) [2] that are emphasised in undergraduate training This includes having positive attitudes towards continuing professional development, lifelong learning, evidence-based practice, information and knowledge management and interprofessional collaboration [2]. This active engagement with, and acknowledgement of, the emotional response to patients’ stories can help to develop the moral agency that is a necessary part of ethical clinical practice [3]
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