Nursing Education and Practice

The fth edition of the best-selling textbook has been extensively restructured and refocused to reect
key issues of nurse education and practice today. Covering all nursing education including teaching
patients, clients and their families, it combines theoretical principles and practical application to appeal
to nurse educators, students and clinicians in practice.
This updated text has been reorganised into four parts to reect the main threads of nurse education:
Part One The Psychological Basis of Teaching and Learning: focuses on adult learning theory
and the varying approaches to learning teaching.
Part Two Learning, Teaching and Assessment: focuses on the skills and preparation necessary
to ensure effective teaching and learning with NEW! material on the hidden curriculum, teaching
and learning resources, the use of interactive whiteboards, blackboards and virtual learning
environments and time management.
Part Three Specic Teaching Contexts: offers guidance on teaching in the clinical setting and
teaching patients, clients and their families with a NEW! chapter on Teaching Support Mechanisms.
Part Four Continuing Professional Development: explains the importance of lifelong learning
with a NEW! chapter on Preparation for an Education Post and NEW! material on reection,
research governance, maintaining clinical credibility, joint clinical/educational roles, self-assessment
and training needs analysis.
Francis M. Quinn was formerly Director of Healthcare Education in the School of Post Compulsory
Education and Training at the University of Greenwich, London, UK.
Suzanne J. Hughes is a Lecturer in Adult Nursing Studies, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
$ . )

$ . )
For your lifelong learning solutions, visit www.cengage.co.uk

Purchase your next print book, e-book or e-chapter at www.cengagebrain.com

Quinns Principles and Practice

of Nurse Education
Fifth Edition
Francis M. Quinn, formerly University of Greenwich, London, UK
and
Suzanne J. Hughes, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
Australia Brazil Japan Korea Mexico Singapore Spain United Kingdom United States
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Quinns Principles and Practice of Nurse

Education, Fifth Edition
Francis M. Quinn and Suzanne J. Hughes
Publishing Director: Linden Harris
Publisher: Lucy Mills
Production Controller: Richard Gogarty
2007, Cengage Learning EMEA

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A catalogue record for this book is available from the
British Library.
ISBN: 978-0-7487-9766-0
Cengage Learning EMEA
Cheriton House, North Way, Andover, Hampshire, SP10 5BE,
United Kingdom
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Contents
Foreword
ix
Preface to the fifth edition
Acknowledgements
xi
Dedication
xii
1. Introduction: Nurse education in the university and the

clinical setting
The instrumental ideology of nursing curricula
Developments in the nursing profession
Developments in the NHS sector
Developments in higher education
Research assessment exercise
Summary
References
1
1
2
8
10
12
12
13
Part One: The
psychological basis of
teaching and learning
2. Adult learning theory

Human development across the lifespan
The humanistic basis of adult learning theory
Andragogy: the teaching and training of adults
The experiential learning approach to adult learning
Reflection and adult learning
Human motivation
Learning styles (cognitive styles)
Approaches to learning
Summary
References
17
17
22
27
33
36
36
41
45
51
52
3. Perspectives on teaching and learning
56
Memory
Perception
Thinking
Critical thinking
Intuition
Problem-solving and decision-making
Motor skills
56
62
63
65
70
70
73
iii
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Contents
Cognitive theories of learning and instruction

Gagn: the conditions of learning and theory of instruction
The behaviourist approach to learning
Social learning theory (observational learning theory)
Summary
References
Part Two: Learning,
75
83
91
98
101
102
teaching and assessment
4. Curriculum theory and practice

The nature of curriculum
Components of curriculum
Models and the curriculum
Curriculum models
Models of teaching
Nursing models
Curriculum development
Curriculum design
Equal opportunities: the inclusive curriculum
Educational quality assurance
Quality assurance at individual lecturer level
Quality assurance at programme level
Quality assurance at institution level
External quality monitoring level
Open, distance and flexible learning
Selecting, designing and writing materials for open,
distance and flexible learning
The role of the tutor in open, distance and flexible learning
Managing open, distance and flexible learning
Quality assurance issues in open, distance and flexible
learning
Summary
References
5. Planning for teaching

Defining the purpose of a teaching session
Selecting the subject matter (content) of a teaching session
Selecting appropriate teaching strategies
Planning an explanation
Designing effective questions
Drafting a teaching plan
Drafting a scheme of work
Organizing the teaching environment
Planning for opportunistic one-to-one teaching
Information and communication technology
Using a whiteboard in teaching
107
107
109
110
111
124
125
125
132
138
141
146
150
152
156
163
167
172
174
177
178
179
183
184
186
188
189
191
196
201
202
204
205
208
iv
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Contents
Using flipcharts
Using an overhead projector
Designing and using handout material
Using the slide projector, audio-cassettes and
video-recording in teaching
Using Microsoft PowerPoint for presentations
Computer-assisted learning
The Internet and World Wide Web
Intranets and online campus
Summary
References
6. Teaching strategies
The lecture method
Commentary on the guidelines for planning and
delivering lectures
Variants of the lecture
Small-group teaching and experiential learning
Group dynamics
Reflection in small-group and experiential learning
Planning and implementing small-group and
experiential learning
Techniques for fostering relationships in small groups
Basic classification of small-group teaching
Techniques for teaching small groups and
Common difficulties in small-group and
Summary
References
7. Assessment of learning
Purposes and aims of assessment
The terminology and dimensions of assessment
Cardinal criteria for assessment
Planning assessments
Assessing knowledge and understanding using essays
Examples of types of essays
Marking and grading of essay tests
Variants of essays
Using objective tests
Guidelines for writing objective tests
Analysis of objective-test items
Assessment of group projects
Student self-assessment
Peer assessment
Assessment and evaluation of small-group processes
209
209
210
212
215
215
216
217
218
220
222
222
225
231
234
236
239
240
244
245
250
260
262
263
265
266
267
270
272
273
275
276
281
281
283
287
288
289
290
290
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Contents
Assessment of student presentations to an audience

Assessment of laboratory practicals and fieldwork
Assessment of portfolios, profiles and experiential diaries
Assessment of accreditation of prior learning
Assessment in the workplace
Some problems with assessment by observation
Assessment of attitudes
Management of the assessment process
Marking and moderation of students assessment work
Moderation of marked assessment work
External examiners
Boards of examiners
Summary
References
8. Teaching study skills

Levels of study in nurse education
Students learning styles (cognitive styles)
Making effective use of the library
Effective reading skills
Effective note-taking
Participating in group discussion and seminars
Planning to study
Strategies for effective study
Tackling assessments and examinations
Summary
References
Part Three: Specific
292
293
294
295
297
300
302
304
308
308
310
310
312
313
316
316
317
317
322
323
325
326
327
328
335
336
teaching contexts
9. Teaching in the clinical setting

Group dynamics and the workplace
The workplace learning environment
Placement support systems for students and staff
The role of the lecturer-practitioner
Teaching and learning strategies in the workplace
Summary
References
10. Teaching support mechanisms

Mentorship
Personal tutoring
The role of the link lecturer
Summary
References
341
342
345
354
358
363
372
373
377
377
380
387
391
391
vi
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Contents
11. Teaching patients, clients and their families

Issues and context
Patient-teaching and health promotion
Strategies for teaching patients, clients and their families
Examples from the literature
The expert patient programme
Teaching carers in the home environment
Teaching patients, clients and families about support groups
Summary
References
Part Four: Continuing
396
396
399
402
406
412
412
415
416
417
professional development
12. Preparation for an education post

Criteria for nurse lecturer role
Becoming an ideal teacher
The challenges of being a new teacher
Making that step into higher education
Developing probationary objectives
Achieving qualified teacher status
Compiling a teaching portfolio of evidence
Professional development for new teachers
Career pathway
Summary
References
13. Lifelong learning

Background and context
Lifelong learning
Lifelong learning and CPD
Reflection
Interprofessional education
Summary
References
14. Continuing professional development:

the university context
CPD in nursing, midwifery and specialist community
public health nursing
Staff appraisal/individual performance review
The Higher Education Academy
Research and scholarly activity
Research governance
Writing for publication
Summary
References
421
421
422
423
426
427
429
430
432
432
433
433
435
435
437
439
443
451
454
455
458
459
461
465
467
467
470
472
478
479
vii
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Contents
15. Continuing professional development:

the workplace context
Post registration education and practice (PREP)
Resources for CPD
Staff appraisal
Personal development planning
Clinical education co-ordinator/facilitator
Clinical governance
National Institute for Clinical Excellence
Clinical effectiveness and evidence-based practice
Self-assessment
Summary
References
Index
480
480
482
484
485
488
490
492
493
496
498
500
503
viii
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Foreword
The Principles and Practice of Nurse Education, now in its 27th year
of publication, has established itself as an indispensable text for nurses
and other health professionals engaged in the business of teaching and
learning. The books popularity remains undiminished both at home
and abroad, and this new edition retains the balance between theoretical
issues and practical application that is so important to the practising
teacher. The text has been revised and updated to take account of new
developments, and we have included new chapters on teaching support
mechanisms, preparation for an educational post, and lifelong learning.
The previous editions of this textbook were written by me as sole
author but, whereas this model is excellent for consistency and coherence,
the increasing scope and complexity of modern nurse education are more
challenging for a single author to encompass. With this in mind, I felt that
it was time to adopt a collaborative approach and am therefore delighted
to welcome Suzanne Hughes from Cardiff University as co-author of the
fifth edition.
An exciting innovation for this new edition is a Web site linked to
the book, which will enable information to be updated as new material
becomes available. We have also included a summary at the end of each
chapter to provide further clarity for the reader.
I would like to express my sincere thanks to Suzanne Hughes for her
contribution to the new edition, and also to Lisa Fraley, freelance editor
at Nelson Thornes, whose administrative skills have brought the project
to fruition.
This preface would be incomplete without an acknowledgement of
the unstinting help and support that I have received from my wife Carole
and my children Hamnet and Tara, not just for this new edition but
throughout the years since the first edition was published in 1980.
Francis M. Quinn
Ventnor, Isle of Wight, UK
ix
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Preface
to the fifth edition
Teaching and learning is a subject that involves all qualified nurses and
midwives; they work in a constantly learning profession where the
teaching and supervision of students feature greatly in their daily lives.
The different learning experiences that I have encountered throughout
my nursing career have proved invaluable and have greatly influenced
my ways of teaching. To be able to develop and implement a range
of teaching and learning strategies that are effective across a variety of
educational settings, and to be able to create and develop opportunities
for students to identify and undertake experiences to meet their learning
needs, are objectives that many seek to achieve to meet the requirements
of qualified teacher status.
This book has been in existence for the last 27 years and is one that
has guided me through my career in both the clinical and educational
setting. I was honoured and delighted to be offered the opportunity to coauthor the fifth edition of such a reputable text, and the encouragement
and support that Francis Quinn has provided have been exceptional.
The book is primarily aimed at lecturers who are new to nursing and
midwifery education, practice educators and students undertaking a
postgraduate certificate in education, and teaching and assessing and
mentorship programmes.
The overall structure of the book remains relatively unchanged,
although a few new chapters have been introduced. These include
Teaching support mechanisms, Preparation for an education post,
and Lifelong learning. Summaries have also been included, listing the
important points in each chapter.
A Web site accompanies the new edition (www.nelsonthornes.com/
nursing), providing further information and guidance for readers and
links to regulatory bodies and relevant organizations.
The fifth edition is divided into four parts. Part One focuses on
adult learning theory and perspectives on teaching and learning; Part
Two focuses on learning, teaching and assessment; Part Three addresses
specific teaching contexts, and Part Four explores the spectrum of
professional development within the university and clinical practice
environment.
Suzanne J. Hughes
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Acknowledgements
This book has been a tremendous learning curve for me and would not
have happened if it wasnt for the support of all the individuals below.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Francis Quinn for
allowing me to impinge on his seminal work and for his continuing
support, encouragement and constructive feedback during the past few
years.
I would like to thank Helen Broadfield, Commissioning Editor at
Nelson Thornes, for inviting me to co-author the fifth edition.
Special thanks to Lisa Fraley, freelance editor at Nelson Thornes, whose
endless support, encouragement and motivation has been exemplary and
very much appreciated.
My thanks to Professor Philip Burnard; you know what for. I owe
a great deal to my friends and colleagues for their support and to the
students that I have both taught and supervised and who have provided
much inspiration for my work.
To Greg Dix, thank you very much for allowing me to reproduce our
work.
I also wish to thank and formally acknowledge the editors of the
following journals and organizations for permission to reproduce their
material in this book:
Nursing Standard;
Nurse Education in Practice;
British Journal of Perioperative Nursing;
Cardiff University;
Nursing and Midwifery Council; and
Quality Assurance Agency.
Thank you to my parents-in-law for their childminding expertise when I
was struggling with deadlines.
To Gemma, who saw me start this work but didnt see me finish it I
miss you; and thank you to Mitzi, who didnt see me start this work but
did see me finish it.
Special thanks to my husband and best friend, Charlie, and to my son,
Oliver, for their unconditional support and patience. I love you both.
Finally, I would like to thank my Mum and Dad, Anne and Brian
Griffiths, who have always been so proud of my achievements and who
have made me the person I am today; love you!
Suzanne J. Hughes
xi
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Dedication
To Oliver
This is my story
Love, Mummy x
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Introduction: Nurse
education in the
university and the clinical setting
The focus of this book is education within nursing, midwifery and

specialist community public health nursing, and this introductory chapter
identifies some key developments relevant to these professions. The aim
of the introduction is to provide signposts for the reader, by indicating
where some of the issues are further explored within the chapters of the
book.
Variety is one of the hallmarks of nurse education, consisting as it
does of a variety of disciplines, engaging in a variety of activities, carried
out by a variety of staff, in a variety of settings. The disciplines involved
are nursing, midwifery and specialist community public health nursing,
but within these main groups there are numerous subgroupings such as
community midwives, intensive care nurses, liaison specialist community
public health nurses, and so forth.
The activities of nurse education range from the formal, academic type
of teaching through to the impromptu teaching that occurs spontaneously
in day-to-day work. The former includes a range of academic awards
including diploma of higher education, bachelors degrees, postgraduate
diplomas, masters degrees, and research degrees at masters and doctoral
levels.
This teaching is delivered by nursing personnel such as university
lecturers, lecturer/practitioners, mentors, clinical and community
practitioners, students themselves, and also by a range of non-nursing
personnel including medical practitioners and members of the professions
allied to medicine.
The settings in which nurse education takes place include university
departments of nursing, hospitals in both public and private sectors,
clinics, GP surgeries, prisons, nursing homes, and patients/clients own
homes.
The
instrumental ideology of nursing curricula
Nurse education comes under the overall umbrella of post-compulsory

education and training, i.e. education that takes place after completion
of compulsory schooling at age 16. The principles of nurse education are
based upon the theory and practice of adult learning, and as such differ
significantly from the education of children in school. One of the main
differences between curricula in nursing and the national curriculum
for children is that nurse education curricula are instrumental; i.e. their
purpose is the production of a nursing workforce that is equipped to deal
with the demands of the role, and vocational relevance is therefore a key
10/4/07 14:45:05
Chapter 1Introduction
principle. This is not to say that nursing curricula omit the wider aspects
of education such as the needs, aspirations and personal growth of the
individual, but these considerations are secondary to the main purpose.
Nurse education takes place within two major contexts, the National
Health Service (NHS) and the university sector within the UK, and each
of these is subject to continuing development and change. There are also
important developments in professional nursing that have a major impact
on the design and delivery of nurse education. The following sections
will highlight some of these current developments, and reference will be
made to the appropriate chapters of this book in which further discussion
of some of these issues can be found.
Developments
in the nursing profession
Perhaps the most significant development affecting the nursing profession

is the Nursing Midwifery Council (NMC), which was set up by Parliament
to protect the public by ensuring that high standards of care are provided
by nurses and midwives.
The Nursing Midwifery Council

The NMC was established by the Nursing Midwifery Order 2001 and
came into effect on 1 April 2002. The Nursing Midwifery Order 2001
provided legislative powers for the NMC to approve and monitor the
standards of educational programmes that lead to entry on to the register
and the educational institutions delivering these programmes. The main
objective of the NMC in exercising its functions is to:
Safeguard the health and well-being of persons using or needing the
services of registrants.
The principle function of the NMC is to:

Establish from time to time standards of education, training,
conduct and performance for nurses and midwives and to ensure
the maintenance of these standards.
There are now three parts to the NMC register for nurses, midwives and
specialist community public health nurses, with only three recordable
post-registration qualifications:
specialist practice;
teaching;
nurse prescribing.
However, a number of other important developments relating to the
NMC are also included here.
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Developments
Fitness for Practice (UKCC, 1999)

In 1998, the UKCC established a commission to examine the future
direction of pre-registration nursing and midwifery education, and its
terms of reference were as follows:
To prepare a way forward for pre-registration nursing and
midwifery education that enables fitness for practice based on
health care need (UKCC, 1999).
The Fitness for Practice (FfP) curriculum is now fairly well established,
and a number of key issues have now been addressed:
The common foundation programme has been reduced to one year.

Clinical skills and practice placements have been introduced in year
one of the programme.
Outcome competencies have been developed to identify standards for

registration as a nurse.
A portfolio of practice is now used to demonstrate students fitness for

practice.
The curriculum utilizes a range of teaching and learning methods.

Health care providers and higher education institutions now work in
tandem to enhance the student experience.
The FfP document acknowledged that pre-registration programmes must

meet certain requirements and provided a clear, ongoing set of outcomes
for commissioning bodies, higher education institutes, NHS trusts,
mentors and students. They all have a responsibility for ensuring that, at
the point of initial registration, nurses and midwives are fit:
Fit for Purpose (competency based) can function competently in

clinical practice;
Fit for Practice (professional legal and ethical outcomes) can fulfil the
needs of registration;
Fit for Award (meeting academic standards) have the breadth and
depth of learning to be awarded a diploma or degree.
The NMC (2006) post-registration education and practice

(PREP) standards
The NMC issued the new PREP standards in 2006, identifying two
standards that affect a practitioners registration. These are:
the PREP (practice) standard;

the PREP (continuing professional development) standard.
The practice standard requires nurses, midwives and specialist community
public health nurses to have completed a minimum of 450 hours of
practice during the three years prior to renewal of registration.
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The continuing professional development (CPD) standard requires a

commitment from registrants to undertake CPD and:
undertake at least five days or 35 hours of learning relevant to practice

during the three years prior to renewal of registration;
maintain a personal professional profile of learning activity.

Registrants must also comply with any request for auditing of the
practitioners personal professional profile by the NMC. PREP is
discussed in Chapter 15 (p. 480).
Standards for the Preparation of Teachers of Nurses, Midwives

and Specialist Community Public Health Nurses (NMC, 2004a)
In 2004 the NMC published its framework for the standards for the
preparation of lecturers and practice educators of nurses, midwives and
specialist community public health nurses and the standards for recording
a teaching qualification. Although the standards were originally published
by the UKCC, these new standards have been updated in light of the new
rules derived from the Nursing Midwifery Order 2001.
The NMC requires all educators in higher education institutions and
practice settings to undertake additional preparation and education to a
standard set by the NMC that leads to a recordable teaching qualification.
The NMC (2004a) has advised that the study programme should be at
post-graduate level and the practice element of the programme must
be equivalent to 12 full-time weeks or 360 hours in duration. The
programme should include:
flexible modes of delivery;

a modular structure;
links to higher education institutions and education accreditation
system;
credit for prior learning;

opportunities to observe, participate and be assessed in a range of
teaching activities.
Standards for the preparation of lecturers

Lecturers undertake their main teaching role in a higher education
institution, and also contribute to teaching in practice settings. Lecturers
have effective NMC registration, a minimum of 3 years full-time
experience (or part-time equivalent) in relevant professional practice
in the last 10 years. Their additional professional knowledge must be
no less than first degree level; their teaching qualification must be at
postgraduate level and contain the equivalent of 12 weeks of full-time
teaching practice. The NMC (2004a) identifies the core components that
must be achieved within the programme. These include:
communication and working relationships;

facilitation of learning;
assessment;

10/4/07 14:45:05
Developments
evaluation;
creating a learning environment;
context of education;
professional development; and
curriculum development.
Standards for the preparation of practice educators
Practice educators are experienced practitioners who make a significant
contribution to education of students and practitioners, and lead practice
developments within their setting. Practice educators must have effective
NMC registration, and at least 3 years full-time experience (or part-time
equivalent) within the last 10 years. The NMC (2004a) identifies the
core components that must be achieved within the programme. These
include:

improving practice/multi-professional working;
disseminating research findings; and
development and/or review of courses.
Standards for the preparation of mentors
The NMC (2004a) identifies the core components that must be achieved
within the programme. These include:

assessment;
role modelling;
improving practice;
disseminating research findings; and
development and/or review of courses.
The core components are very similar to the ones listed for practice
educators above. Mentors must have effective NMC registration, and at
least 12 months full-time experience.
Standards of Proficiency for Pre-registration Nursing Education

(NMC, 2004b)
The NMC (2004b) states that:
Applicants for entry to the nurses part of the register must achieve
the standards of proficiency in the practice of adult nursing, mental
health nursing, learning disabilities nursing or childrens nursing.
10/4/07 14:45:05
The standards of proficiency cover a range of practice issues under the

four domains of:
1. Professional and ethical practice.
2. Care delivery.
3. Care management.
4. Personal and professional development.
A summary of some of the standards is set out in Table 1.1.
Table 1.1
Summary of the standards for
pre-registration nursing eduction
Manage and practise in accordance with the NMC code of professional conduct and an ethical
and legal framework.
Practise in a fair and anti-discriminatory way and promote the health and well-being of patients.
Engage in, develop and disengage from therapeutic relationships through appropriate use of
communication and interpersonal skills.
Assess the physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs of patients.
Plan nursing care in partnership with patients, carers and their family.
Engage in safe nursing practice that is based on the best available evidence.
Demonstrate sound clinical judgement across a range of professional and care-delivery contexts.
Create and maintain a safe environment of care through quality assurance and risk-management
strategies.
Demonstrate a commitment to continuing professional development.
Enhance the professional development and safe practice of others through peer support,
leadership, supervision and teaching.
Adapted from NMC (2004b)
Standards of Proficiency for Pre-registration Midwifery

Programmes of Education (NMC, 2004c)
There are 15 standards relating to pre-registration midwifery education,
which include standards for the lead midwife for education; admission to
and continued participation in pre-registration midwifery programmes;
structure and nature of pre-registration midwifery programmes and
standards of education to achieve the NMC standards of proficiency.
The standards of proficiency cover a range of practice issues under
the four domains of:
1. Effective midwifery practice.
2. Professional and ethical practice.
3. Developing the individual midwife and others.
4. Achieving quality care through evaluation and research.
10/4/07 14:45:05
Developments
To provide sound family planning information and advice.
To diagnose pregnancies and monitor normal pregnancies.
To care for and assist the mother during labour and to monitor the condition of the foetus in
utero.
To conduct spontaneous deliveries where required including an episiotomy and, in urgent cases,
a breech delivery.
To care for and monitor the progress of the mother in the post-natal period.
Supervision and care of at least 40 women in labour.
The student should personally carry out at least 40 deliveries.
Supervision and care of 40 women at risk in pregnancy, or labour or the post-natal period.
Observation and care of the new-born requiring special care including those born pre-term,
post-term, underweight or ill.
Care of women with pathological conditions in the fields of gynaecology and obstetrics.
Table 1.2
Summary of the standards of
proficiency for pre-registration
midwifery programmes of
education
Adapted from NMC (2004c)
Standards of Proficiency for Specialist Community Public Health

Nurses (NMC, 2004d)
The NMC (2004d) set standards of proficiency required for registration
as a specialist community public health nurse. Although these standards
were developed from previous competencies used for health visiting and
community health care nursing, the framework has now been extended
to include standards for public health.
The NMC (2004d) stated that:
Specialist community public health nursing programmes are
developed from the premise that students are being prepared to enter
a practice-based profession at a level beyond initial registration as
a nurse or midwife.
The programmes are practice based and recognize that:
Evidence should inform practice through the integration of relevant

knowledge.
Students are actively involved in the delivery of community public

health, under supervision.
The code applies to all practice interventions.

Skills and knowledge are transferable.
Research underpins practice.
Lifelong learning and continuing professional development are
important.
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The standards of proficiency cover a range of practice issues under the

four domains of:
1. Search for health needs.
2. Stimulation of awareness of health needs.
3. Influence on policies affecting health.
4. Facilitation of health enhancing activities.
Table 1.3
Summary of the standards
of proficiency for specialist
community public health nurses
Analyse, interpret and communicate data and information on the health and well-being and
related needs of a defined population.
Identify individuals, families and groups who are at risk and in need of further support.
Develop, sustain and evaluate collaborative work.
Communicate with individuals, groups and communities about promoting their health and wellbeing.
Work with others to protect the publics health and well-being from specific risks.
Identify and evaluate service provision and support networks for individuals, families and groups in
the local area.
Interpret and apply health and safety legislation and approved codes of practice with regard for
the environment, well-being and protection of those who work with the wider community.
Contribute to policy documents and influence policies affecting health.
Prevent, identify and minimize risk of interpersonal abuse or violence, safeguarding children and
other vulnerable people.
Manage teams, individuals and resources ethically and effectively.
Adapted from NMC (2004d)
Developments
in the
NHS
sector
The NHS has made significant steps in providing faster, more convenient
access to care through increases in capacity and changes in ways of
working (DoH, 2005). Whilst it has always been very patient centred
and delivered excellent care, the NHS Improvement Plan (DoH, 2004a)
set out ways in which the NHS needed to change in order to become
patient led. It stated that the NHS needs a change of culture to become
truly patient led so that it is as concerned with health promotion as it is
with sickness and injury.
The NHS and local government have taken the lead together in
promoting health by helping individuals make informed, healthy lifestyle
choices and giving them the practical support and motivation to achieve
this in a way that reflects the reality of their lives (DoH, 2005). This
commitment is emphasized in the White Paper Choosing Health (DoH,
2004b) and means that patients will increasingly receive advice on
improving their health as part of routine care. White Papers are further
discussed in Chapter 11.
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Developments
in the NHS sector
Skills for Health

Skills for Health was established in 2002 and licensed by the Department
for Education and Skills as the UK Sector Skills Council for Health in
2004. As part of the NHS, it covers the whole health sector and is funded
through the four UK health departments: Scotland, Wales, England and
Northern Ireland. The aim of skills for health is:
To help the whole sector develop solutions that deliver a skilled and
flexible UK workforce in order to improve health and healthcare.
In order to do this, Skills for Health will:
develop and manage national workforce competencies;

profile the UK workforce;
identify and articulate sector workforce needs;
improve workforce skills;
influence education and training supply; and
work with key partners, stakeholders and customers across the
sector.
Modernising nursing careers: setting the direction (DoH, 2006)

In 20052006, the four UK chief nursing officers established an
agenda for updating nursing careers, which forms part of a working
programme focusing on all the main health care professionals. The
document, Modernising Nursing Careers: Setting the Direction (DoH,
2006), highlights that nursing and health care is changing and that, as
a dynamic profession, nursing is responsive and adapting to meet the
needs of patients and the public. The four elements of a nurses role link
to the core and specific dimensions of the NHS knowledge and skills
framework. These four elements are:
practice;
education, training and development;
quality and service development; and
leadership, management and supervision.
The DoH (2006) identifies four key priority areas that must be
addressed in order to create modern nursing careers that are fit for
purpose. These are:
developing a competent and flexible nursing workforce;

updating career pathways and career choices;
preparing nurses to lead in a changed health-care system; and
modernizing the image of nursing and nursing careers.
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Working Together, Learning Together (DoH, 2001)

A vision of lifelong learning in the NHS was emphasized in the framework
Working Together, Learning Together and published by the Department of
Health in 2001. Aimed at education providers and NHS employers, it
addresses health professionals learning from pre-registration education
through to maintaining professional competence following registration.
There is further discussion of lifelong learning in Chapter 13.
Knowledge and skills framework (KSF)

Agenda for Change (DoH, 2003a) sets out the new pay-and-reform
package that ensures that people who work in the NHS are paid on the
basis of equal pay for work that is of equal value. It applies to all NHS
staff with the exception of doctors and dentists and the most senior of
managers. The NHS KSF is based on the development review process
and is designed to:
identify the knowledge and skills that individuals need to apply in their
post;
help guide the development of individuals;

provide a fair and objective framework on which to base review and
development for all staff; and
provide the basis of pay progression in the service.

The DoH (2004c) explains that
The NHS KSF provides a way of recognising the skills and
knowledge that a person needs to apply to be effective in a particular
NHS post. It will apply across the range of NHS posts to ensure
better links between education and development and career and pay
progression. The NHS KSF will be used for national roll-out.
The knowledge and skills framework is discussed further in Chapter 15

(p. 486).
Developments
in higher education
The Future of Higher Education (DoH, 2003b)

The Future of Higher Education was published by the Department of
Health in 2003 and sets out Government plans for radical reform and
investment in universities and higher education colleges.
This is further discussed in Chapter 13 (p. 436).

The Higher Education Academy (HEA) was formed in 2004 from a
merger of the Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education
(ILTHE), the Learning and Teaching Support Network (LTSN), and
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Developments
in higher education
the TQEF National Co-ordination Team (NCT). Its mission is to help

institutions, discipline groups and all staff to provide the best possible
learning experience for their students.
One of the aims of the HEA is to lead, support and inform the
professional development and recognition of staff in higher education.
The UK professional standards framework for teaching and supporting
learning in higher education (HEA, 2006) was launched in 2006, having
been proposed in the White Paper The Future of Higher Education (DfES,
2003).
The HEA is discussed in Chapters 4 (p. 160) and 14 (p. 465).
Five Year Strategy for Children and Learners (DfES, 2004)

In 2004, the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) published its
five-year strategy for children and learners. The document is in sections
according to educational levels, i.e. primary education, secondary
education, further education and higher education, and Chapter 8
focuses on higher education.
According to the DfES (2004), the goal of higher education is to
ensure:
access to a world class higher education system for all those with
the potential to benefit.
The DfES document explores many aspects of higher education

including:
issues and challenges associated with higher education;

offers to individuals and employers;
high-quality teaching;
widening participation;
a fair funding system;
maintaining and developing research excellence;
better partnerships between universities and employers;
expansion of foundation degrees;
student voice and choice as a driver for reform;
university funding to match new patterns of study;
collaboration to promote diversity, excellence and student choice;
and
improving leadership and management capacity.

The DfES (2004) reforms mean that:
Higher education in Britain is a success; with low drop-out rates, the
completion rate from first degree courses is the fourth highest in the
world.
In research, British universities punch well above their weight on the
normal measures of output and impact, with only the US ahead of us
(DfES, 2004).
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The Higher Education Academy framework of professional standards
for teaching in higher education will support teachers in meeting the

needs of lifelong learners.
University teaching should be seen as just as valuable as university
research; the DfES is creating centres for excellence in teaching and
learning, which will reward institutions with a strength in teaching.
The long-term aims of the DfES reforms are that:
Young people from all backgrounds aspire equally to go to university,

and those with the potential to benefit have the opportunity to do so.
Participation is increased towards 50 per cent of those aged 1830 by

2010.
Research position will be enhanced through further investment, and
universities will be involved in national and international collaborations

addressing the biggest global challenges.

More employers will be working with universities to innovate and
apply new technology.

Higher education will deliver graduates with the skills and knowledge
that the economy needs from a variety of courses, including wellrecognized employer-led higher vocational qualifications.

Students will make well-informed choices about universities and
courses and will receive excellent teaching wherever they go.

Higher education will be financially strong, benefiting from varied
funding streams involving the state, voluntary and private sectors.

Higher education will continue to challenge, stimulate independent
thinking and be a positive force for social change at global, national
and local level.
Research
assessment exercise
The research assessment exercise (RAE) is a mechanism for allocating

research funding to institutions based upon the quality of their
research and is conducted by the four UK Higher Education Funding
Councils every four to five years. The process involves peer review of
an institutions research-active staff. In order to be considered research
active, a member of academic staff must have had a minimum of four
books, book chapters, or papers published in refereed journals within the
four years preceding a given RAE.
The RAE is discussed in Chapter 14 (p. 468).
Summary
Nurse education comes under the overall umbrella of post-compulsory
education and training.
The Nursing Midwifery Council was established by the Nursing
Midwifery Order 2001 to protect the public by ensuring that high

standards of care are provided by nurses and midwives.
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References
There are now three parts to the NMC register for nurses, midwives
and specialist community public health nurses, with only three

recordable post-registration qualifications: specialist practice; teaching
and nurse prescribing.
The NMC issued new PREP standards in 2006, identifying two
standards that affect a practitioners registration.
The NMC requires all educators in higher education institutions and
practice settings to undertake additional preparation and education
to a standard set by the NMC and leading to a recordable teaching
qualification.
In 2004, the NMC set standards of proficiency required for registration
as a nurse, midwife and specialist community public health nurse.
The NHS has made significant steps in providing faster, more
convenient access to care through increases in capacity and changes in
ways of working.
In 2001, the Department of Health promoted lifelong learning in
the NHS, which was emphasized in the framework Working Together,
Learning Together.
Government plans for radical reform and investment in universities
and higher education colleges were identified in The Future of Higher
Education, published by the Department of Health in 2003.
The Higher Education Academy was formed in 2004 and replaced the
Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education.
DfES (2003) The Future of Higher Education. HMSO, London.
DfES (2004) Five Year Strategy for Children and Learners. The Stationery
Office, London.
DoH (2001) Working Together, Learning Together: A Framework for
Lifelong Learning for the NHS. The Stationery Office, London.
DoH (2003a) Agenda for Change: A Modernised NHS Pay System.
Department of Health, http://www.doh.gov.uk/agendaforchange/.
DoH (2003b) The Future of Higher Education. The Stationery Office,
London.
DoH (2004a) The NHS Improvement Plan: Putting People at the Heart of
Public Service. Department of Health, London.
DoH (2004b) Choosing Health: Making Healthy Choices Easier.
Department of Health, London.
DoH (2004c) The NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework (NHS KSF) and
the Development Review Process. The Stationery Office, London.
DoH (2005) Creating a Patient-led NHS: Delivering the NHS Improvement
Plan. Department of Health, London.
DoH (2006) Modernising Nursing Careers: Setting the Direction. The
Stationery Office, London.
HEA (2006) The UK Professional Standards Framework for Teaching and
Supporting Learning in Higher Education. Higher Education Academy,
York.
References
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NMC (2004a) Standards for the Preparation of Teachers of Nurses,

Midwives and Specialist Community Public Health Nurses. Nursing
Midwifery Council, London.
NMC (2004b) Standards of Proficiency for Pre-registration Nursing
Education. Nursing Midwifery Council, London.
NMC (2004c) Standards of Proficiency for Pre-registration Midwifery
Programmes of Education. Nursing Midwifery Council, London.
NMC (2004d) Standards of Proficiency for Specialist Community Public
Health Nurses. Nursing Midwifery Council, London.
NMC (2006) The PREP Handbook. Nursing Midwifery Council,
London.
Nursing Midwifery Order 2001. The Stationery Office, Norwich, www.
hmso.gov.uk.
UKCC (1999) Fitness for Practice: the UKCC Commission for Nursing
and Midwifery Education. United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing,
Midwifery and Health Visiting, London.
14
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Part One
The
psychological
basis of learning
and teaching
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Adult
learning theory
Like all members of the human race, adult learners in nursing,

midwifery and specialist community public health nursing differ widely
from one another in their personal characteristics. These individual
differences encompass physical characteristics, such as age and gender,
and psychological characteristics, including motivation, personality,
intelligence, learning styles, and expectations. The literature of adult
education points out that adult learners do, however, have one thing in
common, i.e. they are all voluntary participants. Whilst this is true at face
value, it ignores the pressures that employers and the professional nursing
bodies exert upon individuals to undertake continuing education.
This chapter begins with a review of human development across
the lifespan, and then focuses on the main theoretical underpinnings of
adult learning, namely humanistic approaches exemplified by Abraham
Maslow and Carl Rogers, the work of Malcolm Knowles on andragogy,
and the experiential learning approach exemplified by David Kolb, and,
finally, Peter Jarviss typology of learning.
Alan Rogers presents a useful list of the general characteristics of adult
learners, as shown in Table 2.1 (Rogers, 1996).
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
They are adult by definition.

Their process of growth is continuing, rather than starting.
They come to the learning situation with a set of experiences and values.
They come to the learning situation with intentions and expectations.
They have competing interests.
They have established patterns of learning.
Human
Table 2.1
General characteristics of adult
learners
development across the lifespan
Given that an individuals physical development seems to stop once

adulthood is attained, one might be forgiven for thinking that human
development is therefore complete. On the contrary, it is a continuous
process throughout the lifespan of an individual, and it is possible to
identify a series of broad stages of development, commencing with
infancy and progressing through childhood, adolescence, adulthood and
finally, old age. The term development is normally taken to mean some
form of physical, intellectual or social improvement as an individual
progresses through the developmental process, but in the case of ageing
the changes may be degenerative. This section focuses on three aspects of
human development: the first is concerned with intellectual development,
the second with adult development, and the third with ageing.
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Chapter 2Adult
learning theory
Piagets theory of cognitive development

Piagets work focuses on the intellectual development of individuals and
their adaptation to the environment (Piaget and Inhelder, 1969). For
adaptation to occur, there must be some form of organization within
the individual, and these two processes work interdependently and in
parallel.
Schemas
The internal organization of an individual consists of schemas, which are
ways of giving meaning to, and dealing with, aspects of the environment
that are encountered. They can be likened to mini-theories that develop
as a result of the infants interactions with the environment. In early
infancy, schemas equate to reflexes but as development progresses these
schemas become more complex, and this occurs through two processes:
assimilation and accommodation. When children encounter a new
situation, they try to assimilate it into their existing familiar schemas
but if the latter are inadequate then their schemas have to be modified
to accommodate the new situation. For example, a childs schema for
dog may include all smallish, four-legged animals such as cats and
foxes, but as accommodation progresses these become schemas in their
own right. Hence, the childs knowledge of the world is modified and
extended by the processes of assimilation and accommodation, and these
processes are in balance with one another; Piaget calls this balancing
process equilibration a dynamic process that prepares the child for new
learning. In Piagetian theory, motivation is intrinsic and arises from the
application of schemas to the environment.
Stages of cognitive development
Cognitive development is seen by Piaget as consisting of four stages:
1. Sensorimotor (birth2 years).
2. Pre-operational (27 years).
3. Concrete operational (711 years).
4. Formal operational (12 years and up).
Sensorimotor stage (birth2 years)
At birth, the infant is equipped only with basic reflexes and these serve
as the first schemas, hence thinking equates with doing. Gradually
self becomes differentiated from objects, and intentional behaviour
begins at 8 months or so. The infant begins to understand that objects
exist even when they cannot be seen; this object permanence is an
important characteristic at this stage because it demonstrates that a
mental representation of the object must be present. It also indicates the
beginnings of a move away from the egocentric focus of early infancy.
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Human
Pre-operational stage (27 years)

This stage is called pre-operational because children are unable to use
mental rules or operations for transforming information. They are still
egocentric, focusing on general aspects instead of on the individual
aspects of a situation. This is strikingly demonstrated in the childs lack
of conservation; for example, if presented with two balls of clay of equal
size, the child will indicate that the balls are the same size. If one ball is
then rolled into a cylindrical shape, the child will say that that ball has
more clay. Lack of conservation also applies to numbers: if two rows of
coins are evenly spaced out, and then in one row the coins are moved
closer together, the child will indicate that the original row contains more
coins. Thus, the child lacks reversibility, i.e. the ability to understand that
if an operation is reversed matter reverts back to its original state.
Concrete operational stage (711 years)
During this stage, the child develops conservation and the ability to
undertake mental operations. However, these operations are limited to the
here-and-now; in other words, the child cannot reason hypothetically.
Formal operational stage (12 years and up)
This final stage is characterized by the ability of children to reason
hypothetically, i.e. they can focus on the form of a problem without being
limited to the concrete aspects as in the previous stage.
Implications for teaching and learning
Piagets work does not consider individuals beyond the age of adolescence,
but Tennant (1997) suggests that it is relevant to adult learning because:
it emphasizes qualitative rather than quantitative development;

it emphasizes the active role of individuals in constructing their own
knowledge;
the concept of formal operations is seen as representing adult

thinking.
It is possible to extrapolate from Piagets approach some implications

for the teaching of adults; for example, the active involvement of adult
students in their own learning might assist them in their own knowledge
construction. When teaching difficult abstract concepts to adult students,
the teacher could initially try to frame explanations at Piagets concrete
operational level and, once these have been understood, could then
adopt a more abstract approach.
Piagets work has been subject to criticism on a number of grounds,
including criticism of his experimental methodology. Some researchers
reject his claim that the stage of formal operations marks the end of any
further structural change; another criticism is that his approach fails to
consider affective or emotional aspects of development.
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Chapter 2Adult
learning theory
Levinsons adult development model

Levinson (1986) has developed a model of adult development that
identifies four major periods or eras.
The eras are relatively stable periods, but the periods of transition
between stages are characterized by turmoil. The era of early-adulthood
marks the adolescents entry to the adult world. It is a time for exploring
possibilities and for the beginnings of stability in life. The age 30
transition is a period of settling down, of taking a more serious approach
to life and work. The transition stage into middle adulthood or midlife
has become synonymous with the term midlife crisis. For some 80 per
cent of Levinsons sample this transition period was extremely stressful
and characterized by self-doubt and a realization that their career
progression had probably reached its limit. In the midlife era, there are
added pressures such as worry about elderly parents and about children
becoming independent young adults, and the beginnings of physical
decline exemplified by the need to wear spectacles. However, there is
a positive side to midlife, such as being financially more secure, and
enjoying life as a couple again after children have left home.
Levinsons model may help teachers to gain greater insight into the
developmental stage of their adult students and an appreciation of
the factors that might help or hinder such students in their studies. For
example, the mid-life crisis may provide a useful explanation for some
of the difficulties that adult students may experience whilst undertaking
studies in middle age. Although Levinsons methodology was sound, the
model has yet to gain universal acceptance.
The ageing process and the adult learner

Technically speaking, ageing begins at birth but the accompanying decline
in human performance does not significantly manifest itself until the onset
of old age between approximately 60 and 65 years of age. A number of
sub-categories of old age can be found in the literature: the term young
elderly applies to those aged between 65 and 75, and the old elderly
to those over 75. Another classification is that of the third age and the
fourth age, the former referring to those elderly individuals who are
independent and active and the latter to those who are dependent upon
others for activities of living.
General effects of ageing
There are many theories that attempt to explain why the human body
ages but the general effects of the process are well documented, the usual
classification being physiological and psychological ageing.
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Human
Physiological ageing
The ageing process involves a decline in the effectiveness of many bodily
functions, including breathing, circulation, digestion and elimination
but the most obvious deterioration is in eyesight and hearing. The main
eyesight problem in the elderly is concerned with the ability to focus
correctly, leading to long-sightedness or, more seriously, loss of acuity
or sharpness of vision. Hearing loss of varying degrees is common in the
elderly and can be attributed to a range of factors such as wax blocking
the auditory canal, degeneration of the small bones that conduct sound
in the middle ear, and degeneration of the nerves of the inner ear.
Perception of high-frequency sounds sustains greater loss than that for
low-frequency sounds, and the ability to discriminate pitch may be
affected (Stuart-Hamilton, 1996).
Psychological ageing
In considering the effects of ageing upon psychological functioning, it
is useful to distinguish between two types of intelligence: crystallized
intelligence, which indicates the knowledge acquired by an individual
throughout the lifespan, and fluid intelligence, which is concerned with
information-processing and problem-solving, and which is much less
dependent upon acquired knowledge. Crystallized intelligence is often
equated with wisdom, i.e. the accumulated knowledge gained over a
lifetime, whereas fluid intelligence equates with wit, i.e. the ability to deal
with novel or abstract problems. Research studies indicate that there is
a decline in fluid intelligence in old age, but that crystallized intelligence
is largely unaffected. Many elderly people feel that their memory has
declined as they have grown older, and research findings support the fact
that memory does indeed decline with ageing.
From the foregoing outline of ageing, it is apparent that no significant
deterioration in intellectual abilities is likely to be present in those adult
learners in nursing, midwifery and specialist community public health
nursing who are below the age of 6065. However, the teacher may be
able to assist the adult learner to compensate for the gradual decline in
some aspects of functioning that occurs progressively during adulthood.
With regard to eyesight problems, the teacher can ensure that adequate
lighting is provided by simply switching on the classroom lights at the
commencement of the lesson and can advise older students to sit closer
to the front of the classroom so that visual materials can be more easily
seen. It may also be helpful to furnish such students with photocopies
of any transparencies or slides used in the lesson. The teacher can help
students with hearing problems by suggesting that such students sit at the
front of the class, and by ensuring that the volume of his or her voice
is sufficiently audible and the speed of delivery is not too fast. Also,
particular attention needs to be given to the volume and tone settings of
audiotape and video presentations.
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Chapter 2Adult
learning theory
Given the comments about the decline in fluid intelligence with

ageing, the teacher may, when setting problem-solving activities in
the classroom, need to allocate extra time for older students to complete the
activities. Similarly, in the light of the decline in memory with ageing,
the teacher should when asking questions allow older students a little
longer to structure their reply, as they may be slower to recall the
information that they require to answer.
In addition to these specific aspects of ageing, older students may lack
confidence in their academic and study ability, especially if they have
not been engaged in formal study for some considerable time. If older
students are in the minority within a group, they may feel marginalized
or isolated from the younger students. It is not always easy to bridge the
generation gap and mix freely with a younger group, so teachers may
need to offer additional support to older students if they become isolated.
On the other hand, the younger students may benefit enormously from
the experience and stability of the older students.
The
humanistic basis of adult learning theory
Adult learning theory has been strongly influenced by humanistic

psychology, although there is no single theory that represents the
humanistic approach. However, all theories share a common view
that this approach involves the study of people as human beings, with
thoughts, feelings and experiences. This is in direct contrast to the
stimulusresponse theorists, who study people from the point of view
of their overt behaviour, disregarding inner feelings and experiences.
Humanistic differs from cognitive theory also, in that the latter is
concerned with the thinking aspects of behaviour, with little emphasis on
the affective components.
Exponents of humanistic theory claim that the other two theories
omit some of the most significant aspects of human existence, namely
feelings, attitudes and values. Humanistic theory is closely related to
the philosophical approach called phenomenology, which asserts that
reality lies in a persons perception of an event and not in the event
itself. The humanistic viewpoint has never been better crystallized than
in Hamacheks (1978) definition:
It is a psychological stance that focuses not so much on a persons
biological drives, but on their goals; not so much on stimuli
impinging on them, but on their desires to be or to do something;
not so much on their past experiences, but on their current
circumstances; not so much on life conditions per se, but on the
subjective qualities of human experience, the personal meaning of
an experience to persons, rather than on their objective, observable
responses.
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The
Humanistic theory, then, is concerned with human growth, individual

fulfilment and self-actualization and it is claimed that this approach is
intuitively right, as it agrees with the ideas that most people have about
what is uniquely human. However, the behaviourist approach is not
considered to be wrong; rather, humanistic theory prefers to emphasize
the affective aspects of humans as being of equal importance to the
cognitive and psychomotor elements. There are two main principles
that apply to the humanistic approach to learning and teaching, namely
teacherstudent relationships and the classroom climate. The former
stresses the importance of the interpersonal relationship between learner
and teacher as a major variable affecting learning and this in turn affects
the climate of the classroom. The presence or absence of conflict and
tension will depend largely on the quality of relationships within the
classroom setting.
Self-direction, empowerment and autonomy

Humanisms emphasis on the importance of the Self is reflected in three
of its key tenets, i.e. self-direction, empowerment, and learner autonomy.
The term self-direction is used in three different senses within the
literature of adult learning (Cafarella, 1993, cited in Tennant, 1997):
the ability of adult students to plan and manage their own learning;
a personal characteristic of adult learners associated with personal
autonomy;
a way of organizing teaching that allows greater student control over

the learning process.
The basic underlying concept in each of these is the belief that adults are
naturally self-directing and autonomous with regard to learning, if given
the opportunity to be so. Autonomy is one of the basic values of Western
society; its literal meaning is self-governing, which implies independence
and a sense of control over external forces. Hence, learner autonomy is
really about the re-distribution of power; self-directed learning aims to
shift the power base away from the educational organization (teachers,
curriculum, etc.) and towards the adult learners themselves. Autonomy
is not an all-or-nothing phenomenon, but a continuum from lesser
to greater autonomy; it is also a characteristic that can be developed
(McNair, 1996).
Humanistic psychology: Maslows approach

Abraham H. Maslow (19081970) was a major exponent of the
humanistic approach to psychology and has also made a significant
contribution to motivation theory with his theory of a hierarchy of
needs. He coined the term third force psychology because he considered
the first force to be Freudian psychotherapy and the second to be the
stimulusresponse school. The latter school, he felt, had little relevance
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learning theory
to the human personality: these extensive books on the psychology of

learning are of no consequence, at least to the human centre, to the
human soul, to the human essence (Maslow, 1971).
One of the key concepts that Maslow defined was self-actualization,
and he studied the behaviour of people whom he classified as
self-actualizers. Maslow stated eight ways in which an individual selfactualizes; these include experiencing fully, vividly, selflessly, with full
concentration and total absorption (Maslow, 1971, p. 44). He mentions
the peak experience, which is an ecstatic moment that can be brought
on by such experiences as classical music and religious experiences. For
the humanist, the goal of education is to assist the individual to achieve
self-actualization, or, as Maslow puts it, to help the person to become
the best that he is able to become (Maslow, 1971, p. 163). This intrinsic
approach is in contrast to the extrinsic educational ethic, in which
the transmission of factual knowledge is seen to be more important
than the development of an individual. The ideal college, according
to Maslow, would be one in which the main objectives would be the
discovery of ones identity and the destiny or vocation for each person.
Humanistic psychology: Rogers approach

Carl R. Rogers made his reputation as a psychotherapist, developing
a new approach that he called client-centred therapy (Rogers, 1951).
This involves the therapist in a non-directive role in which the client is
encouraged to develop a deeper understanding of his or her self . The
role of the therapist is to provide a non-critical atmosphere, in which
there is no attempt to interpret for the client, but simply a reflecting
back of the statements made in order to assist the client in developing
self-awareness. This concept of client-centred therapy led Rogers to
formulate his student-centred approach to learning, which is contained
in his most important work on the subject (Rogers, 1969; Rogers and
Freiberg, 1994). In this work, he stated 10 principles of learning.
These principles illustrate Rogers approach to learning and his
emphasis on relevance, student participation and involvement, selfevaluation and the absence of threat in the classroom. Rogers saw the
teacher as a facilitator of learning, a provider of resources for learning,
and someone who shares feelings as well as knowledge with the
students.
Rogers further articulated his approach to education in his book
Freedom to Learn for the 80s (Rogers, 1983). He saw learning as being
a continuum, with much meaningless material at one end and significant
or experiential learning at the other. The former could describe many
curricula, which are seen as virtually meaningless by the students for
whom they are intended.
Experiential learning, on the other hand, has a number of qualities
such as personal involvement, self-initiation, persuasiveness, selfevaluation and meaningfulness. Rogers contrasts the kind of learning
that is concerned solely with cognitive functioning with that involving
the whole person.
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The
Teaching, according to Rogers, is a highly overrated activity, in

contrast to the notion of facilitation. Teaching by giving knowledge does
not meet the requirements of todays changing world; what is required is
the facilitation of learning and change, which calls for a different set of
qualities in the facilitator.
Qualities required in a facilitator
The most important factor is the relationship that exists between
facilitator and learner, and Rogers suggests a number of qualities that
are required for this: genuineness, trust and acceptance, and empathetic
understanding.
Genuineness. The facilitator should come across as a real person
rather than as some kind of ideal model. Hence, it is important that

facilitators show normal reactions to their students.
Trust and acceptance. The facilitator should demonstrate acceptance
of the student as a person in his or her own right as a person worthy of
respect and care.
Empathic understanding. Facilitators need to put themselves in the
students shoes in order to see and understand things from their
students perspective.
Rogers suggests that it is possible for the teacher to build into a
programme the freedom to learn, which students require. This can be
done by using students own experiences and problems, so that relevance
is obvious, and by providing resources for the students in the form of
both material and human resources. The goal of education is that the
student should become a fully functioning person.
Rogers 10 principles of learning can be used as a basis for planning the
educational experiences of adult learners. Their natural potential for
learning can be exploited by strategies that arouse curiosity and present
problems or challenges. The importance of relevance cannot be overemphasized; theoretical concepts should be framed in the context of
the real world of adult students, for example applied to the workplace,
or to wider society. Rogers sees the psychological environment of the
classroom as being of paramount importance to learning; by their very
nature, classrooms can be perceived by students as places where their
ignorance or lack of ability may be exposed to ridicule by both teachers
and peers. The first step in creating a psychologically safe atmosphere in
the classroom is for the teacher to state clearly from the outset the ground
rules of the teaching and learning interaction. These will include the
expectation that students will actively participate in the learning process,
that learning is a partnership between teacher and students, that students
contributions will be accepted with respect by other students and the
teacher, and that challenge and debate will be part of the agenda.
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learning theory
A facilitative learning environment can take some time to come to

fruition, given that its development depends on the establishment of trust
and respect between all parties in the teaching and learning situation.
It should be an environment where psychological safety exists and
where the students feel at ease. Some of the barriers between teacher
and learner may be lessened by the rearrangement of the seating and
the use of small-group techniques. These also facilitate the discussion
of feelings and values, an aspect that is considered crucial in the
humanistic approach. The humanistic approach to education centres
on the relationships between teachers and students, each learner being
considered as an individual. The use of forenames between teacher and
learner can increase the feeling of identity for the learner and help to
reduce barriers to communication.
Involvement in decision-making is one step further in helping
the students develop a sense of personal value and worth. While it is
impossible to involve each learner in major planning decisions, it is useful
to have student representatives on course and pathway committees to
contribute ideas and suggestions from their peer group or cohort. Most
teachers are aware of the individual differences between students prior to
commencing an educational programme, but they also need to be sensitive
to the fact that they will still have differences at the end of the course. It is
important to remain aware that the students are individuals, even though
they have been exposed to a common educational programme, and to
encourage them to maintain their unique attitudes and values, rather than
aiming for a conformist, homogeneous end product.
According to the humanistic approach, the role of the teacher is that
of helper and facilitator, rather than conveyor of information. In other
words, the teacher becomes another learning resource for the learner. In
order to perform their role satisfactorily, teachers must fully understand
themselves and be flexible in their approach to teaching. Rogers
approach encourages active involvement by the student in learning, and
this can be achieved by the inclusion of strategies such as project work,
practicals and field-based studies. It is also important that students be
encouraged to follow up topics or issues that have particular interest
for them, although it is often difficult in practice to make provision for
this in a prescribed curriculum. Adult students should be encouraged to
engage in self-evaluation of their learning, so that they do not become
reliant on external feedback from the teacher. Lastly, Rogers emphasizes
the importance of students knowing how to learn, so study skills advice
should be made available, usually in the form of study skills workshops
or learning packages.
One of the specific applications of humanistic psychology is in the
use of learning contracts, which give the students the opportunity to take
responsibility for their own learning. Learning contracts are discussed
below in the section on andragogy.
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Andragogy:
the teaching and training of adults
Critique of the humanistic approach

One of the most serious criticisms of the humanistic approach is
that it is lacking in empirical evidence to support its claims, relying
upon observations and assumptions of human behaviour. Humanistic
psychologys emphasis on the self and on feelings may be seen as
devaluing intellectual aspects of learning; the acquisition of knowledge
and facts is a quite legitimate educational aim. It could also be argued
that the emphasis on personal growth and self-exploration in humanistic
theories makes them less useful for some types of vocational education
and training.
The writings of Carl Rogers are about the education of children
in schools, and the application of his ideas to the teaching of adult
professionals, whilst attractive, may have little or no validity. Sigman
(1995), in a telling critique, points out that humanistic psychology
originated in the US, a different culture from the UK, and suggests that
the principles may not easily translate to the UK culture. He argues
that it began as a psychological therapy for illness, but has now become
a general approach for the pursuit of self-fulfilment through change.
According to Sigman, contentment has been replaced by the need for
personal growth and fulfilment, and to illustrate this he contrasts the
sayings of a generation ago, such as count your blessings, with societys
current motto, go for it. He claims that the constant emphasis on selfimprovement may lead to self-disapproval and rejection of ones own
identity, which may be made worse by failure to achieve the desired
changes.
Andragogy:
In recent years, andragogy has become the preferred term in the

literature for describing the teaching and training of adults. (It is used as
a contrast to pedagogy: a pedagogue is literally a leader of children.) One
of the foremost contributors to this area is the American educationalist
Malcolm S. Knowles, whose approach is based upon the differences that
he perceives between the teaching of adults and children (Knowles, 1990).
He maintains that educational systems, including those for adult students,
are based on a pedagogical model. Indeed, the dictionary definition of
pedagogy reinforces this view: the art, science, and profession of teaching
(the Concise Oxford Dictionary, 1991, 8th edn. Oxford University Press,
Oxford). Noting that all the great teachers in history, such as Socrates and
Confucius, were teachers of adults, Knowles uses the term andragogy, i.e.
a leader of man (adults), to describe his approach. He points out that the
term adult has a number of meanings:
biological adulthood is the ability to reproduce;

legal adulthood is defined by the law;
social adulthood is the stage at which adult roles are performed; and
psychological adulthood is when self-direction is assumed.
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learning theory
The two models, pedagogy and andragogy, are based on different

assumptions about the learner on six dimensions:
the learners need to know;

the learners self-concept;
the role of the learners experience;
the learners readiness to learn;
the learners orientation to learning; and
the learners motivation.
The different assumption for pedagogy and andragogy are outlined
in Table 2.2.
Table 2.2
The different assumptions of
pedagogy and andragogy
Assumptions
Pedagogy
Andragogy
Learners need to know
Students must learn what

they are taught in order to
pass their tests
Adults need to know why

they must learn something
Learners self-concept
Dependency: decisions about

learning are controlled by
teacher
Self-direction: adults take

responsibility for their own
learning
Role of learners experience
It is the teachers experience

that is seen as important.
The learners experience
is seen as of little use as a
learning resource
Adults have greater, and

much more varied experience
which serves as a rich
resource for learning
Learners readiness to learn
Learners readiness is
dependent upon what the
teacher wants the learner
to learn
Adults readiness relates to

the things he or she needs to
know and do in real life
Students orientation to
learning
Learning equates with the

subject-matter content of the
curriculum
Adults have a life-centred

orientation to learning
involving problem-solving and
task-centred approaches
Students motivation
Students motivation is from

external sources such as
teacher approval, grades and
parental pressures
Adults motivation is largely

internal such as self-esteem,
quality of life and job
satisfaction
Knowles argues that traditional education conditions the learner to

react to teacher stimuli, and this reactive learning does not equip the
learner with the skills for lifelong learning. Andragogy encourages a
proactive approach to learning in which enquiry and autonomy feature
predominantly. However, pedagogy and andragogy should be seen as
parallel rather than as opposing models, and Knowles acknowledges that
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Andragogy:
both may be appropriate for children and adults depending upon the given
circumstances. For example, it might be that a pedagogical or dependent
approach involving didactic teaching would be more appropriate when
the learner first encounters new or unusual learning situations, provided
that an andragogical approach is used overall. Similarly, Knowles believes
that andragogy can be appropriate for children, with its emphasis on a
classroom climate conducive to learning and the concept of increasing
self-direction and autonomy.
Two aspects of Knowless work have had a particularly strong
influence on nurse education curricula: his process model for human
resources development, and the use of learning contracts.
Process model for human resources development

Knowles uses the term human resources development to cover the
whole range of continuing education and training in a wide variety of
contexts, and the implementation of the andragogical model involves a
process model as opposed to the pedagogical one of a content model.
There are seven elements to the process model.
1. Establishing a climate conducive to learning. This involves both the
physical, and the human and interpersonal environment; the former
takes account of the seating arrangements, decor, ventilation and
lighting, and the latter such things as the organizational climate, mutual
respect, collaboration, mutual trust and supportiveness, openness and
authenticity and a climate of pleasure and humanness.
2. Creating a mechanism for mutual planning. This is one of the cardinal
principles of andragogy; all those concerned with the educational
enterprise should be involved in its planning.
3. Diagnosing the needs for learning. According to Knowles, a learning
need is a gap between the specified learning outcomes of a programme
and the existing state of the learner in relation to these. Andragogy
emphasizes the importance of the learners own perception of this
gap, but there may be tension between the needs of participants and
the needs of the organization, and this conflict must be negotiated with
care.
4. Formulating programme objectives. Knowles acknowledges the widely
differing viewpoints on the nature of objectives and suggests cautiously
that behavioural objectives might be more appropriate for training and
for more process-orientated outcomes for education.
5. Designing a pattern of learning experiences. Self-directed learning is
central to andragogical design models and involves a choice of learning
methods that are appropriate to the learners objectives.
6. Operating the programme. This involves the administration of the
learning programme, and the quality of learning resources is a crucial
factor.
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learning theory
7. Evaluating the programme. Knowles favours a five-step approach to

evaluation:
(a) reaction evaluation is ongoing evaluation during the programme;
(b) learning evaluation is the gathering of data about the learning
outcomes achieved;
(c) behaviour evaluation takes a wider view of the changes in
behaviour, culled from supervisors reports, etc.;
(d) results evaluation is organizational data such as costs, efficiency,
absence, etc.;
(e) rediagnosis of learning needs is really a repeat of Step 3 above, and
involves helping students to re-evaluate where they are in relation
to programme objectives.
Learning contracts
As Knowles points out, individuals have a need to be self-directing in
their learning, yet traditional curricula were largely controlled by the
educational institution. Learning contracts are a means of reconciling the
learning needs of the student and those of other interested parties such as
educators and employers. The focus of nurse education is the promotion
and maintenance of professional competence; what constitutes such
competence is decided not only by the individual nurse but also by
employers and professional bodies. The needs of each of these key
players may well conflict on occasions, and learning contracts provide a
useful way of negotiating an acceptable compromise. Knowles offers the
following steps for developing a learning contract.
Step 1: Diagnosis of learning needs
This involves the students in assessing the difference between their
present state of knowledge or skill in relation to an area of learning and
the state they aim to achieve in that area. In nursing, this often requires
the help of tutors and clinical colleagues.
Step 2: Specifying learning objectives
The learning needs, identified in Step 1, are then written as learning
objectives such as acquisition of certain knowledge or skills.
Step 3: Specifying learning resources and strategies
In this step, the students take each learning objective and identify how
they are planning to achieve it, for example by reviewing the relevant
literature.
Step 4: Specifying evidence of accomplishment
For each learning objective, the students describe the evidence which they
will produce to indicate their achievement; for example, an essay can
provide evidence about knowledge of a topic.
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Andragogy:
Step 5: Specifying how the evidence can be validated

Here the students state the criteria by which the evidence can be
judged and who will do the judging; for example, an essay might
be judged according to level of analysis and synthesis of arguments by a
member of the teaching staff of the institution.
Step 6: Reviewing the contract with consultants
Once the first draft of the contract is complete, each student should seek
the opinions of colleagues such as fellow students, supervisors or teachers
about the clarity and relevance of the contract.
Step 7: Carrying out the contract
This step involves implementing the contract and adapting it as necessary
as learning proceeds.
Step 8: Evaluating learning
In this final step, the evidence presented by the student is judged by the
person named in Step 5.
Although used extensively as a model in nurse education curricula,
Knowless approach has been criticized on a number of grounds. Given
the humanistic value basis of andragogy, the assumptions of andragogy
should apply as equally to children as to adults, for example the importance
of self-direction and autonomy. The self-directing characteristic of adults
is a cornerstone of Knowless theory, yet experiences with open learning
programmes indicate that many adult students find it difficult to unlearn
their dependence on tutors and take considerable time to develop selfdirection in their learning. This voluntary relinquishing of self-direction
is particularly noticeable when students have to learn something new;
it does not mean that they are adopting a child-like approach to their
learning.
It has been pointed out (Tennant, 1997) that Knowless work draws
upon two opposing (and mutually incompatible) psychological theories,
humanistic psychology and behaviourism, thus weakening the validity
of his approach. The superiority of experience in adult learning has also
been questioned. Although adults, by virtue of having lived longer than
children, have more experience, they do not automatically bring a better
quality of experience to their learning. Indeed, previous experiences
may serve to interfere with learning, particularly if stressful or upsetting.
There is inconsistency in the fact that Knowles is opposed to teachers
prescribing the content of what is to be learned, yet he actually prescribed
the process by which learning should occur.
Perhaps the most telling criticism of Knowless approach is that his
focus on the centrality of the individual in learning leads him to ignore the
power of social forces in education. In reality, the individual has relatively
little power in comparison with the power of the educational system to
determine the organization of learning. For example, although choice may
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learning theory
be offered within educational programmes, it is almost invariably within

a prescribed framework of options imposed by the award regulations.
Many commentators on andragogy highlight the conflict between the
interests of the educational institution and those of the individual student,
for example the restriction placed upon self-directed learning by the use
of learning outcomes and award requirements. There is also the danger
that adult students expectations of adult education will be raised unduly
by the rhetoric of self-directed learning. They may enter adult education
expecting something completely different from what they experienced at
school, an expectation all too commonly disappointed.
Tennants reconstructed charter for andragogy

Tennant (1997) offers a useful generic guide for practising teachers in
the form of a reconstructed charter for andragogy. He identifies eight
characteristics of critical adult education practice that can be considered
generic to all forms of teaching; these are outlined below.
1. Valuing the experiences of learners. Learners life-worlds should be
included in all aspects of the teaching and learning enterprise; it is not
sufficient merely to have a positive attitude towards them.
2. Engaging in reflection on experiences. This involves both the students
existing experiences and the new experiences introduced as part of the
teaching. The latter encourages students to progress beyond their own
experiences, which in turn helps them to generalize their experiential
learning.
3. Establishing collaborative learning relationships. Tennant points out the
necessity for collaborative group learning, where students experiences
and learning can be shared and enriched from multiple perspectives.
4. Addressing issues of identity and power relationships between teachers
and learners. This will depend to some extent on the context of
learning, but it is important that these issues are addressed.
5. Promoting judgements about learning that are developmental and
which allow scope for success for all learners. All judgements about
students learning should encourage further development, and should
not be framed with reference to other students success or failure.
6. Negotiating conflicts over claims to knowledge and pedagogical
processes. It is important that students should feel able to express
differences of opinion with regard to educational knowledge, and that
this is accepted as an important aspect of the teaching process.
7. Identifying the historical and cultural locatedness of experiences.
Students should be aware of the social and cultural context of their
experiences and be encouraged to question the assumptions arising
from this.
8. Transforming actions and practices. This relates to 7 above, and refers
to new actions and practices adopted by students as a result of their
recognition of the social and cultural context of their experiences.
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The
experiential learning approach to adult learning
Nearys approach to learning contracts

More recently, we have come to understand how the use of learning
contracts requires handing over the control of learning to the student.
Neary (2000a) warns us how this might challenge the assumption
underlying the traditional approach to health education, so some
antagonism and resistance to this idea should be expected. The rate
of helping students move towards independence is likely to be quite
slow initially, but, as confidence, experience and autonomy increase,
independence will accelerate.
The purpose of learning contracts is clearly explained by Neary
(2000a, p. 77) who offers a concise eight-point set of criteria outlined
below.
Learning contracts provide the following:
1. The safety for students to make decisions about their learning within
the boundaries set by the curriculum framework and objectives.
2. The opportunity for teachers and students to utilize the individuals
internal motivation to learn and/or change.
3. A framework for supporting students who may fail to do well because
of their unstructured approach to learning.
4. A vehicle by which the external needs of the organization and the
internal needs of the individual can be met.
5. A means for identifying the individuals preferred learning styles.
6. A means whereby the pace of learning can be adjusted to the needs of
the individual.
7. A vehicle for integrating theory and practice, which is extremely
important for practice-based professions.
8. The basic unit for auditing the learning programme and the identification
of performance indicators:
students;
teachers; and
programme.
The
Within the past 20 years, experiential learning has become firmly

established in nursing, midwifery and specialist community public health
nursing curricula. At its simplest, experiential learning is learning that
results from experience, but, since almost everything in life constitutes
experience, this becomes an impossibly global notion. Essentially,
experiential learning is learning by doing, rather than by listening to
other people or reading about it. This active involvement of the student
is one of the key characteristics of this form of learning, together with
student-centredness, a degree of interaction, some measure of autonomy
and flexibility and a high degree of relevance.
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learning theory
Kolb: the theory of experiential learning

David Kolb is a major exponent of experiential learning theory.
Experiential learning theory offers a fundamentally different view
of the learning process from that of the behavioural theories of
learning based on an empirical epistemology or the more implicit
theories of learning that underlie traditional educational methods,
methods that for the most part are based on a rational idealist
epistemology. This perspective on learning is called experiential
for two reasons. The first is to tie it clearly to its intellectual origins
in the work of Dewey, Lewin and Piaget. The second reason is to
emphasize the central role that experience plays in the learning
process
(Kolb, 1984, p. 20)
Kolb sees learning as a core process of human development and makes a

distinction between development and simple readjustment to change.
Development results from learning that is gained through experience,
and this is the basis of the experiential learning model (or experiential
learning cycle). The cycle has become known as Kolbs Cycle, but
it is interesting to note that Kolb himself refers to it as the Lewinian
Experiential Learning Model.
The cycle, as shown in Figure 2.1, begins with some kind of
concrete experience, professional or personal, that the student considers
interesting or problematic. Observations and information are gathered
about the experience and then the student reflects upon it, replaying it
over again and analysing it until certain insights begin to emerge in the
shape of a theory about the experience. The implications arising from
this conceptualization can then be utilized to modify existing nursing or
midwifery practice or to generate new approaches to it.
Concrete experience
Figure 2.1
Experiential learning model
(Kolb, 1984)
Testing implications
of concepts in new
situations
Observations and
reflections
Formation of abstract
concepts and generalizations
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The
Generic adaptive abilities

There are four generic adaptive abilities required for effective learning:
1. Concrete experience (CE). The students must immerse themselves fully
and openly in new experiences.
2. Reflective observation (RO). The students must observe and reflect on
concrete experiences from a variety of perspectives.
3. Abstract conceptualization (AC). The students must create concepts
that integrate their observations into logical theories.
4. Active experimentation. The students must apply these theories in
decision-making and problem-solving.
Primary dimensions of learning process
These four generic adaptive abilities consist of two pairs of opposites,
forming two primary dimensions of learning:
concrete experience abstract conceptualization; and

active experimentation reflective observation.
During a learning situation, the student moves from action to observation
to a varying extent according to the nature of the situation, both
dimensions being important aspects of the learning process. This
approach is compatible with other theories of cognitive development
such as those of Piaget and Bruner.
Kolbs work has provided a theoretical basis for the implementation
of experiential learning in adult education; experiential learning is
discussed in Chapter 6 (p. 235) in the context of small-group teaching
and also forms a very useful theoretical basis for the Accreditation of
Prior Experiential Learning (APEL), discussed in Chapter 7 (p. 295).
Experiential learning theory can be applied to individual differences;
for example, Kolb (1976) identified four learning styles based upon the
theory of experiential learning; these are outlined later in the chapter.
The experiential learning cycle has been influential in curricula for
nursing and midwifery, However, the model does not have a great deal
of empirical support, and it is unlikely that every single learning situation
will demand an integrated approach using the four general adaptive
abilities.
Jarviss typology of learning

Peter Jarvis has proposed a typology of learning based upon three forms
of learning response to experience: non-learning, non-reflective learning,
and reflective learning (Jarvis and Gibson, 1997).
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learning theory
Non-learning
Jarvis points out that individuals do not necessarily learn from any given
experience, and he identifies three types of non-learning. The first is
presumption, i.e. the tendency for individuals to rely uncritically on
their past experiences as a basis for their behaviour. The second is an
individuals failure to respond to a potential learning situation, which
Jarvis terms non-consideration. The third type is rejection, where the
individual rejects the possibility of learning from the experience; bigots
would come under this category.
Non-reflective learning
As the name implies, this is learning that does not involve a reflective
process; it includes memorization, skills learning, and preconscious
learning. The latter is also called incidental learning, i.e. the learning that
occurs without the individual being aware of it.
Reflective learning
In contrast to the two previous forms of learning, this involves a process of
reflection. Jarviss research identified different types within this category:
contemplation, reflective skills learning, and experimental learning.
Jarviss typology is useful in that it expands our view of what constitutes
learning; it also emphasizes the importance of the reflective process in
learning.
Reflection
and adult learning
Although reflection as a concept had been established in education since

the turn of the century, it was the work of Donald Schn (Schn, 1983,
1987) in the mid-1980s that put it well and truly on the agenda of
professional practice in both the teaching and the nursing professions.
The significance of reflection in nursing lies in its close relationship to
learning in professional practice settings, and the concepts of reflective
practice in nursing are discussed in detail in Chapter 13 (p. 443).
Human
motivation
Theories of motivation attempt to explain the processes by which

human actions are directed; there is an implicit assumption here that human
actions are purposeful as opposed to random, and are therefore directed
towards some goal or another. Motivation is considered an important
factor in the learning process, and one of the key aims of teaching is to
increase students motivation to learn.
Explanations of human motivation inevitably reflect the standpoints
of the different schools of psychology. For example, the behaviourist
approach sees motivation as being due to factors in the environment,
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Human
motivation
rather than arising within an individual. In this approach, a persons

current actions are determined by the success or otherwise of past
actions, i.e. whether or not these were reinforced by past environmental
events. In this approach, an individuals motivation to attend a concert is
determined by the fact that previous visits to concerts were pleasurable,
and concert-going behaviour was therefore reinforced.
The mediationist approach adopts the opposite stance to behaviourism;
i.e. whilst not ignoring the role of the environment in motivation, it
emphasizes the importance of an individuals perceptions, attitudes,
beliefs, etc., in mediating their behaviour (Mook, 1996). The following
sections highlight some of the most influential theories of human
motivation.
Motivation as instinct
Instincts are aspects of animal behaviour that are innate and untaught,
and which govern much of their total repertoire of behaviour.
Ethology
Ethology is a branch of psychology concerned with the study of animals
in their natural settings rather than in the artificial surroundings of the
laboratory. One of the founders of this school was Konrad Lorenz; he
demonstrated that animals possess instinctive behaviours called fixedaction patterns (FAPs), which can be triggered off by innate releasing
mechanisms (IRMs). Nikko Tinbergen (1951) has described these in
relation to the male stickleback; fixed-action patterns of attack or
courtship are released by the red underside of another male, or the
swollen abdomen of the female respectively. Another example of a fixedaction pattern, according to Lorenz, is imprinting (Lorenz, 1958). This
occurs in young animals within two days of birth or hatching and consists
of the animal following the first moving object that it encounters. This
is normally the parent, and the process has survival value to the species,
in that the young animal follows and remains close to the parent. Lorenz
showed that imprinting will occur on the first moving object, even if
this is a human being or an inanimate object, but that it is difficult or
impossible after two days, when fear of strange objects has developed.
Some psychologists believe that certain aspects of human behaviour
are instinctual; Eibl-Eibesfeldt has summarized the innate releasing
mechanisms in man, citing examples such as the cues in an infants
appearance, which trigger off caring behaviour in adults (Eibl-Eibesfeldt,
1971). Bowlby (1970) considered that the attachment behaviour of the
newborn infant towards a preferred figure is a form of imprinting.
Freudian psychoanalytic theory
Another theory that utilizes the concept of instinct is that of Sigmund
Freud. His psychoanalytic theory sees humans as being motivated by two
basic instincts or drives, Eros and Thanatos. The former are life drives and
are divided into ego drives, which are concerned with self-preservation,
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and libido, which is concerned with sexual drive and preservation of the
species. Thanatos is composed of self-destructive drives and aggressive
drives, and constraints imposed on these by self or society result in
their repression below the level of consciousness. According to Freud,
such repressed drives function as powerful unconscious motivators of
behaviour (Freud, 1923).
Motivation as needs and drives

Drives are internal states of arousal of an organism that occur as a
consequence of some form of need, either biological or non-biological.
Biological needs are homeostatic needs such as hunger, thirst and body
temperature control, which work on the principle of negative feedback.
A negative feedback loop operates as follows: when a given level of
production output is detected by sensors within the organism, mechanisms
come into play that switch off further production, allowing the output
level to fall. When the output falls below a given level, the negative
feedback loop is inhibited, allowing output production to resume.
To clarify the process of negative feedback, let us take the example
of maintenance of body temperature. The hypothalamus controls the
sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves supplying the smooth muscle
of blood vessels, and hence controls vasoconstriction and vasodilatation;
it also contains a thermostat i.e. a collection of cells that detect body
temperature. When the thermostat detects a rise in body temperature,
the negative feedback loop operates to switch off vasoconstriction and
thereby allowing vasodilatation to increase the blood flow to the skin,
where heat loss occurs by sweating and evaporation.
One interesting example of a homeostatic approach to the acquisition
of motives is the opponentprocess theory, which is outlined below.
The opponentprocess theory

The opponentprocess theory (Solomon and Corbit, 1974; Solomon,
1980) focuses on emotional states and their role in motivating individuals
behaviour. The basis of the theory is similar to the concept of homeostasis,
i.e. the tendency of an organism to counter any changes from the normal
state by producing a counter-effect to that change, as in the example of
temperature regulation However, the theory focuses on emotional states
such as pain and pleasure, rather than on physiological ones.
The basic principle is as follows: when some circumstance or other
generates an emotional reaction within an individual, this will in turn
generate the opposite emotional state; for example, a visit to the theatre
may generate a feeling of happiness, but this in turn generates the
opposite emotion, i.e. unhappiness. Similarly, an unpleasant experience
will generate displeasure, and this will trigger off the opponent emotion,
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Human
motivation
i.e. pleasure. In other words, the processes are pulling in opposite

directions, resulting in modification of the initial emotional state and a
consequent reduction in the level of intensity.
One of the most important characteristics of the opponentprocess
is that, whilst the initial emotional reaction (Process A) does not change
when experienced frequently, the opponentprocess (Process B) increases
in intensity each time. An imbalance therefore develops between them,
with the original emotional reaction (Process A) getting smaller and the
opponentprocess (Process B) getting stronger and stronger. The theory
has been used to explain the development of drug tolerance in addictive
behaviour: with each dose of the drug, the unpleasant opponentprocess
emotions (Process B) become more powerful at the expense of the initial
pleasurable emotions (Process A), so that bigger and bigger doses of the
drug are required to produce the pleasurable emotional reaction.
When the drug is withdrawn completely, there is no longer any Process
A emotional state, so the Process B opponent emotions (withdrawal
symptoms) are left free to wreak their havoc.
The theory has been criticized for being overly general, in that it can
be applied to a very wide range of situations. For example, it is quite
usual for a student teacher to experience a degree of anxiety when he
or she delivers the first few lectures. This unpleasant emotional state
(Process A) triggers off the opposite or opponent process, i.e. a relaxed
emotional state (Process B). As student teachers exposure to lecturing
increases, this relaxed state grows progressively bigger at the expense of
the anxious emotional state, until this relaxed state becomes the normal
reaction to lecturing.
Apart from homeostatic needs, human beings have other forms
of need, including cognitive, emotional and social needs. Abraham
Maslows influential theory of human motivation incorporates this wide
range of human needs, and is outlined below.
Maslows theory of human motivation: the hierarchy of needs

Abraham Maslow was one of seven children and a rather shy and nervous
child. His father was a colourful character who liked to drink and fight.
Maslow began by studying the law but then changed to study psychology,
eventually becoming a trained therapist. He published his theory of
human motivation, in which there are five classes of need arranged in
hierarchical order, from the most basic up to the highest level (Maslow,
1971). Each class of need is stronger than the one above it in the
hierarchy, in that it motivates the individual more powerfully when both
needs are lacking. Gratification of needs is a key concept in this theory;
when a need is gratified at one particular level, the next higher need
emerges. The needs are arranged in a hierarchy as shown in Figure 2.2.
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Figure 2.2
Maslows Hierarchy of Needs
Self-actualization
Esteem
Belongingness and love
Safety
Physiological
Physiological needs are the most basic and include hunger, thirst,
sleep, maternal needs, etc. Individuals dominated by these needs see
everything else as being of secondary importance, and this can occur to
such an extent that they no longer see anything beyond the gratification
of those needs. The next class is the safety needs, which include
security, stability, protection, the need for order and structure, etc., and
above this come the belongingness and love needs, including affection,
friendship and sexual needs, although the latter can also be classified with
physiological needs.
Esteem needs are concerned with strength, achievement, mastery
and competence and also include reputation, prestige and dignity.
Self-actualization is the highest class of needs and is concerned with
the fulfilment of ones potential. This will vary greatly from person to
person, according to how the individual perceives that potential. There
are two further classes of need that Maslow originally included in the
hierarchy the need to know and understand and the aesthetic needs.
These are now seen to be interrelated with the basic needs, rather than
as separate classes. The order of these remains fixed for most people,
but there are exceptions. For example, some people prefer assertive selfesteem to love. There are examples in life where lack of basic needs seems
to be subjugated to the attainment of self-actualization, as with monks
who fast for lengthy periods.
Characteristics of self-actualizing individuals
Maslow examined the lives of well-known public figures and came
up with a list of shared characteristics, which are hallmarks of selfactualizing individuals:
more efficient perception of reality;

acceptance of self and others;
spontaneity, simplicity and naturalness;
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Learning
styles (cognitive styles)
problem-centring;
quality of detachment, a need for privacy;
autonomy, independence of culture and environment;
continued freshness of appreciation;
peak experiences;
deeper, more profound interpersonal relations;
democratic character;
philosophical, non-hostile sense of humour;
creativeness;
transcendence of any culture.
Maslows theory is open to criticism on a number of counts. The
imperative to satisfy basic needs before becoming motivated at the
next level does not accord with the facts. There are many documented
incidents of individuals becoming highly creative despite a lack of basic
needs; for example, in concentration camps during the Second World
War. Martyrdom is another example which conflicts with the theory;
some individuals embrace the prospect of certain death as the ultimate
fulfilment of their purpose on earth. There is no convincing evidence for
the hierarchy of needs, but despite this the theory has influenced many
curricula in nurse education.
One of the major problems with conceptualizing motivation as needs
and drives is that it does not explain why animals or people try to achieve
things that are not associated with biological deficits, such as watching
television and reading books. It is likely that most real-life situations are
characterized by multiple motivations, where the individual is motivated
by a number of different motives. These may be in harmony, thereby
increasing the strength of motivation or they may be in conflict, with
some producing a positive incentive and others a negative incentive. This
has been described as approachavoidance conflict and there are three
types (Bourne and Ekstrand, 1985):
approachapproach conflict, i.e. conflict between two equally desirable

courses of action;
avoidanceavoidance conflict, i.e. the choice is between two negative

motivators, neither of which is desirable;
approachavoidance conflict, i.e. incentives have both positive and

negative components, such as eating and weight gain.
Learning
We have already seen that there are differences in motivation and

personality between individuals, but there are also differences in their
preferred ways of learning or processing information. In other words,
individuals differ in their learning styles (also termed cognitive styles).
In practice, andragogy might be understood to mean that adult learners
need to focus on the learning process as opposed to content, in order to
promote independence and a self-directed approach to learning. Reece
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and Walker (2000) suggest a move from behaviouristic principles towards

a more humanistic approach, which they see as more appropriate for
adult learners. This implies that a good teacher develops a feeling for the
students emotional needs, social background and cognitive development
(Fontana, 1972) and that an interest in the welfare of students promotes
learning (Wragg, 1984). This is particularly pertinent in health care
settings, where students regardless of who they are will come from
a variety of backgrounds, cultures and age groups, therefore nurse
educators must be adaptable to meet such diverse needs.
Reflective and impulsive styles

These styles refer to an individuals tendency either to produce an answer
to a problem very quickly or to spend some time in reflection before
giving an answer. The kind of test used in this situation is called the
matching familiar figures test (Kagan, 1965) and consists of a number of
pictures of familiar objects that the individual has to match with another
picture. There are two styles of answering the problem: some people
answer very quickly, whereas others take time to answer. Kagan considers
the former to be impulsive and the latter reflective, taking only the speed
variable into account. Thus, whether or not a person is accurate is not
relevant to the test. Students can be taught to become more reflective by
the use of self-instruction and scanning strategies.
Kolbs learning style inventory

Another approach to cognitive style is Kolbs learning style inventory
(LSI, Kolb, 1976). Kolbs experiential learning theory is discussed earlier
in the chapter (p. 34), and the learning styles inventory utilizes concepts
from the theory. There are two dimensions measured by this approach,
concrete to abstract, and action to reflection, and four types of learning
styles are identified.
Converger. Convergers are so called because they tend to do best in

situations requiring a single correct answer or solution. Convergers
excel in the application of ideas to practical situations, and their
dominant learning abilities are abstract conceptualization (AC) and
active experimentation (AE). Persons with this style tend to prefer
things to people and often work in engineering and other physical
sciences.
Diverger. Divergers, as the name implies, are the opposite of convergers.
They tend to do best in situations requiring generation of ideas, and
they tend to excel in the use of imagination and the organization of
concrete situations into meaningful wholes. Their dominant learning
abilities are concrete experience (CE) and reflective observation (RO).
Kolb suggest that this style is characteristic of people with humanities
and liberal arts backgrounds, and also of counsellors and personnel
managers.
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Learning
Assimilator. Assimilators tend to do best at creating theoretical models
and inductive reasoning; they are less interested in practical applications.

Their dominant learning abilities are abstract conceptualization (AC)
and reflective observation (RO). People with this style tend to be
found in basic maths and science, and in research and planning
departments.
Accommodator. Accommodators tend to do best at carrying out plans
and experiments. They tend more than the other styles to be risktakers, and they excel in situations where they need to accommodate
and adapt to the specific circumstances. Their dominant learning
abilities are concrete experience (CE) and active experimentation
(AE). People with this style tend to be found in action-oriented
positions such as marketing or sales.
Serialist and holist strategies

In a series of experiments on learning strategies, Pask and his co-workers
realized that subjects could be classified into two categories: serialist and
holist (Pask and Scott, 1972; Pask, 1975, 1976). A system of classification
for imaginary Martian animals was used as the learning task, and it was
found that participants approached the problem in very different ways.
Those who adopted a serialist strategy tended to proceed in a step-bystep manner, whereas the holists took a more global approach to what
was to be learned. Pask suggests that these strategies reflect basic learning
styles: holist strategies reflect a comprehension learning style and serialist
strategies an operation learning style. Some students are able to employ
both serialist and holist strategies as appropriate. and this learning style
is referred to as versatile. Pask has related specific learning pathologies
to the two strategies. The holist is prone to the pathology called globetrotting, which involves a tendency to over-generalize from insufficient
evidence and to use inappropriate analogy. Serialists, on the other hand,
are prone to improvidence, which means that they may not build up an
overview of how the subcomponents of the topic interrelate, nor utilize
important analogies. In an experiment that matched and mismatched
holist and serialist students with holist and serialist teaching styles, there
was a clear superiority of outcome for students whose learning style
matched the teaching style; however, the sample size was small.
Deep approach and surface approach

Marton and his co-workers at Gothenburg focused on how students
read academic articles (Marton and Saljo, 1976). Students were given an
academic article to read and were then interviewed afterwards to ascertain
their approach to the article. These interviews were recorded and the
audiotapes transcribed and analysed in terms of level of understanding
and approach to learning. The latter showed a clear-cut distinction
between deep approaches and surface approaches. Those adopting a deep
approach commenced with the intention of understanding the article,
relating it to their own experience and evaluating the authors evidence.
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Those adopting a surface approach concentrated on memorizing the

important points and were guided by the type of questions they
anticipated being subsequently asked. The researchers suggest that these
approaches are indicators of the students normal approach to study.
Sutherland (1999) undertook a study of nurse tutors taking a professional
qualification using a semi-structured interview. He reported a general
rejection of the surface approach in favour of the deep approach as
participants dominant approach to learning.
Lancaster inventory of study strategies

Entwistle and his colleagues at Lancaster also studied how students
read academic articles (Entwistle et al., 1979; Entwistle, 1981), and
this culminated in the development of the Lancaster Inventory of Study
Strategies. The inventory contained the following scales:
1. Achieving relates to competitiveness and organized methods.
2. Reproducing relates to surface approach and the syllabus-bound
concept.
3. Meaning relates to deep approaches and intrinsic motivation.
4. Comprehension reflects a holist strategy.
5. Operation reflects a serialist strategy.
6. Versatile indicates a versatile approach to learning.
7. Pathological indicates pathological symptoms in learning.
8. Overall academic success is prediction for success.
Shorter versions of the inventory have subsequently been developed.
Honeys learning styles

Honey (1982) developed a scheme of learning styles involving a
questionnaire of 80 items. Learning styles are classified under four
headings activists, reflectors, theorists and pragmatists and the
questionnaire data reveal the participants scores on each of these
variables.
Activists are characterized by openness to new experiences and a

sociable nature, albeit rather egocentric and impulsive.
Reflectors, on the other hand, tend to be cautious people who like

to explore things carefully before coming to a decision. They are
observers rather than participants.
Theorists are logical, rational people who like theories and systems;
they are unhappy about subjective impressions and ambiguity.
Pragmatists like very much to apply things in practice and to
experiment with ideas; they tend to be impatient and like to get going
with new ideas.
Syllabus-bound and syllabus-free students

Malcolm Parlett (1970) classifies students into two types: syllabus-bound
(sylbs) and syllabus-free (sylfs). The terms are largely self-explanatory.
Sylbs tend to accept the system and are very much examination oriented
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Approaches
to learning
and like to know exactly what is required of them in assignments. Sylfs,

on the other hand, find the confines of the syllabus very limiting and wish
to explore much more widely than that. They are happy to find things
out for themselves and take responsibility for learning.
Problems with the concept of learning styles

The validity of attempting to match teaching styles with learning styles
is criticized by Tennant (1988) on the grounds that it would produce
harmonious viewpoints between teacher and student, but that educational
growth is more likely to occur when students have to move outside the
confines of their own learning style. In other words, a degree of challenge
or conflict may well result in more creative learning. Tennant goes on to
suggest that teachers should use the theories of learning styles to assist
students to understand how they may approach learning, to facilitate
expansion of their learning styles, and to provide a learning climate in
which diversity is encouraged.
However, Rogers (2001) emphasizes that the first challenge is to know
yourself and identify which style you are naturally drawn to. She asks
us to remember that different subjects and circumstances will have their
own imperative and quotes a very relevant example that many of us are
able to relate to:
If you are teaching people how to drive a car, there is probably no
great place for theory to drive a car successfully does not depend
on knowing how the internal combustion engine works, though to
pass the driving test you do need to know the Highway Code, a
reflective activity. But mostly, learning to drive needs an activist
approach. It cannot be learnt through reading books.
(Rogers, 2001, p. 25)
A succinct summary of such learning styles is recognized by Petty (2004)

who observes that student learning styles can be categorized in a number
of ways. He claims that it is now thought that all students can learn in
all these learning styles and that the more learning styles each learner
experiences, the better.
Approaches
to learning
All qualified nurses are involved in teaching and learning. They live in
a constantly learning profession, in which the teaching and facilitation
of students features greatly in their day-to-day life. Whilst exploring
the theoretical underpinnings to teaching and learning, Dix and Hughes
(2004) demonstrate how they can be applied to teaching and learning
situations by discussing the strategies and approaches that can be adopted
by nurse teachers and nurses working in the clinical setting to support
students effectively. They presented four biographical vignettes of adult
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learners and described some of the strategies and approaches that might
assist these students to learn more effectively. An example of those
vignettes can be seen in Table 2.3.
Table 2.3
Four biographical vignettes
Katie
Katie is a 45-year-old nursing student with three grown-up children. She left school at the age
of 15 without any formal qualifications. She has 25 years experience as a health care assistant
on an acute surgical ward. In order to acquire the necessary academic qualifications for nurse
training, she has, for the past five years attended evening classes at her local FE College and
achieved five GCSEs and passed an access to nursing course. Katie is now in her second year of
the three-year programme, which leads to the award of Bachelor of Nursing. Although she was
apprehensive about returning to full-time education, as she would probably be older than most
of her colleagues and some of the lecturers, she is a popular student, who willingly contributes
openly to class discussion and is keen to share her life experiences. She also possesses excellent
interpersonal skills, which enable her to motivate other students and, overall, improve group
dynamics. The quality of Katies clinical work is exemplary, and her enthusiasm and motivation
are demonstrated and documented well within her clinical placement reports. However, Katie is
dyslexic and is particularly anxious about the continual theoretical assessments and examinations.
Although Katie has passed all of her college-based assignments to date, she still feels that she
is unable to demonstrate and apply her analytical thoughts and reflective skills adequately in a
theoretical context. Her objectives during the second year are to improve on her assessment
grades and achieve good passes instead of borderline passes. Factors that inhibit learning can
be described as internal or external in nature. The most common barriers have been identified
by numerous authors, and can include pressure of time and workload, lack of support from
work organization and family, underachievement at school with a fear of further learning, social
and family commitments, cultural and age (Ashcroft and Foreman-Peck, 1994; Huddleston and
Unwin, 1997; Reece and Walker, 2000). Factors likely to inhibit Katies learning are lack of selfbelief, age and exam anxiety and dyslexia.
Peter
Peter is a 28-year-old first year nursing student aiming for the award of Diploma (HE) Nursing.
He lives at home with his parents and has a son of 18 months, who lives with his girlfriend.
Peter takes his parental responsibilities seriously and hopes to be able to support his family when
he qualifies. His parents are very supportive of his career and encourage Peter to study in the
evenings to prevent him socializing with his friends. They think his friends are a bad influence on
his social behaviour and blame this for his persisting truancy in school. Peter reflects negatively
on his school years and states that his lack of educational qualifications is due to his boredom and
disinterest in class, and subconsciously highlights some of the consequences associated with the
hidden curriculum (Vallance, 1974). For the past 10 years Peter was employed as an operating
theatre assistant but felt restricted in his role. This led to him applying for nurse training but he
was advised to provide evidence of further education to support his application in order to satisfy
the entrance requirements. He enrolled on a part-time course based at his local college and
achieved a Diploma in Anatomy and Physiology, which led to his success in gaining a nurse-training
place. Initially, Peters enthusiasm was faultless; however, within the first four months, he had
accumulated six episodes of sickness and presented mostly unbelievable reasons for his absence.
On one occasion he was absent from lectures because he claimed that his best friend had died
the previous night, but a request for a compassionate leave day for the funeral was never made.
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Approaches
to learning
Peter is a pleasant student with a vibrant personality and is eager to please his mentors on clinical
placements. He also has many enduring qualities that have not gone unnoticed when caring for
patients. However, he has had recent difficulties meeting deadlines for assignment submission and
his personal tutor has noticed several inconsistencies in his style of writing, which is beginning to
raise concerns amongst academic staff. Although he appears to be achieving clinical competence,
oral questioning and written assessments confirm that knowledge is not evident. Peter is failing
to progress and achieve the required assessment standard. In line with the equal opportunities
of the college, Peters personal tutor has offered him assistance in terms of help and support
with academic writing skills in an attempt to overcome his learning difficulties but this has been
declined. Peter maintains that he is as motivated as ever to achieve professional registration.
Factors likely to inhibit Peters learning are social and family commitments, underachievement at
school and surface learning.
Melissa
Melissa is 32 years old and is a first-year nursing student. She is a recently separated parent
with two young children, one of whom has profound learning disabilities. Melissa has extremely
supportive parents who care for both children whilst she is at university but she is beginning
to feel guilty for leaving them and burdening her parents for up to nine hours per day on most
weeks. Prior to commencing the three-year nurse education programme, Melissa worked as a
health care assistant and undertook a nursing access course in the hope of realizing her childhood
dream. Although Melissa is enjoying the clinical aspect of the course, she is finding it increasingly
difficult to juggle her shifts and home life. Her academic assignments are also proving difficult
and she is just managing to achieve a borderline pass each time. The concept of adult learning
is becoming difficult to grasp and she is losing confidence in her academic ability. During recent
weeks, Melissa has contemplated the idea of leaving the course and becoming a full-time mum.
Her drive and determination to succeed in qualifying as a Registered Nurse are slowly diminishing.
Nathan
Nathan is also a first year student nurse, nine-weeks into training; with a plethora of GCSEs and
A levels, he is, as a result, following the degree pathway. Nathan is an only child and spent his
secondary education at an all-boys school. He is finding the transition from further education to
higher education quite difficult, and his quiet disposition and lack of self-confidence are inhibiting
his ability to form solid friendships. As nursing is a predominately female profession, Nathan is
also finding it difficult adjusting to this new culture of being surrounded by women, and feels
embarrassed during lectures when animated slides often depict the nurse in a feminine form.
As the only boy in his seminar group, Nathan is reluctant to participate in classroom discussion
and has missed several seminar presentations because of this. A general surgical ward is to
be Nathans first clinical placement and, although he is excited, he is also anxious about the
forthcoming six-week placement. Nathan is aware that he has a number of clinical competencies
to achieve during this time and is concerned as to whether these can be accomplished.
Adapted from Dix and Hughes (2004)
Factors that inhibit learning

Factors that inhibit learning can be described as internal or external in
nature. The most common barriers have been identified by numerous
authors and can include pressure of time and workload, lack of support
from work organization and family, underachievement at school with a
fear of further learning, social and family commitments, culture and age
(Ashcroft and Foreman-Peck, 1994; Reece and Walker, 2000).
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Factors likely to inhibit each students learning are demonstrated in

Table 2.4.
Table 2.4
Potentially inhibiting factors
Factors that are likely to inhibit the learners learning

Katie
Melissa
Lack of self-belief
Age
Exam anxiety and dyslexia
Lack of self-belief
Family commitments
Surface learning
Peter
Nathan
Social and family commitments

Underachievement at school
Surface learning
Lack of self-belief
Group participation
Gender issues
Adapted from Dix and Hughes (2004)
Strategies and approaches that offer effective support for learners

Adult learners in nursing differ widely in their personal characteristics,
and these individual differences encompass physical characteristics that
might include age and gender, and psychological characteristics such as
motivation, personality, intelligence and learning styles. The students
identified within the vignettes have found the transition from further
education to higher education quite difficult to deal with, and this, the
common factor that they all share, is potentially inhibiting their learning.
Many students previous educational experiences, before entering higher
education have accustomed them to a fairly passive pedagogical approach
to learning (Knowles, 1990). This model of learning is very much teacher
centred, and students must learn what they are being taught. Students do
not always find it easy to adapt to a learning situation in which they must
take responsibility for what happens during their time together with the
teacher (Ewan and White, 1996).
Learning contracts
These students would perhaps benefit from individual learning plans or
learning contracts to assist them through this transitional phase, by setting
out their intrinsic goals (Walkin, 2000), in addition to the extrinsic goal
of successfully completing their nurse education. Although andragogy
relies on the learner engaging in self-directed learning (Neary, 2000a) it
is evident that the learners are not responding to this strategy and a more
structured and combined andragogical/pedagogical approach could be
adopted to meet their learning needs. A learning contract can be designed
by the teacher and student to specify what the student will learn, how it
will be achieved, the time-span and the criteria for measuring its success
(Neary, 2002a). Learning contracts with identified objectives can bridge
the practicetheory gap and demonstrate the transfer of knowledge to
clinical practice (Rolfe, 1996).
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Approaches
to learning
As described in Table 2.3, Katies dyslexia sometimes interferes with

her academic work and causes her anxiety, which can affect her learning
process. Although some of the best performances are undertaken in
anxiety-provoking situations, if this becomes intolerable, Katie will be
unable to learn. This supports Knowless theory that adults learn best
when not under threat. To ensure equal opportunities, a learning contract
can ensure that the students are able to access a support network that can
include one-to-one study skills tuition, IT training and assistance with
exam technique (Reece and Walker, 2000).
The success of individualized learning often depends on the student
being an active, rather than passive, responsible participant (de Tornyay
and Thompson, 1987). In the cases of Katie, Melissa and Peter, the
submission of academic work could possibly be negotiated within a
learning plan, thereby recognizing students as individuals, with other
commitments of value outside of academic life. Nathan on the other
hand could be encouraged to join one of the many college societies
and begin to develop a circle of friends with the same interests as
him. Regular feedback sessions should be arranged to review students
progress, concentrating on the positive aspects of learning and developing
action plans for any identified problems. Neary (2000a) identifies 10 key
points for giving constructive feedback, which could be adapted to this
situation.
Whilst on placement, students are allocated a mentor, to facilitate
the learning experience during a six-week clinical practice. Neary (1994)
describes a good mentoring relationship as a dialogue between two
people committed to improvement. A mentor guides and formalizes
clinical learning by use of a learning contract. Completing this contract
also fulfils recommendation 13 of the UKCC Fitness for Practice (1999),
which states that Students, assessors and mentors should know what is
expected of them through specified practice outcomes which form part
of a formal learning contract.
Gender issues
Nathan could be reluctant to participate in classroom discussion for a
number of reasons, although Rogers (1996) believes that the causes of
reticence are rarely clear. Rogers also suggests trying to persuade the
student to talk outside of the group session, to find out some opinions
that they hold, some skill or experience that they possess and then
try to guide the work of the group into these fields so that eventually
the student can fittingly (but never easily) make some contribution.
One possible reason for Nathans apparent shyness could be that he is
surrounded by female classmates and, as previously mentioned, is finding
it difficult to adjust to this predominantly female profession. The fact
that most of the animated visual aids used in teaching depict the nurse
as female is not helping; this is indicative of the hidden curriculum as
described by Jarvis (1995) who explains that some students may learn
values that may be unrecognized and unintended by those who formulate
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Chapter 2Adult
learning theory
them. Updating these teaching aids and depicting men as well as women
in the role of nurse could possibly help the situation, not just for Nathan
but for future male nurses.
Deep learning
Melissa is slowly losing her intrinsic motivation to continue with
her nurse training, which in turn could be affecting her approach to
learning. According to Ashcroft and Foreman-Peak (1994), there are deep
learners and surface learners, and an important role of the teacher is to
help students become aware of different approaches to learning. The
idea that a surface approach to learning is a less effective approach is
not necessarily true, as Ashcroft and Foreman-Peak (1994) point out
that not all learning tasks (e.g. learning keyboard skills) require a
deep approach. Melissas lack of motivation could be affecting her deeper
approach to learning, which could be the reason why she is finding her
academic work increasingly difficult. Obviously, this motivational factor
could be rooted in her social circumstances, and in such a situation
referral to a counselling service could possibly be of some help. Regular
positive reinforcement, providing encouragement and praise could help
to increase Melissas self-motivation; however, motivation depends as
much on the attitudes of the teacher as on the attitudes of the students
(Rogers, 1996).
Peter has also been demonstrating characteristics of surface learning,
so he might need encouragement to engage in applying his learning to
problem-based situations and in structuring his reflective skills.
Learning through reflective practice

Reflection is an important human activity in which people re-capture
their experiences, analyse them and evaluate them (Boud et al., 1985),
in order to progress from a novice to expert practitioner as characterized
by Benner (1984). To facilitate the learning process and to make learning
as active and participative as possible, using a model of reflection the
learners can be encouraged to demonstrate their understanding of
concepts, knowledge, skills and attitudes within educational and clinical
practice (Burns and Bulman, 2000; Jarvis, 1995; Neary, 2000a). A
portfolio offers a dynamic, positive means of showing that a person
is developing knowledge and competence, and of encouraging the
learner to engage in lifelong learning; a portfolio is an ideal vehicle for
reflection whilst providing evidence of achievement (Priest and Roberts,
1998). All the learners identified in the vignettes would benefit from the
concept of reflective practice, to enable them to understand and learn
through lived experiences and as a consequence take congruent action
towards developing increasing effectiveness, within the context of what
is understood as desirable practice (Johns, 1995). Nursing students are
now expected to keep reflective journals, whilst on clinical placements,
and are required to submit a reflective essay during each module. Neary
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Summary
(2000b) explains that students will need help and guidance to reflect on
their experience and to record that experience, with advice often given
to the student by their mentors in clinical practice.
Drawing on experiences and valuing strengths

Katie expresses ageist views against herself and, although she is clinically
and academically competent, requires a great deal of positive feedback.
Like Katie, older students may lack confidence in their academic ability.
Both Kate and Melissa need to be encouraged to reflect on and use
their life experiences to help them contextualize and conceptualize
new information. Maslows hierarchy of basic human needs (1970)
demonstrates progressive steps from physical needs to self-actualization
where students aspire to be motivated and positive regarding their future.
Reece and Walker (2000) believe that students are more likely to learn
effectively if they possess a feel-good factor about themselves.
Time management
Owing to family and social commitments and his continual absence, Peter
is struggling to meet assignment deadlines. Melissa is also struggling with
juggling family and university life. Armitage et al. (1999) encourage the
use of an empathetic approach, to communicate an understanding of
students situations, and the use of probing to help students to clarify and
focus on issues of concern. A strategy to support and improve students
time management, using learning resources to develop appropriate study
skills, could enable them to assume responsibility for their own learning;
however, taking responsibility for their own learning may make students
feel threatened and insecure.
Summary
Adult learning theory has been strongly influenced by humanistic
psychology.
Humanistic theory is concerned with human growth, individual

fulfilment and self-actualization.
According to the humanistic approach, the role of the teacher is that

of helper and facilitator.
One of the most serious criticisms of the humanistic approach is that
it is lacking in empirical evidence to support its claims, relying upon

observations and assumptions of human behaviour.
In practice, andragogy might be understood to mean that adult
learners need to focus on the learning process as opposed to content
to promote independence and a self-directed approach to learning.
The rate of helping students move towards independence is likely to
be quite slow initially, but as confidence, experience and autonomy
increase, independence will accelerate.
Motivation is considered an important factor in the learning process,
and one of the key aims of teaching is to increase students motivation
to learn.
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Chapter 2Adult
learning theory
All qualified nurses are involved in teaching and learning. They live in
a constantly learning profession, in which the teaching and facilitation
of students features greatly in their day-to-day life.
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Perspectives

learning
on teaching and
The term cognition refers to the internal mental processes of human

beings, and encompasses the domains of memory, perception and
thinking. These are of fundamental importance to education, given that
learning involves all three domains. The first part of this chapter deals
with these three domains of cognition, and the remainder is devoted to
the specific cognitive perspectives on teaching and learning of David
Ausubel, Jerome Bruner and Robert Gagn.
Memory
Memory is the process that allows human beings to store experiences
from the past, and to use these in the present. There are three basic
aspects of memory function: encoding, storage and retrieval, and three
stages of memory: sensory, short-term and long-term.
Encoding, storage and retrieval

The first of these basic aspects is encoding, i.e. putting information into
the memory in some form of code such as acoustic or visual coding.
Storage is also known as the memory trace; the trace is kept until it needs
to be remembered. Retrieval is the bringing to mind of stored, coded
information when required. For example, on first being introduced to a
stranger, we encode the persons name into our memory in the form of an
acoustic (sound) code, where it is then stored. When we meet that person
again we try to remember (retrieve) that individuals name.
The three types of memory

One of the most influential models of memory is that of Atkinson and
Shiffrin (1971). The three types of memory, sensory, short-term and longterm, may indeed be separate systems within the brain or merely different
kinds of storage within the same system. Nonetheless, each of the three
memory systems has distinctive characteristics, outlined below.
Sensory memory
The sensory memory registers incoming stimuli for a very brief period. It
is a high-capacity system that registers all sensory inputs in their original
form visual stimuli as images or icons, and auditory stimuli as echoes of
the sounds. Visual stimuli last for about one second and auditory stimuli
for about four seconds, and we are unaware of these stimuli. However,
when a stimulus is registered in sensory memory, contact is made with
long-term memory to check whether there is an existing pattern for that
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Memory
stimulus. The role of sensory memory is to prolong stimuli just long

enough to allow for selective attention to important ones. This aspect of
memory also features in the section on perception later in this chapter.
Short-term memory (working memory)
This is also called working memory, primary memory and short-term
store, and its main purpose is summed up nicely by Logie (1999):
In its broadest sense, working memory can be thought of as the
desktop of the brain. It is a cognitive function that helps us keep
track of what we are doing or where we are moment to moment,
that holds information long enough to make a decision, dial a
telephone number, or repeat a strange foreign word that we have
just heard.
Short-term memory is characterized by a limited capacity for storage,

of about seven chunks of information. The term chunks is deliberately
vague and applies to any unit that is familiar to an individual (Miller,
1956). Hence a chunk may be a single word or a single letter, and it is
possible to increase the amount of data in short-term memory at any one
time by incorporating more information into each chunk. In addition to
this storage function of short-term memory, there are control processes
such as rehearsal, which can be divided into maintenance rehearsal
and elaborative rehearsal (Craik and Lockhart, 1972). Maintenance
rehearsal consists of going over and over the material in short-term
memory in order to keep it there; it does not affect the long-term recall
of the material. Elaborative rehearsal, on the other hand, processes the
material much more deeply by relating it to existing material in long-term
memory. Short-term memory is also involved in the processes of both
thinking and language by providing the working area for these, hence
the alternative name, working memory. It is likely that information is
coded in the form of both acoustic and articulatory codes in working
memory; the former involves the sound of a word and the latter involves
the way that it is pronounced. Baddeley and Hitch (1974) and Baddeley
and Leiberman (1980) describe working memory as having a central
executive and two slave systems, the phonological (or articulatory)
loop and the visuo-spatial sketch pad. The central executive has an
overall co-ordinating and control function; the phonological loop is
concerned with speech-based information, and the visuo-spatial sketch
pad with spatial information.
Long-term memory
There appears to be no limit to the capacity of long-term memory, and
information stored here has been subjected to considerable processing.
Craik and Lockhart (1972) have suggested a levels-of-processing approach,
which states that information is processed at a variety of levels, from
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Chapter 3 Perspectives
on teaching and learning
the physical characteristics of the stimulus through to the identification

of the stimuluss meaning. Deeper-level processing results in better
remembering of information, because it allows more elaboration of the
stimulus, i.e. more links are made with relevant information already
existing in long-term memory. This means that the information has been
subjected to considerable top-down processing and is therefore more
susceptible to distortion and bias. It seems likely that there are two kinds
of information stored in long-term memory episodic knowledge and
semantic knowledge. Episodic knowledge is associated with particular
events in time and space, such as the memory of an encounter with
a particular student, whereas semantic knowledge consists of general
concepts unrelated to specific events or episodes (Tulving, 1972).
Autobiographical memory differs from other knowledge structures in
the degree of self-reference and the sensory/perceptual nature of the
knowledge stored (Conway, 1991).
Representation of knowledge in long-term memory
It is useful to distinguish between declarative knowledge and procedural
knowledge; the former is about knowing that and the latter is about
knowing how. Declarative knowledge consists of knowledge of factual
information and can be transmitted verbally to others. Procedural
knowledge, on the other hand, is concerned with knowing how to do
something, such as administering an injection, and is often more difficult
to explain. Indeed, the most effective way of explaining procedural
knowledge to someone is by demonstrating the procedure to them, and
this is the basic way of teaching a psychomotor skill.
Current research suggests two main theories about the way in which
knowledge is represented in long-term memory, the propositional code
theory and the dual-code theory.
Propositional code theory
Anderson and Bower (1973) and Pylyshyn (1973) state that information
is coded in the form of propositions, i.e. the smallest unit that can be
judged true or false. Propositions contain a central relationship called the
predicate and a number of arguments, and are thus units of knowledge
that can stand as separate assertions. All sentences are composed of
propositions, and computers can store information in this form also.
According to this theory, information in long-term memory is stored
in terms of the meanings of propositions rather than their exact words,
hence the term semantic memory. Information is thus organized into
a network of propositions that is hierarchically arranged via nodes and
connections.
Figure 3.1 shows how a simple two-dimensional network hierarchy
for tissues in semantic memory might appear. The spatial orientation of
the nodes is irrelevant, in that it is the connections that matter not the
location. (Propositions can also be represented in three dimensions.) It is
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Memory
claimed that these networks can represent both perceptual and linguistic
information in long-term memory and that this single-code explanation
is more parsimonious than the dual-code theory.
Fibres in ground substance
Provides support and movement
CONNECTIVE TISSUE
LOOSE CONNECTIVE TISSUE
ARELOAR
Widely dispersed
Basic support
Fibres loosely woven

Fills spaces
ADIPOSE
SPECIALIZED CONNECTIVE TISSUE
Fat containing cells

Packing tissue
CARTILAGE
LONG BONE
FEMUR
Longest bone
Hip to knee
Hyaline
Fibrous
Elastic
BONE
Intercellular
impregnation of
inorganic salts
Has shaft
Has two extremities
HUMERUS
Network systems have been utilized in several computer models. The

earliest is Collins and Quillians Teachable Language Comprehender
(TLC), which assumes that knowledge is represented in the form of
propositional networks. The TLC was tested by giving participants
sentences (such as the following) to verify and then measuring their
reaction times.
Surgical neck
Condyles/epicondyles
Figure 3.1
Simple two-dimensional
network hierarchy in semantic
memory
A canary is a canary.
A canary is a bird.
A canary is an animal.
According to the theory, participants should take longer to verify the
third sentence because more nodes have to be traversed than in the first
or second sentences, and this indeed was the finding. However, later
work has shown that this is not always the case; for some concepts, the
search is faster for sentences with more nodes to traverse. The sentence
A dog is a mammal should be verified faster than A dog is an animal,
but participants found the latter more quickly, suggesting that familiarity
plays a part in the speed with which propositions are searched (Collins
and Quillian, 1969).
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Dual-code theory
The dual-code theory (Paivio, 1969) states that there are two different
kinds of knowledge representations in long-term memory: verbal and
imagery. If information is encoded in both modes, there is a much
better chance of remembering it; some words are easier than others to
encode with imagery, such as words that describe concrete concepts like
forceps.
The information-processing approach

The information-processing approach is important in cognitive psychology
and was developed out of psychologists interest in the way that
computers process information. It is claimed that computer programs can
provide an analogy for the workings of the human mind, and the interest
of cognitive psychologists is more on the software or programs that
underlie an individuals thinking, than on the hardware (the physiology
of the brain). One branch of psychology, artificial intelligence (AI),
involves devising programs that will make computers simulate intelligent
behaviours such as reading or translating.
The information-processing model is commonly used to explain
a number of human psychological processes, including memory and
perception. Information-processing consists of a flow of information
through a system, with this flow taking a finite amount of time. Some
parts of the system have a limited capacity for processing information
and there are overall control processes that govern the flow.
The flow of information begins in the sensory receptors, which detect
stimulus inputs from the environment and transfer them to the sensory
memory; the latter records all stimuli encountered in a form similar to
the actual stimulus: visual stimuli in iconic form, and auditory stimuli in
echoic form, i.e. as an auditory echo. As the sensory memory registers
stimuli for approximately one second only, we are not aware of this
process. It does, however, allow time for further processing if the particular
stimuli are given attention. When stimuli are attended to, the next stage
in information flow is to the short-term memory, which has both storage
and control functions but is very limited in capacity. Information can
be transferred to long-term memory by further processing, particularly
rehearsal. Information required for outputs must first be retrieved from
long-term memory and put back into the short-term memory,
from whence it can be used to generate outputs via effector organs. There
is one other pathway in the flow of information that connects the sensory
registers with long-term memory. This is not a direct pathway for storage
of stimuli, but it is hypothesized that whenever a stimulus enters the
sensory registers, contact is made with long-term memory to see if the
stimulus has been encountered and stored before. This process is called
pattern recognition.
So far we have examined the flow of information from the external
environment through the system, but information can also arise from
within an individual, i.e. from his or her own memory. Thus, people often
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Memory
sit and think about things and their thoughts may trigger off a course of
action, with a flow of information through the system. This kind of
processing is termed knowledge-driven or top-down processing; the
processing of stimuli from the environment is termed data-driven or
bottom-up processing.
Remembering
An early pioneer of memory study was Ebbinghaus (1885) who used
himself as the subject of experiments in which he used nonsense
syllables to eliminate any interference from previous knowledge of
the words to be remembered. One group of very effective techniques
is called mnemonics. These make the subject think about the item to
be remembered by using some kind of scheme. The following offers a
selection of these techniques.
Method of loci
In this method, the student first imagines a familiar place such as home
or work and chooses a sequence of rooms to remember. The student then
pictures an item to be remembered in each room until the whole list of
items has been used. When the student wishes to recall the list, he or she
simply does a mental walkabout through the house or workplace to find
the items in their locations.
Natural language mediation
This mnemonic is useful for learning unfamiliar words, such as many of
those encountered in nursing; it consists of turning the strange word into
one that the student already knows and which relates to the new word.
For example, students trying to learn the name of the drug streptomycin
might think of strapped the mice in, which implies containment of the
spread of the pest.
Key word method
This can be helpful when learning the vocabulary of a foreign language;
the student first chooses a French word such as pain (bread) and then
makes a visual image of a loaf of French bread crying out in pain.
Acronyms
These are lists of letters arranged vertically to form a word, with each
letter itself forming the first letter of a horizontal word. For example, the
curriculum components might be remembered thus:
A (Aims)
C (Content)
M (Methods)
E (Evaluation)
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Forgetting
It was pointed out earlier in this section that there are three stages of
memory: encoding, storage and retrieval. Encoding involves putting
representations into the memory system, storage is maintaining these
in memory, and retrieval is the recovery of memories from the memory
system. There are a number of explanations for forgetting, but all of them
involve either the original memory trace not being available, or being
available but not accessible. The latter is termed the tip of the tongue
(TOT) phenomenon and is a familiar experience for most people.
Decay theory
Forgetting was originally ascribed to a simple process of fading or decay
over a period of time. However, this explanation is insufficient to explain
forgetting, as it takes no account of the influence of an individuals
experience of forgetting.
Interference
This states that forgetting is due to interference from other memories.
Retroactive interference (retroactive inhibition) occurs when new learning
material interferes with that previously learned. Student nurses may
attend two or three lectures during an afternoon, and the first one
may be forgotten due to retroactive interference from the ones that
followed it. Proactive interference (proactive inhibition) means the
opposite; the second lecture of the afternoon is largely forgotten due to
interference from the first.
Encoding specificity theory
The key point of this approach is that all forgetting occurs because the
cues that were present when the memory was encoded are not present
when it is retrieved. It is claimed that the best cues for remembering
something are the cues that were present when the memory was encoded.
It is well established that, when someone visits a place where he or she
lived as a child, the context cues the recall of memories long thought to
have been forgotten.
Consolidation theory
In this theory, the idea is that every experience sets up a trace in the
brain and this trace needs to be consolidated if the information is to be
remembered. Hence, the trace can be destroyed before it has had time to
be consolidated, as in electro-convulsive therapy and retrograde amnesia
following head injury.
Perception
In order to discuss the processes involved in perception, we need to refer
again to the diagram of the information-processing system in Figure 3.2.
It can be seen that sensory inputs from the environment are first registered
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Thinking
in the sensory receptors such as the cells of the retina in the eye. These
receptor cells transform the physical stimulus into electrical impulses and
transfer it to the brain. Sensation is the term given to the initial processes
of reception of the stimulus by the sense organ, whereas perception is
used for the processes that occur centrally in the information-processing
model. Perception can be defined as an organized process in which the
individual selects cues from the environment and draws inferences from
these in order to make sense of his or her experience.
Organization
When a particular stimulus such as the letter T impinges on the cells
of the retina, the information is transmitted to the cells of the visual
cortex and it is here that the process of perception begins. These
cortical neurones are designed to respond to particular types of stimuli
or patterns, with some responding to vertical lines, some to horizontal,
others to acute angles, and so on.
Perception in practice-based learning

There are a great many implications for nurse education in both teaching
and practice-based learning. In practice settings, students need to be
taught about the factors that affect their perception of things, particularly
the influence of top-down processing, which might make them miss
cues that patients might emit. Nurses need to recognize that a patients
perception may be altered by illness and must make the necessary
allowance for this by giving more frequent explanations and reassurance,
in case the patient may not have perceived the message. Selective
attention will operate in clinical areas where patients may be kept awake
by jangling drug keys or the sound of a trolley. Some patients may
become disoriented and so experience perceptual distortion; the nurses
role in this case is to reduce stimulation by maintaining a quiet, dark
environment. In teaching, it is important to use methods that hold the
attention of the students with, for example, bright visual aids and changes
of activity at frequent intervals. The teacher should maintain a central
position as figure separate from the ground of background noise and
distractions. The teaching should be for insight rather than just giving
factual information, so that students experience penny-dropping when
learning concepts.
Thinking
Thinking is a cognitive process consisting of internal mental representations
of the world, and it includes a wide range of activities including problemsolving, reflecting and decision-making. Some mental representations
are in the form of pictures in the mind, while others are in the form of
propositions.
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Propositional thought
Propositions are assertions or claims that relate a subject and a predicate,
and they may or may not be true. For example, the proposition nursing
is a caring profession relates the subject (nursing) to the predicate (is
a caring profession). Propositional thinking is made up of symbolic
building blocks called concepts.
Concepts
Concepts can be defined as objects, events, situations or properties that
possess common criterial attributes and are designated by some sign or
symbol (Ausubel et al., 1978). A concept is thus a category or class of
objects, rather than an individual example, each member of that class
sharing one or more common characteristics.
The word cell represents a concept, in that it stands for a class of

things that possess a number of common qualities or attributes, such
as a cell membrane, cytoplasm, and nucleus and so on.
The words Florence Nightingale do not represent a concept, since
there is only one example of this individual.
The common characteristics that members of a concept share can be

either structural or functional attributes or both; for example, the concept
bandage contains a wide variety of shapes and sizes, but the functions
are largely identified as support, pressure and securing of dressings.
In order to qualify as a member of a particular concept group, an
individual example must possess certain key characteristics called critical
attributes. Without these, the individual example cannot be classified as
one of the concept in question; for example, the concept myocardial
infarction is a class of events that includes chest pain, vomiting, pain in
the arms, breathlessness, and myocardial necrosis.
Individual examples (i.e. patients), exhibit much variation in these
features making it difficult to decide the critical attributes of this concept;
it is possible to suffer from a myocardial infarction without experiencing
pain, vomiting or breathlessness, so it seems that the only critical attribute
of the concept is myocardial necrosis. The concept angina pectoris may
share the attributes of chest pain and breathlessness, but lacks the critical
attribute of myocardial necrosis and hence does not belong to the class
of concepts called myocardial infarction.
Concrete and abstract concepts
Concepts that can be observed are termed concrete whereas those that
are not observable are termed defined or abstract. Liver is an example
of a concrete observable concept, whereas intelligence is an abstract
one. Abstract concepts tend to be more difficult to learn than concrete
concepts. Concepts form hierarchies, with the most inclusive ones at the
top and the more specific ones below and they also cluster together with
other related concepts.
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Critical
Critical
thinking
thinking
Within higher education, the aims of undergraduate programmes tend

to be of two kinds: the specific aims of the pathway in relation to its
subject area, for example nursing or midwifery, and the more general
educational aims that apply to all undergraduate programmes, for
example development of skills in communication, problem-solving,
evaluation, and critical thinking. At post-graduate or post-registration
level, typical learning outcomes require the students to reflect upon and
critically evaluate their own professional practice.
Critical is a very common term in education, but it has a very
different connotation from the lay use of the word. In society, the term is
equated with criticism, which carries negative overtones from childhood
and schooldays. In this context, it usually meant hostile or unkind
comments about aspects of an individuals behaviour, and this notion
may carry through to adult life. Critical thinking is very different from
criticism, in that it is basically a positive activity. To question established
assumptions may be interpreted as undermining them, but in reality such
critical appraisal of situations is a positive and necessary process for
growth and development to occur within a society or an organization.
Critical thinking is not confined solely to learning in higher education,
but permeates all the activities of adult life including interpersonal
relationships and work.
The nature of critical thinking

Within the literature there is considerable variation in what is considered
to be critical thinking, but it is commonly interpreted as a core concept
consisting of a number of abilities such as the ability to:
define a problem;
select relevant information for problem-solving;
draw inferences from observed or supposed facts;
recognize assumptions;
formulate relevant hypotheses;
make deductions, i.e. draw conclusions from premises;
make interpretations from data; and
evaluate arguments.
However, interpretations like these that equate critical thinking to a set
of generic cognitive skills or procedures have been criticized as unhelpful
(Bailin et al., 1999a). They point out that these are simply lists of what
people must be able to do (e.g. make deductions), and that they shed no
light on the psychological processes involved in critical thinking. They
also question the view that critical thinking is a generic skill that can be
applied to any situation, because this ignores the importance of context.
For example, the ability to evaluate arguments is included in the above
list of critical-thinking abilities, but in order to do this one needs to have
specific knowledge of the context in which it takes place. Nurses may be
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able to evaluate arguments within the field of their nursing specialism,

but this would not generalize to the ability to evaluate arguments on the
merits or otherwise of a Samuel Beckett play.
Bailin et al. (1999a, p. 287) suggest that there are three features of
critical thinking:
It is done for the purpose of making up ones mind about what to

believe or do.
The person engaging in the thinking is trying to fulfil standards of

adequacy and accuracy appropriate to the thinking.
The thinking fulfils the relevant standards to some threshold level.

Given their antithesis towards lists of abilities, Bailin et al. tackle the
problem of identifying the characteristics of critical thinkers by suggesting
the intellectual resources necessary for critical thinking:
Background knowledge. The depth of a persons background knowledge
in a specific context determines the degree to which they can think

critically about that context.
Operational knowledge of the standards of good thinking. This
is acquired by analysis of current critical-thinking practices, but
judgement must be used in their application to specific contexts.
Knowledge of key critical concepts. Critical concepts are those that
enable the critical thinker to differentiate kinds of intellectual products
such as arguments or statements. Examples of critical concepts are
premise and conclusion.
Heuristics (strategies, procedures, etc.). Critical thinkers require a
repertoire of heuristic devices, such as double-checking something
before accepting it as fact.
Habits of mind. This can be summarized as having a critical spirit
and refers to attitudes and values to which the critical thinker is
committed, for example respect for truth, open-mindedness, etc.
An alternative approach by Brookfield (1987) identifies four characteristics
of critical thinkers:
Identifying and challenging assumptions. Critical thinkers ask awkward
questions in order to identify and challenge the assumptions that

underlie issues and problems.

Challenging the importance of context. Critical thinkers are aware that
beliefs, actions, and established practice reflect the context in which
they are set, both cultural and professional. For example, opinions
about the standard of appearance for nurses and midwives may be
based upon the norms of a generation or more ago, such as a particular
view of what constitutes an acceptable hairstyle. Modern hairstyles
that are entirely appropriate in a social context may be perceived as
being unprofessional in a nursing or midwifery context. The same
may be said about so-called designer stubble in male nursing or
medical staff.
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Critical
thinking
Imagining and exploring alternatives. Critical thinkers have the ability
to imagine and explore alternatives to established ways of thinking or

behaving, because they are aware of the assumptions and the context
of issues or problems.
Reflective scepticism. Reflective thinkers take a sceptical view of
established dogma and practices, carefully scrutinizing them and
questioning their current validity. For example, this approach is
encouraged in initial programmes of nurse education, but it may be
perceived as threatening by qualified nurses whose own professional
education did not foster such an approach. Hence, their reflective
scepticism needs to be handled with some sensitivity by students if they
are to avoid conflict with qualified colleagues.
Assessing critical thinking

There are a number of tests of critical thinking in common use and,
although these tests contain different sorts of items, there is considerable
overlap within them. A classic example is the WatsonGlaser critical
thinking appraisal (Watson and Glaser, 1961). This tests the persons
ability on five aspects of critical thinking: inference; assumptions;
deduction; interpretation; and evaluation of arguments.
Inference
This is a conclusion based upon facts or observations. For example, from
looking at a post-operative patients facial expression and body posture, a
nurse may infer that the person is in pain. However, there may be other,
equally plausible, explanations, such as anxiety about whether the person
will still have a job when he or she is well enough to leave hospital.
Assumptions
An assumption is something assumed or taken for granted. For example,
a nurse may assume that a post-operative patient will wish to be given
analgesia as soon as pain is experienced. However, the patient may have
a negative attitude to taking any form of drug, and so reject the offer of
analgesia.
Deduction
This consists of drawing conclusions from stated premises. Either the
conclusion follows from the statements, or it does not. For example,
consider the two statements:
Some nurses look untidy.

Being untidy is unprofessional.
It is possible to deduce the conclusion that some nurses are unprofessional.
However, the conclusion that unprofessional nurses look untidy does
not follow from the two statements given, since unprofessional nurses
may well look tidy, and yet have other shortcomings that contribute to
their being considered unprofessional.
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Interpretation
This involves judging whether or not a conclusion follows, beyond a
reasonable doubt, from the facts given. Let us take a purely hypothetical
example: suppose a survey of professional misconduct within the
Barsetshire Region found that female nurses were involved in 34 cases of
complaints from patients, but male nurses were involved in only 22 cases
of complaint. The following conclusions might be drawn:
A There were more complaints by patients against female nurses than
male nurses in Barsetshire.
B Patients are generally more satisfied with male nurses than female
nurses.
Conclusion A follows beyond a reasonable doubt, since it is a factual
statement supported by the evidence of the numbers involved. However,
conclusion B does not follow beyond a reasonable doubt, as it makes
unwarranted generalizations from the given data; for example, it takes no
account of the number of male:female nurses 34 may represent 1 per cent
of female nurses, while 22 may represent 5 per cent of male nurses.
Evaluation of arguments
When attempting to make important decisions about an issue or
problem, it is necessary to be able to distinguish between strong and weak
arguments. Watson and Glaser use two criteria for a strong argument: it
must be important, and it must be directly related to the issue or problem.
If one of these is absent, then the argument is considered to be weak.
Teaching critical thinking

If critical thinking is considered an important aspect of professional practice
in nursing, midwifery and specialist community public health nursing,
then nurse teachers need to be able to facilitate its development.
Teaching critical thinking is best conceptualized not as a matter of
teaching isolated abilities and dispositions, but rather as furthering
the initiation of students into complex critical practices that embody
value-commitments and require the sensitive use of a variety of
intellectual resources in the exercise of good judgement.
(Bailin et al., 1999b, p. 298)
The authors go on to suggest that teaching critical thinking involves three

components:
engaging students in dealing with tasks that call for reasoned judgement
or assessment;
helping them to develop intellectual resources for dealing with these

tasks;
providing an environment in which critical thinking is valued and
students are encouraged and supported in their attempts to think

critically and engage in critical discussion.
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Critical
thinking
Brookfield (1987) offers a 10-point checklist for teaching critical

thinking:
1. Affirm critical thinkers self-worth. It is important when teaching
critical thinking to maintain an atmosphere of psychological safety,
whereby students thinking can be challenged, but they are not made
to feel threatened or insulted.
2. Listen attentively to critical thinkers. During training the teacher must
attend carefully to students verbal and non-verbal signals, so that
interventions are both appropriate and sensitive to the situation.
3. Show that you support critical thinkers efforts. Students do not
become critical thinkers overnight; their initial efforts need support
and encouragement if they are to progress, and there is a delicate
balance between this and the necessary degree of challenge and upset
that is important for critical thinking skills development.
4. Reflect and mirror critical thinkers ideas and actions. Trainers can foster
the development of critical thinking by using reflection techniques that
let the students see how their behaviours and attitudes are perceived
by others.
5. Motivate people to think critically. There is a delicate balance between
motivating students to think critically and helping them to estimate
the risks involved in criticizing and destabilizing established practices.
It would be naive to think that by simply criticizing the status quo,
change will automatically follow. In reality, established organizational
practices and systems tend to be relatively entrenched, and critical
thinking may result not in change but only in the loss of the
critical thinkers job.
6. Regularly evaluate progress. One of the important roles of the trainer
is to encourage students to engage regularly in reflective evaluation of
their critical-thinking skills, so that behaviour patterns are identified
and insights gained.
7. Help critical thinkers to create networks. Networking is a common
educational strategy, and is akin to self-help groups. Students should
be encouraged to network with other students who are developing
critical-thinking skills, so that experiences and insights can be shared
and analysed.
8. Be a critical teacher. Teachers themselves can adopt a critical-thinking
approach to their teaching by questioning assumptions, promoting
inquiry, and experimenting with new ideas during their teaching.
9. Make people aware of how they learn critical thinking. This focuses on
helping students to understand their own learning styles in relation to
critical thinking, such as how they sustain their motivation, how they
integrate new ideas and experience, and how they approach new areas
of knowledge
10. Model critical thinking. Observing a good role model can help students
to become critical thinkers, so teachers should model these skills
during their everyday teaching.
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Intuition
Intuition is an interesting cognitive phenomenon that has been largely
neglected in psychology this century (Claxton, 1998). In lay terms,
intuition is thought of as some sort of extra-sensory perception or
sixth sense, and was at one time thought to be a particularly female
characteristic, womens intuition. The essence of intuition is a sense of
knowing something almost unconsciously; it occurs without deliberation
and there appears to be no articulated reason for this feeling of
certainty.
However, intuitive learning, or learning intuitively, may actually be
superior in some cases to rational problem-solving; as an example of this,
Claxton cites childrens ability to solve the Rubiks cube puzzle. The cube
is notoriously difficult for adults to solve, yet children seem to be able
to solve it more readily, and the explanation may well lie in the different
approaches used by each. Adults tend to use a logical, problem-solving
approach, which is inappropriate for the complexity of the Rubiks cube,
whereas children rely on intuitive learning rather than on thinking about
it.
Problem-solving
and decision-making
Problem-solving is a good example of the inter-relationship of all the

components of an information-processing system of cognition. This first
section addresses two approaches to problem-solving: insightful learning
and an information-processing approach.
Problem-solving and insightful learning

The Gestalt school of psychology identified a type of learning called
learning by insight (or insightful learning), in which the students
perception of a situation or problem undergoes a restructuring, and
he or she sees the aspects of the situation in a new relationship to one
another. This new relationship forms a unified whole, or gestalt, which
is meaningful to the student, who is then said to have insight into the
problem or situation.
Khler (1925) demonstrated insight learning in the chimpanzee
during a series of classic experiments in Tenerife during the First World
War. In one experiment, the chimpanzee was placed in a cage which had
a banana suspended out of reach and several boxes scattered around. It
was impossible to reach the banana by standing on only one of the boxes
and the animal would manifest trial-and-error behaviour, including great
restlessness. Suddenly, it would pile the boxes one on top of the other
and climb up to the banana. Khler noticed that this sudden activity
often followed a period when the animal had been sitting quietly, not
attempting to reach the fruit. He interpreted the behaviour of the
chimpanzee as that of gaining insight into the problem, by seeing the
banana and the boxes in a new relationship that was meaningful and thus
perceiving the solution to the problem.
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Problem-solving
and decision-making
The Gestalt laws of proximity and closure can be said to be at work in

the insightful learning of the chimpanzee, the former being shown by the
fact that all the aspects of the problem, namely the banana and the boxes,
must be in the animals visual field at the same time for insight to occur.
Closure is suggested by the sudden awareness of the relationship between
the boxes as a means of climbing to the banana, bringing the previously
unrelated boxes into a complete, closed gestalt.
This sudden insight into the problem or situation applies to human
learning also and has been termed the aha phenomenon. Most
people have had, at some time, the experience of suddenly grasping
or understanding a problem that has previously perplexed them and
have uttered the expression, Aha, now I understand! According to the
Gestalt psychologists, the cognitive restructuring that occurs in insightful
learning occurs also in rats running in a maze. The rats achieve insight
into the correct path to the food by a series of partial insights, gained by
discovering that certain patterns of movement are non-productive, whilst
others lead to food.
Problem-solving and information-processing

The other main approach to problem-solving research is informationprocessing, which seeks to explain the sequence of operations that people
use in solving problems. The problem situation is termed the problem
space and is composed of an initial state in which the individual is
currently in, a goal state, which is the desired end state, and one or more
operators, which are a set of operations that transform the initial state
into the goal state (Smythe et al., 1987).
Stages of problem-solving
Howard (1983) gives the following stages:
1. Encode the problem in the working memory.
2. Search the long-term memory for a plan or production system.
3. Execute the production system.
4. Evaluate the results.
This sequence may or may not be successful, depending upon the
problem.
When individuals carry out problem-solving tasks, they tend to exhibit
similar types of phenomena, such as rigidity, incubation and insight, and
satisficing. Rigidity implies that people tend to become entrenched
in one particular way of seeing a problem, which prevents them from
finding a solution. They are also influenced by perceptual set, which
makes them respond to the problem as they have done in the past, even
if this is not appropriate to the current problem. Incubation and insight
refer to the lapse in time between tackling the problem initially and going
back to it later, if unsuccessful. There is an increased chance of arriving
at a solution after incubation; indeed, it very often results in a pennydropping insight into the problem. Satisficing is a word meaning that
people tend to settle for good choices rather than seeking better ones.
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Conditions of learning for problem-solving

Gagn (1985) suggests that there are both intrinsic and extrinsic
conditions for problem-solving. The conditions within the student that
must be met are:
recall of relevant rules that have been learned previously;

possession of verbal information organized in appropriate ways, i.e.
schemata; and
cognitive strategies learned previously.

The extrinsic conditions in the learning situation are the verbal
instructions issued by the teacher to stimulate recall of rules.
Problem-based learning
Gagn (1985) suggests that the most effective problems for student
learning are those that are novel to the students and within their
capabilities. Barrows and Tamblyn (1980) recommend problem-based
learning as a strategy in teaching health studies and define it as learning
that results from the process of working towards the understanding or
resolution of a problem. Problem-based learning is different from other
problem-solving teaching strategies, because the problem is given to the
student prior to any form of input; usually, traditional methods involve
the giving of information followed by the application of that information
to clinical problems. Problem-based learning starts with the problem, and
students have to find out what they need to know in order to solve it.
This approach is very much a discovery-type approach and can be very
motivating (Allen and Murrell, 1978).
Problem-based learning lends itself well to computer-assisted learning,
with the use of simulation and case method. Students are given basic data
about a patient and are then asked to produce a suitable care plan. Having
selected a series of interventions, the nurse can check to see whether, in
the real case, the ones chosen were actually selected for the patient.
Decision-making
Professional practitioners in nursing, midwifery and specialist community
public health nursing spend a significant part of their professional lives
making decisions: many are routine and predictable, and others are lifeor-death decisions.
Decision theory offers an explanation for how people decide to take
one kind of action rather than another. The theory assumes that people
choose the action that they think will have the most value or utility
for them. However, given that decisions are made before the outcomes
are known, the choice of action is based upon the probability that the
outcome will have the expected utility.
When faced with a range of possible actions, the decision about which
one to take is made by multiplying the utility by the probability,
which gives the expected utility of that action (Mook, 1996). However,
in real life this calculation takes the form of deciding how well we like the
outcome of each alternative action and how likely it is that the outcome
will follow that action. Let us take an example relating to student
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Motor Skills
assessments: it is common practice in higher education for tutors to

offer formative feedback on drafts of students assessment assignments.
Institutions normally have a policy about what constitutes a draft, and it
is considered inappropriate for tutors to comment on almost-final drafts,
as this would constitute pre-marking of the assignment. However, the
issue is not straightforward, since it is often difficult to specify what is
acceptable as a draft; this can range from a simple outline of the structure
of the assignment, through to several pages of text. Hence, the teachers
dilemma is how to decide which drafts are appropriate for feedback, and
which are virtually the finished article.
Motor
skills
Earlier in this chapter (p. 58) the difference between declarative knowledge
and procedural knowledge was identified: the latter being
knowledge about how to do things. This procedural knowledge is an
essential part of motor skills, hence the preferred term psychomotor
skills. Motor skills are an extremely important aspect of the practice
of nursing, since nursing science is largely a practical endeavour, but
the notion of skill pervades the whole of society; indeed, the concept
of social class is very much influenced by the degree of skill of the
occupations in each category of the Registrar Generals classification.
Motor skills are concerned with movements and a skilled person exhibits
certain characteristics over a novice.
Human motor skills can be divided into three broad categories
(Oxendine, 1984):
maturation-dependent skills, such as crawling, walking and speaking;

educational-related skills, such as writing, reading and observation;
and
intrinsic-value skills, such as recreational and vocational skills.

It might be useful, at this point, to look at some definitions of motor
skill:
a persistent change in movement-behaviour potentiality as a result of

practice or experience (Oxendine, 1984);
a learned ability to bring about a predetermined result with maximum

certainty and minimum time and effort (Fitts and Posner, 1967).
Obviously, not all motor performances need to be learned from

scratch, as many of the component skills will already have been mastered.
Take the example of a nurse learning how to do a drug round; although
she will not have done the motor performances before, such as taking a
medicine pot to the patient, she will, since childhood, have acquired the
skill of picking up and carrying a small container of fluid without spilling.
Hence, the nurse teacher needs to consider the entry behaviours that
students bring to the motor-skill learning situation. Three dimensions
of motor skills are commonly identified in the literature: fine/gross,
continuous/discrete, closed/open looped.
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Dimensions of motor skills

Fine versus gross
Gross performance involves the whole body, or large muscles, such as
in lifting a patient. Fine performance involves fingers and wrists, as in
removing sutures.
Continuous versus discrete
The former involves continuous adjustment and corrections to stimuli,
such as the continuous movements of external cardiac massage, while the
latter is a movement made in response to an external stimulus, such as
switching off a patients nurse-call button.
Closed-looped versus open-looped
Closed-looped performance relies entirely on proprioceptive feedback,
so could be performed with eyes closed, whereas open-looped is affected
by external stimuli. For example, the painless removal of sutures requires
some reaction from the patient, which indicates comfort or otherwise.
Learning motor skills

Unlike other forms of learning, acquiring motor skills requires practice,
and practice consists of repetition of a procedure under specific
conditions. These conditions are that the students must intend to learn
the skill and they must obtain feedback about their performance. The
reason why motor skills require practice is because of the importance
of kinaesthetic feedback from the students own body; it takes time to
produce skilled, efficient movements. It is useful to distinguish between
physical and mental practice; the former means the actual physical
repetition of the procedure, whereas the latter involves thinking about
the skill in between practice sessions. Mental practice or imagery is not
a substitute for physical practice, but evidence suggests that it is a very
useful way of encouraging skills learning when used in conjunction with
physical practice. Reminiscence is the term used to describe improvements
in performance occurring without physical practice and may be due to
mental practice.
The acquisition of a motor skill normally follows a smooth curve
when plotted against the time and the number of trials. The occurrence
of plateaux, in which the student seems to stay at the same level of
performance, is fairly rare. There are also no obvious stages, but Fitts
and Posner (1967) suggest that three processes occur, in the following
order:
1. The cognitive phase, which is really concerned with the learning of the
procedure, and the more complex the skill, the longer this period will
take.
2. The associative phase, in which the part-skills are taking on the
characteristics of skilled performance and interfering responses are
eliminated.
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Cognitive
theories of learning and instruction
3. The autonomous phase, during which the skill becomes automatic and
can occur without the student thinking about it.
The frequency and distribution of practice can affect learning of motor
skills; distribution can be divided into massed practice and distributed
practice, the former having little or no rest from beginning to end
of practice, and the latter having practice sessions separated by rest
periods or by longer intervals of time. Distributed practice is generally
more effective for learning motor skills, possibly because of the avoidance
of boredom, fatigue or loss of attention. Simple tasks, however, are better
learned in one session, and short practice periods are preferable to long
ones. Of course, student motivational level will influence the amount of
practice that the student can accommodate.
As pointed out earlier, one of the key features of practice is that, in
order to help them improve, students must be receive feedback about
their performance. Thorndike (1931), in a classic experiment asked
participants to draw four-inch lines whilst blindfolded, and they were
not told how close to four inches their efforts were. There was much
variability in the lengths of the lines drawn, but no trend towards
improvement over the trials. Feedback can be classified as intrinsic or
extrinsic. Intrinsic feedback is feedback arising within the performer and
is further subdivided into reactive and operational feedback: reactive
feedback consists of the kinaesthetic feedback from the performers body
muscles and joints; and operational feedback is the observation of the
effect of the action by the performer, also termed knowledge of results
(KOR). Extrinsic feedback is external to the performer and is also termed
augmented feedback; it can be given by teachers, peers or coaches and
may be given concurrently during the performance, or terminally when
it is finished.
When student nurses learn a new skill, it is likely that there will be
some element of transfer from previously learned skills; transfer means
that a previously learned skill has a positive or negative influence on the
new one, and this is termed proactive transfer. It is also possible for
the new skill to influence the old one, a phenomenon called retroactive
transfer. Transfer of skill may be specific or non-specific; specific aspects
that are transferred in nursing are such things as lifting patients without
injuring oneself, whereas general transfer occurs less obviously, in areas
such as problem-solving ability.
Positive transfer of skills is enhanced by similarity between them
and also if well-learned responses can be used in the new skill. On the
other hand, well-learned habits may interfere with new responses, as in
driving a car with different controls. There is evidence to suggest that
an understanding of the underlying principles will enhance transfer to a
different activity.
Cognitive
A number of influential learning theorists have taken a cognitive approach

in an attempt to explain how people learn, and from their theories have
derived principles for instruction or teaching.
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Ausubel: assimilation theory of meaningful learning

The psychologist David P. Ausubel is somewhat unusual among educational
psychologists in that he focuses very much on presentational methods of
teaching and also on the acquisition of subject matter in the curriculum.
He draws a distinction between psychology and educational psychology,
the former being concerned with problems of learning whilst the latter
is an applied science, the function of which is to study those aspects
of learning that can be related to ways of effectively bringing about
assimilation of organized bodies of knowledge.
Ausubel et al. (1978) distinguish between types of learning by using
a model consisting of two orthogonal dimensions of learning: one on
the continuum from rote to meaningful learning; and the other on the
continuum from reception to discovery learning. These dimensions are
unrelated and consist of four quadrants:
meaningful reception learning;

rote reception learning;
meaningful discovery learning; and
rote discovery learning.
Ausubel maintains that most classroom learning is of the reception
type, in which information is presented in its final form to the student.
Discovery learning, on the other hand, consists of allowing students to
discover for themselves the principles of content. Discovery learning may
fall at any point on the continuum, and it is more usual to find a form of
guided discovery learning in use in the classroom. Whilst acknowledging
the place of discovery learning, Ausubel claims that it is simply not
feasible for transmitting large quantities of knowledge, since discovery
learning requires greater time and resources. The second, unrelated,
dimension is rote/meaningful: rote learning is defined as any learning that
does not meet the criteria for meaningfulness.
Types of meaningful learning
There are three types of meaningful learning.
Representational or vocabulary learning. All other types of learning
depend upon this basic form, which consists of the learning of single
words or what is represented by them.
Concept learning. Ausubel defines concepts as objects, events,
situations or properties that possess common criterial attributes and
are designated by some sign or symbol. He identifies two kinds of
concept acquisition: the first occurring in young children, called
concept formation; and the second occurring in school children and
adults, called concept assimilation.
Propositional learning. In this form of learning, it is not simply the
meaning of single words that is learned, but the meaning of sentences
that contain composite ideas. Syntax and grammatical rules must also
be understood.
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Cognitive
Ausubel takes pains to point out that there is a difference between

meaningful learning and the learning of meaningful material. In order
for material to be learned meaningfully, it is necessary to meet three
criteria:
1. The student must adopt an appropriate learning set, which is a
disposition to approach a learning task in a particular way. In the case
of meaningful learning, the student must adopt a set to learn the task
in a meaningful, as opposed to rote fashion.
2. The learning task itself must have logical meaning, in that it can be
related to the students own cognitive structure in a sensible way.
This cognitive structure is said to provide anchorage for the new
information, with both components being modified in the process of
assimilation.
3. The students own cognitive structures must contain specifically
relevant ideas with which the new material can interact.
Rote learning, on the other hand, can be considered as any learning
in which these conditions are not present. For example, the student may
adopt a set to learn the material in a word-for-word fashion, in which
case the new material would be linked to the existing structure in a
simple, arbitrary way without any real interaction. Such linkage prohibits
the direct use of existing knowledge and, in addition, the word-for-word
nature of learning will place limits on the amount of material that can be
learned and retained. Ausubel considers that pure rote learning plays little
part in everyday classroom learning beyond elementary school level.
These conditions form an integral part of Ausubels assimilation
theory, which states that most meaningful cognitive learning occurs as a
result of interaction between new information that the individual acquires
and the specifically relevant cognitive structures that he or she already
possesses. This interaction results in the assimilation or incorporation
of both the new and the existing information to form a more detailed
cognitive structure.
The pivotal nature of this idea to Ausubels theory can be seen in the
statement:
If I had to reduce all educational psychology to just one principle
it would be this: The most important single factor influencing
learning is what the student already knows. Ascertain this and teach
him accordingly.
(Ausubel et al., 1978, p. 163)
Assimilation theory forms the basis of Ausubels ideas on the

organization of instruction; the main variables affecting learning are
outlined below.
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Cognitive variables:
the students previous knowledge of related ideas seen to be
important to the learning of new material and forms the basis of
the notion transfer of learning;
developmental readiness, which is the stage of cognitive development
the student has reached;
intellectual ability of the student;
practice;
arrangement of instructional materials in order to facilitate
learning.
Affective/social variables:
motivation and attitudes;
personality;
group and social factors;
teacher characteristics.
One of the key strategies for learning advocated by Ausubel is the
concept of advance organizer, a strategy introduced in advance of any
new material in order to provide an anchoring structure for it. This
strategy is based on assimilation theory, which, as we have seen, states
that new information is subsumed or incorporated into an anchoring
structure already present in the student. Typically, an advance organizer
consists of ideas that are similar to the material that is to be learned, but
are stated at a higher level of generality and inclusiveness, so that the
new material may then assume a subordinate relationship to the advance
organizer. The concept is similar to an overview (or summary), except
that the latter is presented at the same level of generality or inclusiveness.
Advance organizers form the link between the students previous
knowledge and what is needed to be known, before any meaningful
learning can take place. A further advantage is that it provides a highly
specific anchoring structure because the content is virtually identical to
the material that follows, although, to be effective, it must obviously be
potentially meaningful and capable of being understood.
The process of forgetting meaningfully learned material is also
explained by Ausubel in terms of assimilation theory. Learning, as we
have seen, consists of the interaction between new information and
knowledge already present in the cognitive structure of an individual.
During the process of assimilation, this new information gradually
loses its discrete identity as it becomes part of the modified anchoring
structure; this process is termed obliterative subsumption. This gradual
loss of separate identity ends with the meaning being forgotten when
the idea falls below the threshold of availability. This threshold forms a
level below which an idea cannot be retrieved, but the level is subject to
variation, for example due to anxiety.
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Cognitive

How effective are advance organizers in practice? Barnes and Clawson
(1975) reviewed 32 studies involving the use of advance organizers
and found that 12 reported significant effects and 20 reported nonsignificant. They analysed the studies according to selected variables,
finding that length of treatment was not critical and that the ability
levels of students had no differential effects on learning. Similarly, no
clear pattern emerged in relation to the grade level of the students or
to the types of organizer. They concluded that the efficacy of advance
organizers had not been established. Ausubel, however, states that Barnes
and Clawson failed to take into account the fact that most studies did
not analyse the students relevant subsumers or the conceptual material
to be learned (Ausubel et al., 1978). Meena (1980) reports a study in
which advance organizers were used prior to information presented in
an instructional film; results showed that learning and retention were
significantly superior for the organizer groups. Nicholl (1978) studied the
effects of advance organizers on a cognitive social-learning group, but the
results were not significant.
The most obvious application of assimilation theory is that of advance
organizers for lectures. As was pointed out earlier, an advance organizer
is a form of introductory material, introduced and taught to the students
in advance of the main body of the lecture, and its purpose is to provide
the necessary specific anchoring structures for the information presented
in the main body of the lecture. In order to do this, the advance organizer
must fulfil certain criteria.
1. It must form a bridge between what the student already knows and the
new information to be encountered in the lecture.
2. The advance organizer must be more general and inclusive than the
material that follows it in the main body of the lecture; it must abstract
out from that knowledge the key essence of the lecture.
3. It must be taught and learned just like any other information, either
immediately prior to the lecture, or some time in advance of it.
One of the difficulties of grasping the concept of an advance organizer
is that Ausubel only ever gave one example, because the organizer must
relate intimately to the teachers subject matter and thus cannot be
written by anyone else. In order to see how the organizer is structured,
it is always necessary to have the subject matter of the lecture available
as well. Figure 3.2 shows an example of an advance organizer for a
lesson on the circulatory system, including the lesson plan for the main
lecture.
The advance organizer is taught at the beginning of the lecture and is
then followed by the main body of information. The advance organizer
contains all the elements of the lecture that follows it, but at a much more
abstract level. For example, it talks about certain cells rather than giving
specific names; the names are introduced later in the lecture. The advance
organizer also contains information that the student already knows, i.e.
the transport systems of society and so forms a bridge between this prior
knowledge and the new information about the circulation.
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Figure 3.2
Example of a lesson plan with
advance organiser for the
circulatory system
Introduction
Good morning and welcome to this lecture on the circulatory system. Before we begin I would like
to include some introductory material to help you understand the lecture.
Advance organizer
You are all very familiar with the notion of transport systems in society; for example, road, rail, air and
sea transport. Any transport system has a number of basic components as follows:
Vehicles
Routes
lorry
train
plane
ship
Freight
origin
destination
Energy consumption
passengers
goods
Organization
Travel
medium
road
rail
air
sea
control centre
maintenance/repair
diesel oil
electricity
aviation fuel
The circulatory system in the body is another example of a transport system with the same basic
components. We can usefully examine the system using these components as follows:
Vehicles: In the bloodstream, certain cells act as vehicles for transporting substances, as does the liquid
part of the blood, called plasma.
Freight: Many goods are transported in the blood, including foodstuffs, oxygen, chemical messengers
and waste products.
Travel medium: The liquid part of the blood is the transport medium.
Routes: There are many routes involved in the circulation. For example, oxygen originates at the
lungs (the supplier) and its destination is the tissue cells (the consumer).
Organization: There is a complex organization of circulation, both from central control in the brain to
local control in the tissues.
Energy consumption: Like all other body systems, the circulation burns up glucose to make energy.
Main body of the lecture
1. Composition of the blood
Plasma
Cells
red
white
platelets
2. Greater and lesser circulation

3. Functions of blood
4. Control of circulation
The principle of meaningful learning can be applied at all levels of

nurse education, and it is particularly important to ascertain students
prior knowledge when working in the clinical setting. A few minutes
spent clarifying what the student understands about the nursing care of a
patient will be rewarded by providing a framework upon which further
explanation can be hung.
Nurse teachers should try to discourage students from learning material
in a rote fashion and, instead, encourage them to learn it meaningfully, by
ask them to try to explain the material to a fellow student.
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Cognitive
Bruner: discovery learning

The work of Jerome Bruner (1960) has had a profound influence
on educational thinking; he is particularly associated with discovery
learning. Bruner sees the learning of a subject as involving three
processes.
1. The acquisition of new information. This usually builds on something
that is already known, albeit tentative or vague.
2. Transformation of information. New information is analysed and
processed so that it can be used in new situations.
3. Evaluation. All aspects of the processing of information are evaluated
to check if they are correct.
Subject matter is usually broken down into a series of units or learning
episodes and each episode involves the three processes above.
Structure of a subject
According to Bruner, the purpose of learning is that it should be useful
to us in the future, and this is accomplished by the process of transfer.
Transfer of learning can occur in two main ways transfer of specific
skills or transfer of general principles. The latter type of transfer is
fundamental to the educational process and is dependent upon a
thorough understanding of the structure of subject matter. The concept
of structure is explained by Bruner (1960, p. 7) as follows:
Grasping the structure of a subject is understanding it in a way
which permits many other things to be related to it meaningfully. To
learn structure, in short, is to learn how things are related.
Structure, then, involves the basic patterns and ideas of the subject
but not the details or specific facts. If students understand the structure,
they should be able to work out for themselves much of the fine detail.
The structure is made up of concepts or categories, and Bruner sees
learning as a process of categorization of objects. Classes of objects are
seen to be characterized by common properties, and it is these properties
that are used as a basis for identifying new objects that are encountered.
The new object is compared with the properties of a category, to see if
it belongs there. If the object fits a particular category, then we infer that
it possesses the characteristics of that category. A category has certain
distinguishing properties that differentiate it from other categories and
it also has a certain order in which the characteristics are combined.
For example, the category bed has the following components: frame,
legs, headboard, footboard, mattress, pillows, blankets and counterpane.
These characteristics are assembled in a certain order, such as the legs
underneath, the mattress on the frame, the pillows and blankets on top,
etc. There are also limits of acceptance for objects to fall within a category.
For instance, a bed would still be a bed if there were no headboard, but it
would not constitute a bed if there were no frame.
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When categorizing an object, an individual tends to follow a sequence

of four stages. The first involves isolating the object from its background,
a process called primitive categorization. A search for cues then follows,
which may be conscious or unconscious, and the individual attempts to
categorize the object using the cues available. He or she may employ
a conscious cue search by saying, I wonder what this can be? Having
made a cue search, the individual makes a tentative categorization and
this then narrows down the search to those cues that will confirm the
tentative categorization. This is termed confirmation check. The fourth
stage involves ceasing the search for cues; additional cues are more or
less ignored. This stage is called confirmation completion and the object
is identified and categorized.
Coding systems for information
The learning of more complex information is explained by Bruner in
terms of coding systems. A coding system is a set of general categories
that an individual uses to classify and to group information about the
world. These systems are hierarchically arranged, with the more specific
information in the lowest categories. As one rises in the hierarchy, each
category is more general and less specific than the one below; to recall
a specific item, it is necessary to recall the coding system of which it is
a member. Thus, the general principles of a subject are contained in the
upper parts of the hierarchy of a category, and, in transfer of learning;
these previously learned coding systems are applied to new events or
objects. Figure 3.3 shows a coding system for fractures, with the most
general concept at the top, namely fractures, and progressively finer
subdivisions or subordinate concepts.
Figure 3.3
Fractures
Coding system for fractures
Caused by
sudden injury
Direct
violence
Simple
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Stress or
fatigue
Indirect
violence
Compound
Caused by
pathology
Infection
Simple
Tumor
Cyst
Compound
Acquisition of coding systems is influenced by a number of factors,

including the learning set of an individual towards a learning task and
his or her motivation. In addition, there must be mastery of the specific
aspects of a situation before the principles can be combined into a
more general or generic coding system, and this acquisition of generic
coding systems is enhanced by a variety of learning situations, especially
discovery-learning situations.
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Gagn:
the conditions of learning and theory of instruction
Discovery learning
Discovery learning involves students in discovering the structure of
a subject through active involvement and can be divided into pure
discovery and guided discovery. The former is virtually impossible
to organize, since it involves no direction whatsoever, so the latter is
preferable. The role of the teacher is to pose questions or problems that
stimulate students to seek answers in an active discovery way. One of the
great obstacles to this kind of learning in nurse education is the pressure
on students always to produce the correct answers to questions; this runs
counter to the notion of intuitive thinking. Intuition involves making
an educated guess about phenomena before one has the complete data
and can be very motivating for students because they then have to check
whether or not their hypothesis was correct.
One implication of Bruners ideas on the structure of subject matter is
that the nurse teacher must ensure that any new material being taught
is first explained in terms of its basic structures and principles. It is not
helpful to give lots of fine detail in the early stages of encountering a
new subject; it is much more sensible to give an outline only. Take the
example of microbiology, an important topic for nurses to understand so
that they can appreciate the need for asepsis and antibiotics. It would be
good practice if the teacher confined the lecture to a general overview
of the main principles and concepts of microbiology until the students
were well immersed in them. However, it is common to find lectures on
microbiology given to first-year students that contain very specific detail
about the classification of bacteria, a confusing experience for those
students who have not encountered the concepts before.
Discovery learning can be used to good effect in the context of guided
discovery; the nurse teacher can ask students to devise a series of questions
or problems related to the topic areas and then to try to find answers to
those using whatever resources are available. Another discovery approach
is to use practical laboratory sessions to generate activities and then to ask
students to try to explain why things happened.
Gagn:
the conditions of learning and theory of

instruction
Robert Gagn does not propose a theory of learning per se but focuses
on the conditions of learning. Using an information-processing model,
he analyses these conditions and develops a theory of instruction based
upon them. Learning is defined as a change in human disposition or
capability that persists over a period of time and is not simply ascribable
to processes of growth (Gagn, 1985). Thus growth is seen very much
as being genetically determined, whereas learning is seen as being mainly
under the control of environmental influences that interact with the
individual. Any learning situation can be viewed as having a number of
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elements, namely the student, the stimulus, the contents of the students
memory, and the response or performance outcome. Such a learning
situation or occurrence is described by Gagn (1985, p. 4) as follows:
A learning occurrence, then, takes place when the stimulus situation
together with the contents of memory affect the student in such a
way that his or her performance changes from a time before being in
that situation to a time after being in it. The change in performance
is what leads to the conclusion that learning has occurred.
Learning capabilities
Gagn believes that it is possible to make sense of all the different
learning outcomes that people make during a lifetime by organizing them
into five performance categories, each representing a different kind of
learning capability.
intellectual skills:
discrimination;
concrete concepts;
defined concepts;
rules;
higher-order rules;
cognitive strategies;
verbal information;
motor skills;
attitudes.
Prototypes of learning
The five varieties of learning capability include some elements that Gagn
terms prototypes of learning; these are commonly identified phenomena
of learning that constitute basic forms of learning by association. They
include:
classical conditioning;
operant conditioning;
verbal-association learning; and
chaining.
These are seen as basic forms because they comprise only parts of specific
capabilities and are insufficient to explain all aspects of complex learning.
Hence, association is seen as an important aspect, since its various forms
constitute some of the components of the five learning capabilities.
Having emphasized the importance of association learning as a basic
component of all types of learning, we now examine the five varieties of
learning capability in more detail.
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Gagn:
Intellectual skills
It is useful to think of intellectual skills as forming a hierarchy in which
any particular skill requires the prior learning of those skills below it in
the hierarchy, as illustrated in Figure 3.4.
Figure 3.4
Hierarchy of intellectual skills
Higher-order rules
Rules
Concepts
Discriminations
Prototypes (association and chaining)
The dependence of intellectual skills on the basic prototypes is shown;
each level consists of progressively more complex skills. These intellectual
skills are what is referred to as procedural knowledge (i.e. knowledge
about how to perform such things as mathematical calculations) and are
typified by rule-governed behaviour. Rules state relationships between
things and are composed of simpler components called concepts,
which in turn depend on the ability to discriminate between various
characteristics of things.
Discrimination
Young children learn to respond to collections of things by learning the
differences between them, a process called discrimination. Discrimination
learning involves perceiving differences in size, shape, colour, texture,
etc., and multiple discriminations have to be made when there is more
than one stimulus present. Student nurses and midwives may have to
learn to discriminate between the various kinds of tissue when using
a microscope. This is usually taught by presenting examples and nonexamples of a particular tissue, a process called contrast practice.
When the student is making multiple discriminations, there is a danger
of confusion between stimuli and of interference in the learning of
discriminations.
Concrete concepts
Discrimination learning is confined to specific stimuli, whereas concept
formation allows the student to respond to collections of things by
classifying them into categories sharing common abstract properties.
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Unlike prototypes and discriminations, concepts are capable of being

generalized to other situations and hence they free the student from
control by specific stimuli. Once a student nurse has acquired the concept
of a pressure sore, this can be applied to any example on all areas of
the body, provided that the concept adequately represents the range
of pressure sores possible. It may be that students have inadequate
concepts for some classes of phenomena, so these need to be developed
and extended by appropriate instruction.
Gagn describes three stages in the learning of a concrete or observable
concept: discrimination, generalization and variation in irrelevant
dimensions. The first stage involves the student in discriminating
between one object and another, for example a capsule and a tablet.
The next stage involves generalization of the discrimination, in which
the student discriminates between the capsule and a variety of tablets of
various shapes, sizes and colours. The final stage involves variation in
the size, shape and colour of the capsules, as well as the variations in the
tablets, and, if the student can identify all the capsules, then he or she
has acquired the concept of a capsule. This attainment can be tested by
showing the student nurse a capsule and a tablet, neither of which have
been seen before; if the student nurse can identify the capsule, he or she
has attained the concept by identifying a novel instance.
The learning of a concept can be made much easier by the use of
language, i.e. verbal cues or instructions; indeed, many of the concepts
used in nursing are learned verbally by attending lectures or by reading.
Concepts learned in this linguistic manner need to have concrete
references to the real world if students really are to understand them.
Such concrete reference can be made by the use of practical work in
laboratories or clinical settings.
Defined concepts
The previous section looked at concrete concepts, referred to by Gagn as
concepts-by-observation; certain concepts, however, can only be learned
as definitions, since they do not actually exist as concrete entities, for
example, health or empathy. A definition is a statement that expresses
rules for classifying objects or events and consists of thing-concepts and
relational concepts. The definition of an object consists of four parts:
1. A
2. A
3. A
4. A
thing-concept that is superordinate.

set of characteristics of the above.
relational concept indicating the use of the object.
thing-concept that is the object of the verb above.
Figure 3.5 illustrates the components of the definition of the concept of

a syringe.
Many concepts are themselves relations and the components of these
definitions are slightly different:
1. A relational concept that is already known by the student.
2. A thing-concept that is the object of the above.
3. Modifier words that are the characteristics of the relation.
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Gagn:
A. Features
A container
(superordinate
thing-concept)
Figure 3.5
consisting of a
barrel and piston

(characteristics)
which is used for
Components of the
definition of syringe
B. Functions
Injecting or aspirating
(relational-concept)
drugs and fluids

(objects of the verbs injecting and aspirating)
There is one point of possible confusion between concrete

concepts and defined concepts; it is quite common to find that
concrete concepts are given definitions, as in the example of syringe, but
this does not make them defined concepts. A defined concept cannot
be concrete, however, since it is concerned with relations not objects.
Defined concepts are taught by pointing out the thing-concepts and
the relational concepts to the student and these are then understood,
provided that the student has already acquired the relevant component
concepts of the definition. For example, the term diffusion can be
defined as the continual intermingling of molecules in liquids or gases,
but for students to understand this concept, they must first understand
the component concepts of intermingling and molecules.
Rules
A rule is defined by Gagn (1985, p. 118) as an inferred capability that
enables the individual to respond to any instance of a class of stimulus
situations with an appropriate instance of a class of performances. Rules
require, as prerequisites, the component concepts and these are then put
in the correct sequence, as in the rules of grammar or mathematics. Rules
are often thought of as statements in lay terms, for example the rule
book, but it is important to remember that the rule itself is an inferred
capability, which is one of the aspects of intellectual skills. However,
verbal statements are very useful for learning rules, as in the diffusion
example mentioned earlier. Rules are also termed procedures and may
consist of long sequences or steps in a particular sequence. Nursing
procedure manuals are published that contains a series of rules about the
carrying out of various nursing procedures.
Higher order rules
We have seen that rules require prerequisite knowledge of the relevant
concepts in order to be understood and that such concept attainment is
reliant upon the necessary discriminations made by the student, which
in turn depend upon associations between stimuli. The increasing
complexity of intellectual skill does not stop at rules, but higher order
rules may develop as a result of the students problem solving, resulting
in the combination of several rules into a more complex rule. Much
learning can be seen to take the form of learning hierarchies, with the
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simpler rules forming prerequisites for more complex ones, and this
implies that there is a cumulative process involved in learning. Hence,
simpler rules are transferred to more complex rules, and these higher
order rules tend to be more generalizable in their application.
Cognitive strategies
These strategies exert control over the internal mental processes of learning
such as thinking, memory and problem-solving and are independent of
content. They are involved in the learning of intellectual skills and other
learning capabilities and are often referred to as metacognitive processes
or learning to learn. Students use cognitive strategies for attending to
stimuli, for encoding and retrieving information in memory and for
thinking and problem-solving, for example the use of mnemonics and
imagery. Cognitive strategies are easily acquired by students and become
better with practice, and there is some evidence to suggest that these skills
will transfer to other situations.
Verbal information learning
Verbal learning entails declarative knowledge, the kind of knowledge
involved in telling or verbalizing, and it utilizes sentences or propositions.
There are three forms of verbal learning: names (or labels), facts (or
single propositions) and organized verbal knowledge:
Names or labels. These are normally learned at the same time as the
concept is acquired; hence only one or two labels or names are learnt
at any one time. On occasions, however, it is necessary to learn several
names at one time, such as when a nurse teacher meets a new student
group and has to remember each name, which can be very difficult.
Facts or single propositions. It seems likely that facts are stored in
memory as meaningful propositions rather than as verbatim words in
some form of semantic network.
Organized verbal knowledge. This refers to collections of propositions
that are organized into connected discourse called prose. It is suggested
that a students previous knowledge is a major influence on the learning
of new information from prose texts, owing to the previous formation
of global schemata for particular situations or events.
Motor skills
Much human learning is to do with movements, and a practice discipline
like nursing centres around the learning of motor skills and procedures.
There are three dimensions of motor skills: fine/gross performance,
continuous/discrete movements, and closed/open looped tasks.
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Gagn:
Fine versus gross performance

It is possible to distinguish motor skills in terms of the involvement of
muscles, gross skills require the use of large muscles, as in the lifting
of patients, and fine skills, the use of fingers and wrists, as in the
removing ofsutures.
Continuous versus discrete movements
These terms are self-explanatory: the former consist of continuous
movements such as those of external cardiac massage and the latter
consist of single-direction movements, such as the switching off of the
nurse call-button.
Closed-looped versus open-looped tasks
The former rely entirely on proprioceptive feedback and can be
performed with the eyes closed; the latter involve some kind of external
stimulus that influences the movement, such as inflating the cuff on a
sphygmomanometer according to the level of the column of mercury.
Motor skills often occur as components of procedures, such as giving
a blanket bath or changing a dressing. A procedure consists of a series
of rules in sequential order, but also requires certain motor skills in
order to be executed. It is therefore incorrect to think of procedures as
being motor skills alone; rather they involve both intellectual and motor
skills. Practice is a basic requirement for the acquisition of motor skills
in order to allow the student to learn from the proprioceptive feedback
from his or her own body movements; in addition the student receives
feedback both from observing the effects of his or her movements and
by augmented feedback from someone else: a teacher or a coach. When
attempting to learn a procedure, a student combines a series of partskills into the total procedure in a particular order; these are known as
behavioural chains.
Attitudes
According to Gagn (1985, p. 63), an attitude is an internal state that
influences (moderates) the choices of personal action made by the
individual. Attitudes are learnt as individuals develop during childhood
and adult life. Their relationship to behaviour is not clearly identified,
but they serve to predispose the individual to act towards things in a
particular way. There are three components of an attitude:
the cognitive component, which consists of the beliefs that an

individual holds about the attitudinal object;
the affective component, which is concerned with feelings that
the individual has about the beliefs that he or she holds about the
attitudinal object;
the behavioural aspect a predisposition to act in some way
although studies have shown poor correlation between attitudes and
behaviour.
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A nurse may have a positive attitude towards the elderly, believing

that they have a right to be treated with respect and dignity and this
belief may be very strongly felt. The nurse may endeavour in his or her
behaviour towards the elderly always to ensure that they are treated as
individuals and made to feel respected.
The conditions of learning

The learning capabilities outlined above form the cornerstone of Gagns
approach to instruction, since this involves identifying the conditions
of learning for each of these capabilities, as well as for the prototypes
called association. Gagn suggests that in order to infer that learning has
taken place, it is necessary to know not only the changes in performance
following instruction, but the capabilities that students already possess
prior to instruction. These previously learned capabilities are what Gagn
refers to as internal conditions of learning, in contrast to external
conditions of learning, which consist of the stimulus situations outside
the student. Both are necessary if learning is to take place, and Gagn has
described the internal and external conditions necessary for learning in
each of the learned capabilities and prototypes.
Gagns theory of instruction

Gagn points out that there is a difference between theories of learning
and theories of instruction in that the latter utilize a range of theories
of learning in order to establish principles of instruction. The events
of instruction are different for each of the learning capabilities. Gagn
suggests a sequence of instructional events related to internal processes
of learning in an information-processing framework:
1. Gaining attention. A variety of strategies, including loudness of the
voice, gesturing, asking questions, or a practical demonstration of
something can be used. Attention-getting devices are applicable to all
the learning capabilities.
2. Informing students of the objective. If students know the objectives of
instruction, they will be motivated to learn, so it is important that such
objectives are transmitted to them for whichever type of capability
might be being taught. These may be stated in the form of behavioural
objectives.
3. Stimulating recall of prior learning. This is important for all learning
capabilities and is commonly done by asking questions of the
students.
4. Presenting the stimulus. This depends upon what is to be learned
and can involve printed materials, the presentation of a problem, a
description of a strategy, or the demonstration of a motor skill.
5. Providing learning guidance. This consists of conveying the
meaningfulness of the stimulus by such devices as relating new
information to existing knowledge and giving concrete examples of
abstract concepts.
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The
behaviourist approach to learning
6. Eliciting performance. Here, the student is asked to demonstrate the

application of learning to a novel problem, to ensure that learning has
occurred.
7. Providing feedback. Feedback as to the correctness or otherwise of a
students performance is important for his or her further learning and
this can be achieved by a teacher giving verbal feedback or written
comments. Alternative forms can be given by using computers or other
technology.
8. Assessing performance. This is typically done by means of a test in
which the student is given new examples to work on.
9. Enhancing retention and transfer. This can be done by giving practice in
the relevant capability and by increasing the variety of performance.
Learning is also affected by such variables as the time spent on learning
a task and the individual differences in students in terms of motivation,
previous knowledge and comprehension.
The
John B. Watson is credited with the invention of the term behaviourism.

The behaviourist approach to learning is often difficult to grasp initially
because of the variety of alternative names used.
The behaviourist approach identifies two forms of learning; classical
conditioning and operant conditioning, the term conditioning meaning
the same as learning.
Classical conditioning: Pavlov

Ivan P. Pavlov (18491936) was a Russian physiologist who, in the
course of his work on digestive secretions, observed phenomena that
are fundamental to stimulusresponse theory (Pavlov, 1927). His
main interest was the control of salivary and gastric secretions and by
careful experimentation he established that salivation relies upon two
kinds of stimulation. With the first kind, salivation was an unlearned,
physiological reflex that occurred after food was introduced into the
mouth of the animal. With the second type, salivation occurred when
the animal merely caught sight of the food, i.e. before the food had
actually entered its mouth.
This latter type intrigued Pavlov because he had observed that the
dogs had begun to salivate immediately he entered his laboratory.
Wondering whether this response would occur to other stimuli, he paired
a tone on a tuning fork with the immediate delivery of food to the dogs.
This pairing was done on a number of occasions and at first the dogs only
salivated when food was actually in the mouth, but eventually they salivated
after the tone was sounded, but before food had entered the mouth.
Pavlov considered that this salivation was a learned response as opposed
to an innate reflex and named the process conditioning. Pavlovian
conditioning has since been termed classical conditioning to distinguish
it from the form of conditioning described by Skinner (see p. 93).
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The vocabulary of conditioning requires some explanation, as it is

fundamental to the behaviourist approach. In the experiments performed
by Pavlov, the first type of salivation was due to an inherent physiological
reflex to the presence of food in the mouth of the dog. This is a natural or
unconditioned situation, in which the food is said to be the unconditioned
stimulus (US) and salivation the unconditioned response (UR). In the
second phase of the experiment, the giving of food to the dog was paired
with the sound of a tuning fork. After a number of such pairings, the
sound of the tuning fork, which had previously been a neutral stimulus,
now actually functioned as a stimulus for the flow of saliva. This is now
a different situation and is called a conditioned situation, as the tuning
forks sound is said to be the conditioned stimulus (CS) and salivation
the conditioned response (CR). Although salivation is the response in
both unconditioned and conditioned situations, it is considered that the
latter response is a new one: hence the term conditioned response. This
response is so called because it is conditional upon the presence of food.
If the tuning fork had not been sounded at the same time that food was
given to the dog, the conditioned response of salivation would not occur.
In other words, the conditioned stimulus (in this case a tuning fork)
serves as a signal to the dog that the unconditioned stimulus (in this case
food) is about to occur.
Four further terms are used in connection with conditioning:
extinction, generalization, discrimination and spontaneous recovery.
Classical conditioning: Watson

John B. Watson (18781958) graduated from the psychology school at
the University of Chicago, where he had been trained in the skills of
animal experimentation. Such experimentation was used to determine the
mental qualities of the animals but seldom led to much agreement among
psychologists. Watson noted that observations on the animals behaviour
yielded far more objective data than did deliberations concerning an
animals mental state. Watsons position can be summarized in three main
statements:
Introspective methods have no place in the study of psychology.

Observations should be made only on the behaviour of an animal,
since this was the object of study in the other scientific disciplines. The
emphasis was to be on objective experimentation and replication of
results, leaving no place for subjective inquiry.
Most behaviour is learned by making an association between a
stimulus and a response, hence the term stimulusresponse (SR) theory.
Experiments in animals can be extrapolated to human beings, as the
former differ only in their degree of complexity from man. Watson
was convinced that even complex behaviour could be accounted for
by this association of stimuli and response, and the publication of
Pavlovs work on classical conditioning provided the confirmation that
he sought.
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The
Watson became famous for his work with Rosalie Rayner on conditioned
fear in humans (Watson and Rayner, 1920). By modern-day standards
Watson and Rayners experiments seem ethically dubious; however, they
believed that no permanent harm would be done to the subject of their
experiment, a nine-month-old boy called Albert B. (Little Albert!). Albert
showed no fear when presented with a range of stimuli, including a
white rat. He did, however, show a fear reaction to a stimulus consisting
of a loud noise behind him, which Watson made by striking a metal bar
with a hammer. The conditioning process involved presenting the rat
to Albert, then, when he reached towards it, the metal bar was struck
loudly behind him, causing him to startle and cry. After repeated pairings
of the rat and the noise, presentation of the rat alone caused the child to
cry immediately and to crawl away rapidly. His fear of the rat showed
generalization to other furry objects, such as a rabbit and a dog. This
demonstrated that the Albert had learned to be afraid of the rat through
the process of classical conditioning.
Operant conditioning: Skinner

B.F. Skinner has made an important contribution to the study of
learning by his work on the form of conditioning known as operant or
instrumental conditioning (Skinner, 1938, 1969, 1971). He distinguishes
between respondent behaviour and operant behaviour, the former being
elicited by specific stimuli and the latter being emitted spontaneously by
the organism, such as the random pecking behaviour of pigeons. Classical
conditioning involves respondent behaviour and has only limited
relevance for the kinds of academic learning with which education
is concerned. This is because the conditioned response can have no
effect on the environment; in other words, the animal cannot control
the events that occur. For example, the dog in Pavlovs experiments
made a conditioned response of salivation, but this response in no way
affected the speed of delivery of the food. Operant conditioning, on the
other hand, operates on the environment, and the learned behaviour is
instrumental in controlling events.
The apparatus used for experiments in operant conditioning was the
Skinner box, a kind of puzzle box containing something that the animal
has to manipulate in order to obtain a reward. A great deal of Skinners
work was carried out using pigeons; in a typical experiment the hungry
pigeon would be placed in a box containing an illuminated window. In
a similar fashion to Thorndikes cat, the hungry bird strutted around in
a random manner, pecking here and there until, by chance, it happened
to peck at the illuminated window. Immediately, a pellet of food was
delivered into a tray beneath the window and was consumed by the
bird. Random behaviour was then resumed until the pigeon happened to
peck at the illuminated window again and was reinforced with another
food pellet. After a number of trials, the random behaviour would cease,
and the pigeon would peck at the window immediately it was put into
the box. Skinner described the role of the food pellet as a reinforcer of
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behaviour, in that the window-pecking behaviour was followed by a food

pellet that caused the behaviour to be repeated (to the exclusion of nonreinforced behaviour).
This operant conditioning is clearly different from classical conditioning,
in that the pigeons behaviour actually affects the environment by bringing
about delivery of the food pellet. Skinners view of operant conditioning
is that it is not a sequence of stimulusresponse connections, but rather
that behaviour is spontaneously emitted by the organism. He tends
to disregard the role of stimuli. There are four principles in operant
conditioning: positive and negative reinforcement, punishment and
omission of reinforcement.
The central tenet of Skinners theory is the concept of reinforcement,
which he considers to be the main factor in learning. He has done
considerable research into patterns of reinforcement and their effects
upon the response of the animal, and this has led to the concept of
schedules of reinforcement. Skinner has classified these schedules into
two main types, continuous and intermittent. In the former type, every
response by the animal is reinforced, whereas in the latter only some of
the responses are. Intermittent reinforcement can be subdivided into:
ratio schedules, which are determined by the rate of the animals

response; and
interval schedules, which are determined by the time factor.

In addition, each of these subdivisions may be fixed or variable, giving
four possible schedules of intermittent reinforcement.
The importance of these schedules lies in the different rates of
response that they produce, ratio schedules giving higher rates than
interval ones. This can be explained in terms of the animals influence
over the reinforcement, in that the ratio schedule gives the animal the
chance to speed up its response so that reinforcement occurs more often.
On an interval schedule, the rate of response has no effect on the delivery
because reinforcement is dependent on the passage of time. Variable-ratio
schedules bring about the consistently highest response rates, and the
ones most resistant to extinction.
Shaping is another concept that Skinner has developed in relation
to animal behaviour. Shaping implies the incorporation of novel
behaviours, which are not part of the animals natural responses, into
its behavioural repertoire. He trained pigeons to play table tennis by
selective reinforcement of the desired behaviour. In the first instance, this
involved reinforcing the bird when it approached the ball; reinforcement
is then given to successive approximations to the desired table-tennisplaying behaviour, such as pecking at the ball, knocking it over the net
and, finally, getting it into the opponents trough.
Animals can be trained to perform complex skills by the use of
shaping techniques, but Skinner believes that human behaviour is largely
reinforced not by primary reinforcers, such as food or drink, but by
secondary reinforcers, such as money and prestige. The effectiveness of
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The
secondary reinforcement is well illustrated by behaviour modification

techniques that use a token economy in learning disability nursing. Patients
can be helped to become independent by the selective reinforcement of
desired behaviours, such as washing and dressing, or can be conditioned
to modify problem behaviour. Reinforcement in the form of tokens is
given for appropriate behaviours, and these can be exchanged for food,
cigarettes or other material goods.

Behavioural objectives
Another educational application of SR theory is the behavioural
objectives approach. This is an approach to curriculum design that
emphasizes the detailed prescription of learning objectives by the
educational institution. These objectives must be stated in terms of
the observable and measurable behaviours of learners, and the model
thus enshrines the principles of behaviourism as defined by Watson.
Programmed learning (programmed instruction)
Programmed learning is based upon behaviourist psychology and
the fundamental notions are those of reinforcement and chaining.
Programmed learning requires specially prepared materials, which
students use for individual study of particular topics. There are two kinds
of programme, linear and branching, which differ in a number of respects
from each other.
Linear programmes
This kind of programme was devised by B.F. Skinner and consists of a
series of closely linked boxes of information called frames. The students
are presented with information in frames and are required to supply a
missing word at the end of each frame; they can check whether their
answer is correct or not before going on to the next frame. The linear
programme thus offers information in very small steps, with immediate
reinforcement in the form of feedback of correct answers. Each frame is
designed to contain material that overlaps with the previous frame as well
as the succeeding one, forming a chain of stimulusresponse connections.
Since it is correct answers that are reinforcing, errors are reduced to a
minimum by careful piloting of the programme prior to production.
Branching programmes
In contrast to linear programmes, these provide the student with a series
of choices rather than allowing the student to supply missing words. In
this multiple-choice situation, the student is required to select the answer
to a question raised in each frame from a choice of answers supplied.
When an answer has been selected, the student is directed to a particular
frame, depending on whether the student was correct or not; if the
answer was incorrect, the student will be directed to a frame that gives
remedial information. It can be seen that this kind of programme has
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a series of branches that students follow in their progress through the

programme, with the slower students taking in more branches than
the brighter ones.
Programmed learning can take the form of printed texts such as books,
or electronic machines that contain a window and a series of buttons for
choosing responses, or computer programs. Branching programmes
are rather cumbersome when used in book form, since the reader has
to move backwards and forwards through the book in order to follow
the branching frames. Students tend to like the programmed-learning
format, particularly for topics with largely factual material; the careful
formulation of goals for the student and the small steps in learning make
it a useful, if sometimes boring, way of studying.
Mastery learning
Mastery learning is another approach that is based on a behavioural
objectives model. The method was devised by Benjamin Bloom (1968)
and is premised on the assumption that all tasks can be learned by
students provided that they are given sufficient time. This key notion of
the time taken to learn a task forms the basis for a sequence of instruction
called mastery learning. The amount of time taken to learn a task is seen
as being dependent on a number of variables:
the complexity of the task;

the students aptitude and experience;
the ability to understand the material;
their perseverance; and
the quality of instruction.
Advocates of mastery learning take the view that individual differences in
the achievement of students are not inevitable, and in mastery learning
the sequence is designed to ensure that virtually every student will reach
the same level of achievement, i.e. mastery level or grade A. The sequence
for mastery learning is given in Table 3.1.
Table 3.1
Sequence for mastery learning
1.
2.
3.
4.
The subject or topic is divided up into a number of units, each of one or two weeks duration.
Learning objectives are prescribed for each of the units.
The subject matter of the unit is taught.
Formative tests are administered at the end of the unit and are used to identify the successful
and unsuccessful students.
5. If students do not achieve mastery, then remedial teaching is given.
6. When a student has completed all the units, a summative test is given to test mastery
of the course, which equals a grade A.
Mastery learning has spread to a wide range of classes and subjects

in education and a number of adaptations have emerged. Mastery
learning can be used for competency-based learning, humanities and
self-development, and it aims to create equality in society by making it
possible for all students to attain excellence
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The
There are, however, a number of criticisms of mastery learning, in

particular, its use of specific behavioural objectives and the increased
amount of time and resources required for its implementation.
General applications of behaviourism

Classical conditioning is confined to lower-order learning such as a
conditioned fear response. However, this may still influence adult
learning, as in the case of student nurses who fear written examinations
because in the past they have been humiliated by school teachers when
their performance has been poor, thus setting up a conditioned fear of
examinations. Even though the experience may have been long ago,
the emotion can still be very powerful. However, the good news is that
conditioned reflexes occur for positive feelings as well as negative, and
the learned associations between pleasurable events and feelings can
serve to make students enjoy the experience of learning.
One application of classical conditioning that has been used in
education is systematic desensitization, a technique commonly used
for treating such phobias as fear of spiders or heights. A nurse teacher
may encounter a student who has learned a conditioned fear response
to participating in small-group discussion or seminar, perhaps due to
humiliation in the past. The student could be taught relaxation to counter
the effects of anxiety and then the particular stimulus that is causing the
fear can be presented in a hierarchy of contact. Having first been taught
relaxation, the student would then go through the problem situation
in a series of small steps, beginning with discussions with one or two
other students only, gradually building up to a full-size group. However,
such intervention may be considered to be beyond the competence of a
nurse teacher, and systematic desensitization may be more appropriately
carried out by a behavioural therapist.
Another way in which students may be helped by classical conditioning
is by preventing negative conditioning situations from occurring in the
first place. Hence, when student nurses are first introduced to the clinical
setting, a concerted effort should be made to make them associate the
visit with such positive events as a warm welcome, a sense of esprit de
corps and a general air of interest and helpfulness.
Operant conditioning offers a greater range of educational applications
than classical conditioning. In operant conditioning, reinforcement is a
fundamental principle and can be used to provide feedback on learner
performance. Knowledge of success is said to act as a reinforcer of
behaviour, so it is important to give immediate feedback on performance,
in both clinical and classroom settings. Praise may be reinforcing, since
it acts as a reward, but it is important to vary the type of reinforcement
given, so that the behaviour is maintained. This is more difficult than it
sounds, for teachers may appear insincere if they think too much about
the way to respond, for example smiling, nodding, praising and the
like.
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A variable-ratio type of reinforcement produces the highest response

rate, so when learning a new response the student should be given
reinforcement at frequent intervals, then, as performance improves,
less frequently, until eventually only really good performances are
reinforced.
A fixed-interval schedule of reinforcement may be effective when
reinforcement is given following periodic tests, or by feedback during
daily ward reports. As indicated earlier, behaviour modification is a welltried technique in clinical psychology, where selective reinforcement
is used to shape acceptable behaviours in patients/clients. It has been
suggested that teachers could use it in class to encourage acceptable
behaviours and to discourage negative ones. If the nurse teacher wishes
to shape student nurses to answer questions in class, he or she may praise
the students each time they answer a question, regardless of whether
or not the answer is correct. Gradually, the teacher will begin to praise
the students only when the answer is correct. Extinction can be applied
to unwanted behaviour such as dominating a lesson or discussion, or
coming into class late. If the teacher ignores these behaviours, they may
undergo extinction, rather than being reinforced by having attention
drawn to them.
Critique of behaviourism
Stimulusresponse theories of learning have come in for a great deal of
criticism over the years. For example, Skinners laboratory experiments
seem to have little ecological validity when generalized to human
beings, i.e. they ignore the importance of human relationships and the
social context in which behaviours occur. It is also difficult to see how
stimulusresponse connections can account for the infinitely complex
skills of language. Another difficulty arises when attempting to use SR
theory to explain how individuals learn by imitating the behaviour of
other people. Humanistic psychologists find SR theory distasteful, as it
makes the individual merely a puppet, the passive recipient of external
forces. In addition, the application of reinforcement theory may lead to a
situation where the learner will only consider doing something if there is
a reward associated with it, i.e. a whats in it for me? attitude. Another
objection concerns the ethical issues surrounding the manipulation of
human behaviour, in particular the problem of who has the right to
control and manipulate another individuals behaviour.
Social learning theory (observational learning theory)

Social learning theory has its roots in behaviourism, but, while the basic
tenets of behaviourism such as reinforcement are still retained in social
learning theory, there is an emphasis on cognitive processes and also on
social learning. Social learning is also termed observational learning
and vicarious learning, and occurs when an individual learns something
by observing another person doing it; in other words, it is learning by
modelling. According to social learning theory, behaviour is seen as a
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Social
learning theory (observational learning theory)
two-way interaction between an individual and his or her environment,

that is, both people and their environments are reciprocal determinants
of each other (Bandura, 1977, 1986). Exponents of this theory view
the behaviourist approach to learning as one that limits the idea of the
potential of individuals and their influence over their own behaviour.
According to social learning theory, an individual possesses no inherent
behaviour patterns at birth other than reflexes, so must learn everything
else. Such learning occurs as a result of observing the behaviour of other
people, which allows complex patterns to be acquired in a more efficient
way than by trial and error. Indeed, some behaviour such as language can
only be learned, according to Bandura, by observation of human models,
as it is highly unlikely that mere reinforcement of random vocalization
would lead to the complex use of speech that forms the everyday
language of an individual.
Learning, then, is envisaged as behaviour acquired by observation of
modelling stimuli, providing the learner with a symbolic image of such
behaviour, which may serve as a guide. Bandura identifies four processes
involved in the observational learning situation: attention, retention,
motor reproduction and motivational processes:
1. Attentional processes. These processes are concerned with the
characteristics of the model and of the observer. In the former, some
of the factors that influence learning are variables such as:
(a) interpersonal attraction between the model and the observer;
(b) the usefulness of the observed behaviour; and
(c) the distinctiveness, complexity and frequency of contact with the
modelled stimuli.
Observer characteristics comprise the level of arousal, capacity to
process information, the perceptual set and the amount of previous
reinforcement.
2. Retention processes. It is obviously important to remember the modelled
behaviour if one is to learn from it, so the role of such strategies as
rehearsal is crucial. The highest level of learning is achieved when
the modelled behaviour is first organized and symbolically rehearsed
before the behaviour is actually performed.
3. Motor reproduction processes. The learner must be capable of actually
carrying out the observed behaviour and of evaluating it in terms of
accuracy.
4. Motivational processes. Modelled stimuli are more likely to be learned
if the observer sees some value in them, but the role of reinforcement
in social learning theory is one of facilitation rather than necessity.
It may take the form of external reward (such as money) or selfreinforcement, where the learners reward themselves with something
when a predetermined behaviour has been achieved. For example, a
person may set a number of personal objectives to achieve for a course
and, having attained them, may choose to go out to dinner as a reward.
The likelihood of the modelled behaviour being learned is increased
when the observer sees the model being reinforced for performing that
behaviour. This is termed vicarious reinforcement.
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Information can be transmitted by the model in a variety of ways,

such as an actual physical demonstration, by pictures, words and the mass
media. Abstract modelling is the term used for the process whereby the
observer elicits the principles of behaviour from a variety of modelled
stimuli and applies them to a situation similar to the ones which were
observed. Thus, observation of various models performing a nursing
procedure would allow the observer to learn the rules of the procedure
and these could then be applied to similar situations.
How does social learning theory explain the development of novel or
creative responses? Bandura sees the novel response as a utilization of the
qualities of many models, to produce a new creative behaviour. There are
a number of characteristics of both the model and the observer that make
learning more likely. Experiments indicate that persons who possess
status, prestige and power are more effective models for those kinds of
behaviours. Individuals who are lacking in self-esteem and confidence
and those who are dependent tend to be more easily influenced by the
behaviours of models who are obviously successful. However, one needs
to interpret such results with caution, as many confident people readily
adopt the behaviour of those whose actions are seen to be of value.

Observational learning is potentially a powerful tool for the nurse
teacher in a wide range of applications. One of the important early
aspects of nursing which a new student must acquire is the professional
role, and this can be fostered by allowing the student to observe a
prestigious trained nurse going about her daily work. The student will be
able to observe not only clinical skills, but interactions with patients and
other members of the health care team, thus learning about professional
attitudes as well as techniques. In an early study of modelling in nurse
education, Kramer (1972) took students into the clinical areas and had
them work in the vicinity, but not actually attached to her. The students
thus had the opportunity to see her interacting with patients and giving
care, and she acted as a model for their observational learning.
In a British study in an elderly care setting, Raichura and Riley (1985)
used modelling as a strategy for teaching trained staff about care of the
elderly. The nurse teacher must also act as a professional model when
with students, showing enthusiasm about nursing and the ability to do
the job skilfully. A good role model must also be a good practitioner if
students are to learn the correct roles. It is a useful idea when working
with student groups to pair the students so that the weaker ones are
working with the more able students and learning by observation. The
teacher should ensure that the more able students are given responsibility,
since these high-status students are more likely to serve as models for the
others.
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Summary
Summary
The term cognition refers to the internal mental processes of human
beings and encompasses the domains of memory, perception and

thinking.
Memory is the process that allows human beings to store experiences
from the past, and to use these in the present.
Information-processing is an important approach in cognitive
psychology; it was developed out of psychologists interest in the way
that computers process information.
Perception can be defined as an organized process in which the
individual selects cues from the environment and draws inferences
from these in order to make sense of his or her experience.
Thinking is a cognitive process consisting of internal mental
representations of the world and includes a wide range of activities
including problem-solving, reflecting and decision-making.
Critical thinking is very different from criticism, in that it is basically
a positive activity.
Problem-solving is a good example of the inter-relationship of all the
components of an information-processing system of cognition.
Problem-based learning starts with the problem, and students have to
find out what they need to know in order to solve it.
Decision theory offers an explanation for how people decide to take
one kind of action rather than another.
Motor skills are an extremely important aspect of the practice of
nursing, since nursing science is largely a practical endeavour.
Nurse teachers should try to discourage students from learning
material in a rote fashion and, instead, encourage them to learn it
meaningfully, by asking them to try to explain the material to a fellow
student.
Discovery learning involves students in discovering the structure of
a subject through active involvement and can be divided into pure
discovery and guided discovery.
An attitude is an internal state that influences the choices of personal
action made by the individual and is learnt as individuals develop
during childhood and adult life.
The behaviourist approach identifies two forms of learning: classical
conditioning and operant conditioning, the term conditioning meaning
the same as learning.
Programmed learning is based upon principles of behaviourist
psychology; the fundamental notions are those of reinforcement and
chaining.
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Skinner, B.F. (1971) Beyond Freedom and Dignity. Alfred Knopf, New
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Part Two
Learning,
teaching and
assessment
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Curriculum
theory and practice
The term curriculum is used to describe a plan or design upon which

educational provision is based; it is the single most important concept
in educational delivery, encompassing all the activities normally included
under the umbrella terms education and training (Quinn, 1994).
Educational provision in nursing takes a variety of forms, from short
in-house programmes through to longer formal programmes leading to
academic awards.
The two main categories in nursing are pre-registration and postregistration education. The former consists of programmes leading to
both an academic award, such as a Bachelor of Nursing degree, and entry
to the register of nurses. Post-registration provision, on the other hand,
is much more diverse and includes the following:
in-house study days for qualified staff, for example intravenous drug
administration;
discrete modules (courses) for continuing professional development,

for example teaching and assessing; and
programmes leading to academic awards such as first degrees and

higher degrees.
The
nature of curriculum
Curriculum theory is an established field of study within education, but

examination of the literature reveals that the concept is by no means
straightforward. There is wide variation between definitions and a
number of writers, Lewis and Miel (1972), Tanner and Tanner (1980),
Saylor, Alexander and Lewis (1981), have attempted to categorize these.
Four main interpretations of the concept emerge:
Curriculum as objectives. Any statement of the objectives of the school
should be a statement of changes to take place in students (Tyler,

1949).

Curriculum as subject matter. A curriculum is the offering of socially
valued knowledge, skills and attitudes made available to students
through a variety of arrangements during the time they are at school,
college or university (Bell, 1973).
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Chapter 4 Curriculum
theory and practice
Curriculum as student experiences. Curriculum is all the learning
which is planned and guided by the school whether it is carried on in

groups or individually, inside or outside the school (Kerr, 1968).
Curriculum as opportunities for students. A curriculum is all the
educational opportunities encountered by students as a direct result of
their involvement with an educational institution (Quinn, 1988).
Skilbecks (1984) categorization has considerable overlap with the above,
but additionally the aspect of culture is introduced:
curriculum as a structure of forms and fields of knowledge;

curriculum as a chart or map of the culture;
curriculum as a pattern of learning activities;
curriculum as a learning technology.
This categorization has been adapted by Beattie (1987) in his fourfold
model of curriculum, described later in this chapter (p. 123). Other
writers Stenhouse (1975), and Saylor, Alexander and Lewis (1981)
take a more generic view of the concept, seeing it as an overall plan or
design for learning:
Curriculum is an attempt to communicate the essential principles
and features of an educational proposal in such a form that it is
open to critical scrutiny and capable of effective translation into
practice.
(Stenhouse, 1975)
Curriculum is a plan for providing sets of learning opportunities

for persons to be educated.
(Saylor, Alexander and Lewis, 1981)
Curriculum refers to the learning experiences of students, in so

far as they are expressed or anticipated in educational goals and
objectives, plans and designs for learning and the implementation
of these plans and designs in school environments.
(Skilbeck, 1984)
Quinn (1994) offers a definition based upon the principal components

of the concept:
A curriculum is a plan or design for education and training that
addresses the following questions:
1. Who is to be taught? Who will learn? This is the consumer of the
curriculum, i.e. the student, course member, colleague, etc., who
will experience the curriculum.
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Components
of curriculum
2. What is to be taught and/or learned? This is about both the

intentions and the content of the curriculum. Intentions may
or may not be stated overtly, according to the education
ideology underpinning the curriculum. Where outcomes, goals,
or objectives are overtly expressed, these statements also indicate
to some extent the nature of the curriculum content. If the
intentions are covert, then content is usually indicated by a list
of topics in a syllabus.
3. Why is it to be taught and/or learned? This is the ideology of
the curriculum, i.e. the beliefs and values that underpin the
curriculum approach.
4. How is it to be taught and/or learned? This is the process of
education, i.e. the teaching, learning and assessment approaches
or opportunities available to the consumer.
5. Where is it to be taught or learned? This is the context of the
curriculum, i.e. the faculty, department, school, college, campus,
rooms, etc. It also refers to the place of a given curriculum within
the range of awards of the education provider institution.
6. When is it to be taught and/or learned? This is the programming/
timetabling of the curriculum, i.e. the length, pattern of
attendance, etc.
The concept of curriculum has been further subdivided by some

commentators and the more common ones are as follows:
official curriculum, the curriculum laid down in the policy of the

institution;
actual curriculum, the curriculum as implemented by teachers;

hidden curriculum, the attitudes and values transmitted by the
teachers.
Components
of curriculum
The term curriculum encompasses four main aspects of educational

provision (see Figure 4.1). These four components are intimately
related to each other and the model adopts a rational stance, in that the
curriculum design is seen to begin with the formulating of student learning
outcomes and then progresses to decisions about what outcomes-related
subject matter should be included. Teaching and learning processes are
then defined, for example lectures, laboratory work, etc., that will help
the student to achieve the learning outcomes, and, finally, the students
achievement of the learning outcomes is assessed using appropriate and
relevant assessment methods.
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theory and practice
Figure 4.1
Components of curriculum
Learning outcomes
Subject matter
Teaching and
learning process
Assessment
Models
and the curriculum
A model is a physical or conceptual representation of something; physical

models are replicas of the things that they represent and may be actual
size or built to scale. Architects and town planners build scale models
of civic developments that aim to show, in miniature, a replica of the
houses and commercial properties that are to be built. In colleges of
nursing, students are encouraged to examine models of the organs of
the body so as to understand the structure. Other kinds of model do
not represent concrete entities, but concepts. Such conceptual models
are usually in graphic or mathematical form and attempt to represent
abstract concepts.
The term model is used in a variety of ways in relation to curriculum,
and there is often confusion between them. There are four main types of
model used in curriculum design and development:
Curriculum models. These attempt to represent the nature of
curriculum, and reflect the philosophical stance of the originator, for

example the behavioural objectives model.

Models of learning. These attempt to represent the nature of learning,
and reflect the philosophical or psychological stance of the originator,
for example Carl Rogers humanistic approach.

Models of teaching. These attempt to represent the nature of teaching,
and reflect different philosophical beliefs about the nature of the
process, for example the transmission model of teaching.

Nursing models. These attempt to represent the nature of nursing,
and reflect the philosophical stance of the originator, for example the
Roper, Logan, and Tierney model of activities of living.
A given curriculum document may well utilize models from more
than one of the above categories. For example, a curriculum for preregistration nursing might utilize the Stenhouse model of curriculum as
an over-arching model, but include Knowless andragogy approach as a
teaching and learning strategy, and the Roper, Logan, Tierney model for
nursing theory and practice.
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Curriculum
models
Models of learning are addressed in Part 1 of this book; the other

three types of model are discussed below.
Curriculum
models
A wide range of models exist which attempt to encapsulate the nature of

curriculum, each reflecting the particular ideological stance of the author.
Four of the better-known models are described below.
Behavioural objectives (product) model of curriculum

Although having its origins in certain writings at the turn of the century,
this model is usually ascribed to Ralph Tyler. In his book Basic Principles
of Curriculum and Instruction, Tyler (1949) articulated a rationale for
effective curriculum, viewing education as a process of changing the
behaviour patterns of people, using behaviour in the broad sense to
include thinking and feeling as well as overt action (Tyler, 1949, p. 5).
He identifies four fundamental questions to be answered in developing a
curriculum (1949, p. 1):
1. What educational purposes should the school seek to attain?
2. How could learning experiences be selected that are likely to be useful
in attaining these objectives?
3. How could learning experiences be organized for effective
instruction?
4. How could the effectiveness of learning experiences be evaluated?
This notion of rational curriculum planning was taken up by a number
of writers and led to the generic model of curriculum as consisting of
four main components: objectives, content, method and evaluation.
Hence, the emphasis in this model is on the achievement of objectives
by the student. In other words, it is an output model. Tyler stressed
the importance of stating objectives in terms of student behaviours:
any statement of the objectives of the school should be a statement of
changes to take place in students (Tyler, 1949, p. 44). This emphasis on
student behaviours was taken up by other proponents of the model and
led to a move to limit behavioural objectives to observable, measurable
changes in behaviour, leaving no room for such things as understanding
or appreciation. The behavioural objectives model has influenced
education throughout the world; indeed, in 1977 the then General
Nursing Council for England and Wales (1977) issued a circular that
espoused the behavioural objectives model for nursing curricula and, by
the early 1980s, such objectives were almost universally applied in both
classroom and clinical settings.
Educational goal statements
There is no universally accepted terminology with regard to the
formulation of educational goals, but the following guide may serve to
clarify the concepts involved.
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theory and practice
Educational aim
An aim is a broad, general statement of goal direction, which contains
reference to the worthwhileness of achieving it. The educational aim is
the most important part of the goal system, since all the other objectives
are derived from it. The following is an example of an educational aim
in nursing: Understands the nature of malignant disease, so that he or
she may perform skilled nursing care of the patient with such disease.
This statement gives a very general indication of the goal to be achieved,
namely the understanding of malignant disease. It does not give details
as to what this understanding should consist of, but it does stress the
value of achieving this goal, which is the skilled care of the patient. Some
authorities subdivide these general goals into immediate and long-term
goals and, in nursing, it is likely that teachers will need to state goals for
the learner that apply to practice after qualification and so are long-term
goals.
Learning outcome
This is the desired end-state of student learning, and describes the
knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that a student should acquire
as a result of the educational process. Learning outcomes are derived
from the educational aims of a programme but are stated in terms of the
capabilities that students should attain as a result of instruction. There is
a very specific type of learning outcome called a behavioural objective,
and this is described below.
Specific behavioural objectives
Also termed instructional objectives or terminal objectives, these are
highly specific statements that describe the changes in behaviour that
constitute learning. They must always contain a verb that indicates
exactly what the learner must do in order to achieve the objective, and
this verb should describe an observable action so that achievement can
be measured. Behavioural objectives are derived from the secondary
goals, for example: List five factors which predispose an individual to
malignant disease. The word list describes an observable action on the
learners part, which can be measured simply by asking the learner to
write down the list on paper.
If the curriculum uses a behavioural objectives approach to the
formulation of goals, then the following guidelines may be helpful:
1. Formulate the educational aims, ensuring that there is some indication
of the worthwhileness of achieving them.
2. Formulate the secondary-level goals, which will break down the
material into manageable sections for study.
3. Formulate specific behavioural objectives from the secondary-level
goals.
4. Formulate any experiential objectives from the secondary-level goals.
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Curriculum
models
Components of a behavioural objective

Behavioural objectives present the most difficulty in formulation, so it is
important to examine them in some detail. Most authorities agree with
Magers (1962) suggestion that there are three parts to any objective,
namely a verb indicating the learners observable behaviour, an indication
of the conditions under which the achievement will be demonstrated and
a standard or criterion by which the performance is evaluated. Let us take
each of these and examine them in relation to nursing.
Learners observable behaviour
Unless the learners behaviour is observable it is impossible to assess
whether or not an objective has been achieved. Take the objective which
states: The learner will understand the structure of bone. How will the
nurse teacher know that the learner has achieved this objective? It is not
possible to measure understanding as such, but it can be inferred from
certain behaviours. For instance, if learners can write a description of the
structure of bone in their own words and without referring to notes or
textbooks, then one might safely assume that they have comprehended
or understood the material. Thus, it would be much more accurate
to state the objective as follows: Describe in writing the structure
of bone. The word describe is the action verb, which indicates the
learners observable behaviour. It is important to select verbs that are as
unambiguous as possible and which do not rely on the interpretation of
the individual who is reading them.
Conditions under which achievement will be demonstrated
Although not always strictly necessary, this can be an aid to clarity in an
objective. Conditions are usually such things as time constraints, use of
materials or special situations. For example, an objective may state that
the condition under which achievement is demonstrated is on a patient
in bed. In the example quoted above, the condition is in own words,
without notes or textbooks.
Standard or criterion of performance
In the following objective the criterion of performance is without danger
or discomfort to the patient: Remove a drain from the wound of a
patient using aseptic technique and without danger or discomfort to the
patient. Note that the objective cannot be achieved simply by removing
the drain; it must be done according to the criteria.
This objective contains all three components, the action verb
remove, the condition using aseptic technique and the criterion of
without danger or discomfort to the patient. Criteria and standards are
useful whenever there is doubt as to the level of performance required
in an objective.
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theory and practice
The taxonomy of educational objectives

In order to perform their role adequately, nurses need a variety of
behaviours. They must be able to remember and understand the
theoretical aspects of nursing, such as pathophysiology, therapeutics and
behavioural sciences. In addition, nurses must possess a wide variety of
skills that demand physical ability and co-ordination, such as assisting
patients who have difficulty performing activities of living. But the
behaviour that is most closely associated with the role of the nurse is the
caring aspect, which involves feelings, emotions, attitudes and values, and
which puts the nurse in a unique position with regard to helping patients.
Of course, most aspects of nursing involve a combination of all three
types of behaviour. In order to perform a blanket bath, the nurse must
utilize certain theoretical behaviours such as remembering the patients
condition and relating it to the procedure to be adopted. An assessment
of the patient will be needed before commencing. Is the patient in pain?
Does the patient require specific help, etc.? Knowledge of the normal
and abnormal responses is integrated with information gained from the
assessment, to give an overall picture.
The nurse must perform many nursing skills, such as stripping the bed,
removing the patients clothing, altering the patients position and so on.
There is an accepted way of washing and drying a patient that takes a
little time to learn. In addition to these theoretical behaviours and
practical skills, there are the elements of caring, namely interpersonal
skills, feelings of empathy, consideration and such. A simple blanket bath
is far from simple when analysed, although it is often argued that anyone
with common sense can perform it, as we each take care of our personal
hygiene when in normal health. This procedure is often delegated to
health care assistants because of this viewpoint, but there is a world
of difference between a blanket bath that merely leaves patients clean
and one which leaves them clean, un-distressed and with many of their
queries or anxieties relieved.
If the role of the nurse requires this wide range of behaviours, then
objectives will need to be stated for each of these categories of activity.
In addition, it is important that the objectives do not simply require
factual recall of information, since nursing involves the ability to apply
theoretical knowledge to a practical situation and also to analyse,
synthesize and evaluate information.
In order to assist the teacher in formulating objectives at different
levels and for different kinds of behaviours, Bloom (1956) developed a
system of classification called the taxonomy of educational objectives.
A taxonomy is a classification, and the best known one is that of
Linnaeus, which classifies all living things according to general, and then
subsequently more detailed, similarities of structure and function. The
taxonomy of educational objectives classifies objectives into three main
spheres or domains and each of these is further categorized according
to level of behaviour, progressing from the most simple to the highly
complex. The levels are arranged in the form of a hierarchy, so that the
behaviours at any given level will incorporate those of the levels below.
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Curriculum
models
The three domains are cognitive, which is concerned with knowledge

and intellectual abilities; affective, which is concerned with attitudes,
values, interests and appreciations; and psychomotor, concerned with
motor skills. The taxonomy for the affective domain was published by
Krathwohl et al. (1964) and taxonomies for the psychomotor domain
have been developed by Simpson (1972) and Harrow (1972).
The cognitive domain
Table 4.1 gives the classification of the cognitive domain. There are six
levels of objective, each of which is divided into subcategories.
Level
1.00
Knowledge
Category
Subcategory
Table 4.1
1.10
1.11
of terminology
1.12
of specific facts
Taxonomy of educational
objectives: cognitive domain
1.21
of conventions
1.22
of trends and
sequences
1.23
of classifications and
categories
1.24
of criteria
1.25
of methodology
1.31
of principles and
generalizations
1.32
of theories and
structures
1.20
1.30
2.00
Comprehension
3.00
Application
4.00
Analysis
5.00
6.00
Synthesis
Evaluation
of specifics
of ways and means of
dealing with specifics
of the universals and

abstractions in a field
2.10
Translation
2.20
Interpretation
2.30
Extrapolation
4.10
of elements
4.20
of relationships
4.30
of organizational
principles
5.10
Production of a unique
communication
5.20
Production of a plan,
or a proposed set of
operations
5.30
Derivation of a set of
abstract relations
6.10
Judgements in terms of
internal evidence
6.20
Judgement in terms of
external criteria
Adapted from Bloom (1956)
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theory and practice
Level 1.00 Knowledge. At this, the most basic, level, all that is required
is the bringing to mind of such things as specific facts or terminology,
as stated in the subcategories. Typical verbs used to indicate this level
are define, describe, identify, label, name, state, list, etc. However, it is
important to remember that it is the context of the verb rather than the
verb itself that will decide the level, as some verbs can be used at more
than one level.
Level 2.00 Comprehension. This refers to understanding, which is usually
demonstrated by the learner making limited use of the information.
Such activities as paraphrasing a communication whilst maintaining the
intent of the original would constitute translation. Interpretation can
be observed by the learner summarizing or explaining information in
his or her own words, and extrapolation is involved when information
is projected beyond the given data. Typical verbs used at this level are
paraphrase, translate, convert, explain, give examples, etc.
Level 3.00 Application. The learner is required to apply rules, principles,
concepts, etc. to real situations. These should be sufficiently unfamiliar
to avoid the mere recall of previous behaviours. Typical verbs used at
this level are demonstrate, discover, prepare, produce, relate, use, solve,
show, etc.
Level 4.00 Analysis. This involves the ability to break down information
into its component parts, which may be elements of information,
relationships between elements, or organization and structure of
information. Its purpose is to separate the important aspects of
information from the less important, thus clarifying the meaning. Typical
verbs are differentiate, discriminate, distinguish, etc.
Level 5.00 Synthesis. At this level the learner is required to combine
various parts into a new kind of whole. Creativity is present because the
learner produces something unique, such as a plan or design. Typical
verbs are compile, compose, create, devise, plan, etc.
Level 6.00 Evaluation. This implies the ability to make judgements
regarding the value of material and involves the use of criteria. Typical
verbs are compare, contrast, criticize, justify, appraise, judge, etc.
Table 4.2 gives examples of nursing objectives for the cognitive
domain.
Table 4.2
Examples of nursing objectives
for the cognitive domain
Level 1.00 Knowledge

States the four stages of the nursing process.
Defines the term psychoneurosis.
Identifies the functions of the health education officer.
Outlines the three stages of normal labour.
Defines the term anaesthesia.
Names the stages in child development as described by Piaget. It should be noted that all of
these objectives are normally to be achieved without reference to notes or textbooks, so it is
not necessary to include this in each statement.
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Curriculum
models
Level 2.00 Comprehension

Translates the term haematemesis into its English equivalent.
Summarizes Section 26 of the Mental Health Act 1959.
Gives three examples of the facilities available for the elderly in the community.
Explains in own words the methods available for contraception.
Gives one example of a potential threat to patient safety in the operating department.
Distinguishes between the clean and dirty dressing rooms in the Accident and Emergency
department.
Level 3.00 Application
Given the characteristics of ageing, relates these to the needs of the elderly in hospital.
Given the principles of care for a patient with pneumonia, relates these to the care of a particular
patient with this condition.
Given the guideline for handling violence in hospital, applies these to the care of a patient with a
psychopathic disorder.
Using the rules for calculation of an infant feed, calculates correctly the feed requirements of an
infant of given weight and age.
Given the principles of aseptic technique, applies these when preparing trolleys for surgical
operations in the operating department.
Level 4.00 Analysis
Given a list of 12 statements about the aetiology of diabetes mellitus, differentiates between those
which are factual and those which are assumptions.
From a videotape depicting the performance of a surgical dressing, points out two instances of
unsafe technique.
Given a series of 12 assertionreason statements on psychiatric disorders, identifies at least four
in which the reason is inaccurate.
Given a simulated case history of a community patient, distinguishes two inappropriate
interventions.
Given a list of surgical instruments for laparotomy, identifies three omissions.
Given a list of nursing interventions in the Accident and Emergency department, discriminates
between those that are important and those which are unimportant, in relation to cardiac
arrest.
Level 5.00 Synthesis
Writes an original essay on The role of the nurse in care of the inpatient with multiple sclerosis.
Devises a nursing care plan that meets the needs of a patient who has undergone
cholecystectomy.
Produces an outline design for an Accident and Emergency department, which allows for the
following:
(1) one-way flow through the department
(2) prevention of cross-infection
(3) separate resuscitation area.
Given a list of personnel, designs an off-duty rota for a labour ward, which gives adequate
coverage on all shifts.
Writes an original essay on The role of behaviourism in psychiatry.
Devises a plan to meet the needs of a recently discharged lower-limb amputee in the community.
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theory and practice
Level 6.00 Evaluation

Evaluates the arguments for and against the use of pertussis vaccine in infants.
Given three methods of contraception, judges which one is best, stating how this decision was
reached and what criteria were used.
Justifies the continued use of bottle feeding as opposed to breast feeding in infants.
Compares and evaluates two approaches to the treatment of depression, stating the criteria
used.
The affective domain

This domain has particular significance for nursing because it deals with
the realm of feelings and attitudes, which constitute the caring functions.
It is perhaps useful at this point to clarify what is meant by the terms
attitude and value. Both of these are constructs, i.e. terms invented
by psychologists to explain things that cannot be observed directly,
but which must be inferred from the persons own account or his or
her behaviour. Values refer to the persons concept of what he or she
considers desirable, and so has a large emotional component. A persons
values may include sincerity, compassion, respect, etc. Attitudes, on
the other hand, are positive or negative feelings about certain things
and consist of both cognitive and affective aspects. People who feel that
smoking is antisocial and that it endangers health are demonstrating a
negative attitude towards smoking.
The affective domain consists of five levels, each of which is subdivided
into categories.
When writing objectives for this domain, it is essential to include
within the written statement both the attitude or value in question, and
the behaviour that will indicate the particular value or attitude.
Level 1.00 Receiving (attending). At this level the learner is sensitive to
the existence of something and progresses from awareness to controlled
or selective attention. It is difficult to tell when a learner is receiving or
attending to something, so the best indicator is verbal behaviour. Typical
verbs are ask, choose, select, reply, etc.
Level 2.00 Responding. This is concerned with active response by the
learner, although commitment is not yet demonstrated. The range is from
reacting to a suggestion through to experiencing a feeling of satisfaction
in responding. Typical verbs are answer, assist, comply, conform,
help, etc.
Level 3.00 Valuing. Objectives at this level indicate acceptance and
internalization of the values or attitudes in question. The learner acts
out these in everyday life in a consistent way. Typical verbs are initiate,
invite, join, justify, etc.
Level 4.00 Organization. Having internalized the value, the learner will
encounter situations in which more than one value is relevant. This
level is concerned with the ability to organize values and to arrange
them in appropriate order. Typical verbs are alter, arrange, combine,
modify, etc.
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Curriculum
models
Level 5.00 Characterization. This is the highest level, and having attained
this level the learner has an internalized value system which has become
his or her philosophy of life. These are the values that characterize an
individual. Typical verbs are act, discriminate, listen, etc. Nurse
students, unlike schoolchildren, will have acquired mature attitudes and
values systems, because they enter nursing when mature. However, this
domain is still most applicable to nurse education, as the learner may
have to acquire new attitudes and values, or modify existing ones.
The psychomotor domain
Taxonomies in this domain have been developed by Harrow (1972) and
Simpson (1972), the latter having more application to the type of skilled
performance involved in nursing.
Level 1 Perception. This basic level is concerned with the perception of
sensory cues that guide actions and ranges from awareness of stimuli
to translation into action. Typical verbs are chooses, differentiate,
distinguish, identify, detect, etc.
Level 2 Set. This is concerned with cognitive, affective and psychomotor
readiness to act. Typical verbs are begin, move, react, show, start,
etc.
Level 3 Guided responses. These objectives refer to the early stages in
skills acquisition where skills are performed following demonstration by
the teacher. Typical verbs are carry out, make, perform, calculate,
etc.
Level 4 Mechanism. At this level, the performance has become habitual,
but the movements are not as complex as the next higher level. Typical
verbs are similar to the previous level.
Level 5 Complex overt response. This level typifies the skilled performance
and involves economy of effort, smoothness of action, accuracy and
efficiency, etc. Again, verbs are similar to Level 3.
Level 6 Adaptation. Here, the skills are internalized to such an extent
that the nurse can adapt them to cater for special circumstances. Typical
verbs are adapt, alter, modify, reorganize, etc.
Level 7 Origination. This is the highest level, and concerns the origination
of new movement patterns to suit particular circumstances. Typical verbs
are compose, create, design, originate, etc.
Table 4.3 gives examples of nursing objectives for the psychomotor
domain.
Level 1. Perception
Table 4.3
Detects the need for pharyngeal suction in a patient, by listening to the sound of his or her
breathing.
Examples of nursing objectives

for the psychomotor domain
Level 2. Set
Demonstrates the correct bodily position for lifting a patient.
Level 3. Guided response
Performs urine testing as demonstrated by the instructor.
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theory and practice
Level 4. Mechanism
Sets a tray for an intramuscular injection.
Level 5. Complex overt response
Applies with skill a stump bandage to a lower-limb amputee.
Level 6. Adaptation
Modifies surgical dressing technique to suit a particular patients circumstances.
Level 7. Origination
Devises an original way of securing a dressing that has tended to come loose soon after
application.
A critique of the behavioural objectives model

Although remaining influential in the design of curricula, the behavioural
objectives model has been the subject of considerable criticism in the
literature. Table 4.4 summarizes the viewpoints of both proponents and
opponents of the model.
Table 4.4
Viewpoints of proponents
and opponents of behavioural
objectives model
Proponents
They provide the student with clear directions as to what must be learnt.
Their use encourages the teacher to examine his or her goals more carefully.
It is relatively easy to assess students achievements, as behaviours are observable.
They can aid self-instruction.
They are accessible to public scrutiny.
They offer a rational system for curriculum planning.
Students on the whole tend to welcome the clarity that behavioural objectives bring to learning.
They provide a basis for comparison between similar courses in different institutions.
They offer a system for evaluation the performance of the teacher.
Opponents
They act as a set of blinkers that narrow the learning field.
They are difficult to formulate for higher level outcomes and hence encourage trivialization of
learning by focusing on lower level outcomes.
They are almost impossible to formulate in the affective domain.
They ignore unanticipated outcomes of instruction.
It is impossible to state objectives for every learning outcome, even if this were desirable.
They are unsuitable for arts subjects such as music, poetry and drama.
They are unsuitable for science subjects, as they emphasize the learning of actual information
rather than scientific enquiry.
Their use reflects a training approach rather than an educational one.
They encourage conformity rather than diversity.
It is wrong for one individual, i.e. the teacher, to dictate how another individual, i.e. the student
should behave.
They are extremely time-consuming to formulate and require continuous updating.
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Curriculum
models
Perhaps a real-life example may help to show how much of the

richness of the learning experience is lost by adhering strictly to a
behavioural objectives model. Quinn (2000) describes sitting in on
a lecture entitled The care of a child with leukaemia; the teachers stated
objectives for the students were:
1. Recall the normal leucocyte blood picture.
2. State how the blood picture is altered in leukaemia.
3. Deduce some resulting signs and symptoms of leukaemia.
4. Suggest appropriate nursing care for an eight-year-old child undergoing
chemotherapy in hospital.
5. Demonstrate an interest in the bone-marrow transplant form of
treatment.
These objectives seem perfectly acceptable outcomes for the lecture, but
such was the skill of the teacher that by the end of the lecture Quinn was
feeling a range of emotions that he subsequently wrote down to try to
capture their essence:
feelings of empathy and caring for those children with leukaemia;

admiration for medical science and its new technology, which can offer
treatment for children who would have been considered incurable a

few years ago;
real appreciation of the frightening nature of treatment for leukaemia,
especially the necessary isolation of the child during treatment for
bone-marrow transplant;
feelings of pride for the courage of his fellow humans;
understanding of the principle of bone-marrow transplantation; and
motivation and a desire to help patients suffering from leukaemia and
their relatives (adapted from Quinn, 2000).
It does seem from the list that there were many outcomes that could
not have been anticipated by the teacher, yet they were very important
results. Quinn suggests that one might argue that in the longer term they
are much more important than the behavioural list that the teacher gave
to the students, since he was more likely to remember and understand the
principles of the lecture because of these feelings.
Stenhouses process model of curriculum

One of the major critics of the behavioural objectives model was the late
Lawrence Stenhouse, who formulated an alternative approach known as
the process model. He saw the use of behavioural objectives acting as a
filter that distorted knowledge in schools (Stenhouse, 1975, p. 86):
The filtering of knowledge through an analysis of objectives gives
the school an authority and power over its students by setting
arbitrary limits to speculation and by defining arbitrary solutions
to unresolved problems of knowledge. This translates the teacher
from the role of the student of a complex field of knowledge to the
role of the master of the schools agreed version of that field.
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theory and practice
Requirements for a curriculum

Stenhouses (1975) minimum requirements for a curriculum are that a
curriculum should offer:
1. In planning:
(a) principles for the selection of content what is to be learned and
taught;
(b) principles for the development of a teaching strategy how it is to
be learned and taught;
(c) principles for the making of decisions about sequence;
(d) principles on which to diagnose the strengths and weaknesses of
individual students and differentiate the general principles (a), (b)
and (c) above to meet individual cases;
2. In empirical study:
(a) principles on which to study and evaluate the progress of
students;
(b) principles on which to study and evaluate the progress of
teachers;
(c) guidance as to the feasibility of implementing the curriculum in
varying school contexts, pupil contexts, environments and peergroup situations;
(d) information about the variability of effects in differing contexts
and on different pupils and an understanding of the causes of the
variation; and
3. In relation to justification:
(a) a formulation of the intention or aim of the curriculum that is
accessible to critical scrutiny.
Stenhouses position on behavioural objectives
Stenhouse believed that it was possible to organize the curriculum without
having to specify in advance the behavioural changes that should occur in
students; indeed, he argued that the purpose of education was to make
student outcomes unpredictable. Knowledge does not consist of known
facts to be remembered, rather, it provides a basis for speculation and
conjecture about a discipline. The content of a curriculum can be selected
on the basis that it is worthwhile in itself and not merely as the means
to achievement of a behavioural objective. Hence, we could argue that
the content in a nursing curriculum can be chosen for its worthwhileness
in providing examples of the key concepts, procedures and criteria of
nursing science. Similarly, teaching methods and learning experiences
can be specified in terms of their worthwhileness as learning activities.
Stenhouse refers to these statements of worthwhileness as principles of
procedure and it is important to note that the principles of procedure
for teaching are couched in terms of what the teacher will do rather than
what the students will be able to do: for example, to encourage students
to reflect on their experiences.
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Curriculum
models
The role of assessment in a process curriculum is very different from

that in a product model, with the teachers role being that of critic rather
than marker. The teacher is cast in the role of critical appraiser of the
students work, with the emphasis on developing self-appraisal in the
student. According to Stenhouse (1975, p. 95):
The worthwhile activity in which teacher and student are engaged
has standards and criteria immanent in it and the task of appraisal
is that of improving students capacity to work to such criteria by
critical reaction to work done. In this sense, assessment is about the
teaching of self-assessment.
The greatest weakness of the process model is identified by Stenhouse

as its dependence upon the quality of the teacher. In this model, the
teachers commitment to professional development is vital; teachers need
to see themselves as learners rather than as experts, and to be continually
striving to improve their performance and judgement.
Beatties fourfold model

Beatties (1987) fourfold model of the curriculum draws upon his
experience with nursing curricula. He suggests that there are four
fundamental approaches to the task of planning a curriculum for nursing,
each with its own particular strengths and weaknesses:
The curriculum as a map of key subjects. As the name implies, this
approach consists of mapping out the key subjects in the nursing

curriculum, preferably integrating them by means of themes such as
the human lifespan to avoid the danger of an isolated collection of
topics.
The curriculum as a schedule of basic skills. This approach emphasizes
the explicit specification of basic skills of nursing, these skills being
culled from recent empirical research into nursing practice. A
behavioural objectives approach can be appropriate here, provided
that it is not used dogmatically for all aspects of teaching, particularly
in relation to the knowledge base for clinical practice.
The curriculum as a portfolio of meaningful personal experiences. This
approach puts the students at the centre by organizing the curriculum
around their interests and experiences. This is done by using a variety
of experiential techniques such as action research, critical incidents,
role-play and the like. There will always be a degree of tension
between the unpredictability consequent upon student autonomy and
the need to ensure sufficient opportunity to cover key areas.
The curriculum as an agenda of important cultural issues. This
approach avoids giving detailed subject matter, focusing instead on
controversial issues and political dilemmas in nursing and health care.
These issues are chosen because they are open to debate and have no
single correct answer, thereby stimulating discussion and enquiry, for
example about nurse power or patient power.
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theory and practice
How can nurse teachers use these ideas in practical curriculum

planning? Beattie suggests that there are three ways of combining the
fourfold framework. The first one he calls the eclectic curriculum,
in which the four approaches are mixed together in some sort of
combination. The main problem with this is that the more traditional
approaches tend to dominate, leaving only the marginal inclusion of
student-centred ideas. Another way is to negotiate each of the key areas
with the consumers, the negotiated curriculum. The third way Beattie
calls the dialectical curriculum, in which the curriculum designer goes
out to do battle, as it were, to engage in a deliberate, principled and
committed struggle to combat, challenge and contest the dominant codes
of curriculum (Beattie, 1987, p. 31). In his fourfold model of curriculum,
Beattie argues that curriculum planners in nursing can and must move
beyond simpleminded, single-model approaches and towards complex,
multifaceted strategies (Beattie, 1987, p. 32).
Models
of teaching
Teaching is a deliberate and purposeful activity directed towards the

promotion of learning. It normally comprises two basic elements:
the teacher, i.e. the individual doing the promoting of learning, and the
student/learner/recipient, i.e. the one whose learning is thus promoted.
However, these elements are commonly combined from time to time, as
when individuals teach themselves. Teaching can be, and is, carried out
by any member of society, for example parents, trainers, etc., but there is
also a profession called teaching that includes teachers of children and
adults. The element called teacher need not refer exclusively to a human
being; there are many non-human teaching resources available, such as
computers, video, etc.
A number of models exist that attempt to represent the nature of
teaching, and a selection is outlined below.
The transmission model of teaching

This model conceptualizes teaching as a process in which the teacher
transmits knowledge, skills and attitudes to the students, who are
subsequently considered to have learned these capabilities. This model
has been the basis of teaching for centuries and is still very much evident
in the lecture method used in higher education. However, the model is
not without its critics, who question the relatively passive role of the
student in the process. Their reservations are neatly expressed in the
aphorism the lecturers notes are transmitted to the students notes
without passing through the brains of either. Indeed, the model is often
termed the empty vessel model, implying that the students are empty
vessels waiting for the teacher to fill them up with learning. One eminent
proponent of the transmission model of teaching is David Ausubel (see
Chapter 3, p. 76), who argues that the model is the most efficient means
of transmitting the culture of a society from one generation to another.
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Curriculum
development
The facilitation model of teaching

In this model, the teacher is seen as a facilitator of learning rather than
a transmitter of information, and one of the key originators is Carl
Rogers (see Chapter 2, p. 24). The facilitation of learning requires the
setting up of an environment conducive to learning, including interaction
between teacher and students in a challenging but non-threatening
environment. Proponents of this model emphasize its appropriateness
for individual learning and its relevance to life-skills. Opponents cite the
time-consuming nature of such activities and the consequent inability to
adequately cover the syllabus.
Nursing
models
Nursing models are used to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate nursing
care in a wide range of practice settings and will therefore feature
significantly in curriculum documentation for nursing programmes.
Indeed, a nursing model may well function as the over-arching model
for an entire curriculum, and it is here that the boundary between
curriculum models and other models becomes blurred. The majority of
models originated in North America, with the notable Scottish exception
of the Roper, Logan and Tierney Model of Activities of Living. The
most commonly used American models are the Orem Self-Care model;
Roys Adaptation Model; Neumans Health Care Systems Model, and
Johnsons Behavioural Systems Model. Fraser (1996) advocates the use of
a multiple-model approach to practice, as no single model is capable
of covering all the problems experienced by clinical nurses.
Curriculum
development
The basic principles of curriculum development apply to both preregistration and post-registration provision, although there are some
differences in approach between these. Pre-registration courses or
programmes in nursing and midwifery tend to be offered in both
full-time and part-time modes, whereas post-registration continuing
education programmes are largely part time.
Since pre-registration programmes form the entry gate to the nursing
or midwifery professions they must meet the criteria laid down by the
NMC. Post-registration programmes and courses are, on the whole, less
constrained by such requirements and provide scope for curriculum
designers to be much more flexible and imaginative.
Curriculum development needs to be distinguished from curriculum
design at this point:
Curriculum development is a broad concept that encompasses all

the processes involved in the production and implementation of a
curriculum, from the initial idea through to monitoring and review of
its operation.
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theory and practice
Curriculum design is a focused activity concerned with questions of
structure, content and process, for example curriculum philosophy

and model, content-mapping, organization and sequencing of content,
etc. It is a subcomponent of curriculum development.
Although nursing curricula within the UK will differ one from another,
there will be certain common aspects. For example, the now defunct
English National Board describes a documentary analysis of nursing
degree curricula undertaken by University College, Suffolk (ENB, 1999)
which sets out the similarities and differences between nursing degree
curriculum documents from 32 institutions. The ways in which the
documents were comparable included:
The graduate nurse was conceptualized as an innovative leader,

flexible, and able to manage change.
Level descriptors were comparable, but there was difficulty in

articulating higher levels of practice.
Preparation of practice assessors was similar.

Students were required to undertake a substantial piece of independent
work over a period of time.
For post-registration programmes, there was a common emphasis on

flexible delivery.
The documents differed in a number of ways including:
considerable variation in whether or not practical skills were assessed

by direct observation, particularly in post-registration degrees;
fundamental differences in course structure;

lack of comparability of distribution of the 360 credits throughout
degree programme components;
no sense of common currency of credits in either learning time or

student achievement;
variation in whether or not students were required to undertake

research within their dissertation.
Before proceeding to discuss curriculum development in detail, it may

be helpful to highlight the context in which higher education curricula
operate, including the important concept of accreditation of prior
learning (APL).
Higher education credit schemes in relation to curriculum

development
Many higher education institutions use the concept of credit schemes to
structure their academic awards. Programmes within a credit scheme are
composed of large numbers of discrete, self-contained courses or courses
of learning that are designated either core or option. Core courses are
compulsory, whereas option courses offer the student a degree of choice.
Each course is described in the form of a course specification, and the
typical components are shown in Table 4.5.
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Curriculum
development
Should concisely indicate the nature of the course
Table 4.5
Credit points and learning time
Proportion of a full-time year
Typical components of
a course specification
Level
Credit level 1, 2, 3 or M
Code
For computer records
Co-ordinator
Individual responsible for delivery
Prerequisite and co-requisite
Courses that must be taken before or concurrently with

the course
Rationale
Justifies the inclusion of the course in the programme
Aims
Identify the overall purpose of the course
Learning outcomes
State what the student can do as a result of learning, e.g.
Course title
Department
Analyse the factors which influence the effectiveness of

nursepatient interaction
Process of learning and teaching
Range of activities to achieve learning
Assessment
Means of testing achievement of learning
Indicative content
List of key topics
Indicative reading
List of representative texts
The complete set of core and option courses will differ from student
to student, according to the option courses that they choose. The
basic criterion for the inclusion of an option course within a students
programme of study is that he or she must be able to demonstrate its
coherence and relevance to the overall programme.
Take the example of a nurse working within the field of sexually
transmitted diseases who is undertaking a post-registration degree in
nursing studies. This particular nurse may choose to study an option
course from a social science degree programme on human sexuality, since
this would be relevant to his or her particular professional needs and
interests. Similarly, an option course on personnel management from a
diploma in management studies may be undertaken so as to improve both
knowledge and skills as a departmental manager.
In credit schemes, a specified number of credit points are awarded to
the student on successful completion of appropriate learning, and these
can be gained in three ways:
through formal study on a programme;

from existing qualifications;
from professional or life experience.
The system of credit points takes as its standard a three-year full-time
undergraduate degree with honours, which is credit rated at 360 credit
points, 120 for each of the three years of the course. Each year represents
a specific level of learning:
First year
Second year
Third year
=
=
=
level 1
level 2
level 3
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theory and practice
There is also a Level M for postgraduate study at Masters degree

level. Credit points gained from appropriate learning can accumulate
towards a higher education award such as a diploma or degree, and the
amount and level of credit normally required for these in England, Wales
and Northern Ireland is shown below.
Certificate of higher education: 120 credit points at level 1.

Diploma of higher education: 240 credit points, 120 at each of levels
1 and 2.
Unclassified degree: 360 credit points, of which a minimum of 60 must

be at level 3.
Degree with honours: 360 credit points, of which a minimum of 120

must be at level 3.
Postgraduate diploma: 70 credit points, of which a minimum of 50

must be at Masters level.
Masters degree: 120 credit points, of which a minimum of 80 must

be at Masters level and the remainder at level 3.
The system in Scotland differs from that in the three countries above,
in that there are four levels: SD1, SD2, SD3 and SD4. The first three
levels equate with the certificate, diploma and unclassified degree as
shown above, but the degree with honours requires 480 credit points,
120 at each of the four levels.
Accreditation of prior learning

One of the fundamental principles of credit schemes is that students who
have been awarded credit points from one institution can transfer them
to studies in another institution.
The contribution of existing credits, gained outside the awarding
institution, towards a higher education award is termed APL (accreditation
of prior learning). In order for credit to count towards an award it must
be relevant to that award and be at an appropriate level. The length of
time since the course was completed also affects its current relevance,
so APL is normally confined to courses completed within the previous
five years. There is a maximum percentage of APL that can be counted
towards an award; this is normally between 50% and 75% of the total
credit required for that award. In credit schemes a distinction is made
between general credit and specific credit, as the following vignette
illustrates.
Mitzi was halfway through the second year of a degree in nursing
when her husbands company decided to transfer him to the north
of England office. She contacted the university nearest to her new
address and was told that there was currently no degree in nursing
available, but a degree in health studies was well established. Mitzi
had earned a total of 240 credit points from her previous nursing
degree studies, 120 at each of Levels 1 and 2. However, because
the focus was nursing rather than generic health studies, Mitzi was
allowed to count only 80 of her Level 2 credit points towards the
health studies degree.
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Credit awarded to a student for specified learning in one institution

is termed general credit and can be transferred to studies in other higher
education institutions. The receiving institution, however, may decide
that only a proportion of this general credit is actually relevant to its
course, and this proportion of the general credit is termed specific credit.
If any specific credit matches the learning outcomes of a unit on the
course to which the student is transferring, then he or she can be given
exemption from that unit.
Deciding the amount of credit
Course leaders in institutions are often faced with the task of deciding
how much credit should be allowed for previous qualifications, and this
is doubly difficult in the case of courses that do not carry a national credit
rating. There are two aspects to be considered when examining sources
of evidence about courses:
Quantity of learning. This is based upon a full-time higher education

academic year, with adjustment for variations in length of NHS-related
courses.
Quality of learning. In order to appraise the quality of learning, it is
necessary to scrutinize:
(a) Level of learning as defined in the scheme definitions; for
example, Cardiff University level 3 definition for health schemes is:
Practitioners who demonstrate an increased level of competence
through higher clinical decision-making skills and the delivery
of evidence-based care; enhanced knowledge and skills in the
interpretation of evidence and its application to care that is clinically
effective; and the ability to meet the requirements of contemporary
health care with the level of expertise demanded of clinical practice
in the 21st century.
(b) Appropriateness of the aims and outcomes of the course and the
relationship between these and the definitions of learning.
(c) Appropriateness of the learning and teaching processes.
(d) Reliability and validity of course assessment in relation to (a), (b)
and (c) above.
Accreditation of prior experiential learning

When earlier the concept of APL was discussed, the focus was on learning
gained from previous qualifications, but prior learning can also be gained
from the day-to-day experience of professional practice or of life
generally, as in rearing a child or writing a book. It is important to note
that experience alone is insufficient; the student must demonstrate how
he or she has learned from the experience. A useful theoretical basis for
APEL is given by Kolb (1984) in his experiential learning cycle. This is
discussed in Chapter 2 (p. 34).
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Credit points can be given for such experiential learning provided

that it is relevant to the award which the student is seeking to achieve
and that a portfolio of evidence for such learning has been presented for
accreditation to the awarding institution.
Butterworth (1992) describes two models of practice used to
accredit prior experiential learning: the credit exchange model and the
developmental model. The widest application of the former is in the
National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ) field, where the emphasis
is very much on the production of satisfactory evidence of previous
performance by the claimant.
In the developmental model, evidence of past achievements must also
be produced by the claimant, but in addition he or she must produce
an analysis of that evidence, including its significance to the individuals
professional development. This analysis must be supported by relevant
theoretical perspectives. Butterworth argues that the developmental
model is more appropriate for the accreditation of learning derived from
professional practice.
Making an APEL Claim
There are seven steps in making a claim for Accreditation of Prior
Experiential Learning (Butterworth, 1993).
1. Focus on the area of learning and summarize it in a learning claim. The
first step in putting together an APEL claim is for students to decide
upon which part of their past experience they wish to base their claim;
this can be one large experience or more than one, provided that it is
reasonably substantial. It is not possible to use many small experiences
to build up a claim, as this would lack the necessary coherence.
2. Clearly identify and list the learning outcomes derived from the
experience. Learning outcomes need to be stated in a precise form
rather than in vague, general statements, and must encompass all the
knowledge and skills that were learned.
3. Check that the learning is relevant and at the right level for the award
that is being sought. The claim must be current; i.e. the experience
should have been within the last five years, sufficient, and relevant to
the award being sought.
4. Collect sufficient documentary evidence to support the claim, together
with at least one suitable testimonial authenticating it. Direct evidence
constitutes the students own work, such as reports, plans, materials
that have been designed, etc., that will demonstrate achievement of the
learning outcomes. Indirect evidence refers to testimonials and other
evidence from external sources.
5. Produce a reflective commentary that describes the experiences and
analyses them to show how they produced the learning that is being
claimed. This is a very important stage, as it demonstrates the students
ability to reflect upon and conceptualize the experiences.
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6. Present an outline of APEL portfolio at a formative assessment

tutorial. This involves discussion with the APEL counsellor about the
appropriateness and sufficiency of the claim, and the quality of the
reflective commentary.
7. Collate all this material and organize it in the form of a portfolio that
can be presented to an assessor. The portfolio is not assessed by the
APEL counsellor, but by a gatekeeper who has not been involved
with the students preparation. The portfolio should contain a contents
page and each chapter should be clearly labelled.
Stages of curriculum development

There are four stages in the curriculum development process: exploratory,
design, implementation, and monitoring and review.
Exploratory stage
It is important that education providers liaise closely with service
providers to identify gaps in the provision of nursing and midwifery
education so that new courses or programmes can be developed to
meet those needs. Ideas for new provision should be carefully explored
before being either adopted or rejected, and a core team should be set
up to this effect. Market research is vitally important to ascertain the
views of employers and other interested parties such as statutory bodies.
The availability of resources and expertise within the university needs
to be explored, and the estimated costs of development will have to be
calculated for eventual inclusion in any contract. It is useful to undertake
an initial critical path analysis for the development so that a realistic idea
of the timescale is gained.
Design stage
If a decision is made to go ahead with the development, a curriculum
planning team should be set up to prepare the course or programme for
validation and subsequent implementation. The actual process of design
and validation is discussed in the next section of this chapter.
Implementation stage
In this stage students have been recruited, all systems are in place, and
the curriculum is fully operational. In the early days of implementation,
a few teething troubles can be expected until the systems have been
fine tuned. For example, the offering of a choice of option courses
to students may result in some courses being undersubscribed and
others oversubscribed. During the implementation stage, curriculum
evaluation is ongoing by means of course evaluation. This does not refer
to the assessment of students achievement of course outcomes, but to
the systematic collection of opinions about the quality and usefulness
of the courses.
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Monitoring and review stage

Although the evaluation of programme courses is an ongoing process,
the monitoring and review stage can be usefully seen as a distinct phase
in the curriculum. In HE, programme leaders in consultation with
programme committees are required to produce an annual programmemonitoring report. This report is retrospective for the previous academic
year and requires the programme director to reflect upon the quality of
the programme using data gathered from a variety of sources such as
students evaluations of courses, external examiners reports, and the
views of employers. This report is scrutinized at a series of meetings
before being discussed at a faculty board or academic board. Annual
programme monitoring is therefore an important mechanism for ensuring
quality on the programme.
When a programme receives approval following validation, a timescale
for programme review will be proposed. The length of approval ranges
from as little as one year through to indefinite approval, but, regardless of
length, continuation of the programme is dependent upon a satisfactory
programme review. A review is very similar to a validation event, but
the programme team is required to produce a detailed review of the
operation of the programme over the prescribed timescale. Proposals for
changes must be accompanied by a well-argued rationale and supporting
evidence.
Curriculum
design
This constitutes the second stage of the curriculum planning process as

outlined above. The core team, formed during the exploratory stage to
consider the feasibility of the development, now needs to be augmented
by a small number of other individuals possessing the required knowledge
and experience with reference to the curriculum in question. In
curriculum development groups for nursing and midwifery, particularly
for pre-registration programmes, the range of representation commonly
includes teaching staff, students, and hospital and community service
managers. The last group represents the various specialisms of nursing,
such as learning difficulties, community nursing, and childrens nursing,
and are usually chosen to reflect representation from each health district
or trust to which the university relates. The curriculum development
group should have a chairperson, and it is sufficient to have notes of the
decisions made at meetings rather than formal minutes.
Critical path analysis

One of the first issues to be addressed by the group should be a critical path
analysis, which identifies deadlines for each aspect of the development.
It is useful to work backwards from the proposed date of the validation
event, allowing several weeks before the event for the documentation to
be available to validation panel members. Other deadlines that need to
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design
be included are the first draft of the validation document, the internal
validation event, and the printing of the document. A specimen critical
path analysis for curriculum development is shown in Figure 4.2
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Formation of
planning team
Curriculum development
Unit writing
Document writing
Internal
validation
Document
to panel
Validation
event
Response to
validation conditions
Start
intake
Incorporating statutory body guidelines into the curriculum
Figure 4.2
Another issue that needs to be addressed early in the development is

the question of curriculum givens, i.e. the universitys regulations on
programme development and validation, and the requirements and
guidelines of the NMC. For example, the NMC has produced standards
of proficiency for pre-registration nursing education (NMC, 2004)
that address a range of relevant issues such as health promotion, multidisciplinary and multi-agency working, evidence-based practice, decisionmaking and interpersonal skills.
Specimen critical path analysis

for curriculum development
Approval in principle and statement of intent

In 2001, the Nursing Midwifery Order provided legislative powers for the
NMC to approve and monitor the standards of educational programmes
that lead to entry on to the register and the educational institutions
delivering these programmes. Programme approval is jointly undertaken
between the NMC, higher education institutions and other stakeholders,
which may include clinical placement providers and purchasers of the
programme.
Institutions of higher education and statutory bodies both have
mechanisms for granting approval in principle, which is normally required
before the team can proceed with curriculum development. However,
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theory and practice
the NMC has no responsibility for the framework of professional

development programmes so responsibility for such programmes lies
with each individual higher education institution. In the higher education
sector, approval in principle normally requires the completion of a
planning proposal form which outlines the academic rationale and the
resource implications of the proposed programme. The proposal is then
considered by the appropriate body at faculty level.
Cardiff University requirements for the introduction of new
programmes of study include the following information:
programme title;
type of award;
rationale of the proposed programme;
name of designated programme organizer;
mode of study;
proposed commencement date;
name of professional accreditation (if applicable);
evidence of local, national, international demand;
staff resources to support the programme;
resources to support learning and teaching.
The proposal of a new programme of study is then scrutinized by a
number of committees. The School Board approves initial documentation
for further development and a proposal cannot proceed without the
approval of the Head of School and School Board. The proposal then
moves through a series of panels, including the School Advisory Panel,
Programme Approval Panel, Academic Standards and Quality Committee
before it is finally approved by the Academic Policy Committee.
Writing the validation submission document

Another key component of curriculum development is the validation
submission document; the writing of this should be the responsibility of
one person, although informed by the team. The document should be
written in parallel with the development so that key aspects are captured
as they happen. Higher education institutions differ in their requirements
for validation documents, but there is a general structure common to all.
The format for programme documentation used in Cardiff University is
shown in Table 4.6.
Table 4.6
Format for validation
submission document
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1. Programme title, type of award, programme manager, length and mode of study.
2. Introduction and rationale.
3. Admissions policy.
4. Level, aims and intended learning outcomes.
5. Programme structure, content and delivery.
6. Assessment strategy.
7. Academic standards and quality assurance.
8. Regulations and programme administration.
9. Support for students.
10. Financial, physical and human resources.
Adapted from Cardiff University (2005)
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Curriculum
design
For conjoint validation with the NMC, the validation submission

document must address the NMC standards and criteria for programme
approval.
Curriculum rationale and model

One of the key sections of the validation document is Section 2, the
rationale of the programme. The purpose of the rationale is to outline
the philosophy and model upon which the curriculum is based, and
all other components of the programme must be congruent with this
rationale. For example, the rationale for a nursing curriculum may define
the student as an autonomous, reflective individual who is responsible for
his or her own learning. Hence, the timetable should provide adequate
time for private study and reflection, but if the day is fully programmed
with lectures and teaching contact, then there is clearly a mismatch
between the rationale and the teaching and learning process. Such
incongruence would be seriously questioned at a validation event. The
development team may decide to use any one of the curriculum models
outlined earlier in this chapter, in their curriculum. On the other hand,
they may wish to adapt an existing model to fit their ideas, or devise
an entirely new one. Curriculum development teams may be tempted
to include a model in their validation document simply because it is
expected, but unless the model helps to conceptualize the curriculum it
will quickly be detected as irrelevant by the panel.
Organizing and sequencing of curriculum content

The curriculum rationale guides the selection of content, but not the
sequencing and organization of that content into some form of logical
order. The latter is important if students are to be able to make sense
of the programme of study and is achieved by means of a conceptual
framework or model. Bernstein (1971) identifies two approaches to
content organization in curricula: collection and integration. In a
collection curriculum, subjects are taught as separate, isolated entities
with clear-cut boundaries, the emphasis being on depth of treatment.
In contrast, integrated curricula focus on common themes that unite
various subjects, and the emphasis is on breadth of coverage. Collection
curricula are typified by timetables containing slots with separate
subjects such as anatomy and physiology and psychology. Integrated
curricula, on the other hand, consist of broad themes such as the
individual in pain. Simmons and Bahl (1992) describe an integrated
approach to curriculum development at post-registration level. In nurse
education, they see integration having two main meanings: integration
of content can be achieved by linking academic disciplines, and also
theory and practice; integration also applies to student groups, where
students from different branches of nursing, or from other professions,
learn together. They describe their PEP curriculum model for postregistration education as developing individual practitioners in three
areas: professional development, educational development, and personal
development.
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theory and practice
Academic validation of curricula

Academic validation is the programme or course approval process used
in higher education. It consists of a carefully selected panel of academics
that engages the programme team in discussion about the programme
curriculum and decides whether or not the programme is approved
to run. Validation needs to be distinguished from an allied concept:
accreditation. Many programmes and courses in higher education involve
professional education and training, and as such are subject not only
to university regulations, but also to the requirements for professional
recognition by the appropriate professional body. These requirements
are safeguarded by the process of professional accreditation, which
may consist of scrutiny of the programme documentation alone, or by
an accreditation event. The latter is usually combined with a validation
event, so that both academic validation and professional accreditation are
undertaken at the same time.
In nursing and midwifery, however, there is an additional category
called conjoint validation, in which the NMC, higher education institution
and other stakeholders are equal partners in the validation process. Once
the curriculum development work has been completed the programme
can be advertised provided that it states subject to validation.
The validation event is seen as the culmination of the work of the
curriculum development team and, if carried out in the right spirit, can
be a stimulating academic debate between peers. There are three types of
validation: internal, mock and full validation.
Internal validation is a formal component of the quality assurance
mechanism of the institution, and consists of a meeting between the

curriculum development team and selected members of the institution.
The curriculum submission is scrutinized in a similar way to a final
validation, using a small panel of internal members of the institution
who have no direct involvement with the curriculum in question.
Feedback from internal validation is incorporated into the draft
validation document, after which it is sent for printing.
Mock validation is the name given to a practice validation event, which
is conducted exactly like a real event, the aim of which is to test the
teams cohesiveness and ability to defend their curriculum design.
Full validation is a major academic event in which a panel of academic
staff is assembled to engage and challenge the programme team on
their curriculum design.
Membership of validation panels
The higher education sector has strict guidelines for the choice of panel
members, and typical membership is as follows:
chair: a senior member of staff drawn from the committee responsible
for academic standards in the university, who is not from the faculty
submitting the programme;
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design
one academic from the host school, who was not involved in the
development;
one academic from outside the host school;

an external practitioner who is a practising professional in an
appropriate field, or a potential employer of graduates from the

programme.
The validation event

Programme development teams usually experience some anxiety when
approaching a validation event, since it is important for them to achieve
a successful outcome. However, a validation event is one of the few
opportunities that educators have to engage in real academic debate
about philosophical and practical educational issues. The programme
development team will have received in advance the key agenda issues
that the panel wish to cover, but should be prepared also for other issues
to be raised during the event.
The most important aspect of a programme is the quality of the staff
who will be teaching on it, so the programme team must project a confident,
informed and cohesive impression. This means that contributions should
be distributed amongst the entire team, and not dominated by any one
individual. Having said this, it is equally important that the programme
director designate should maintain a high profile during the event, and
this can be done by taking the lead in some areas of questioning, and by
inviting other members of the team to answer particular questions. It is
useful to have decided in advance of the event which team member will
answer questions on a particular area, such as assessment or admissions.
This ensures that no team member should be caught out by not having
a satisfactory answer ready. Self-confidence and conviction are the keys
to successful validation; the panel are fellow educationalists and peers,
so the programme team need not feel intimidated by them. The chair
of the event has an important role in keeping the dialogue constructive
rather than confrontational, although it is important to encourage an
atmosphere of rigorous challenge and debate.
There are a number of possible outcomes of a validation event:
approval for an indefinite length of time, with review at a given time,

for example every five years;
approval for a fixed length of time, for example five years, after which
the programme is then subject to review;
approval that is conditional upon fulfilment of certain requirements

within a specified timescale; and
approval withheld.
Conditional approval is a very common outcome of validation events, and

conditions can be imposed for any aspect of the curriculum. For example,
the assessment strategy may need to be amended, certain regulations
modified, an evaluation carried out by the end of the first year, or a
students handbook produced. Conditional approval will always carry a
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date by which the conditions must be met, and this can vary from a few
weeks to a whole year. The programme development team must make
a satisfactory response to the conditions, and this is sent to all panel
members. Once the panel has agreed that the conditions have been met,
the amendments are incorporated into the validation document, and this
then becomes the definitive programme document. This is housed in the
library for general access by students and anyone else who is interested
in the programme.
Staff development for practice supervisors

Whilst the curriculum group is developing its work, there needs to be
a parallel development with the in-service training department to plan
for the anticipated training needs of qualified staff who will be involved
in the new curriculum. Opportunities must be made available for such
staff to spend time in workshops and for study days that relate to specific
aspects of the new curriculum.
Equal
opportunities: the inclusive curriculum
Equality of opportunity is a central tenet of modern education, and

relates to all aspects of higher education curricula as well as to wider
aspects of institutional management. The term equal opportunities can
be interpreted in a number of ways, and the difficulty of pinning down a
definition is highlighted by Farish et al. (1995):
One of the problems with examining the effectiveness or otherwise
of equal opportunities policy-making is that the term equal
opportunities itself is so elusive. It can be applied to a wide variety
of contexts within educational institutions: for instance, to staff
issues, curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, access and recruitment,
priorities in funding, staffstudent relationships, the general work
environment and so on.
Powney et al. (1997) suggest that higher education institutions should

have an equal opportunities policy that covers the following aspects:
the recruitment, induction, support and career development of

students;
the content and methods for learning and teaching;

the recruitment, employment, support, and staff development of
academic staff and support staff;
the management and governance of the institution.

Equal opportunity practice in higher education is supported by
legislation in three main areas: race, sex and disability; the relevant acts
are the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, the Race Relations Act 1976, and
the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. Higher education institutions are
required to ensure that no unlawful discrimination on the grounds of
race or sex occurs in the institution.
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Equal
opportunities: the inclusive curriculum
Curriculum provision for students with disabilities

It is important that nurse teachers have an understanding of approaches
to disabled students if the latter are not to be disadvantaged. Lloyd
(1998) points out the difference between the traditional of disability as a
deficit, and the new approach that is emerging:
In educational terms, the provision of access, or the integration
of disabled students, has been concerned with normalisation i.e.
assisting and supporting the student to fit into existing structures
with the minimum of modification. Provision has, in the old
model, involved a focus on remediation, extra support, withdrawal
groups, and extra technological aids. It compensates for disability,
and tries to eliminate differences. Currently a different model is
being proposed, whereby genuine access to learning for disabled
students is planned within an inclusive framework. This provision
will recognize difference and diversity as enriching and will begin
to offer access for all to the full curriculum. All our learning and
teaching approaches should support this aim. The result will be a
celebration of difference.
Programme specifications should include no unnecessary barriers to

access by disabled people (QAA, 1999) and institutions should consider
establishing procedures which ensure that:
The setting/amendment of academic programme requirements during

approval or validation processes includes well-informed consideration
of the requirements of disable students.
Programme specifications and descriptors give sufficient information to
enable students with disabilities and staff to make informed decisions
about the ability to complete the programme (QAA, 1999).
Candidates for nursing or midwifery education are required to possess
the physical and mental ability to carry out the demands of the role of
nurse or midwife, so this precludes the selection of candidates with severe
disabilities. However, candidates may have a degree of disability that
does not prevent them from carrying out the role, for example visual
impairment, hearing impairment, a physical disability, or dyslexia. Nurse
teachers need to take the needs of such students into account during
their teaching. For example, they may need to provide paper copies of
overhead transparencies for students with visual impairment and ensure
that, when talking to students with a hearing impairment, they face the
student and speak clearly. The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA)
has been amended by the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act
2001 making it unlawful for higher education institutions to discriminate
against students with disabilities and dyslexia.
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theory and practice
Nurse teachers may encounter students with dyslexia, both diagnosed

and undiagnosed; in the latter case, the following indicators may suggest
dyslexia (Cardiff University, 2005):
Reading difficulties. Indicators may include:

slow reading speed;
inability to scan text;
inaccurate reading, omission of words;
loss of place when reading;
difficulty in extracting the main points;
perceived distortion of written words.
Writing problems. Indicators may include:
spelling difficulties;
confusion of small words such as with/which;
omission of words;
awkward handwriting, slow writing speed;
a marked discrepancy between verbal and written performance.
Other difficulties. Indicators may include:

numeracy difficulty with mathematical formulae, weak
computational skills;
oral skills lack of logical structure in oral presentation, difficulties
with mispronunciation and word retrieval;
memory short-term memory may be less effective; inefficient
working/short-term memory can cause problems when following
instructions;
concentration high levels of distractibility; short attention span;
high levels of energy needed to concentrate;
organization poor awareness of time; problems with time
management.
Student support mechanisms in higher education

Universities will have a member of staff, such as a learner support coordinator who has expertise in dealing with dyslexia, and students
should be referred to this individual in the first instance. The student
may then be referred for in-house assessment or for psychometric testing
by an educational psychologist. Dyslexic students need special help with
writing their assignments, and nurse teachers should provide careful
feedback on how to construct an essay. It may be necessary to arrange
for extra time during examinations, or even to make arrangements for
students to be examined by a viva rather than by a written examination.
Most dyslexic students benefit from using a computer, and software
packages are available to augment standard word-processing software in
terms of spelling and syntax.
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Educational
quality assurance
The Disability Rights Commission (2002) explains that, by making

some very simple adaptations to their teaching practice in lectures,
seminars and classes, educators can help to ensure that disabled students
are not substantially disadvantaged. In other cases, adjustments will need
to be made in response to the particular needs of individual students.
The Disability Rights Commission identifies a series of questions to be
considered prior to any teaching and learning activity:
Are lecture theatres and other rooms allocated and timetabled with
the needs of disabled students in mind (physical access, lighting and

acoustics may be relevant issues to consider)?
Do lecturers face the front when they speak, including when they are
using slides or writing on a board? Amongst others, this assists those
who are lip-reading.
Do lecturers provide their handouts in advance and online? Amongst
others, this supports students who are dyslexic.
Do staff use microphones or allow taping of lectures/classes where this
would assist students?
Do lecturers pace their delivery and where necessary allow brief breaks
to enable students and sign language interpreters to keep up?
Where students have assistants, such as note takers or interpreters,
are questions and comments directed to the student rather than to the
assistant?
Are students with communication difficulties, or those who may find
presentations difficult for other reasons, supported when preparing
presentations?
Do tutors ensure that only one person speaks at a time during
discussions? Amongst others, this assists those who are deaf or hard of
hearing.
In discussions do tutors ensure that all are enabled to contribute
regardless of apparent communication barriers?
Educational
quality assurance
Quality assurance is now a major consideration for providers of goods

and services in todays society, and this includes the two large service
industries of higher education and the health service. Consumers of
goods and services are more informed nowadays about quality issues
and their statutory rights, and this applies also to consumers of higher
education and the health service.
Evaluation is a common feature of our everyday lives. When
purchasing goods and services our opinions are commonly sought as part
of the process. For example, travel companies issue questionnaires to
solicit clients opinions about the quality of their holiday arrangements;
car showrooms evaluate the degree of satisfaction experienced by
purchasers of new cars. Whether or not this is good for the consumer
will depend on what use the provider makes of the feedback; cynics
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theory and practice
might suggest that it is merely a marketing ploy designed to encourage

continuing purchaser loyalty. The evaluation of a range of aspects of
educational provision, such as the evaluation of teaching, is one of the
cornerstones of institutional quality assurance.
The maintenance of quality in higher education and nursing education
is a corporate responsibility involving both academic and support staff,
and educational quality assurance operates at four levels in higher
education:
1. Individual lecturer level.
2. Programme level.
3. Institution level.
4. External quality monitoring.
As with any hierarchy, each level subsumes the one below, and there
is inevitably some overlap between levels, but even so it will provide a
useful conceptual framework for the discussion.
The quality concept

When discussing quality assurance in education the obvious starting point
is a definition of the term quality. This is no easy task because quality
is a philosophical concept and, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.
The literature is replete with debates about its fundamental nature, and
these do not necessarily shed light on the nature of quality in higher
education.
Quality is normally thought of as a positive concept; i.e. it is a good
and desirable thing to which individuals and institutions should aspire
in their provision of goods and services. However, we also talk of goods
and services as being of poor quality, and, if quality equates to goodness
or excellence, this constitutes a contradiction in terms.
A helpful contribution to the debate is made by Green (1994), who
describes six ways in which the term is used in higher education:
Traditional concept of quality. The term implies excellence, i.e. a
product or service that is special or exclusive, and produced to very

high standards. In higher education terms, this would apply to the
Oxbridge institutions.
Quality as conformance to specifications or standards. This approach is
derived from manufacturing industry, where the quality of a product
is measured by its conformance to a specification or standard. A
process of quality control is used, and products that fail to measure
up are rejected.
Quality as fitness for purpose. In this approach, quality is judged on the
basis of whether the product or service fulfils its purpose.
Quality as effectiveness in achieving institutional goals. This is a variant
of the fitness-for-purpose approach; the quality of an educational
institution is the extent to which it fulfils its own mission and goals.
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quality assurance
Quality as meeting customers stated or implied needs. In this approach,
the focus is on satisfying the needs of customers or clients both in the

design and delivery of the product or service.
Pragmatic definition of quality. This is really not a definition at all, but
reflects an acceptance that it is not possible to come up with a unitary
definition of quality that is appropriate for all the various stakeholders
in higher education. Lecturers, students and employers each have
different priorities, so what constitutes quality for one group will not
be so for others. Therefore, quality is only meaningful in the context
of the needs of each stakeholder.
We could add a further definition to Greens list, namely quality
as value for money, i.e. as a return on investment made. It is possible
to produce goods or services that satisfy both fitness for purpose and
customer need, but which do not represent good value for money.
Boyle and Bowden (1997) offer an interesting perspective on the
quality debate:
Our view is that in recent years most progressive thinkers and those
whose are motivated by positive practical outcomes, have moved on
from the endless esoteric debates on concepts of quality.
In fact, healthy learning organisations (not just educational
institutions) are tending to view the need for having a comprehensive
approach to maximising how well things are done as the best reason
for adopting a practical meaning for the notion of quality.
Quality assurance
Quality assurance (QA) was originally developed for the manufacturing
and service industries, and the approaches used in higher education are
derivations of these systems, with suitable modifications for educational
contexts. However, definitions of quality derived from manufacturing
industry do not necessarily transfer easily into the higher education
context. For example, if educational quality is seen as fitness for purpose,
the question then arises as to whose purpose we are talking about, i.e.
students, lecturers, employers, or the states? Similarly, if it is defined
as customer satisfaction, who are the customers of higher education?
Students, employers, or society at large?
The term assurance implies an action taken by one party towards
another in order to convey sureness or certainty about something. Hence,
quality assurance literally means that the provider of products or services
tells the consumers that they can be sure of the quality of such products
or services. In the industrial context, this is often given in the form of a
guarantee, warranty or customer charter. Ellis (1993) describes a set of
characteristics of quality assurance in whatever context it occurs:
1. The specification of standards for whatever is conceived as the product
or service.
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2. The identification of critical functions and procedures that will be

necessary to achieve these standards.
3. Constant recourse to the consumer to set and monitor the
accomplishment of standards.
4. Documented clarity with regard to both the standards to be achieved
and the procedures that must be followed to achieve these standards.
5. A cybernetic approach to standard and procedure setting, which
involves monitoring that standards are being met and procedures
followed, and taking action to remedy or rectify shortfalls coupled with
a regular review of the appropriateness of standards and procedures.
6. The total involvement of all personnel and a commitment to
development and training.
It may be helpful at this point to offer a working definition of educational
quality assurance (EQA):
Quality in higher education is the extent to which the education
provided by an institution consistently meets the standards defined
by that institution in relation to its goals and mission.
Hence, educational quality is defined in terms of the congruence between

an institutions stated standards and its performance in achieving these.
Quality assurance and accountability

Winch (1996) points out that quality assurance has become established
in all aspects of the public sector, and it is argued that the need for
accountability has been the driving force behind its development. He
argues that accountability is not only a political issue, but a moral one;
when an individual or organization contracts to provide a service to a
customer, it has a moral obligation to do so to the best of its ability.
Accountability in relation to education has become a key issue in our
society, and Winch (1996) identifies three historical pressures that have
contributed to this:
the publics expectations that education will promote cultural

continuity, moral order and economic growth;
the rise of neo-liberalism, which believes that market forces are
the best way of ensuring freedom of choice, quality of service, and

transparency of accountability;

a decline in the publics deference towards professionals, and less
willingness to assume that professionals know best.
Public accountability covers not only finance, but also time and other
resources. Public awareness of accountability has been raised by the
publication of various charters relating to the quality and standards of
service in the public sector, examples being the Students Charter, and
the Patients Charter.
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The idiom of quality assurance

At this point it may be useful to define a range of other concepts used in
the context of educational quality assurance.
Quality control is an industrial process in which products are checked

against a specification and discarded if not up to standard. Quality
control can only detect defective products; it cannot prevent them
from being manufactured. This contrasts with quality assurance, which
is designed to prevent poor quality service, thus obviating the need for
quality control.
Quality management refers to the system of management of quality
within the institution, i.e. the design, structure and functioning of the
quality system.
Quality audit refers to the evaluation of an institutions quality assurance
and quality management systems, undertaken either internally or by
external agencies.
Quality assessment involves assessing the standards of an institution
against external criteria: for example, an external examiner assesses
the quality of students work in an institution against that of students
on similar courses in other institutions.
Standards are desired and achievable levels of performance against
which actual performance in practice is compared.
Performance indicators are measures of the progress made by an
educational institution towards achieving its mission and goals. They
are usually quantitative, for example statistics, ratios, costs, etc., and
cover the three Es: efficiency, effectiveness and economy. This provides
a basis for comparison between higher education institutions.
Value added refers to the enhancement of a students learning and
experience as a result of pursuing an educational programme.
Three of these concepts, performance indicators, value added, and
standards warrant further explanation.
Performance indicators
The term performance indicator or PI gives an impression of something
tentative, rather than precise or exact measures that are used to guide
decisions about quality. Cave et al. (1991) define a PI in higher education
as an authoritative measure, usually in quantitative form, of an attribute
of a higher education institution, which may be ordinal or cardinal,
absolute or comparative. A cardinal measure would be of fundamental
or primary importance, whereas an ordinal measure would be of a
specified order within a series of measures. PIs are usually classified as
the three Es: efficiency indicators, effectiveness indicators, and economy
indicators, and these are applied to educational inputs, processes, and
outputs. Performance indicators, then, are used help judge the quality of
education within an institution and are applied to a wide range of general
attributes of the system.
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Cave et al. (1991) highlight some of the problems in using PIs in

higher education. Those PIs that are difficult to measure may be given
a lower priority; for example, teaching is a much more difficult activity
to measure accurately than is research, and this could lead to a shift in
emphasis from teaching towards research. Performance indicators may
also result in pressure upon academics to publish material in journals,
possibly resulting in quantity rather than quality of publication.
Value added (added value)
Some aspects of higher education, such as examination success rates,
lend themselves more readily to quantitative measurement, whereas
it is apparent that others, such as value added, are very difficult to
quantify. Traditionally, students attainment has been judged by their
qualification or degree classification and has taken no account of the
differences in individual students abilities at the start of their course.
Many educationalists believe that the real importance of education lies
in the value that it adds to the student as a result of undertaking it. The
concept of value added can therefore be applied even if the student
fails to complete the programme. One measure of value added is the
relationship between input, i.e. entry qualifications, and output, i.e.
degree classification.
Standards
The stating of standards and associated criteria is becoming common
practice within many sectors of education. Standards are desired and
achievable levels of performance against which actual performance
in practice is compared. Commonly, they comprise two elements: a
standard statement describing the goal or outcome to be met, and the
criteria necessary to achieve the standard.
Quality
assurance at individual lecturer level
This could be considered to be the most important level of quality

assurance. Individual lecturers are the people in the front line when it
comes to the delivery of teaching and personal tutoring and are thus in
the best position to influence the quality of the students teaching and
learning experience. When discussing quality assurance at individual
lecturer level, there are two main aspects to consider: quality in
relation to teaching and quality in relation to the lecturers continuing
professional development.
Quality of teaching
In discussions about education, the words teaching and learning are
invariably linked together, the assumption being that teaching promotes
learning. In practice, however, a cause-and-effect relationship is difficult
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Quality
to demonstrate. It is quite probable that some teaching results in

student learning, but it is equally probable that some teaching
prevents student learning. An example of the latter could be as follows:
a teachers intimidating manner might engender in students a fear of the
subject, which in turn interferes with their learning of that subject.
However, quality assurance of teaching is premised on the assumption
that teaching influences learning and that poor quality teaching has a
negative effect on student learning. The importance of teaching quality
is endorsed by the Government in its response to the Dearing Report
(DfEE, 1998):
The Governments long-term aim is to see all teachers in higher
education carry a professional qualification, achieved by meeting
demanding standards of teaching and supervisory competence
through accredited learning or experience.
Evaluating the quality of teaching

The literature contains many examples of ways in which the quality
of teaching can be assessed and assured, each reflecting the particular
stance of the originator. Bligh (1998) offers a number of principles for
evaluating teaching:
Lecturers should initiate and be involved in the process.

The purpose of evaluation needs to be made explicit.
Evaluation needs to be tailor-made to achieve its purpose.
Evaluation should be individualized, not a pre-packaged process.
Improvement of teaching should take priority over personnel and
funding decisions.
Evaluation of teaching should consist of sampling over time and on

different courses.
It should employ a variety of methods.

It should contain some open-ended questions.
Caution should be employed when evaluating opinions.
Evaluation should take place early enough to allow for remedial
action.
Methods of evaluating teaching include evaluation tools for completion

by self, students or peers, and other performance indicators such as the
standards attained by students, degree classification, withdrawal rates,
and employment rates.
Self-evaluation of teaching
Evaluation of teaching is often included as part of a wider evaluation of
a module or unit. An example of a checklist for self- and peer-evaluation
is given in Table 4.7
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Table 4.7
Checklist for self- and
peer-evaluation of teaching
Item
Highly satisfactory
Lesson plan
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Learning outcomes defined

Organization and sequence
Variety
Student activity
Learning aids
Learning checks
Timing
Delivery of lesson
8.
9.
Weak
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
Audibility of voice
Clarity of speech
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
10
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
Expressiveness of voice
Speed of delivery
Use of pauses
Confidence
Enthusiasm
Warmth
Psychological safety
Sense of humour
Non-verbal communication
Accuracy of content
Content up to date
Research quoted
Clarity of explanations
Level of lesson appropriate
Quality of media resources
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
Technique for using media resources

Use of questioning
Student participation
Opening of lesson
Closing of lesson
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
4
Peer-evaluation of teaching
Peer-evaluation of teaching remains a contentious issue in higher
education; lecturers have traditionally enjoyed complete autonomy in
the classroom, and when assessment has occurred it has largely been in
the form of written evaluation by students. However, the advent of staff
appraisal in higher education has raised the profile of teaching quality, as
it constitutes one aspect of the appraisal process for lecturing staff. Some
observational assessment takes place as part of both internal and external
audit, but only affects small numbers of staff and occurs infrequently.
The evaluation form shown in Table 4.8 is appropriate for either self- or
peer-evaluation of teaching.
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Students evaluation of teaching

Given the fact that students are the primary consumers of teaching, it
is very important to ascertain their opinions of teaching. However,
it is more useful to ask them to evaluate a course of lessons rather
than individual ones (provided that the teacher has had more than one
encounter with the students).
There are two reasons for this, the first being that the response rate
from students may drop dramatically if they have to complete a large
number of evaluations and, secondly, the teacher then obtains a more
average response to his or her teaching rather than the specific points
from a single session. An example of a teaching evaluation form to be
completed by students is given in Table 4.8.
Table 4.8
Teacher evaluation form for
completion by students
The purpose of this questionnaire is to help me to adapt my teaching to your needs as a student. Please indicate your opinion of my
teaching during the course you have just completed by putting a tick in the appropriate box.
X
X applies
Marked
tendency
to X
Some
tendency
to X Y
Marked
tendency
to Y
Y applies
Content relevant to nursing
Content not relevant to nursing
Organization of subjects good
Organization of subjects poor
Subjects made interesting
Subjects made rather dull
Presented with clarity
Presented in a confusing
manner
Audibility and speech good
Audibility and speech poor
Speed of delivery ideal
Speed of delivery too fast

or too slow (underline
appropriate one)
Amount of information ideal
Amount of information too

much or too little (underline
appropriate one)
Level of subject ideal
Level of subject too high or

too low (underline appropriate
one)
Visual presentation good
Visual presentation poor
Good rapport with class
No rapport with class
Good student participation
No student participation
A lot of learning took place
Very little learning took place
Good feedback given on

student progress
No feedback given on progress
Irritating and distracting

mannerisms (please specify)
Comments
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Quality
assurance at programme level
Higher education is delivered via programmes or courses leading to

academic awards, with each programme having a programme team
responsible for its day-to-day operational management. Whilst team
members are responsible for the quality of their own teaching on
the programme, the team has collective responsibility for the quality of the
programme curriculum.
Quality of curriculum
The first check on the quality of curriculum occurs at the validation
event for the programme, and checks continue in the form of programme
monitoring and programme review. As stated earlier, the term curriculum
encompasses the four main aspects of educational provision that were
shown in Figure 4.1 (p. 110). These four components are intimately
related to each other and the model adopts a rational stance, in that the
curriculum design is seen to begin with the formulating of student learning
outcomes and then progresses to decisions about what outcomes-related
subject matter should be included. Teaching and learning processes
are then defined, for example lectures, laboratory work, group work,
discussions, debate, self-directed learning, etc. that will help the student
to achieve the learning outcomes, and, finally, the students achievement
of the learning outcomes is assessed using appropriate and relevant
assessment methods.
Ashworth and Harvey (1994) offer the following criteria for a quality
curriculum:
1. Relevance, relates to present and anticipated future needs.
2. Aims and objectives, explicit and carefully focused.
3. Time constraints, effective use of time for individual subjects and their
arrangements.
4. Content, a body of knowledge which offers breadth and depth and is
state of the art and well balanced.
5. Progression, cumulative knowledge and skills which allows for planned
progression.
6. Sequencing, coherent sequencing of subjects and subject matter.
7. Integration, different aspects of the curriculum allow for integrated
working.
8. Core skills, relevant balance of all core skills.
9. Accreditation, appropriate accreditation of the programme from
professional bodies, other colleges, NVQ, etc.
Programme evaluation
Programme evaluation needs to be distinguished from evaluation of
teaching, the latter being just one component of the former. Although
evaluation of teaching contributes useful information, it is insufficient
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Quality
assurance at programme level
in itself as an indicator of course quality because it does not cover other

aspects such as organization and resources. Overall course evaluation
is particularly important in credit schemes, where pathways consist of
many modules. In this case, module evaluation will not provide evidence
of the overall aspects of the pathway, so provision needs to be made for
this before students leave the pathway. Institutions may have a standard
format for course evaluation forms, or they can be designed specifically
for the course in question.
Student evaluation of the curriculum

Evaluation of the programme curriculum by students is now established
throughout the higher education sector, and forms an important aspect of
educational quality assurance. Given that students are the most obvious
consumers of higher education, it seems axiomatic that their opinions
about the quality of their modules and programmes should be given
serious consideration by the institution.
When designing student evaluation forms, institutions need to decide
the breadth and scope of coverage; some institutions focus mainly on
the quality of the teaching, and some include such aspects as the quality
of pre-entry information, induction, tutorial support, etc. In addition to
this, other institutions might question library and IT support, teaching
venues and domestic arrangements.
Quality of student assessment

Of all the aspects of the higher education curriculum, assessment is the
area that is subject to the most rigorous quality assurance mechanisms.
Whilst some of these mechanisms operate on an institution level, others
operate at programme team level, hence the inclusion of the quality
of assessment in this section. The QAA (2000) offers the following
principles in relation to the quality of student assessment:
Institutions should ensure that information and guidance on assessments
are clear, accurate and consistent and accessible to all staff, students,
practice assessors and external examiners.
Assessment practices should be explicit, valid and reliable and
applied consistently across each institution. All staff involved in the
assessment of students must be competent to undertake their roles and
responsibilities and be offered opportunities to update and enhance
their expertise as assessors.
Boards of examiners and assessment panels have an important role
in overseeing assessment practices and maintaining standards, and
institutions should develop policies and procedures governing the
structure, operation and timing of their boards/panels.
Institutions should have effective mechanisms to deal with breaches
of assessment regulations, and the resolution of appeals against
assessment decisions.
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Role of the external examiner in assuring the quality of assessment

The external examiner system plays a key role in educational quality
assurance by bringing in an external, objective perspective to the
assessment system. The role involves scrutiny of students assessment
work to ascertain if the standards are comparable with students on similar
courses throughout higher education. In addition, the external examiner
can comment on the consistency and standard of internal marking, and
make suggestions for improvements to the assessment system. The role of
the external examiner is discussed in detail in Chapter 7 (p. 310).
Ensuring quality of practice-based assessment
It is interesting to note that the rigidity applied to ensuring the quality
of written assessments is not nearly so apparent in the case of practicebased assessments in nursing. Assessment of practice is based upon
observation of students in the workplace and is largely the responsibility
of qualified nurses based in the practice setting to which the student is
allocated. Unlike written assessments, which constitute a single episode,
practical assessment is a continuous process throughout the placement.
The decision on whether to pass or fail a student will therefore be made
on the basis of that individuals overall progress during the placement.
Moderation of written work is based on the principle of sampling,
i.e. the students written work is only a sample of his or her knowledge,
whereas practical assessment attempts to assess the total performance
of the student during the placement. This suggests that the assessment
of theory is based upon a different paradigm from that of practical
assessment, the latter being more like staff appraisal than assessment per
se. A moderator or external examiner cannot scrutinize the students
performance, nor moderate the assessors judgement, because the
assessment process has taken place over a period of several weeks. It is
therefore very unusual to find that an external examiner has had any
involvement in the practical assessment of student nurses, apart from
scrutinizing the students portfolio, and the assessment documentation
produced by the assessor. Practice-based assessments will be explored
further in Chapter 7 (p. 297).
Quality
assurance at institution level
So far in this chapter the role of the individual lecturer and the programme
team in quality assurance has been examined. We now turn our attention
to the institutions overall quality-assurance system that impacts on all
aspects of the work of the institution.
Aims, characteristics and spectrum of institutional quality

assurance
It is essential that all the staff of the institution have a clear understanding
of the quality assurance system. This information should be available in
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Quality
the form of a quality assurance handbook or manual and should include

a statement of the aims and characteristics of the quality assurance
system.
In order to assure the quality of the totality of the educational
experience of its students, the institutions quality assurance system must
cover all aspects of its work, and not just the educational programmes.
Table 4.9 illustrates the spectrum of institutional quality assurance, under
the headings of inputs, processes and outputs. These can form the basis
for the development of performance indicators, allowing comparison
with other higher education institutions.
Table 4.9
Inputs
1.
College organization and policy
Quality of leadership
Institutional philosophy
Mission statement
Vision
Management structure
Relationships with staff
Financial management
Staff development policy
Public relations and publicity
Equal opportunities policy
Quality assurance systems
2.
Personnel
Teaching staff and library/support staff

Qualifications
Motivation
Morale
Staffstudent ratio
Staff development opportunities
Individual performance review
3.
Library and support services
Adequacy of book stock and periodicals

Opening hours
Student support
Information technology and media resources
Secretarial and administrative support
4.
Enterprises
Teaching accommodation
Halls of residence
Security arrangements
Ground maintenance
Catering
Car parking
Recreation
Child care
5.
Students
Admission and access

Entry qualifications
Motivation
Spectrum of institutional
quality assurance
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theory and practice
Processes
6.
Curriculum
Relevance
Employer-focus
Planning
Validation, monitoring and review
7.
Teaching
Preparation
Delivery
Assessment
Teacherstudent relationships
8.
Research and consultancy
External funding
Publication in refereed journals
Citations
Client satisfaction with consultancy
9.
Student guidance and counselling
Guidance and counselling by teachers

Availability of a college counselling service
Outputs
10.
Student achievement
Assessment/examination success rates

Employment rates
Progress to further study
Value added
11.
Course monitoring/evaluation
Annual monitoring reports

Quinquennial review
Programme validation, monitoring and review

There are three closely related concepts involved in the quality assurance
of programmes and courses, i.e. programme validation, programme
monitoring and programme review.
1. Programme validation is the process by which a proposal for a new
course or programme is examined to assess its suitability for inclusion
in the institutions portfolio.
2. Programme monitoring involves the continuous ongoing appraisal of
the course or programme by the course director and course team, and
the production of an annual course or programme monitoring report
for the institution.
3. Programme review is a periodic investigation to see if the course or
programme is still meeting its objectives, and whether appropriate
monitoring and evaluation is taking place.
Programme validation
The purpose of validation is to ensure that the course or programme
is of a standard comparable to similar awards elsewhere within higher
education. The peer-review procedure involves initial scrutiny by a panel
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Quality
of the course or programme documentation prior to the validation event,

so that key issues can be identified and conveyed to the chair of the event
for inclusion in the agenda for the meeting. During the event, the panel
will engage the course or programme team in dialogue and debate on
the issues identified, and at the end of the meeting a decision will be
made on whether or not the course or programme should be approved
to run. A report of the meeting and decisions is circulated to the course
or programme team shortly after the event.
The composition of the validation panel should provide for a rigorous
examination of the course and the course team, thus ensuring the quality
of the course. Membership is drawn from a wide range of individuals,
including members from the proposing institution, subject experts from
other institutions, members from the relevant industry or profession, and
members with understanding of the processes of higher education.
Programme monitoring
This involves the continuous appraisal of the course or programme by
the course director and course team, and the production of an annual or
periodic monitoring report for the institution.
Annual or periodic monitoring reports
The programme director and programme committee are responsible for
the production of an annual or periodic monitoring report which is sent
to the college or department faculty board or equivalent. The monitoring
report is one of the key mechanisms for quality assurance, and provides
data about a range of aspects of educational delivery. Table 4.10 gives
the issues that annual or periodic programme monitoring reports should
consider.
1. Statistical evidence on student performance and progression.
2. Responses to annual programme review and evaluation of the previous year and actions
undertaken as a consequence.
3. Evaluation of programme changes (including admissions and selection policies, student intakes,
entry qualifications, continuing viability of programmes and market demand and employment
prospects).
4. Noteworthy practice in teaching, learning and assessment.
5. Evidence sources utilized in the conduct of the Annual Programme Review and Evaluation
(including staff/student panels, student feedback, National Student Survey data, peer review of
learning and teaching).
6. Feedback from external sources (including external examiners and professional accreditation
bodies).
Table 4.10
Considerations for annual or
periodic monitoring reports
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theory and practice
Some institutions use a scrutineer system for monitoring. A scrutineer is

a member of academic staff assigned to a particular course or programme,
who scrutinizes the monitoring procedure. There is dialogue between the
scrutineer and the course director about the draft monitoring report
and how it might be made more effective. The scrutineer also speaks to
the report at the faculty board, and the system provides added rigour
to the process of quality assurance.
Programme review
Review is a periodic investigation, usually five-yearly, to see if the course
or programme is still meeting its objectives and whether appropriate
monitoring and evaluation are taking place. It follows a similar process
to that of validation, including peer-review by a panel constituted in
the same way as that for a validation event. However, three additional
aspects are required for a review event:
a critical appraisal of the strengths and weaknesses of the programme,
including recommendations for changes in the light of the critical

appraisal;
a sample of current and past students invited to attend to offer their
opinions on their experience of the programme;
a sample of marked student assessments to indicate the standard of
work achieved on the programme.
Internal quality audit

Internal quality audit is undertaken periodically by an institution to assure
itself and others that its quality assurance systems are appropriate for
maintaining the standard of its academic awards, and that its development
activities are enhancing the quality of teaching and learning.
Internal quality audit covers the range of quality assurance mechanisms
in the institution, including its validation, monitoring and review
processes, the appointment of external examiners, the procedures of
committees and boards and partnership arrangements.
All institutions have their own policies, procedures and systems of
internal quality audit, so information relating to this should be sought
from each individuals institution.
External
quality monitoring level
In this final level in the hierarchy of quality assurance, we turn our

attention to those quality assurance agencies external to higher education
institutions.
There is a wide range of such external agencies, including government
agencies, accrediting bodies, and professional bodies, all of which exert
considerable influence on the quality assurance mechanisms of higher
education institutions.
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External
In February 1998, the Government published its response to the

Dearing Report: Higher Education for the 21st Century: Response to the
Dearing Report (DfEE, 1998). In Chapter 4 of the report the response
includes recommendations about the Quality Assurance Agency.
The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education

In 1997, the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) was established to:
safeguard the public interest in sound standards of higher education
qualifications and to inform and encourage continuous improvement
in the management of the quality of higher education (www.qaa.
ac.uk/aboutus/).
Objectives of the QAA

In Quality Assurance: A New Approach, the Agency set out its objectives
(QAA, 1998a):
There must be public confidence that quality of provision and standards

of awards in higher education are being safeguarded and enhanced.
Those who use and those who pay for higher education must have
ready access to reliable information about the performance of
universities and colleges across the extensive and diverse range
of programmes of study offered.
The Higher Education Funding Councils have statutory obligations to
secure the assessment of the quality of provision they fund. Information
must be provided and quality assurance arrangements undertaken by
the Agency in forms acceptable to the Councils.
A national quality assurance system must meet these needs in a manner
that is effective, efficient and economical.
Institutional scrutiny and subject review

The QAA provides independent verification of the quality of programmes
of study throughout higher education, by a process of scrutiny of
institutions and review of subject units. In order to avoid duplication
of effort, the scrutiny process should engage with the institutions internal
validation and review cycle and also with any professional or statutory
accreditation process, where relevant. The cycle is six years in length;
and in each year academic reviewers review a number of programmes,
culminating in reports on outcome standards and on quality of learning
opportunities. There are 49 standard subject units, for example health
studies, law, Welsh, medicine, psychology, archaeology, etc.
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Quality Assurance Agency guidelines for institutional audit

The QAA has produced guidelines for institutional audit (QAA, 2006)
in which there are seven audit sections, each subdivided into specific
categories within which dimensions and focus are identified. Each area
has a quality statement relating to the area of the institution, and evidence
of performance is described for each category.
Section 1: Introduction and background
The quality statement is the institution sets the context for the audit, with
an outline of developments since the previous audit and action taken on
the outcomes of the previous audit.
The institution and mission.

The information base for the audit.
Developments since the previous audit.
Section 2: Institutional management of academic standards
The quality statement is the institution should outline the approach taken
to make sure that its academic standards are secure and fit for purpose.
The institutions framework for managing academic standards with

reference to the learning and teaching strategy.
External examiners.
Approval, monitoring and review of award standards.
Academic infrastructure and other external reference points.
Assessment policies and regulations.
Progression and completion statistics.
Section 3: Institutional management of learning opportunities
The quality statement is the institution should make sure that the
learning opportunities for students help them make good use of those
opportunities.
The institutions framework for managing the quality of learning

opportunities.
External examiners.
Role of students in quality assurance.
Links between research or scholarly activity and learning
opportunities.
Modes of study.
Resources for learning.
Admissions policy.
Student support.
Staff support.
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External
Section 4: Institutional approach to quality enhancement

The quality statement is the institution should take deliberate steps
to enhance students opportunities for learning and reflect upon the
effectiveness of this approach in improving the quality of the learning
opportunities available to students.
The institutions approach to managing quality enhancement.

External examiners.
Role of students in quality enhancement.
Dissemination of good practice.
Staff development and reward.
Section 5: Collaborative arrangements
The quality statement is the institution should outline its approach to
the management of its collaborative provision including flexible and
distributed learning (including e-learning).
The institutions approach to managing its collaborative

arrangements.
External examiners in collaborative provision.

Management information.
Section 6: Institutional arrangements for postgraduate research students
The quality statement is the institution should outline its approach
to maintaining the academic standards and quality provision of
postgraduate research programmes and reflect upon the effectiveness of
this approach.
Institutional arrangements and the research environment.

Selection, admission, induction and supervision of research students.
Progress and review arrangements.
Development of research.
Feedback arrangements.
Assessment of research students.
Representations, complaints and appeals arrangements for research
students.
Section 7: Published information

The quality statement is the institution should outline its arrangements
for ensuring that the information it publishes about its educational
provision and the academic standards that it supports is accurate and
complete.
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theory and practice
The institutions approach to ensuring accuracy and completeness of

published information.
Students experience of published information and other information

available to them.

The Teaching Quality Enhancement Committee (TQEC) was established
in 2002 by the HEFCE, Universities UK (UUK) and the Standing
Conference of Principals to review the support of enhancement of quality
in learning and teaching in higher education. The TQEC published its
final report in January 2003, which proposed the creation of a single,
central body to support the enhancement of learning and teaching in
higher education the Higher Education Academy (HEA). The Academy
was formed in 2004 from a merger of the Institute for Learning and
Teaching in Higher Education (ILTHE), the Learning and Teaching
Support Network (LTSN) and the TQEF National Co-ordination Team
(NCT).
The HEAs mission is to help institutions, discipline groups and all
staff to provide the best possible learning experience for their students;
its strategic aims and objectives are as follows:
to be an authoritative and independent voice on policies that influence

student learning experiences;
to support institutions in their strategies for improving the student

learning experience;
to lead, support and inform the professional development and

recognition of staff in higher education;
to promote good practice in all aspects of support for the student

learning experience;
to lead the development of research and evaluation to improve the

quality of the student learning experience;
to be a responsive, efficient and accountable organization.

In February 2006, the HEA announced the launch of the first ever
National Professional Standards Framework for standards in teaching
and supporting learning in higher education.
This framework was developed following consultation with the sector
and it recognizes
the distinctive nature of teaching in higher education and respect
for the autonomy of higher education institutions. It also recognises
that the scholarly nature of subject inquiry and knowledge creation,
and a scholarly approach to pedagogy, are unique features of higher
education in the UK.
(HEA, 2006)
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External
The standards framework aims to act as:
an enabling mechanism to support the professional development of

staff engaged in supporting learning;
a means by which professional approaches to supporting student
learning can be fostered through creativity, innovation and continuous

development;
a means of demonstrating to students and other stakeholders the
professionalism that staff bring to the support of the student learning
experience;
a means to support consistency and quality of the student learning
experience.
Practitioners are eligible to register with the HEA as either a Registered
Practitioner or an Associate Practitioner depending on their role and level
of experience. Registered Practitioners are expected to have three or more
years experience of teaching or learning support in higher education,
and this is a key feature of their role. The Associate Practitioner category
is more appropriate for staff who are new to teaching or who have a
very specific professional role supporting student learning. Eligibility
to become accredited and join the register is via one of the following
routes:
the Individual Entry Route for Experienced Staff;

completing an Academy-accredited programme;
through a collaborative agreement between the Academy and another
professional body.
Whilst there is a one-off registration fee for all those wishing to join the
Academys register, applicants applying through the Individual Entry
Route for Experienced Staff need to pay an additional evaluation fee. All
registration routes are focused on the following:
teaching and/or the support of learning in higher education;

contribution to the design and planning of learning activities and/or
programmes of study;
assessment and/or giving feedback to learners;

developing effective learning environments and learner-support
systems;
evaluating practice and personal development;

using research, scholarly activity or relevant professional work to
inform and impact on teaching/student support.
All routes are assessed by trained accreditors, made up of experienced

practitioners drawn from across the whole of the UK higher education
sector (HEA 2006).
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theory and practice
The NMC quality assurance framework

Higher education programmes that relate to practice within the
professions have been accredited by the relevant statutory or professional
body, such accreditation often being a requirement for courses leading
to entry to a given profession. Within the UK, all programmes
leading to entry to the professional register held by the Nursing Midwifery
Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Specialist Community Public Health
Nursing was until 2002 accredited by the appropriate National Board for
Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting. Since the disbandment of the
four UK boards, the NMC now has statutory responsibility for midwifery
supervision and the quality assurance of educational programmes.
The Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001 provided legislative powers
for the NMC to approve and monitor the standards of educational
programmes that lead to entry on to the register and the educational
institutions delivering these programmes. Hence, the NMC has powers
to take appropriate action to ensure that such standards are met. The
development of a new UK-wide quality assurance framework (NMC
2005a) is intended to provide a risk-based approach to quality assurance
that supports public protection through the application of professional
standards.
The framework encompasses key activities aimed at ensuring the
quality of approved NMC provision across the UK. These include
approval, re-approval, endorsement, modification and monitoring.
Although the main principles are common, the NMC (2005b) is keen
to point out that the ways in which they are undertaken in each country
within the UK do differ.
NMC UK-wide quality assurance and enhancement standards
The Standards were published in 2005 and provide additional guidance
to those involved in the process of approval/re-approval to ensure that
regulatory requirements are fully understood and have been met. The
standards must be achievable and are research based or evidence based
where possible. There are 20 standards, each elaborated further by
required activity criteria. Table 4.11 shows an example of the standard and
some of the associated criteria for programme approval/re-approval.
Table 4.11
Standard statement and required
activity criteria for programme
approval/re-approval
Standard:
Approval/re-approval ensures NMC standards and requirements for programmes and practice
learning are met with due regard to the specific part of the register
Required activity criteria:
1. Schedule predicted approval/re-approval activity in advance of academic year.
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Open,
2. Ensure that:
The need for the programme has been established through consultation with the
commissioners.
Resources are in place to deliver the programme.
The standard and content as set out by the NMC have been met in the development of the
programme.
The structure and content of the programme have been developed in partnership between
education and service providers.
The programme outcomes satisfy the statutory requirements for a registrable and/or
recordable qualification.
The assessment strategy meets NMC requirements.
3. Institutions must demonstrate that they have the capacity and capability to provide practicebased programmes to meet the standards specified by the NMC to include:
sufficient teachers with relevant experience and expertise to deliver programmes effectively
(an adequate number of whom must hold an approved teaching qualification);
student support services;
physical and learning resources;
access to adequate practice experience and appropriate partnership arrangements to deliver
practice experience.
4. Country-specific quality indicators are mapped against and shown to meet all NMC approval
standards, principles and requirements.
5. Joint approval is undertaken with education provider with external representation.
6. NMC representation is with due regard to programmes being approved.
7. Registrants may act as specialist advisers with due regard; thereby providing the registrant
attending the approval event with profession-specific advice.
8. Programme may be conditionally approved but may not commence until all conditions are
met.
Adapted from NMC (2005a)
Open,
The educational literature is replete with definitions of open, distance and

flexible learning, but no consensus has yet emerged. To be fair, the terms
are difficult to pin down because they have more than one meaning;
for example, open learning is considered to be both an educational
philosophy and a method of delivering teaching. However, it is useful
for teachers to have an understanding of the similarities and differences
between the terms, and the following section attempts to address these.
Defining open, distance and flexible learning

It is helpful to consider higher education as having four main modes of
delivery, as shown in Figure 4.3.
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theory and practice
Figure 4.3
Higher education
Modes of delivery in
higher education
Attendance mode
Flexible mode
Distance learning mode
Open learning mode
The left-hand box on the diagram shows the traditional delivery pattern
in higher education, i.e. students attend the university for their teaching.
The right-hand box shows the flexible mode of delivery, a broad category
that includes both the distance learning mode and the open learning
mode. Given the considerable degree of overlap between the three
concepts, it may be helpful to identify the critical attributes that each
must possess in order to warrant its title.
Distance learning
In order for a programme to count as distance learning, a significant
proportion must be delivered on the basis of a wide geographical
separation between the student and the teaching institution responsible
for the programme. Distance is normally defined in terms of a student
who is more than one hours travelling time from the institution. Distance,
however, is not the only critical attribute; distance learning is invariably
delivered by means of text-based learning materials and information and
communication technology (ICT), for example email, Internet, video,
etc. The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) defines distance learning as:
a mode of provision of higher education that involves student
learning resources being transferred to the students location rather
than the student moving to the location of the resources.
(QAA, 1998b)
Open learning
In order for a programme to count as open learning, there must be a
significant element of openness in comparison with traditional attendance
programmes. By openness we mean a minimum of restrictions on such
things as students access to programmes, the teaching and learning
methods used, the assessment methods, the venue for study, and the
timing of study. In reality, absolute openness does not exist; open learning
programmes fall somewhere on a continuum, from more or less closed to
more or less open. There will always be some kind of restriction imposed
upon students in higher education by virtue of validation requirements,
quality assurance requirements, and other institutional imperatives.
Open learning is succinctly defined by Rogers (2001) as:
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Open,
any system where learners work alone, at their own pace, on

resources prepared by others, with minimal face-to-face contact
either with teachers or other learners.
Open learning as a philosophical stance

Open learning is also philosophical stance, whose adherents espouse a
range of beliefs about the educational process. Hull (1998) includes the
following:
the centrality of student autonomy and self-direction;

focus on the process of learning rather than the content;
an emphasis on enquiry, reflection, evaluation and action;
student ownership of learning, assessment, and reflection processes;
the integration of theory and practice.
Open learning students normally study at a distance from their
educational institution, and their studies utilize text-based learning
materials and information and communication technology, e.g. email,
Internet, video, etc.
Flexible learning
Flexible learning is the most generic member of the triad of terms,
as it covers any strategy that helps to reduce restrictions on students
learning opportunities. It therefore subsumes open learning and distance
learning, since both these approaches confer a greater or lesser degree of
flexibility upon programmes. Flexible learning also applies to methods
used with programmes that have a traditional attendance mode, such
as the inclusion of resource materials for self-directed study as part of a
course.
The term flexible learning is also used to indicate programmes on
which students can combine different modes of study; for example, some
courses (modules) could be studied by attending classes at the university,
and others by distance learning, using appropriate study materials.
The context of open, distance and flexible learning

Although the origins of flexible learning can be traced as far back as the
turn of the twentieth century in the work of writers such as John Dewey,
the humanistic educational culture of the 1960s and 1970s provided
the real thrust for its further development. The writings of Carl Rogers
on client-centred therapy, and its corollary student-centred learning,
emphasized the pre-eminence of student empowerment and autonomy,
and these ideas found fertile soil in those educators wishing for a more
humanistic approach to teaching and learning. During this period there
was also a growing interest in the opening up of access to further and
higher education using alternatives to traditional entry qualifications,
and also flexible methods of delivery. The best known UK example of a
mass, open-access, distance learning scheme originating at this time is the
Open University.
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theory and practice
Race (1993) cites a number of reasons for the move towards flexible
learning in higher education, including:
increasing competition between institutions;

greater availability of curriculum packages;
increasing class sizes;
greater numbers of mature and non-traditional entry students;
the perception that students in higher education are over-taught;
the need to foster students ability to manage their own learning.
In addition to these general factors, nurse education continues to
experience severe resource constraints on continuing professional
education, with employers placing limitations on the amount of funding
available for attendance at courses, and reduced opportunities for study
leave. The creation of the NHS internal market gave employers a much
greater say in the kind of continuing education provision that they
required for their nursing staff, including more flexible approaches to
course delivery.
Delivery systems for open, distance and flexible learning

Open learning can be operated in a number of different ways, and it is
possible to identify four types of system currently in use in UK further
and higher education (Dixon, 1997):
Flexible learning workshops. In this system, students have access to
learning materials within the institution, plus tutorial support as and

when they need it. Thus, students can make appointments to visit the
workshop, or simply drop in as required.
Local systems. Here the students are within reasonable travelling
distance from the institution, and correspondence materials are
supplemented by telephone communication and group seminars as
required.
Remote system. In the case of students who live at a significant distance
from the institution, correspondence material is the main vehicle for
tuition, but there may be residential blocks or weekends.
Subcontracting systems. In this scheme, students are registered with
the main provider institution, but can attend another institution that
is close to their home for tutorial or other contact.
Flexible learning workshops
Flexible learning workshops allow students to drop in at a time
convenient to them in order to study from specific learning resources,
with the additional facility of tutorial guidance if required. Access to the
learning workshop may constitute part of a students normal timetable or
simply be available for any learner when he or she happens to require its
use. The notion of a learning workshop is different from the commonly
encountered resource centre in that it offers more than simple access
to learning materials. The tutorial backup needs a more sophisticated
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materials for open, distance and flexible learning
system of organization, with a nurse teacher designated as manager of

the workshop; the role of the manager is to maintain records of the use
of materials, to monitor the functioning of all aspects of the provision
and to call upon the appropriate teaching staff to supplement students
when required.
There are important differences in the role of workshop tutors
compared with the everyday role of a nurse teacher. In a workshop, the
tutor is engaged in a one-to-one role as facilitator and consultant and,
to be effective in this role, therefore needs the skills of negotiation and
diagnosis. The tutor must be able to use the learning materials available
in the workshop, and effective management also involves the selection
of materials for study. The manager needs to work closely with the
library and media resources staff who can provide help with both
the classification of materials and with one-to-one support of students.
Kelly and Keeley (1992) describe the development of a flexible
learning unit (FLU) for continuing education in nursing using the concept
of a drop-in centre, which is situated close to a nursing library. The
centre offers information, resources and guidance, and the opportunity
for personal contact with centre staff. The FLU uses only commercially
produced off-the-shelf materials that have undergone rigorous testing.
Remote systems
One of the earliest UK examples of a national remote system is the Open
University, which offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in
a wide range of subject areas. There is also an element of subcontracting
within the Open University, with students having access to local
educational institutions for tutorial, computing and other support.
Subcontracting systems
There are many universities involved in one of the largest subcontracting
systems of flexible learning for nursing within the UK. Emap Healthcare
Open Learning has offered educational opportunities and academic
awards to nurses and other health care professionals since 1991 to
provide academic awards for nurses and other health professionals. The
programmes within the scheme are delivered by means of text-based open
learning materials, and students receive support within a local university
department of nursing. The advantage of this is that students are allowed
to learn independently in their own time and at their own pace.
Selecting,
designing and writing materials for open,

Flexible learning can be introduced into a course or programme in three

ways (Race, 1993):
by using existing materials that match the requirements, for example

commercially-produced materials such as those from the Open
University;
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theory and practice
by adapting existing materials so that they match the requirements;

by writing new materials to the required specification.
There are clearly advantages and disadvantages with each of these
approaches. The use of existing materials means that flexible learning
can be introduced quickly, without the need for extensive materials
development; however, if such materials do not exactly meet the
requirements of the course or programme, it may be better to adapt
existing materials. The writing of new materials requires a major resource
investment, including staff development costs, design and production
costs, and copyright payments. There is also a considerable lead-in time
before the materials are ready for use by students.
Selecting existing materials

A wide range of flexible learning materials is available within higher
education and nursing. For example, the Open Learning Foundation
(OLF) offers materials and services to help universities implement open
learning. The OLF service includes the following:
provision of entire open learning programmes, for example Diploma

in Social Work (DipSW);
development of open learning packages for universities and other

education and training organizations;
teaching and learning materials, and other publications;

advisory service to institutions.
The Open Learning Foundation also operates a nursing credit scheme to
enable nurses to meet the NMC PREP requirements, and the scheme is
linked to a series of materials called Healthcare Active Learning. The Web
site address for the Open Learning Foundation is http://www.olf.ac.uk/.
Designing materials
The design of flexible learning materials will depend to some extent on
their proposed use:
They may comprise the teaching and learning material for an entire
programme of study.
They may be a subcomponent of a programme, for example a single

course (module) on health promotion.
They may be entirely free-standing and generic, i.e. not related to a

specific programme of study; for example, a flexible learning package
on intravenous drug administration.
Whilst there is no hard-and-fast rule about the design of flexible learning

materials for each purpose, a useful rule of thumb is that materials for
an entire course commonly follow the reader and study guide format,
whereas those for a single element normally use the learning package
format.
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Reader and study guide format

Most programmes of study in higher education are now modular in
design, i.e. the components of the programme are broken down into
discrete, self-contained units of learning. The reader and study guide
format has two sets of flexible learning materials for each course
(module), a reader and a study guide.
Reader
The reader can be thought of as the content of the course, i.e. what the
teacher would normally teach in a classroom; hence, the reader could
contain extracts from the relevant literature and/or text written by the
teacher. The text may be supplemented by pictures and other graphic
material.
Study guide
The study guide is a substitute for the teacher in that it contains the kinds
of learning activities that teachers would normally use in a classroom, for
example questions, problem-solving exercises, analyses, etc. The guide is
designed to relate to each of the sections in the reader, so that students
are asked to study a particular section of the reader and are then required
to carry out the appropriate activity in the guide.
Some authors like to follow the activities with a commentary, so that
students have a basis for comparison between their response and that
of the author. However, this may render the activity meaningless, as
students may simply read the authors commentary rather than carrying
out the activity for themselves.
The learning package format
This format is commonly used for self-contained units of learning; whilst
there is no specific formula for writing a learning package, there are some
points which can be helpful in clarifying the process. A learning package
typically consists of a number of components organized in a logical
sequence to help students achieve particular learning goals, as shown in
Table 4.12.
Rationale
Target population
Pre-requisite
This consists of an introductory statement describing the package and its

purpose. It provides an overview of the type of material to be studied and
the reasons for each study.
This identifies the level of programme, or level of experience at which the
package will be most suitable. For example, the package may have been
designed as a module on the Adult Branch of a DipHE Registered Nurse
course, or it may be a component of a masters degree in nursing.
If successful completion of the package is dependent on the learner
having already achieved certain knowledge or skills, then this knowledge
or skill is termed a pre-requisite for the learning package. For example,
a pre-requisite for many nursing subjects will be a knowledge of normal
structure and function.
Table 4.12
Typical components of a
flexible learning package
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theory and practice
Learning outcomes
Choice of learning
activities
Optional activities
beyond the
package
Tests
Guidance
concerning the
next step
Teachers notes
If the package is linked to a particular model or unit of study, then the

learning outcomes will be derived from this. If the package is generic
and free-standing, then appropriate learning outcomes will need to be
formulated for the package.
If individuals differ in their learning styles, then it is logical to include
more than one form of activity by which the learner may achieve the
objectives. Activities such as reading, writing, listening, looking and doing
should provide sufficient variety in one package to suit the needs of most
individuals, who can then select the medium by which they learn best.
Further variety can be introduced by the use of different media within
these activities, for example the use of video and the Internet.
Optional activities may be presented to the learner to enrich the learning
experience, but which are outside the confines of the learning package.
For example, one suggested activity from a package on Nursing the
patient with a myocardial infarction might be that the learner should take
the opportunity to visit a patient who has suffered an attack and to discuss
with the patient how the condition has affected him or her as a person.
It is important that the package contains information about obtaining the
necessary permissions to undertake the activity.
The tests provide feedback to the learner and also serve as a diagnostic
tool. They can be divided into three types.
(a) Pre-requisite test. This tests the pre-requisite knowledge that the
learner must possess before commencing the test.
(b) Pre-test. This tests the actual content of the package to determine
whether or not the learner needs to proceed through the package. If
the pre-test is completed successfully, the implication is that the learner
already knows the content of the package and can proceed to a higher
level of study immediately.
(c) Post-test. This is used to test the learners achievement of the objective
following completion of the learning package. The post-test is very
commonly used as a pre-test, the learner initially attempting the test
without success and then retaking it after completion of the package.
The learner is usually successful the second time and this provides
feelings of accomplishment from having visibly learned to pass the test.
Successful completion of the learning package should not be the final step;
instead, the learner should be directed to the next component in the
series, or given advice on the type of learning activities that they should
now pursue.
A learning package should contain notes intended for the teacher. It
may seem unusual to include these, but one must bear in mind that the
intentions of the designer may not always be obvious to a teacher who
has not been involved in the production. Such notes might contain details
of the feedback received during the pilot study and guidelines for the
interpretation of test scores.
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The list of components given in Table 4.12 can be considered as a

basic list of ingredients for a learning package, so it is useful to examine
the recipe for putting these components together. The decision to
produce a learning package will commit the institution to a considerable
amount of time and effort and, if this expenditure is to reap its benefits,
careful planning must be employed from the outset. Table 4.13 illustrates
a planning sequence for producing an individualized learning package.
This sequence follows a logical order of progression, with each stage
designed to eliminate errors and omissions.
Explore the need
Does a similar package exist already? Is a learning package an

appropriate medium?
Explore the feasibility of

developing a package
Is the development feasible in terms of finance, personnel,

resources and time?
Decide the target

population
Pre-registration, post-registration or both? Credit level?
Decide the learning

outcomes
Are they already prescribed in the programme document, or do

they have to be formulated specifically for the package.
Identify prerequisites and

co-requisites
Are there other packages/materials/units that should be studied

first, or studied in conjunction with the package?
Decide the activities and

media for the package
Reading? Writing? Information and communication technology?

Experiential? Sequencing? Instructions?
Decide any optional

activities
For example, interviews with patients/clients/staff in relation to the

theme of the package.
Write the rationale for the

package
Write a description of the purpose and structure of the package.
Decide format of pre-test

and post-test if used
Teacher or student marked? Where will the answers be found?
Decide format of self-tests
How will student monitor his or her own progress through the
package?
Decide content of teacher

notes
Write any additional information that teachers might require, e.g.

the theoretical assumptions underpinning the approach taken in
the package.
Decide format of students

evaluation of the package
How will the users opinion of the package be solicited?
Decide the contents list
Outline the sequence of content but omit page numbers until final
draft completed.
Set production deadlines
Realistic, achievable deadlines, including time for any slippage, are

needed.
Undertake draft production
Use Desktop Publishing (DTP) if available.
Undertake pilot study
Use a sample of the intended consumers, and obtain detailed

feedback on all aspects of the package.
Table 4.13
Planning sequence for producing
a flexible learning package
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theory and practice
Modify draft package in light

of feedback from pilot study
Note user-friendliness, clarity, interest and accuracy.
Produce final draft
(a) Text: DTP gives professional finish. Type of cover? Quality of

binding? Size of print run? Copyright?
(b) Information and communication media: include instructions to
user on how to operate the media.
Put package into full use
Include system of monitoring students use of package, plus

evaluation by users.
Writing the materials

The foregoing discussion on designing flexible learning materials seems
to make the assumption that teachers can simply sit down and write
materials for public consumption. This is very far from being the case;
effective authoring of materials requires considerable staff development,
and even then some teachers may simply not have the necessary skills to
write effectively for this medium. It can be an advantage, when writing
flexible learning materials, to have had experience of publishing books
or journal papers, because the writer will have been exposed to external
criticism as part of the publishing process. Experience of writing books
and articles, however, does not necessarily mean that the same style will
be appropriate for flexible learning materials, as the target audience is
quite different.
The
role of the tutor in open, distance and flexible

learning
The skills required in tutoring students on flexible learning programmes

encompass generic tutoring skills. However, the nature of flexible
learning is such that tutors interaction with students on a face-to-face
basis may occur infrequently, so alternative approaches to tutoring need
to be developed.
Tutoring at a distance
Depending upon the nature of the programme of study, distance learning
students may meet their tutors on a face-to-face basis every three or four
weeks, or as infrequently as once or twice per semester. In either case, the
main form of communication will be the telephone and postal service, or
electronic forms such as fax and email. The additional roles of the tutor
in relation to distance learning students include those described below.
Establishing initial contact with students
It is good practice to send out to students a personal letter of welcome,
containing some background details about the tutor, and also the
arrangements for contacting the tutor.
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the tutor in open, distance and flexible learning
Maintaining regular contact

It is very important that tutors maintain frequent contact with distance
students, as the students motivation can quickly fade if they feel isolated
and out of touch with their programme. Contact is likely to involve postal,
telephone and/or electronic forms of communication; my own preference
is for a combination of telephone and electronic communications. It is
helpful for students to have some communications in a permanent form,
so that they can be referred to again and again. Quinn (2000) advocates
a series of postal communications, which he calls Quinformation
sheets; these highlight key aspects of the programme, such as tips on
assessments and arrangements for teaching practice assessment visits.
This paper communication can be supplemented by telephone calls from
time to time to enquire about students progress, and to offer advice on
assessments, etc.
Facilitating student networking
One of the disadvantages of distance learning is that students may feel
isolated and alone, so it is important that the tutor encourages students
to network with each other. This can be done simply by contacting
each student to seek permission to circulate his or her contact details
to other students in the tutorial group. Students should be asked to
indicate whether or not they are happy to have their home contact details
circulated, or whether they prefer their work details to be circulated.
Openness versus emptiness
One of the common issues raised by tutors on open and distance learning
programmes concerns those students who make no attempt to respond
to communications from their tutor once they have registered on the
programme. One viewpoint is that tutors are resources for the student,
and if the student chooses not to use them that is perfectly acceptable;
in this case, the student could simply enrol on the programme and then
submit the assessment at the end, with no communication in-between.
This viewpoint seems to be compatible with an adult learning philosophy,
in which the students are considered self-directing adults responsible for
their own learning.
In a flexible learning programme, it is the students responsibility
to demonstrate to the tutor that he or she is undergoing the process
of learning, including critical reflection and analysis of issues and
experiences. This requires a certain amount of communication with the
tutor in order to monitor the students progress through this process.
Indeed, one of the terms of reference of a programme committee is the
monitoring of student progress, and this cannot be fulfilled without a
certain amount of interaction between student and tutor.
It is unacceptable for flexible learning students simply to register for
a unit of study and then to have no further contact with the institution
until they submit an assessment for marking. Even if the students feel
that they require no tutorial help with their studies, the tutor will require
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theory and practice
evidence of engagement with the materials and the literature, and of

reflection upon these. The tutor is also required to challenge students
assumptions and conclusions, thus facilitating the development of the
students critical abilities.
Computer-mediated tutoring
One of the most appropriate innovations in tutoring distance students is
computer-mediated tutoring, which is defined as:
The use of computers, telephone lines and specialist software to
facilitate interaction between students and tutors irrespective of
geographical location or time zone.
(Ryan, 1996)
This system uses Lotus Notes software to offer both electronic mail
and conferencing databases; email can be used for one-to-one messages
and questions, or for one-to-many notices and information. Computer
conferencing allows students and tutors to discuss issues in a virtual
group but does not take place in real time. Hence, a tutor may initiate
activities or ideas onto the server, and the students in the virtual group
can respond at any time of the day or night. Students and tutor may
initiate and respond to each others inputs just like a live seminar, but
with the advantage of not having to be in the same place at the same
time.
Managing
open, distance and flexible learning
Flexible learning programmes require specific management structures

to ensure the quality of materials and the quality of programme
delivery. Quinn (2000) identifies the following structures based upon his
experiences with flexible learning programmes.
Editorial board
An editorial board is an essential component of the management structure,
and membership would normally consist of the flexible learning manager,
the materials editor, the design and layout technician, and representatives
of authors. The editorial board is responsible for the commissioning,
production scheduling, and review process; commissioning may be done
on the basis of payment to the author for the writing, or by including
the writing as part of the teachers normal timetable commitments. It is
important that the editorial board maintains oversight of the production
schedule, so that action can be taken if there is slippage of deadlines. One
of the major quality assurance aspects of the editorial board is organizing
the critical review process for materials.
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Managing
open, distance and flexible learning
Critical reading of materials

It is essential that all flexible learning materials are exposed to critical
reading before the final draft is published. Critical readers should be
sought both internally and externally, and should consist of both teachers
and students so that the materials are criticized from both perspectives. A
guide should be issued so that critical readers have a framework to which
they write their critique, and resources need to be made available to pay
for the critical readers services.
Flexible learning administrator

Appropriately skilled administrative support is required to operate
distance learning programmes, and this works best if the administrator
role is one dedicated solely to the flexible learning operation. The
administrator is responsible for mailing of all flexible learning materials,
for liaison with the academic registry over issues relating to flexible
learning students, and, in conjunction with the appropriate programme
leader, organizing the receipt, marking and moderation of students
assessment work.
Structures for flexible learning on a subcontracting basis

It is relatively common within higher education to find that flexible
learning is delivered via a system of subcontracting with other educational
institutions. These partner institutions offer tutorial support, library
and information and communication technology support, and provide
a venue for students to meet from time to time. In this system, the
following management structures are required.
Partnership liaison tutor
For flexible learning systems that operate on a subcontracting basis, it
is necessary to have an academic member of staff who is responsible
for liaison with the partner institutions that provide tutoring and other
support for students. This individual would visit each partner institution
on a regular basis to monitor the quality of support provided for flexible
learning students, and to offer advice and staff development to tutors
within the partner institution.
Administrative manual
Communication between the parent institution and its partners is
of paramount importance for maintaining the quality of the student
experience. An administrative manual sets out all the procedures in
relation to student support and documentation and provides a basis for
monitoring of the partner organizations.
Staffing issues
If the students experience of flexible learning is to be a quality
experience, it requires motivated, committed and, above all, flexible
tutors. The staffing of such programmes raises issues not encountered
within traditional attendance mode programmes.
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theory and practice
Tutor availability outside the working day

One of the most sensitive staffing issues in relation to flexible learning is
the availability of tutors outside the normal working day. The majority
of students undertake flexible learning programmes because they are
fully committed to their employment during the working day. There is
therefore little point in offering a tutorial service between the hours of
09.00 and 17.00; rather, the students will want tutorial contact in the
evenings or at weekends. To operate such a system requires a fundamental
rethink of tutorial staff timetables, if overloading is to be avoided. Ideally,
flexible learning tutors should deal exclusively with such programmes, to
avoid clashes between teaching times on attendance mode courses.
Tutors working from home
One way of facilitating tutorials for these programmes is to consider a
system whereby tutors can use their home as their main work-base. It
is relatively easy for staff to be linked electronically to the university
via telephone, fax and computer, and this would enable tutors to offer
an out-of-hours service to students without having to stay late at work.
Some tutors may be happy to offer an evening and weekend service as
an alternative to travelling to work every day, but there is the danger
that they could end up working a full day at the institution, and then
being available out of hours for distance students. There is a growing
movement in society towards a working-from-home culture, but some
employers feel uneasy about this development, given that employees have
to be trusted to do their work without the direct supervision normally
available in an institutional setting.
Meeting with students at home
In some systems, tutors of flexible learning students arrange individual
and group tutorials in their own homes, as this is much more convenient
for evening and weekend meetings, particularly if the tutor lives at some
distance from the institution. Whilst this can be a very useful approach,
tutors need to be aware of some of the drawbacks; once students are
aware of the location of a tutors home, tutors may be subjected to
students dropping in without appointments. They may also be open to
accusations by students of improper behaviour, and, whilst this applies
also to attendance mode programmes, a defence may be more difficult if
the behaviour is alleged to have occurred in the tutors own home.
Roll-on, roll-off programmes

Another operational implication is that of access to flexible learning
programmes. Since flexible provision means that educational provision is
available when the student wants it, entry to programmes is commonly
on a continuous roll-on, roll-off basis, and this presents a challenge to
institutional systems, for example the scheduling of examination boards
and the tracking of students.
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Quality
assurance issues in open, distance and flexible learning
Cost implications
The cost of development and production of flexible learning materials
should not be underestimated: an editorial board is required, writers
and critical readers need to be commissioned; permissions to reproduce
copyright materials that will be scanned into texts need to be obtained;
and materials need to be piloted, all of which have very substantial cost
implications. Also, decisions have to be made about design and quality of
the materials, as these will influence cost. Materials will not remain up to
date forever; therefore, review and updating will need to be scheduled
every three to five years, depending upon the nature of the materials.
There are also costs involved in the necessary staff development for
flexible learning tutors.
On the other side of the equation, there are potential savings to be
made from the implementation of flexible learning. The following are
examples of such savings:
Savings can be made on the use of paper materials by downloading the

units onto the students computers.
In comparison with attendance mode courses, flexible learning does

not require classroom space nor is there a need for face-to-face
class contact between teachers and students, both of which consume
considerable resources.
By freeing up the tutors from heavy class contact, there may be
more time available for staff to undertake research, an increasingly
important issue in the light of the research assessment exercise.
The use of high-quality textual and computer material can be a far
more effective learning strategy than poorly delivered lectures, and
from a quality assurance point of view are much more open to public
scrutiny than the latter.
Quality
assurance issues in open, distance and flexible

learning
Quality assurance is a crucial aspect of open, distance and flexible

learning, particularly as it commonly takes place at a distance from the
main institution. The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education
(QAA, 1998b) offers guidelines on quality assurance of distance learning,
under five main headings:
1. Programme design and approval.
2. Programme management for assurance of quality.
3. Delivery systems.
4. Learner support.
5. Student assessment and the maintenance of academic standards.
There are a number of quality issues that cause particular difficulties on
distance learning programmes, including the following.
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theory and practice
Library and IT support

Student access to library and IT support facilities is an important aspect
for distance learning, since the flexible learning materials need to be
supplemented by further reading and inquiry. Whilst the main providing
institution can easily monitor the quality of its own libraries, it is more
difficult when partner institutions library provision has to be evaluated.
Student peer support

Open learning can be a lonely experience for distance learning students,
so it is important that networking is set up to help them interact with
their peers on the same programme.
Use of locally based tutors

Institutions often employ associate tutors who live within the students
locality, so as to facilitate tutoring, but this can present difficulties in
ensuring that they maintain good communication with the institution and
also with attendance at staff development activities.
Summary
The term curriculum is used to describe a plan or design upon which
educational provision is based.
Educational provision in nursing takes a variety of forms, from short
in-house programmes through to longer formal programmes leading

to academic awards.
A learning outcome is the desired end-state of student learning and
describes the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that a student
should acquire as a result of the educational process.
The taxonomy of educational objectives classifies objectives into
three main spheres or domains, progressing from the most simple to
the highly complex; the three domains are cognitive, affective and
psychomotor.
There are four stages in the curriculum development process:
exploratory, design, implementation, and monitoring and review.
Academic validation is the programme or course approval process used
in higher education.
Equality of opportunity is a central tenet of modern education and
relates to all aspects of higher education curricula as well as to wider
aspects of institutional management.
The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 was amended by the Special
Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 making it unlawful for
higher education institutions to discriminate against students with
disabilities and dyslexia.
By making some very simple adaptations to their teaching practice
in lectures, seminars and classes, educators can help to ensure that
disabled students are not substantially disadvantaged.
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Internal quality audit is undertaken periodically by an institution
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Planning
for teaching
Professional teaching in nursing, midwifery and specialist community

public heath nursing is an intentional enterprise that aims to facilitate
learning. It is characterized by an acceptance of responsibility for
facilitating other peoples learning by means of planned and purposeful
educational interventions. This is not to say that teaching ignores the
possibility of unplanned learning; indeed, there are powerful arguments
to support the view that teaching must provide an atmosphere for students
in which unpredictable or creative outcomes can emerge. However, even
this example shows evidence of broad teaching intentions, namely, the
provision of a climate in which unpredictable outcomes are encouraged.
Within nursing, midwifery and specialist community public heath nursing
there is a wide range of teaching contexts, ranging from the delivery
of lectures in a university through to one-to-one teaching sessions with
individual students, practitioners, patients and clients. It must also be
acknowledged that many teaching encounters in clinical and community
settings are opportunistic, arising spontaneously during the day-to-day
delivery of care. It is therefore difficult to be specific about what should
be included when planning for such a diverse range of teaching, but
there are a number of generic factors that might be taken into account,
as shown in Table 5.1. However, the relevance of each of these will vary
according to the nature of the teaching encounter.
A Nature of the teaching encounter
Table 5.1
1. Type of learner, i.e. student, qualified practitioner, patient/client

2. Programme-related or non-programme-related teaching
3. One-to-one, small-group or lecture
Some factors to be taken

into account in planning
a teaching session
B Details of the programme

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Title
Level/year
Full-time or part-time attendance
Course aims and learning outcomes
Indicative content
Assessment methods
C Details of students
1. Number of students
2. Full-time/part-time
3. Relevant prior knowledge and experience
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Chapter 5 Planning
for teaching
D Organizational factors
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Length of teaching session

Type of venue, e.g. lecture theatre, classroom, laboratory, workplace, etc.
Availability of teaching resources, e.g. whiteboard, overhead projector, computers, etc.
Health and safety aspects
Equality of opportunity
E Psychological factors
1.
2.
3.
4.
Appropriate sequencing of subject matter

Student motivation
Individual differences in student ability
Individual differences in race, gender, age, etc.
Defining
the purpose of a teaching session
The practice of stating aims and learning outcomes is now almost

universal within the higher education sector; these are normally of two
kinds: general aims and learning outcomes for the programme as a whole,
and those for specific modules or units of learning. It is important to state
aims and learning outcomes even if the teaching session is not related to
an academic programme, since they help the learner to understand the
purpose of the session.
Educational aims are broad, strategic statements of intent, which
include reference to the value of achieving the aim. For example, To
assist the students to develop the appropriate knowledge and skills that
will enable them to deliver high-quality care to patients suffering from
cancer. Note that no details of the knowledge and skills are given in the
aim; fine detail such as this is contained within the learning outcomes.
Note also that there is a value included in the aim, i.e. enable them to
deliver high-quality care.
Learning outcomes are specific statements about what the student
should have achieved by the end of a module or unit and are often stated
in terms of student behaviours: for example, Defines the terms transient,
acute and chronic pain, with reference to the relevant literature. The
behavioural verb here is defines, which indicates very clearly what the
student is expected to achieve. This would normally be either in written
form or by oral explanation. The outcome also contains a criterion for
performance, i.e. with reference to the relevant literature.
It would not be sufficient for students simply to be able to define
the terms; they must also meet the criterion for performance of the
outcome.
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Defining
the purpose of a teaching session
Academic level of learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are formulated at the appropriate level for the unit
or module in question. Academic levels and definitions may vary between
higher education institutions; Table 5.2 gives the levels and definitions in
use at Cardiff University. Levels 1, 2, and 3 correspond to years 1, 2, and
3 of an undergraduate honours degree programme.
Level 0
Modules, the standard of which is higher than GCSE or its equivalent, which would
prepare students for entry to an undergraduate degree
Level HE 1 Modules, the standard of which is higher than modules at level 0, and which are
appropriate to the award of a university Certificate of Higher Education
appropriate to the award of a university Diploma of Higher Education
appropriate to the award of an Honours degree
Level M
Modules, the standard of which is higher than modules at level 3, and which are
appropriate to the award of a Masters degree
Table 5.2
Definitions of credit levels
Learning outcomes and assessment

Learning outcomes and assessment of learning are inextricably linked, in
that assessment normally requires the student to demonstrate achievement
of the learning outcomes. One advantage of learning outcomes is that
they provide learners with clear goals for their studies, but they can shift
the focus of study too heavily towards assessment, to the detriment of
wider reading.
A learning outcome, as defined by Neary (2000), is what a student
should know, understand and be able to do following a period of learning;
it includes an indication of the evidence required to demonstrate that
learning has been achieved. Whilst each learning outcome should be
specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timed (Hinchliff, 2001) and
represent an expectation that the student must learn a different item of
knowledge, Welsh and Swann (2002) warn us that too many may create
unreasonable expectations. Jarvis and Gibson (1997) point out that
learning outcomes result from educators attempting to provide direction
for the development of a curriculum at every level. However the
desirability of providing such detailed direction is open to considerable
question, especially as it proposes a teacher-centred learning approach,
which might not be acceptable to educators of adults.
Learning outcomes in nurse education are influenced by the work of
Bloom (1956), discussed further on in the chapter, higher-level descriptors
(QAA, 2001), and the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC, 2005). In
terms of meeting these outcomes, Neary (2000) explains that students
undergoing an educational programme are assessed on the knowledge and
skills that satisfies the governing body of nursing and other professional
bodies, to ensure that those individuals are suitable and able practitioners
who are fit for purpose.
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Selecting
the subject matter (content) of a teaching
session
It must be acknowledged from the outset that subject matter is not

necessarily synonymous with content. The term subject matter is
normally attached to the various fields of knowledge that comprise the
science and art of nursing, midwifery and specialist community public
heath nursing, and in this sense it equates with the term content.
However, some teaching sessions in nursing and health have as their
content a variety of group processes and interactions that are not subject
matter per se, but which still require careful planning. This aspect is dealt
with in Chapter 6 (p. 234) in the discussion on small-group teaching and
experiential learning.
It goes without saying that a teacher should possess a thorough
understanding of the subject matter to be taught; in higher education
the minimum benchmark for a lecturer is normally the possession of a
first degree or equivalent. This level of knowledge does, in itself, present
problems in the selection of subject matter for teaching. The more expert
a teacher is, the more difficult it is to decide what must go in, and more
importantly what has to be left out of, a teaching session.
This may result in the inexperienced teacher cramming far too much
information into sessions. The secret of successful teaching is to place
severe limits on the amount of content in a given session by the judicious
selection of the most important aspects of the topic and the ruthless
pruning of other, less crucial material.
Concept mapping
In Chapter 3 (p. 64), the nature of concepts was discussed. When planning
teaching sessions, one of the most difficult decisions confronting the
teacher is deciding what must go in, what should go in, and what could
go in; concept sorting and mapping can be a helpful tool in this regard.
Lawless et al. (1998, p. 219) offer the following definition:
Concept sorting is a simple, yet powerful, way in which to generate,
sort, arrange and rearrange any set of elements, i.e. ideas, concepts,
events, statements or procedures, in a visually explicit manner,
namely a concept map.
Hence, the terms have largely the same meaning, but the writers
point out that the term concept sorting is used in business and
public administration, whereas concept mapping is the preferred
term in education because the emphasis is on the relationships between
concepts.
Concept mapping provides a way of prioritizing concepts in a
concrete, visual way. The simplest way of making a concept map is
to write each concept on a small square of paper and then place the
squares on a flat surface. The squares are then arranged in order of their
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Selecting
the content of a teaching session
relationship to each other, with the most closely related concepts being
placed next to each other. This pattern is then transferred to a diagram,
and the relationships between concepts are shown by connecting lines,
usually annotated.
Figure 5.1 shows an example of a concept map for the topic coronary
heart disease; first-order, second-order and third-order concepts are
included. When making a decision about which concepts to include and
which to omit, the teacher will need to judge not only the appropriate
level of information for the learners in question but also the amount of
time available for the session.
Incidence
EPIDEMIOLOGY
Risk factors
Geographical distribution
Statistics
Age and gender
LDL
HDL
Primary
Secondary
Lipids
Hypertension
Diabetes
Lifestyle
CHD
PATHOLOGY
Atherosclerosis
Thrombosis
Signs and symptoms
Pain
Shock
Pyschological effects
Fear
Employment
Self-image
Diagnosis
ECG
Angiography
Treatment
Drugs
CLINICAL FEATURES
PATIENT CARE
Diet
Smoking
Alcohol
Exercise
Ischaemia
Infarction
Sick role
Income
Relationships
Lipid-lowering
Nitrates
Beta blockers
Bypass
Angioplasty
Surgery
Nursing
Physical
Psychosocial
Figure 5.1
When sorting the concepts, lecturers draw upon the relevant literature
and their specialist knowledge and experience of the topic, and the end
result should be a prioritizing of concepts into key concepts (must be
included), second-order concepts (should be included) and third-order
concepts (could be included). At the level of the key concepts, selection
is usually fairly straightforward; it is at the level of the second- and thirdorder concepts that the danger of over-inclusion of information is most
likely to occur. There are all kinds of fascinating facts and anecdotes
attached to the key concepts of nursing and health, and as such these
can be important elements in the maintenance of students interest and
motivation.
Concept map for

coronary heart disease
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Problems may arise when the teacher perceives that there are so many
key concepts to include that no time is left for these interesting but nonessential aspects of the topic. This dilemma can be lessened if the aim
of the session is taken into account. Provided that sufficient book and
periodical resources are available in the college, there should seldom
be the need for the teacher to attempt to cover all aspects of a topic in
detail. By the judicious use of references and further reading, the teacher
can limit the number of concepts within the session, and in so doing will
free up time for inclusion of anecdotes and other interesting facets of the
topic.
Although the foregoing information has focused on the planning of
a single teaching session, concept mapping is equally appropriate for
planning a scheme of work for a series of sessions on a broad topic area.
It can actually be easier to make a selection from a concept map if more
than one session is available, as the time constraints may be less evident.
Selecting
appropriate teaching strategies
There is a wide range of strategies available to the teacher and these are
discussed in detail in the relevant chapters of this book. Hence, for this
section, an overview of the basis on which teaching strategies might be
selected will be provided. The starting point for selection of teaching and
learning strategies is the broad purpose of the session(s). The strategies
must be compatible with the aims of the session; lecturing is very
commonly used as a vehicle for conveying subject matter to students,
but there may well be more effective ways involving individualized
instruction. If the intention of a session is to encourage discussion or
debate about issues, student-centred activities should predominate;
for skills teaching, demonstration followed by student practice is an
appropriate strategy.
Encouraging a deep approach to learning

Evidence suggests that there is over-reliance on those teaching methods
involving the transmission of information and that this is often combined
with assessment methods that encourage the superficial reproduction of
facts.
The Improving Student Learning Project (CNAA, 1992) identified
ways in which teachers can encourage students to adopt a deep approach
to learning as opposed to the superficial approach referred to above. A
deep approach to learning involves a search for understanding, and there
are four elements of courses that foster this:
Motivational context. Students experience a need to know, and are

intrinsically motivated.
Active learning. Active involvement in learning is encouraged.

Interaction with others. Opportunities exist for exploratory
discussion.
A well-structured knowledge base. Content is taught in integrated

wholes and related to other knowledge.
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Planning
an explanation
The CNAA project makes the point that existing curricula need not
necessarily be abandoned but can be modified to include the above
strategies.
Deductive and inductive teaching of concepts

There are two main ways of teaching concepts, deductively and
inductively. When teaching a concept deductively, the teacher begins by
giving a definition of the concept and then follows this up with a number
of examples. Thus, when teaching the concept of cell, a definition
would be given, followed by a number of examples of various cells such
as nerve cells, epithelial cells, and so on. Examples would also be given
of non-cells to aid discrimination of the concept.
When teaching a concept inductively, the teacher first gives a
number of instances (examples) of the concept and then draws out
from the students a definition of the concept. The teacher might begin
with illustrations or descriptions of a number of patients, some grossly
overweight, some extremely thin, others with specific physical or nervous
disorders such as scurvy and bulimia. The students then try to ascertain
any factors that are common to all the instances, eventually coming up
with a definition of the concept malnutrition.
The following is a useful mnemonic for remembering the difference
between inductive and deductive teaching:
Deductive teaching begins with a definition and then gives instances
(examples).
Inductive teaching begins with instances (examples) and then arrives
at a definition.
Planning
an explanation
Explanations form the greater part of the teaching of subject matter,

yet the study of explanations is still in its infancy (Bligh, 1998). When
an explanation is given to students, the teacher links what the students
already know to the new information that is being given. This principle
is nicely captured by Ausubel et al. (1978, p. 163):
If I had to reduce all educational psychology to just one principle
it would be this: The most important single factor influencing
learning is what the student already knows. Ascertain this and teach
him accordingly.
Classification of explanations
Within the literature there are a number of ways in which explanations are
classified; for example, Bligh (1998) identifies 11 kinds of explanation,
but for everyday practice a much more useful classification is that of
Brown and Atkins (1988):
1. Interpretive, i.e. answers the question What?
2. Descriptive, i.e. answers the question How?
3. Reason-giving, i.e. answers the question Why?
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Brown and Atkins describe explaining as a three-stage process

consisting of:
1. A problem to be explained (problem identification). The term problem
relates to concepts in the subject matter to be taught to students.
2. A series of statements (transmission). These are linked statements made
by the lecturer, containing the examples, principles and other material
relevant to understanding of the problem, and must be stated at an
appropriate level for the students in question. They must be conveyed
with clarity, and should arouse students interest in the explanation.
3. An understanding of the problem (outcome). If the explanation is
successful, students will understand the problem. If not, the lecturer
will have to deliver a new series of statements that offer a different
perspective on the problem.
When planning an explanation, the lecturer should initially analyse the
topic into its main parts or keys and then establish any links between
these, including any rules that might be involved (Brown and Armstrong,
1984). The particular type of explanation required is identified and
incorporated into the teaching plan. In their study, Brown and Armstrong
found that better explanations had more keys and a greater variety of
cognitive levels of keys, so that lecturers placed more varied demands
on the pupils, particularly higher levels of cognitive demand. Better
explanations also involved the use of examples, visual aids and rhetorical
questions and were more appropriately structured and stimulating.
Sequence for planning an explanation

George Brown (1978) remains one of the few writers to have offered a
sequence for planning an explanation:
1. Decide precisely what is to be explained, in the form of a question, for
example what, why or how?
2. Identify any hidden variables. These might be prerequisite concepts
that, although not immediately obvious in the problem, will influence
understanding of the explanation. For example, a hidden variable in
the question How does oxygen from the air reach the tissues? would
be the concept of diffusion of a gas.
3. State the key points.
4. Design the keys. This involves taking each of the key points and
writing each one as a simple statement. Each statement should
have one or two examples to illustrate it and also elaborations or
qualifications, as appropriate. It is useful to include a restatement
or extension of the main point, using different words.
5. Write a summary of the key points, to be used at the end of the
explanation.
6. Write the introduction to the explanation. Brown suggests that this
is done last so that a motivating and interesting introduction can be
devised, which is appropriate to the sequence. It is useful to use such
devices as a provocative question or an interesting anecdote to capture
attention.
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Designing
effective questions
Table 5.3 shows a planning sequence for an explanation, with the

problem stated in the form of a question in Step 1. Step 2 shows the
attempt to identify hidden variables by stating the relationship between
the parts of the question. It can be seen that the explanation needs more
than the four points made here, because there is a hidden variable,
namely the fact that gallstones do not always cause jaundice. Step 3 is a
list of the key points of the explanation, and these are expressed in Step
4 as statements or keys. Each of these keys would need to have some
examples to illustrate the point and also elaboration or qualifications.
For instance, the teacher might give examples of the kind of people who
are likely to suffer from gallstones, possibly including the aphorism fair,
fat, forty, fertile and flatulent. Having designed the explanation, all that
remains is for the teacher to incorporate it into the teaching plan, taking
care to provide a motivating introduction.
Step 1
How do gallstones cause jaundice?
Table 5.3
Step 2
Common bile duct conveys bile from liver to intestine via gall bladder
Obstruction to bile flow causes jaundice
Gallstones block the common bile duct
Gallstones cause jaundice
Planning sequence for explaining

How gallstones cause jaundice
Hidden variable = gallstones do not always cause jaundice. Thus, the explanation must make
clear in what circumstances gallstones cause jaundice.
Step 3
Secretion of bile; storage and passage of bile; formation of gallstones; migration and
impaction of gallstone; results of obstruction to flow of bile.
Step 4
(a) Bile is secreted by hepatocyes and conveyed to the gall bladder via the hepatic duct
and cystic duct.
(b) Bile is stored and concentrated in the gall bladder, from whence it is ejected by
muscular contraction, and conveyed by peristalsis into small intestine via cystic duct
and common bile duct.
(c) In some people, gallstones form from precipitation of bile constituents, for example
cholesterol, in gall bladder.
(d) Small gallstones may be ejected during contraction of the gall bladder, passing by
peristalsis into the common bile duct, where they may impact in the lumen.
(e) This implication may cause obstruction to the flow of bile, with resultant rise in
back-pressure to the liver.
(f) This back-pressure will eventually cause reversal of flow of bile into the
bloodstream, raising the serum bilirubin and discolouring the skin and mucous
membranes, i.e. jaundice.
Adapted from Quinn (2000)
Designing
effective questions
Questioning forms part of the canon of teaching, and it is useful

to distinguish between two major types of questions: educational
and management questions. Educational questions are those directly
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concerned with the educational outcomes of the student, such as subject

matter, feelings and opinions, whereas management questions are used
to organize or control the classroom environment. Examples of the
latter might be questions that are really commands, such as Would you
please stop talking during my lecture? or Would someone like to open
a window? This section focuses on educational questions.
Purposes of educational questioning

The purposes of educational questioning can be grouped under four main
headings.
1. Social purposes:
to promote active involvement of the students during a lesson;
to encourage closer relationships between teachers and students;
to elicit any special interests or experience from the students.
2. Motivational purposes:
to develop the students interest and motivation, e.g. How do you
think that this problem might be overcome?;

to focus attention upon an aspect of the session;
to provide a change of stimulus.
3. Cognitive purposes:
to encourage the students to think at varying levels of complexity and
in a logical, analytical way.
4. Assessment purposes:
to assess the previous knowledge or skill of a student;
to assess the students ability to use the higher levels of cognitive
functioning such as analysis, synthesis and evaluation;
to provide the teacher with feedback on the learning taking place
during the course of a lecture.
These four categories emphasize the wide-ranging uses of questioning,
but, in practice, it seems that most teachers use mainly factual and closed
questions (Delamont, 1983).
Classification of questions
There are many different ways of classifying questions, none of which is
entirely satisfactory because questions depend very much on the context
in which they are asked. Although none of the following examples
is particularly recent, they are probably the most useful ones in the
literature.
Blooms taxonomy classification
In Chapter 4 (p. 114) the work of Benjamin Bloom (1956) is discussed
in connection with educational objectives. The taxonomy of educational
objectives can be used to formulate questions at different intellectual
levels. Bloom classified intellectual or cognitive functions into a hierarchy
of levels of increasing complexity, from simple recall of facts to evaluation
and judgement of ideas.
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Designing
The most basic level is called knowledge; questions aimed at this

level will ask students to recall a definition or term, state a fact, or
identify certain things.
The next level is comprehension; the teacher can test this level by
asking questions that require students to restate meanings in their own
words or to predict consequences or effects.
The third level is application, which requires students to apply
rules, methods and principles to specific situations. In a first-aid lecture,
for example, the teacher may have already given the rule for casualties,
which states that they should be given nothing by mouth. Later in the
lecture, the teacher may give a specific example of a casualty with a
fractured femur and ask the question, How would you deal with the
casualtys request for a drink?
Analysis, the fourth level, requires questions to be phrased in such a
way as to make the student break down concepts or situations into their
component parts, whereas the fifth level, synthesis, asks the student to
do the opposite, i.e. to build up a whole from a series of constituent parts.
For example, a question such as From what we have done so far, can
you tell us what the main areas of your nursing-care plan would be? is
an example of a synthesis-level question. The highest level of intellectual
functioning, according to Bloom, is that of evaluation and consists of
questions that ascertain from the students their judgements about the
best or most effective arguments or courses of action. Table 5.4 outlines
some of the differences between the six levels of the taxonomy discussed
above, although the list of verbs is by no means exhaustive.
effective questions
Table 5.4
Blooms taxonomy
Knowledge and understanding
High-level intellectual skills
Knowledge
Comprehension
Application
Analysis
Synthesis
Evaluation
Recalling
information
Explaining
information
Solving closedended problems
Solving open-ended
problems
Creating answers to
problems
List
Relate
Record
Underline
Define
Name
Repeat
Recognize
Label
Recall
Report
Review
Translate
Describe
Discuss
Express
Identify
Explain
Justify
Summarize
Illustrate
Schedule
Interpret
Demonstrate
Apply
Practise
Employ
Operate
Prepare
Verify
Criticize
Analyse
Question
Categorize
Test
Compare
Contrast
Debate
Appraise
Experiment
Manage
Collect
Propose
Compose
Prepare
Arrange
Construct
Plan
Create
Arrange
Making critical
judgements
based on a sound
knowledge base
Evaluate
Assess
Judge
Estimate
Compare
Conclude
Discriminate
Value
Rate
Defend
Adapted from Bloom (1956)
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Brown and Edmondsons types of questions

Brown and Edmondson (1984) classify questions into two broad
categories: cognitive and speculative, affective and management
Cognitive-level questions are arranged in a way similar to Blooms above,
with five subcategories:
1. Data recall includes recall of knowledge, tasks, naming, and
classifying.
2. Simple deductions from data, such as comparing, describing, and
interpreting.
3. Providing reasons, i.e. causes or motives that have not been taught in
the lecture.
4. Problem-solving.
5. Evaluating.
Speculative, affective and management questions comprise such
aspects as speculation, intuitive guesses, expression of emotions, class
control, attention and checking understanding.
Kerrys classification
Kerry (1980) has devised a 10-item classification of questions:
1. Data-recall questions, i.e. facts are recalled but not used.
2. Naming questions, i.e. things are named.
3. Observation questions, i.e. what the student observes.
4. Control questions, which are part of classroom management.
5. Pseudo-question, where the teacher seems to give the impression that
a range of answers will be acceptable, but in reality his or her mind is
made up.
6. Speculative or hypothesis-generating questions, which invite the
student to speculate about a hypothetical situation.
7. Reasoning questions, which ask for reasons as to why things occur.
8. Personal response questions, which ask how the student feels about an
issue.
9. Discriminatory questions, which look for the points for and against an
issue.
10. Problem-solving questions, which are geared to finding out about
things.
The various classification systems outlined above are not exhaustive,
and other types of question have been identified. Probing questions
encourage the student to develop his or her first answer, and prompting
questions give students hints about the direction that they might take.
Convergent questions are those that narrow down to a specific answer,
whereas divergent questions open out a number of possibilities.
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Designing
effective questions
Making questioning more effective

Questioning is often a rather haphazard affair, with questions being
thrown out without too much thought as to their purpose. A number of
criteria apply to the formulation of good questions. The question should
be short so that it can be remembered by the students whilst they are
working out their answers, and it should be stated in language that can
easily be understood. The question must also be appropriate to the level
of the student, as it is unfair to expect an answer to questions that are at
too high a level for his or her particular stage of education. On the other
hand, the teacher must try to include questions that require more than
simple recall of factual material, by posing questions containing problems
that need a thought-out solution.
Needless to say, a question should never be ambiguous and should
contain only a single question. For example, it is confusing for a student
to be asked a question like What are the main points in the pre-operative
care of this patient, and why are they important? Another example of a
poor question is Are models of nursing useful in planning patient/client
care? The student need simply say Yes or No to answer the question
and the teacher will then have to probe further to elicit the actual
answer required.
Pose, pause and pounce technique
A useful tip for improving questioning technique is to write out the
questions beforehand and include them on the lesson plan. This ensures
that the questions have received some careful thought before being
included, and so the teacher is less likely to ask poor questions. It is good
teaching technique to explain to the students that, whenever a question
is posed during a lesson, each of them is to think about the answer and
one of them will then be selected by name to answer it. This is sometimes
referred to as the pose, pause, pounce technique, and it is useful in that
it ensures that each student thinks about the question, just in case it is he
or she who is selected. This method is superior to the overhead type of
question technique, where the question is posed and students volunteer
the answer, because any given student may well decide not to answer
the question, leaving the bright members of the audience to vie for the
privilege.
The teachers response to the answers given by students is very
important, as the act of questioning is highly threatening from the
students point of view. Teachers often seem unaware of the power that
they possess in a lecture; their responses can have a devastating effect on
the individual student.
Individuals can be made to feel humiliated by a thoughtless response
from the teacher, so sensitivity is needed. Correct answers must be
reinforced adequately, and this should also include the correct parts of
a partially correct answer. An incorrect answer should not be left but
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should be followed by another version of the question, rephrased at a

lower level. A partially correct answer can usefully be referred to another
student for further elaboration.
One problem that requires careful handling is that of the students
who do not answer at all. It is tempting to try to relieve their discomfort
by moving on to another person, but it is well worth rephrasing the
question at a lower level of difficulty so that the reluctant student gains
a little success if he or she answers. If the rephrased question still evokes
no response, then the best strategy may well be to leave such students for
the moment and then to see them privately after the lecture in order to
attempt to find a solution to their difficulty.
The most common failing of questioning is that the response called
for is at a low level of intellectual functioning, such as simple factual
recall of information. It is therefore necessary for the teacher to plan for
the inclusion of questions that test the higher intellectual functions.
Drafting
a teaching plan
It is interesting to watch how teachers and other public speakers use

notes; these are often written on very small cards secreted in the palm of
the hand, to which furtive glances are directed from time to time when
a prompt is required.
From this behaviour we might conclude that, generally, people feel
that they should be able to speak without notes, their use being somewhat
akin to cheating! However, it is the needs of the audience, not his or her
own prestige, which should be at the forefront of the teachers mind, and
a teaching plan can help to minimize the chances of omitting some vital
part of the session and ensure that all the necessary factors have been
considered.
Teaching plans need to be distinguished from a closely related
concept, that of the teachers subject-matter notes. Subject-matter notes
are used to provide a reminder to the teacher of the actual details of the
subject matter during a session and eliminate the possibility of forgetting
some crucial aspect. It is quite possible for a teacher to present a teaching
session without having teachers notes, depending on the type of subject
matter and the degree of expertise of the teacher. Indeed, many teachers
do not use subject-matter notes per se, but put the key headings on
overhead-projector transparencies, using these as prompts to their
memory of the subject matter. It is tempting for newly qualified teachers
to write down every word of what they plan to say, but this may well
result in their notes being read aloud rather than delivered, and it is also
easier for the teacher to lose their place! Even if the teacher is anxious
not to omit any detail, it is still possible to include all the major headings
and subheadings, with suitable indicators of examples etc., without
writing the whole plan in prose form.
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Drafting
a teaching plan
Reece and Walker (2000) believe that a lesson plan has two functions:
as a strategy or plan for teaching and as a series of cues to be used
during the lesson. They also believe that a lesson plan is intended to help
teachers to proceed with the teaching session logically; but, even with
detailed planning, every eventuality cannot be catered for. A lesson plan
is therefore essentially tentative and flexible. In addition to providing
structure to a lesson, a lesson plan should identify a sequence of events in
the form of an introduction, the progression of the subject material and a
conclusion. There are many reasons for the use of lesson plans, and, for
them to be effective, many key details should be present:
title of session, date, venue, time and duration;

details and number of learners;
aims and learning outcomes;
teaching resources required;
layout of venue;
sequence and process of session;
teachers initial self-evaluation.
Teachers should focus on planning for effective learning and develop
learning outcomes specific to the lesson or scheme of work. Ashcroft and
Foreman-Peck (1994) believe that planning for learning involves longterm, medium-term and short-term goals, and in their experience new
teachers tend to plan too much content and focus too little on management
and organization. They also warn that if teachers try to cover too much
material, most of it will not get through to the students.
Pro forma for a teaching plan

Table 5.5 shows an example of a completed teaching plan which is
written specifically for a classroom teaching situation; Table 5.6 shows
an example of a completed teaching plan for a clinical skills session (Dix
and Hughes, 2005). The plans each fit on two sides of an A4 sheet and
contain spaces for all the essential details and for the actual structure and
sequence of delivery.
The column Content and development is for the main headings and
the questions that one is planning to ask.
The Student activity column is a useful indicator of the amount of
interaction and activity during a lesson and should also include any use of
learning resources as well as teacher talk. Although a Duration column
is included, the timing is meant to be an approximate guide only, and the
plan must be sufficiently flexible to allow for unplanned events.
Space can be allowed also for the teachers immediate reactions at the
end of the session, so that key aspects are recorded whilst fresh in his or
her mind; these can then form the basis for later reflection.
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Duration: 1.5 hrs
Group Number: 60
Venue: Lecture Theatre
Group: Cohort 1
Session Style: Lecture
Subject: Nursing assessment of the surgical inpatient
9780748797660_Q_Nursing.indd 198
Duration
15 mins
5 mins
10 mins
20 mins
Time
13.30
13.40
13.45
13.50
Teacher
transmission with
direct questioning
Introduction to session
Aims and learning outcomes
Development 2:
What information does the
preoperative checklist comprise?
Practical exercise:
Circulation and
facilitation while
students on task
Teacher
transmission with
direct questioning
Quiz
Re-cap on previous session
Development 1: QUESTIONS
Why do we assess patients prior to
surgery?
Has anyone accompanied a patient
to theatre?

Can anyone talk us through the
process?
What information is required before
the patient leaves the ward area?
Method
Content and development
To foster students critical

thinking abilities
To provide feedback on the

learning that has taken place
during clinical placements
To assess prior knowledge

and understanding
Signposts where the lesson

fits into the perioperative care
programme, and highlights
structure of the session
To identify knowledge and

understanding from previous
session
Rationale
Student Participation
Group work to
document what
the preoperative
checklist consists of
(4 groups)
Listening with the

opportunity to ask
questions
Group discussion
Listening with the

opportunity to ask
questions
Student led
questions and
answering
Student activity
Feedback to the
group
Assessment of
prior knowledge
Acetates and
pens
Allows assessment
of prior knowledge
Allows assessment
of prior knowledge
Verbal feedback
to indicate prior
learning
Assessment
PowerPoint
Slides 1213
PowerPoint
Slides 811
PowerPoint
Slides 57
PowerPoint
Slides 14
AVA
Learning outcomes: at the end of the lesson the students will be able to:
Demonstrate correctly an understanding of the importance of maintaining a safe environment and ensuring patient safety during the preoperative phase
Critically examine the theory underpinning the pre-operative check list for surgical patients
Provide a sound rationale for nursing care which takes into account the social, legal and ethical influences within the peri-operative environment
Aim of the session:

To apply knowledge base to the safe principles of preoperative preparation for surgical patients
Previous relevant knowledge:

2nd year pre-registration nursing students who have completed the common foundation unit in year 1 and a 16-week medical module at the beginning of year 2
Time: 13.3015.00 hrs
Date: January 04
Example of a teaching plan for a classroom session
Table 5.5
Chapter 5 Planning
for teaching
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30 mins
15 mins
5 mins
14.10
14.40
14.50
Development 5: Information giving

Reference list
Availability of handouts
Session 3 in the perioperative
care programme
Development 4:
Re-cap on todays session
Re-visit learning outcomes and
conclusion
Any questions or comments?
Development 3:
Examination of preoperative
checklist
Duration: 1 hr
Group Number: 20
Session style: clinical skills session
Learning outcomes: at the end of the lesson the students will be able to:
Identify correctly common sites and types of fractures
Explain how to correctly recognise the signs and symptoms of a fracture
Describe the appropriate treatment of fractures
Demonstrate correctly an elevation sling, broad-arm sling and immobilization of lower limbs as per St John Ambulance first aid manual
Aim of the session:

To acquire basic first aid skills in the treatment of people with fractured limbs
Listening with the

opportunity to ask
questions
Listening with the

opportunity to ask
questions
Listening with the

opportunity to ask
questions
Student activity
Subject: fracture management
Preparation for next session
Handouts are now available

on the Web site for students
who are absent to access
To provide further reading

material for students
Inviting questions and

comments provides the
opportunity for students to
engage in a group discussion
Ask questions to confirm

learning
(Diagnostic assessment to
gauge learning)
Highlights the importance

of patient safety during the
preoperative stage and allows
the teacher to further expand
on the subject
Rationale
Venue: clinical skills laboratory
Group: cohort 2
Teacher
transmission with
direct questioning
Teacher
transmission with
direct questioning
Teacher
transmission with
direct questioning
Method
Previous relevant knowledge:

1st year pre-registration nursing students who have completed one theory module
Time: 13.3014.30 hrs
Date: January 04
Example of a teaching session for a clinical skills session
Table 5.6
Duration
Time
PowerPoint
Slides 4142
None
PowerPoint
Slides 1440
AVA
This session is not

formally assessed;
however, I will
question intermittently
to confirm
understanding and
learning
Verbal feedback
to demonstrate
knowledge and
understanding
Direct questioning will

confirm understanding
of the subject
Assessment
Drafting
a teaching plan
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10 mins
10 mins
5 mins
5 mins
20 mins
5 mins
5 mins
13.30
13.40
13.50
13.55
14.00
14.20
14.25
Development 6
Revisit learning outcomes and conclusion
Q8. Any questions or comments?
Development 5
Treatment of an open fracture
Q7. How do you think an open fracture should be
treated compare with tutor slide
Development 4
Immobilization of upper and lower limb fractures
Q6. Can anyone remember where these particular
bones are situated?
Students to demonstrate application of slings and
bandages in pairs
Development 3
Signs and symptoms of fractures
Q5. What are the signs and symptoms of a fracture?
Write student answers on flip chart compare with
tutor slide
Development 2
Types of fractures
Q4. Can anyone identify any types of fractures?
Draw identified fractures on flip chart compare
with tutor slide
Development 1
Common sites of fractures upper and lower limbs
Q3. Where are these bones situated in the body?
Identify bones on skeleton model
Introduction: aim and objectives

Q1. Are there any trained first-aiders in the class?
Q2. Has anyone experienced a fracture and is willing
to share it with the group?
Note: Tables 5.5 and 5.6 from Nursing Standard, reproduced with permission.
Duration
Time
Teacher transmission
Direct questioning and

teacher transmission
Teacher demonstration of
application of slings and
bandages
Students in pairs to
practise skill on each
other
Circulate and facilitate
Teacher transmission with

directed questioning.

direct questioning
Illustrate different fractures
on flip chart

direct questioning.
Demonstration of skeletal
bones using skeleton
model

direct questioning
Method
Reinforces lesson content and

signposts end of lesson
Reinforces learning and gives

the teacher the opportunity
to further expand on subject
Demonstration enhances
transmission of information,
by the use of tangible
equipment. Students are
given the opportunity to
practise this psychomotor skill
in a safe environment

matter

matter. Visualising the
fractures when drawn, aids to
retention of learning.
Visualization, aids to
retention of learning, better
than continuous teacher
transmission
Signposts where the

lesson fits into the
First aid programme, and
highlights structure of the
session
Rationale
Slide 10
Slide 9
Slide 7 and 8
2nd teacher as a
model
Slings/bandages
Slide 6
Flip chart/pens
Slide 4 and 5
Flip chart/pens
Slide 2 and 3
Skeleton model
PowerPoint
Slide 1
AVA
Allows assessment of
what has been learnt
and retained during
the session
prior knowledge
By circulating around
the students, allows
for visual assessment
of the skill
prior knowledge
prior knowledge
prior knowledge
Verbal feedback
indicates prior level
of learning
Assessment
Chapter 5 Planning
for teaching
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Drafting
a scheme of work
Sequencing of subject-matter content

There are many different approaches to the sequencing of subject matter
in a teaching plan, but the Herbartian principles are useful as a general
approach when considering the sequencing of the session. Johann
Herbart was a nineteenth-century German philosopher and educator
who formulated a number of principles for teaching, and it is interesting
to compare these with Ausubels assimilation theory of meaningful
learning outlined in Chapter 3 (p. 76). The Herbartian principles are as
follows:
1. Teaching should proceed from the simple to the complex The sequence
should start with the easiest concepts first, so that students acquire the
basic building blocks before tackling complex concepts.
2. Teaching should proceed from the known to the unknown. The starting
point for the sequence should be what students already know about
the subject. New material is then introduced to build upon their
existing knowledge.
3. Teaching should proceed from the concrete to the abstract. Concrete
concepts are normally easier to understand than abstract ones, and
they are often pre-requisites for abstract concepts. It is therefore useful
to teach the concrete concepts first before moving on to the more
abstract ones.
Drafting
a scheme of work
Within nursing and midwifery education, teachers are normally responsible

for the delivery of a specific area of the curriculum, such as a module or
unit of study, being of a defined size and duration and consisting of a
series of sessions centred on a common theme or topic area. It may be
difficult to maintain the overall continuity and coherence of a module
if the teacher plans each session individually, so it is preferable to use a
scheme of work that encompasses the entire module.
A scheme of work is a document that gives an overview of the
key components of each teaching session within the module, and this
would normally include the title, goals or learning outcomes, sequence
of content, teaching and learning activities, assessment, and media
resources. Table 5.7 shows an example of a scheme of work for a course
titled Teaching research and enquiry skills for staff development of
community practitioners. By considering each of these components for
a given session in relation to the others within the scheme, the teacher
can ensure integration and coherence of the whole module. The scheme
of work is a useful tool for checking on other important aspects of the
module, such as whether or not there is sufficient variety of teaching
and learning activities across the module, and the amount of assessment
within the module as a whole.
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Session
Outcomes
Content
Teaching methods
Assessment
Introduction to research
Understand nature of
knowledge
Mutual knowledge,
formal knowledge,
informed consent,
confidentiality
Lecture
Issue-centred groups
Resource material
Multiple-choice test
Types of research
Understand principles of
experimental research
Describe the nature of
experimental research
Experimental research
Non-experimental
research
Lecture/discussion
Carousel exercise
Nil
Action research
Understand nature of
action research
Discuss potential projects
in own field
Principles: exploratory,
practical, problemcentred
Problem-centred groups
Case-study material
Quality of feedback from

group work
Basic statistics
Awareness of uses and

limitations
Understanding of basic
statistics
Uses and abuses, basic

concepts, centrality,
variability, correlation,
probability, sampling
Activity workshop
Handout material
Monitoring of activities
Research critique
Understanding of
providing a critique
Undertake and
elementary critique
Guidelines, academic
fraud
Lecture/discussion
Practical exercise
Assessment of critiques
Writing a research
proposal
Identify sources of
funding
Write a draft proposal
Sources of funding,
DoH, NHS, HEA, etc.
Guidelines
Lecture/discussion
Workshop on writing a
proposal
Assessment of draft
proposal
Essay assignment on
course outcomes
Table 5.7
Example of a scheme of work
Organizing
the teaching environment
An ideal learning environment is seen as one in which the educational

needs of the learners are met (Fretwell, 1985). To assist the andragogical
process, adults need a learning environment that does not threaten them
(Knowles, 1984), and which supports and encourages them (Kidd, 1973).
Despite being considerably dated, these statements still hold true today.
Students should be taught in an environment where learning can be
facilitated and encouraged within a non-threatening atmosphere so that
they can value and reflect on their experience.
As the poet Robert Burns said, the best-laid schemes o mice an
men gang aft agley, and this is particularly appropriate in the context of
organizing the teaching environment. All a teachers careful planning can
be undone if he or she neglects the environment within which the session
takes place. The amount of organizing that can be done will depend upon
whether the teaching session is in a formal classroom or in the clinical
or community areas. It is much easier to organize a classroom than it is
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Organizing
the teaching environment
to set up a treatment room or consulting room for teaching, and in the

latter case all that the teacher may be able to do in advance is to bring
some chairs into the room.
When teaching in formal classrooms it is always good practice,
wherever possible, to prepare the room in advance of the students
arrival, but this assumes that the previous teacher vacates on time. In
reality, sessions often overrun, but even so the incoming teacher should
take a few minutes to check the teaching materials and set up any media
resources before commencing the actual teaching. The problem may be
compounded if the seating arrangements need to be changed, as this can
be a time-consuming exercise. However, it can be accomplished more
quickly if the students are asked to move their own desks and chairs.
It is useful to switch on the classroom lights, even if the daylight is
adequate, since this can have the effect of focusing students attention;
the overhead projector is designed to operate in normal lighting and is
therefore not affected.
Sunlight, however, can bleach out the image on the screen if shining
directly onto it, so window blinds or blackout curtains need to be closed
if this occurs.
Institutions vary in the quality of their resources so teachers should be
aware that their carefully prepared teaching plans may be ruined if vital
media fail to arrive. Overhead projectors may not be available in every
classroom; transparencies may have to be projected onto an adjacent wall
if a screen is not available; video-replay facilities may not arrive when
ordered and do not always work when they do arrive.
The standards for teaching and supporting learners (FENTO, 2002a)
identify that teachers need to be effective in establishing a productive
learning environment and must:
Act as an advocate for learners in attempting to secure appropriate

resources.
Ensure an interactive, safe and productive learning environment that

fosters learners security and confidence.
Maintain learners interest in, and engagement with, the learning

process.
Identify and address poor motivation and challenge inappropriate

behaviour.
The standards also establish that this requires critical understanding and
essential knowledge of:
the characteristics and purpose of an effective learning environment;

the value of effective interaction between those involved in teaching
and learning;
what motivates learners and what constitutes acceptable levels of

motivation and behaviour;
group dynamics and how to manage groups of learners;

the health and safety requirements applicable to the learning
environment.
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Chapter 5 Planning
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In addition to this, the document Preparation of Mentors and Teachers

(ENB/DoH, 2001) highlighted further objectives in relation to the
learning environment that nurse teachers should achieve in order to
satisfy professional registration. These include:
Create and develop opportunities for students to identify and

undertake experiences to meet their learning needs.
Provide appropriate peer support.

Explore and implement strategies for quality assurance.
Finally, one of the most frustrating situations that a teacher can face
is that, having prepared the classroom in advance, it transpires that
another class has booked the room. Tense negotiations with the other
teacher usually follow, taking valuable time away from the lesson and
often resulting in a mass move to another room. In these situations, the
interpersonal skills of the teachers are severely put to the test, but such
events are all part and parcel of the work of teaching.
Planning
for opportunistic one-to-one teaching
By opportunistic teaching, I mean the kind of spontaneous teaching

that occurs as part of everyday professional practice, with students,
qualified staff, or patients and clients. Planning for this may seem to be a
contradiction in terms, but it is possible to state some general principles
that teachers can draw upon whenever opportunities for spontaneous
teaching arise.
1. Initiating spontaneous one-to-one teaching. Whilst accepting that
opportunities for teaching during professional practice will arise
spontaneously, it is normally possible to predict the broad areas within
which such teaching will fall. For example, if the teacher is working
on an acute surgical unit, he or she will know the patients conditions
and the nature of their care requirements. Similarly, if the context is a
community nursing visit to a clients home, the teaching opportunities
will again be broadly predictable. This allows the teacher to do some
advance preparation in anticipation of possible teaching opportunities
within the specific practice context.
Teaching opportunities can arise in a number of ways; for example,
students may ask the teacher to go through some aspect or procedure
with them, or simply ask questions about the care of specific patients.
On the other hand, the teacher may initiate teaching by asking
questions or by explaining aspects or procedures. Teaching can also
be initiated by the teacher if he or she perceives that a student or
qualified member of staff is experiencing difficulty with procedures
or understanding.
2. Using appropriate questioning. This has been dealt with in a general
way earlier in this chapter, but it is useful to consider questioning
with specific reference to spontaneous teaching. It is good practice
for teachers to review the types and levels of questions in advance
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Information
and communication technology
(e.g. Kerrys classification described above), so that they can select

appropriate types and levels for the individuals who are likely to be
involved in spontaneous teaching opportunities.
3. Planning explanations of difficult concepts or procedures. In clinical
and community practice contexts there are inevitably concepts and
procedures that most people find difficult to grasp, for example
biochemistry or pharmacology concepts that are important for the
understanding of particular treatments. It is likely that the teacher
will encounter again and again requests for an explanation of these
concepts, so it is useful to prepare an explanation in advance that
can be wheeled out as required. The guidelines on planning an
explanation given earlier in this chapter will be helpful in this regard.
4. Planning ways to assess learning. Assessment is not usually thought of
in the context of spontaneous teaching, but there are some situations
where feedback on what has been learned is important. This is
particularly the case when teaching patients and clients about aspects
of continuing care such as long-term drug compliance following
discharge, but it is also important for students and qualified staff in
some circumstances.
Information
Learning is a necessary part of each individuals growth and development

and should, with the assistance of the teacher and the teaching strategies,
result in initial teacher-directed approaches gradually giving way to
student-centred learning and eventually to self-directed study (Nicklin
and Kenworthy, 2000). The need to integrate information technology
into nursing education has been recognized and is well documented
in the literature. In spite of this, information technology continues to
remain a neglected subject in many nursing programmes particularly
post-registration nursing programmes.
The higher education agenda stated that the UK needs technological
skills to compete in the global market. Modularization, distance and
flexible learning and the call for technology to meet these new learning
needs have all had an impact on higher education. The FENTO (2002b)
information learning technology (ILT) standards require all new teachers
to be able to promote learning, enrich the learning environment and
enhance the effectiveness of learning through the medium of information
and communication technology.
Information and communication technology (ICT) is a term
encompassing the full range of teaching and learning resources
encountered by students in higher education and nursing. It has replaced
former terms such as educational technology and media resources;
however, it is important to remember that the new term embraces not
only computers, but also more modest media. The field of computing
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Chapter 5 Planning
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is replete with terminology, and there are two other terms that nurses
will encounter in the literature, i.e. health informatics and nursing
informatics. Severs and Pearson (1999) define the former as follows:
Health informatics (HI) is the term used to describe the science
of information management in health care and its application to
support clinical research, decision-making and practice.
Nursing informatics is a sub-category of health informatics and can be

seen as a combination of computer science and nursing science.
The context of ICT

Information and communication technology is used to promote
connections between one learner and other learners; between learners and
teachers and between a learning community and its learning resources.
The interactions between people in network learning environments can
be synchronous, asynchronous or both. The interactions can be through
text, voice, graphics, video, shared workspaces or combinations of these
forms (JISC/CALT, 2000).
Computer-based learning can be said to encompass both the expositive
and experiential uses of computers as a teaching tool. It offers students
an interactive form of learning, enables self-assessment and supports
many different teaching strategies. Students are able to engage in selfpaced, self-learning and have some control over the direction of their
educational experiences (Hardy et al., 1996).
This section highlights ICT in the context of two key documents,
which may help the reader to understand the wider background of this
important development.
Learning to Manage Health Information (Severs and Pearson, 1999)
This report points out that clinical education and health informatics
are inextricably linked in terms of curriculum content, process and
infrastructure and makes suggestions for core content for health
informatics in clinical education. The approach taken by the paper
is to identify eight areas of health informatics and to identify key
points for good practice and expectations for learning for each area;
the expectations for learning are what higher education would term
learning outcomes. The eight areas are:
communication;
knowledge management;
data quality and management;
confidentiality and security;
secondary uses of clinical data and information;
clinical and service audit;
working clinical systems;
telemedicine and telecare.
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Information
The paper offers a number of key assumptions and issues for education
providers, including a pre-requisite requirement that participants possess
basic computer skills; advice about teaching informatics in a more creative
way than beginning with basic concepts; the availability of resources; and
the encouragement of multi- and interprofessional programmes.
The Use of Technology to Support Learning in Colleges (FEFC, 1998)
This document is the report of a national survey undertaken by the
Further Education Funding Council (FEFC) on a representative sample
of 44 colleges across nine FEFC regions. The aim of the survey was: to
investigate the use and effectiveness of technologies to support teaching
and learning in colleges and the factors influencing developments. The
findings of the survey include the following:
Management issues. The report shows a correlation between the
staff understanding of possible applications of technology and the

range of vision for use of technology found in the colleges. Effective
use of technology is best achieved when there is strong corporate
support and a senior manager with overall responsibility for planning
and implementation. However, monitoring and review of policy
implementation does not always occur.
Teaching issues. Intranets for accessing databases and materials are
beginning to develop within colleges and their remote bases, but
there is as yet little application of technology to independent learning.
The use of technology to enhance learning in the classroom was not
a routine feature of teaching, and the main use of technology by
students was for presentation of assessments.
Staff development issues. Staff development events to disseminate good
practice did not always result in the college taking action, and the lack
of time for curriculum development in this area was highlighted.
General issues in the use of ICT

Before moving on to discuss the main applications of ICT in nurse
education, it is necessary to make some general points.
Anti-racist and anti-sexist resources
Over the last decade there has been a growing awareness amongst
educators of the need to ensure that ICT resources do not perpetuate
stereotypes and prejudice. Whilst few teachers would design or select
media that were deliberately racist or sexist, they may quite innocently
use such materials because they have never thought about their potential
to promote stereotyping. When considering resources for teaching, it is
useful to check the following aspects:
Do pictures of social groups actually represent the multicultural nature

of society; for example are all the people white?
Are ethnic minorities portrayed in positions of power, or only white

people?
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Chapter 5 Planning
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Does the language used reflect all strata of society, or simply the
middle class?
Are there stereotypes portrayed, for example a male doctor and a

female nurse?
The teacher should be familiar with the universitys policy in relation to

equal opportunities, racism and sexism; it can be a useful source to help
teachers to avoid inadvertent stereotyping.
Manufacturers instructions for use of ICT
It is of the utmost importance from a health and safety point of view that
teachers ensure that they have read the manufacturers instructions for
the use of ICT equipment and, preferably, have received some instruction
in their use. It is also important as expensive equipment may be damaged
if used incorrectly.
University facilities for ICT production
Universities have sophisticated facilities for the production of ICT,
including professional recording studios and graphics departments
staffed by skilled technicians. Teachers may simply have to put in a
request to these in order to have materials produced by experts in these
departments. However, it may not always be convenient or possible to
utilize such facilities, so the following sections explain how teachers
should set about producing their own media.
The chapter takes a Herbartian approach to sequencing, in that it
starts with the most basic types of ICT, moving on to progressively more
technically sophisticated media and culminating in the latest computer
technology for teaching and learning.
Using
a whiteboard in teaching
The whiteboard or ink board is now the most common type of board in
use in higher education teaching rooms. When using a whiteboard for
teaching, it is important to have the correct type of marker pen. Most
boards use dry marker pens that can be wiped off with a dry cloth;
ordinary marker pens cannot be wiped off without the use of some form
of spirit. The purpose of the whiteboard is to record, in semi-permanent
form, the key points and explanations during a teaching session. This
enables the student to see as well as hear the points and to copy them
down as a source of reference for the future.
Teachers may feel uncomfortable with silences, so tend to write as
quickly as possible, with a resulting loss of legibility. The period spent
writing on the board can be used as a mini-break for the students, so that
their arousal will increase when the teacher faces them again. Remember,
if its worth writing down, its worth writing legibly.
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Using
an overhead projector
The whiteboard plan

This is a very useful idea for structured teaching sessions and consists of a
replica of exactly what the board will look like when the teaching session
has been completed. More than one may be required if the teaching
session involves a great deal of material, but, if the key points only are
written, one plan should suffice. It is important to leave a margin at
the side of the board for impromptu explanations and the plan should
indicate the indentations and use of colour. A plan ensures that the
whiteboard work is of a high standard and has been carefully thought
out for maximum impact.
Using
flipcharts
Flipcharts are simply large notepads that can be mounted on a stand or

over a whiteboard, and marker pens are used to write or draw. When
a sheet is completed, it is simply folded over, revealing a clean one.
Material can be prepared in advance and revealed at the appropriate
time. The guidelines for positioning, illumination and lettering are as for
whiteboards. Erasing is not an issue, as the sheets are simply discarded
when finished with.
Using
an overhead projector
The overhead projector (OHP) is one of the most useful and versatile
of educational media; it is a machine that projects large images of
clear acetate sheets, called overhead transparencies, onto a screen. The
overhead projector is designed for use in daylight, which saves the
inconvenience of blackout, and it has the advantage over the whiteboard,
in that the teacher faces the audience whilst using it. Transparencies can
be prepared from a variety of sources:
hand-written/hand-drawn by teachers;
computer-generated by teachers;
produced by teachers using a photocopier;
produced by commercial publishers.
Overhead projection has another advantage over the whiteboard, in
that transparencies can be prepared in advance of the teaching session.
They offer the facility for step-by-step presentations, using revelation
technique or overlays. On the downside, however, there may be some
glare from the bright light of the projector, and the noise of the projector
fan can be distracting. During the session, it is important to make full
use of the off switch; this should be done whenever a transparency
is changed and also if the teacher needs to give a detailed explanation
regarding one of the points on the transparency. Switching off the
machine will focus the students attention back to the teacher.
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Creating transparencies for overhead projection

Computers are by far the best way to design professional transparencies,
and a range of software is available which enables the production of
sophisticated transparencies without having to be a computer expert,
for example Microsoft PowerPoint, discussed later in this section. If
this facility is not available, transparencies can be made by photocopying
from paper originals, or by writing or drawing directly onto the acetate
sheets.
Projection of silhouettes
The overhead projector will project a silhouette of any solid object on to
the screen, such as the shape of an organ or of instruments and drains.
For example, the teacher could drawn an outline of a leg onto acetate
and then add cardboard silhouettes of the two fragments of a fractured
femoral shaft to indicate the displacement and the effects of reduction.
Projection of X-rays and scans

Provided that the lamp is bright enough, any good-contrast X-ray should
project onto the screen. An object can be then added, such as a femoral
head prosthesis or intercostal drain, to indicate the position in relation
to the X-ray structures.
Designing
and using handout material
Handouts are a common strategy in higher education and consist of a

sheet or sheets of paper given to each student for permanent use.
Student-teachers often ask, What is the best time to distribute
handouts? There is no single answer to this, as it depends on the purpose
of the handout. Some lecturers will only distribute handouts at the end of
the lecture, because they feel that giving them out during the lecture will
distract the students attention away from what the lecturer is saying.
The problem here is that if the handout is given at the end, it has no
current relevance for the student and will probably end up being filed
without first being read. Given that higher education students are adults,
they should be able to use a handout during the session, provided that the
lecturer makes reference to the handout at appropriate points.
Purposes of handouts
The purposes of handouts can be summarized, as follows:
To provide information. Handouts can be given to provide information
to the students, such as teaching session objectives, facts or statistics

and diagrams and charts.
As a lecture guide. If the lecture structure is particularly complex, it
may be given to the students in the form of a handout that they can
follow, adding their own notes.
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Designing
and using handout material
References and further reading. If a lecture contains many references,
it is useful to record them on a handout so that the exact details are

correct. Further reading can also be suggested.
Assessment and questioning. Handouts in incomplete form are
commonly used to assess learning during the course of a teaching
session. In addition, handouts may be given containing written
questions for evaluation at the end of a session.
Worksheets and assignments. The student is required to complete the
handout, according to the instructions on the sheet; this may require
information to be sought or problems to be solved. It is commonly
assumed that worksheets should be handed in to the teacher for
assessment on completion, but the real role of a worksheet is to put
the students in the position of having to gain certain knowledge or
skills. These can then be assessed using the conventional methods of
assessment, rather than trying to mark the wide variety of responses
made to a worksheet.
Petty (2004) describes how handouts can save time for students and
teachers if issued at the beginning of a lesson instead of at the end. He
advises that teachers talk the students through the handout and encourages
them to use it for group work, highlighting important parts of the text;
by doing this, he alleges, students become familiar with the content of
the lesson, whereas handouts are unlikely to be read later. However, if
handouts are distributed at the beginning of a lesson, students attention
might be distracted from what the teacher is saying.
Bligh (1998) provides a useful summary of research studies relating to
the effectiveness of handout, and concludes that, on balance, it is helpful
to provide handouts for students.
Design of handouts
Students should be encouraged to file handouts, so it is helpful to
use paper with punched holes for ease of filing. The actual layout of
text and diagrams will depend upon the nature of the topic, but in
general handouts should not be overcrowded with text. Handouts can
be designed in a very professional way by using desktop publishing
computer packages, which have the advantage of novel designs such as
newspaper columns or magazine format.
Methods of reproducing material

In the higher education sector, large-scale reproduction of items such
as student handbooks is done by a central printing service. Small-scale
reproduction usually consists of photocopying; however, copies are
relatively expensive and expenditure on photocopying needs careful
monitoring.
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Copyright
Copyright laws are designed to protect authors from the wholesale
copying of their works, a very real need in view of the ease with which
modern copying machines can reproduce materials. However, copying is
an important aspect of good teaching, and the licensing scheme operated
by the Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) allows copying without
permission within clearly defined limits. In higher education institutions
the licence enables teaching, administrative and technician staff, librarians
and all students to copy for any one course of study in one academic year.
It is a condition of the licence that the number of multiple copies of any
one item of copyright material shall not exceed the number needed to
ensure that the tutor and each member of a class has one reproduction
only. The CLA produces Guidelines for Users of the CLA Licence, and a
copy must be kept beside the copying machine.
Using the slide projector, audio-cassettes

video-recording in teaching
and
Using the slide projector

Slide projection is used for showing still pictures to an audience, using
35 mm slides. In order to obtain a clear image it is necessary to operate
slide projectors in darkness.
Setting up and using slide projectors
As with all equipment, the slide projector should be set up before the
teaching session and carefully positioned so that every member of
the audience can see the screen. Image size is dictated by the distance
of the projector from the screen the further away it is, the larger the
image.
If a remote control lead is being used, it should be tested and then
positioned at the teachers station. Blackout facilities should be operated
before the class begins and the lights switched on, as this causes less
disruption than doing it during the teaching session. If the slide sequence
is spread over different parts of the teaching session with verbal
exposition in-between, it is convenient to place an exposed black slide
between each of the sequences. This saves the teacher having to keep
switching the projector on and off, particularly when teaching in a lecture
theatre with a separate projection room.
Slides
Slides can be obtained commercially, or teachers can make their own
slides using any modern 35 mm camera with a close-up facility. When
purchasing film for slides, it is important to obtain film for transparencies
and not the ordinary film for colour prints.
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slide projector, audio-cassettes and video-recording
Using audio-cassettes
Audio-cassettes can be a useful resource in teaching, provided that they
are used appropriately. They are used extensively for data collection in
research and are useful because a transcript of the material can be taken
for analysis. The use of audio-cassettes for long periods during lectures
or small-group sessions can become very boring, but it is useful to use
trigger-tapes to stimulate discussion. Audio-cassettes are also useful for
capturing the feelings and experiences of patients, which makes them a
good medium for adding interest to sessions on nursing care.
Sources of audio-cassette recordings
Audio-cassette recordings can be taken off-air from radio and television
programmes, or used with the integral microphone. The purpose of
making an audio-cassette recording is to capture specific content and
make it available to an audience. This does not imply, however, that the
quality of the recording is irrelevant, for, indeed, it is very important to
ensure that the recording is of the highest technical quality if people are
going to listen to it without distraction. A little attention to the technical
points can make all the difference between a good recording and a poor
one.
Universities have professional recording studies for audio and video,
but teachers may wish to make their own audio recordings.
Making amateur audio recordings
When reading a script for a recording session, the teacher should be
sitting comfortably at a table, with the integral microphone high enough
to avoid having to lower the head to speak. The script must not intervene
between the face and the microphone, and, to prevent the rustling of
paper being detected, it is useful to enclose each sheet in a polythene
sleeve so that it glides noiselessly to one side.
Recording requires an assistant to switch the machine on and to
monitor sound levels. It is important to position the cassette recorder at
some distance from the microphone so that amplifier hum is not picked
up. If the cassette recorder does not have automatic recording level, the
sound level must be monitored by watching the VU indicator on
the recorder, ensuring that this does not exceed 0 VU during the
recording. On the other hand, it is important to record the signal at a
high level, so the level should approach 0 VU but not exceed it.
Teachers who are new to recording often feel nervous or embarrassed
and this makes their delivery stilted. It is a good tip to have someone
sitting opposite the speaker, behind the microphone, to whom the
speaker addresses his or her words. This often makes the tone more
natural and conversational.
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Using video-recordings in teaching

Video is now firmly established as a major aspect of the entertainment
industry, and video-recorders have become a standard feature in most
households. Their use in education is similarly established for a wide
range of applications.
Pre-recorded videos
Pre-recorded videos are available either as off-air recordings of television
programmes, or as commercially-produced videos; both form an
important component of library stock in higher education. The use of
pre-recorded videos in teaching needs careful thought; lecturers must
brief students in advance so that the students understand the videos
purpose and can jot down relevant notes. Equally important is debriefing
after the video, to share students impressions and conclusions.
Making video recordings
Video cameras allow teachers and students to make their own video
recordings, and this enables the reality of society or the workplace to be
brought into the classroom, providing authentic material for discussion
and analysis. However, students require careful briefing about the use of
video cameras in the hospital or community; permission has to be sought
from appropriate authorities, and the public may resent the invasion of
privacy.
Closed-circuit television
A less commonly used form of television in education is closed-circuit
television; this does not involve recording, but relays live events to other
parts of a building via slave monitors. It is useful for observing events
where large numbers of observers would be obtrusive or overcrowded,
such as in the operating theatre, or for observing interviews without
affecting the interaction between participants.
Video-conferencing
Video-conferencing facilities are an increasingly common feature of
university campuses, and utilize live video-links between geographically
separated campuses. The facility enables groups of students and staff
to interact, who would otherwise have to travel long distances to meet
together, and can be used for all kinds of meetings. For example, students
who live at a distance from a campus are able to register for a programme
that is taught at another location; they then participate in the teaching
and learning experience by means of video-conferencing. This can help
to ensure the viability of programmes that recruit small numbers, by
opening them up to students at a distance. Video-conferencing is also
useful for conducting tutorial group meetings on programmes where
students live in geographically distant locations.
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Computer-assisted
Using Microsoft PowerPoint
learning
for presentations
This form of visual presentation is tending to replace the overhead

projector as the medium of choice for presentations to both large and
small groups. Microsoft PowerPoint is a graphics package that is part
of the Microsoft Office computer software, and it enables the teacher
to produce highly sophisticated slides or overhead transparencies for
presentations. It can also create handouts and teachers notes, and is
relatively straightforward to use if the teacher has basic computer skills.
Computer-assisted
learning
Computer-assisted learning (CAL) is a general term used to cover a

wide variety of teaching applications; for example, it includes learning
material posted on the World Wide Web to allow students to prepare for
tutorials and access online reports and databases, email noticeboards, and
courseware (CTI, 1998).
Courseware
Courseware, i.e. teaching materials, for CAL can use a single computer
or a computer can be used in combination with a range of other media as
in multimedia CAL. With a single-computer approach, the teacher either
develops appropriate courseware or it is purchased from manufacturers
of educational media. The courseware is selected by the student and
loaded into the computer, where it forms the learning experience for the
student in whichever mode is appropriate.
Computer-assisted learning is only as good as the courseware that
goes into it, but computers do have the potential to produce high-quality
graphic displays, data storage and retrieval and a host of other effects
that would be almost impossible for the individual teacher to emulate in
standard teaching situations. Single-computer CAL does have limitations
and these can be overcome by the use of multimedia CAL, which consists
of a range of media used in the same instructional program, for example
sound, pictures, video.
Computer-assisted learning and independent learning

According to Petty (2004), independent learning helps to:
reduce the detrimental effects of having too much content to cover
in too little time, and yet provide unique educational gains.
Computer-assisted learning is particularly useful for independent,

self-managed learning; students using a computer can take the material
at their own pace, referring back to previous sections as and when they
deem necessary. They can answer the questions posed by the program
in total privacy, without the embarrassment of having their lack of
knowledge exposed in front of a group of peers. CAL can help foster
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the intuitive kind of thinking that is important for discovery learning, by

presenting problem-based information about which the student has to
make hypotheses, subsequently checking his or her answers against the
computer.
Computer-assisted learning can accomplish a number of other
teaching functions, such as diagnostic and remedial teaching, in fact
most of the activities normally associated with classroom teaching. The
great advantage of CAL is that it can offer high-quality instruction that
eliminates such variables as poor preparation and presentation by the
teacher and problems of timing, fatigue, boredom and loss of attention.
Of course, the last three can happen in any medium, but at least with
CAL the students can switch off and go for a walk to restore their
concentration.
Advantages and disadvantages of CAL

Claims about the advantages of CAL over conventional classroom
teaching are summarized by Hartley (1998):
Learning is individualized and self-paced.

Feedback on students responses is instant.
Programs are written by experts and have undergone rigorous testing
before publication.
It is cost-effective.
However, Hartley points out that these claims may not be justified, as
students may not have control over the pace of their learning, and the
quality of some programs is questionable.
The Internet
and
World Wide Web
The term Internet is shorthand for International Network of Computers,

a network of computers across the world that is connected by hightechnology telephone lines. Some companies charge a subscription fee
for Internet access, but there is now a growing market of providers who
offer free access. Telephone calls to access the Internet are normally
charged at the local call rate, which makes browsing the Internet
relatively inexpensive if done sensibly. The Internet, usually abbreviated
to the net, provides users with access to almost limitless amounts of
information and also allows them to communicate with other Internet
users anywhere in the world.
The Internet has three main aspects: email, the World Wide Web, and
newsgroups.
Electronic mail (email)

Electronic mail or email has brought about a revolution in the way that
teachers and students in education communicate with each other.
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Intranets
and online campus
Email has proved to be extremely useful for maintaining tutorial

contact with students; it bypasses that bane of teachers lives, the
answering machine (voice mail), allowing the teacher to leave a message
without the need to ring back later. Email is particularly useful for tutors
comments on draft assignments, facilitating a very quick turnaround of
feedback to the student.
One of the exciting innovations in email tutoring is computermediated-tutoring (CMT), also termed computer-mediated conferencing,
a type of computer conferencing that allows students and tutors to
discuss issues in a virtual group, but which does not take place in real
time. Hence, a tutor may initiate activities or ideas onto the server, and
the students in the virtual group can respond at any time of the day or
night. Students and tutor may initiate and respond to each others inputs
just like in a live seminar, but with the advantage of not having to be in
the same place at the same time.
World Wide Web

The World Wide Web offers information on an astounding range of
topics, and almost anything can be purchased from the online shopping
stores using a credit card. Teachers in nurse education will normally use
their universitys Internet service to access the Web, but many teachers
will also have their own Internet facilities at home.
Intranets
and online campus
Intranets
Intranets operate in much the same way as the Internet, but within an
institutions own internal computer network (inter = between; intra
= within). Hence, intranets are not accessible by the community at
large. There is a wide variety of information contained on an intranet,
including teaching and learning materials in the form of journal articles,
lecture handouts, assignments, revision tips, etc. Intranets are particularly
useful for students studying at a distance from the main site, as they can
easily access the materials without the need to travel.
Online campus
This is a Web-based, virtual university campus that supports students
on their programme of studies (Ryan and Culwick, 1997); it requires
students and staff to have access to the Internet and an Internet browser.
The online campus consists of three aspects:
A discussion forum. Any registered student may contribute ideas,
ask questions, seek advice or share experiences, and teachers can set
up student activities in relation to their own courses. Students can
respond to each others contributions and to those of the teachers,
thus providing an environment similar to a face-to-face discussion.
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An electronic resource centre. This contains copies of teachers resource
files to help students with their programme work, and also links to
other Web sites and pages.
Student common room. This is an area to which teachers do not
have access, and provides a point of informal social contact and chat.
It is particularly useful for students on open and distance learning
programmes that do not have regular face-to-face interaction with a
group.
Blackboard Content System

The Blackboard Content System is part of the Blackboard Academic
Suite; it is a software application that enables institutions to store and
manage content more effectively while increasing collaboration. This
system is easy to use and has powerful capabilities in three important
areas: collection, sharing and discovery of learning content. This
application can be used to:
manage and share files without the need for duplication;

maintain and track versions of documents;
provide dedicated file and content storage areas for individuals and
groups;
document academic growth through e-Portfolios; and

categorize and share learning objects through a Learning Object
Catalogue.
Blackboard is a virtual learning environment, used by a large number of

universities that enables lecturers to provide online support for teaching
and learning by, for example:
providing online teaching resources (e.g. lecture notes);

providing students with better tools to navigate learning resources and
document their work;
delivering a secure collaborative environment that enables users to

transform information and ideas into powerful learning experiences;
structuring online class activities (e.g. using discussion groups); and

conducting online assessments (e.g. creating multiple-choice tests).
The Web site and further information on Blackboard Academic Suite can
be obtained from: http://www.blackboard.com/products/as/contentsys/.
Summary
Nursing and midwifery incorporates a wide range of teaching contexts,
ranging from the delivery of lectures in a university through to one-toone teaching sessions with individual students, practitioners, patients
and clients.
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Summary
Many teaching encounters in clinical and community settings are
opportunistic, arising spontaneously during the day-to-day delivery of

care.
Learning outcomes and assessment of learning are inextricably linked,
in that assessment normally requires the student to demonstrate
achievement of the learning outcomes.
The secret of successful teaching is to place severe limits on the
amount of content in a given session by the judicious selection of
the most important aspects of the topic and the ruthless pruning
of other, less crucial, material.
Concept mapping provides a way of prioritizing concepts in a concrete,
visual way.
There are two main ways of teaching concepts: deductively and
inductively.
Explanations form the greater part of the teaching of subject matter;
when an explanation is given to students, the teacher links what the
students already know to the new information that is being given.
There are many different ways of classifying questions, none of which
is entirely satisfactory because questions depend very much on the
context in which they are asked.
A question should be short so that it can be remembered by the
students whilst they are working out their answers, and it should be
stated in language that can easily be understood.
A lesson plan has two functions: as a strategy or plan for teaching and
as a series of cues to be used during the lesson.
Lesson plans are intended to help teachers to proceed with the teaching
session logically, but, even with detailed planning, every eventuality
cannot be catered for.
Within nursing and midwifery education, teachers are normally
responsible for the delivery of a specific area of the curriculum, such
as a module or unit of study.
A scheme of work is a document that gives an overview of the key
components of each teaching session within the module, which
includes the title, goals or learning outcomes, sequence of content,
teaching and learning activities, assessment, and media resources.
Students should be taught in an environment where learning can be
facilitated and encouraged within a non-threatening atmosphere so
that they can value and reflect on their experience.
Information and communication technology is a term encompassing
the full range of teaching and learning resources encountered by
students in higher education and nursing.
Computer-assisted learning is particularly useful for independent, selfmanaged learning.
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Teaching
The
strategies
lecture method
It is not surprising that academic personnel in educational institutions

are called lecturers, given the predominance of this form of teaching
in further and higher education. In lay terms, to lecture someone is to
go on at some length about an issue, with the recipient listening either
willingly or unwillingly. This is similar to the educational use of the term
lecture, i.e. a particular type of educational encounter in which a teacher
transmits information to a number of students, with the teacher doing
most of the talking and the students mainly listening or writing.
Lecturing is the most common teaching strategy in adult education
(Bligh, 1998), but it does tend to polarize teachers opinions: there are
those who love it and those who loathe it. The proponents of the lecture
method would argue for its use on two main grounds:
A proven track record. The practice of using lectures to transmit the
culture of a civilization goes back at least to the ancient Greeks and

has therefore stood the test of time. A significant proponent of this
viewpoint is the psychologist David Ausubel (Ausubel et al., 1978),
who defends the use of lectures for transmission of knowledge.
He maintains that it is simply wasteful to ask students to discover
everything for themselves, when the transmission mode has been
used successfully over generations to transmit the culture of a society.
Ausubels work is described in Chapter 3 (p. 76).

Efficient use of resources. In an era of significant resource constraints
in higher education, lectures make very efficient use of teachers
time; for example, when giving a lecture to 150 students, the
teacherstudent ratio is 1:150; this helps to resource small group
and laboratory teaching where the ratio may be as low as 1:8. This
resource efficiency of lectures is used to good effect in the context of
modular programmes. A module is a self-contained unit of learning,
and modular programmes are now very common in British higher
education. Academic awards are made up of numbers of modules at
different academic levels, and efficiency gains can accrue by making a
given module available to students from a variety of programmes. For
example, an introductory module on psychology could be attended by
students from a variety of disciplines, such as nursing, social sciences,
and humanities. Hence, a single lecture could address several hundred
students at the same time, particularly when used in conjunction with
closed-circuit television relays or video-conferencing.
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The
lecture method
The argument about the importance of lectures for the transmission of

culture would be disputed by many academics, and is encapsulated in the
adage: the information from a lecture goes from the lecturers notes to
the students notes without passing through the brains of either! Whilst
this may be a little overstated, it does raise a serious question about
whether lectures actually facilitate students learning. The argument based
upon efficient use of resources would also be challenged by opponents of
the lecture method, because it contains the unsupported assumption that
lectures actually do make students learn. In fact, the counter-argument is
just as powerful; i.e. it might be much more efficient in the long term to
use small-group and individual teaching methods, as these may be much
more effective in facilitating students learning.
Uses and shortcomings

Evidence from the literature on the educational use of lectures is
summarized below:
Purposes. Lectures are as effective as other methods for conveying
information, but less effective for the promotion of thinking skills and
the changing of attitudes.
Compulsory attendance. Students who absent themselves from lectures
do less well in examinations and tests.
Time of day. Morning lectures seem superior to afternoon lectures for
the recall of information, but this may not apply to the evening-type
of learner, whose maximum physiological alertness occurs between
15.00 hours and midnight.
Length. Attention declines considerably after approximately 20
minutes, with a reduction in the amount of information assimilated
and noted.
Recall. Recall on information from lectures is relatively inefficient,
falling to something around 20% recall after one week.
Delivery. Speed of delivery is closely related to the level of difficulty
of the material, and evidence suggests that there is a critical level of
difficulty and speed, beyond which the material is delivered with a loss
of efficiency.
One common criticism of the lecture method is that the information
could have been obtained from textbooks just as easily; however, this
shows a lack of understanding of the purpose of lectures. Indeed, if they
are used only to convey information readily available in other forms
such as books, then they are likely to be simplistic or inaccurate due to
time constraints. However, used thoughtfully, lectures can complement
textbooks by providing:
up-to-date research information that has not yet reached the

textbooks;
a synthesis of viewpoints from a wide variety of sources;

clearer explanations of issues and phenomena, with the possibility of
demonstration;
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personal involvement of the students by means of activities during the

lecture; and
the potential to motivate and inspire students to further study.

However, over-reliance on lectures may lead to dependence on the part
of the students, who expect all the information to be handed to them on
a plate. All too often lectures are long, tedious and poorly organized,
whereas with careful planning and practice they can be an effective
vehicle for motivating students.
The advantages and disadvantages of the lecture method are
summarized in Table 6.1.
Table 6.1
Advantages and disadvantages
of the lecture method
Advantages
Disadvantages
Efficiency, i.e. one teacher can communicate

with a large number of students
A well-presented lecture may increase student
motivation
New knowledge may be presented which is
not yet in textbooks
Teachers can integrate the subject matter
better than students
Good for introducing a new topic
Useful for giving a framework upon which
students can build
Students attention may wane

Students are largely passive
Lectures do not cater for each individual
students needs
Pace of lecture does not suit all students
Teachers bias may be evident
Students obtain material second-hand rather
than from primary sources
Lecturing techniques
Lecturing can be seen as analogous to acting, each requiring careful
scripting, polished presentational skills, and a certain personal charisma
for effective performance. This theatrical performance element may
not be present in other forms of teaching and can provide a source
of stimulation and job satisfaction for those teachers who enjoy the
challenge. The requirements of good lecturing are creativity, welldeveloped verbal-exposition skills, clarity of ideas, an ability to make a
subject interesting, enthusiasm and self-confidence. Verbal exposition is
the term given to the kinds of talking in which the teacher engages during
a lecture, or indeed in any other type of teaching, with the exception
of individualized instruction. This teacher-talk can be subdivided
into a number of modes, the commonest ones being the stating of
facts, the defining and classifying of material, asking and answering
questions, giving explanations, comparing and contrasting information,
and evaluating material.
Table 6.2 gives guidelines for planning and delivering lectures; it
uses an acrostic arrangement under the headings before, during
and after. In an acrostic, the initial letters of each of the horizontal
statements combine vertically to make another word, and this is a simple
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guidelines for planning and delivering lectures
way to introduce novelty into teaching. Acrostics can also be used as an

organizing principle for lecturing on a given topic any topic provided
that you have the ingenuity to think up appropriate words, and
provided that they are not over-used!
1. Before the lecture
Table 6.2
Believe in yourself
Explaining
Focus on selected aspects
Over-learn your material
Rehearse
Excitement/anxiety
Guidelines for planning and

delivering lectures
2. During the lecture

Delivery
Unusual stimuli
Recap
Involve your audience
Note-taking
Get out on time
3. After the lecture
Average/mean performance
Focus on well-done/less well-done
Tape the lecture and review
Experience other peoples lectures
Retain a sense of proportion
Commentary
on the guidelines for planning and

delivering lectures
Before the lecture

Believe in yourself
By assuming the role of lecturer, one is, in a sense, claiming to have
superior knowledge in comparison with the audience and this may
lead to the feeling of vulnerability when facing them. Self-belief is a
vital characteristic for successful lecturing; the teacher has an extensive
knowledge and experience base which underpins their lectures, and this
should provide the confidence to approach the lecture, and the audience,
in a positive manner.
Explaining
Explanations are a central activity in most lectures and great care must
be taken in their preparation. Explaining is discussed in detail in Chapter
5 (p. 189).
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Focus on selected aspects

When planning the lecture it is important to be selective about what to
put into it, the temptation being to cram in everything the teacher knows
about a topic. Chapter 5 (p. 186) deals with this aspect of planning in
more detail.
Over-learn your material
It almost goes without saying that the teacher must know the subject
matter of the lecture inside-out if credibility is to be maintained. Students
very soon see through any attempts to waffle by a teacher who does not
know a particular point or answer. No teacher can know everything
about a subject, and it can increase stature if a lack of knowledge is
admitted. Needless to say, the teacher who constantly has to say, Im
sorry; I dont know, has inadequate background knowledge and this
requires attention. If the lecture has been prepared some time in advance,
or if it has been given previously, the teacher needs to spend time going
over the material again to ensure that he or she has remembered it.
Rehearse
The analogy with acting emerges again here, with the advice that the
teacher should spend time rehearsing various elements of the lecture
until he or she is satisfied with the likely impact and timing. A videotape
or audiotape recorder is invaluable for providing feedback on these
aspects.
Excitement/anxiety
Lecturing to a large audience is often the main anxiety experienced by
those new to teaching, and it largely stems from the fear of making a fool
of oneself by drying up or forgetting what to say. The opening of the
lecture is often the most nerve-racking part for the inexperienced teacher,
but it is common to find that teachers still experience initial nervousness
even after years of teaching. Actors often claim that this initial state of
high arousal is beneficial, in that it puts an edge on their performance.
However, it is useful to distinguish between arousal and anxiety: arousal
applies to the state of wakefulness or alertness of the individual, while
anxiety applies to a state of arousal above that required for the optimum
level of performance. Anxiety, therefore, reduces the performance
effectiveness of an individual. What the lecturer is aiming at is a level of
arousal sufficient to bring out the best in the performance without tipping
over the edge into anxiety, which would reduce his or her effectiveness.
During the lecture

Delivery
On first entering the lecture room, it is important that the teacher takes
a couple of minutes to organize the area, check the overhead projector,
etc. Very often the students have been sitting in the room prior to the
teachers entry, having already received a previous lecture, and there is
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a temptation to commence the lecture straight away. So often lecturers

begin their session and after a few minutes turn on the overhead
projector only to find that it is projecting onto the wall or somewhere
other than the screen. It is therefore important to spend a moment or two
organizing the area, and to let the audience know so they can feel free to
talk to their friends until everything is ready. This should ensure that the
lecturer feels confident that all is well prior to commencing the lecture.
The introduction to the lecture is very important in gaining the
students interest and attention, so it is well worth attempting to provide
a motivating opening. This could involve asking the audience whether
anyone has had experience related to the topic, thus making the session
relevant to them. It is also good practice to write out on the chalkboard a
plan or outline of the sequence of the lecture, so that students may follow
each section without losing track of the explanation.
The aim of a lecture is to communicate certain things to the audience,
and the main medium for this communication is the lecturers voice.
There are three components of the vocal apparatus:
vocal cords, which vibrate as the breath passes between them;

resonators, which are the hollow spaces of the mouth, nose and
pharynx; and
speech organs consisting of the tongue, palate, alveolar ridge, teeth,

jaw and lips.
Volume or loudness is dependent on the force of the breath striking

the vocal cords. Pitch is determined by the length, thickness and tension
of the vocal cords, the first two factors being influenced by the size
of the larynx. For instance, the small larynx of a child has short vocal
cords which give the voice a high pitch. Adult males, on the other hand,
possess large larynxes with long cords, producing a low pitch, i.e. a deep
voice. Nervous tension will produce a note of higher pitch, and this is
often detectable in persons who are anxious. Tone is the result of the air
vibrating in the resonating spaces.
One of the most important aspects of speech in the lecture setting
is audibility. This relies particularly on the careful use of consonants,
which ensures clarity, and on the ability of the teacher to project his or
her voice. It is good technique to stand up straight and speak from the
lungs rather than the throat, ensuring that the lungs are well inflated with
each breath. Careful observation of the facial expressions and other nonverbal communication will provide feedback as to whether the rear row
of the audience is hearing what is being said.
Expressiveness is another important aspect of speech, as it helps
maintain the listeners interest by providing variety. Variations in
intonation are produced by changing the pitch of the voice and also by
variations of the volume and rhythm. The use of stress to emphasize
important words can make the voice more interesting, and the speed
of delivery needs to be at a pace suitable for the students to absorb the
material and to write notes. Pausing is a strategy that new teachers need
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to develop; the tendency is to regard any periods of silence as undesirable,

although pauses are a necessity during speech, since they provide the
punctuation that makes the words meaningful. It can be useful to take a
sip of water periodically, as a way of forcing oneself to pause.
One of the major problems during lectures is the speed of delivery;
this can cause loss of attention and is often difficult to judge when
inexperienced. The commonest error is going too fast when nervous. It
is helpful for new teachers to keep a card on the desk or lectern with the
words SLOW DOWN written on it; this will catch their eye from time
to time and remind them to think about the speed of delivery.
The aim of any lecture should be to provide an atmosphere of
psychological safety in which the students feel free to volunteer
comments or questions. If the teacher conveys the impression of warmth
and acceptance towards the group, this, combined with a sense of
humour, will go a long way towards establishing the rapport that is so
essential to learning. Evidence suggests that interest and enthusiasm are
teacher characteristics that are particularly valued by students, and these
can be indicated by emphasis and tone of voice, and also by the use of
non-verbal signals.
It is difficult to overstate the fundamental importance of non-verbal
communication during lectures. Students emit a variety of non-verbal cues
and the teacher can gain valuable feedback on his or her performance by
observing their facial expressions, which can convey feelings of surprise,
puzzlement or astonishment. The teacher also emits non-verbal signals,
so it is important to be aware of the role of such signals.
Gesture can play a useful part in explaining concepts, especially those
with spatial relationships, but other gestures may prove distracting, such
as fiddling with chalk. Head nodding can be a reinforcer of behaviour;
if a learner is talking to the teacher and the teacher nods frequently,
this can encourage the learner to continue talking. When lecturing, it is
also important to engage the students in eye contact periodically, as this
indicates interest and confidence. However, it should be noted that the
length of time for eye contact should not exceed 10 seconds, as longer
may provoke anxiety. Honesty is a quality which is not often mentioned
in connection with verbal exposition; in this context it implies the
willingness of the teacher to admit that he or she does not know the
answer to something.
Unusual stimuli
The inclusion of unusual or novel stimuli can be a powerful strategy for
maintaining students arousal and attention during a lecture. Such stimuli
could be pictures, music, poems, and activities which have an element of
surprise or novelty.
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Recap
Recapitulation or repetition should be used frequently, so that the learner
is exposed to the information on more than one occasion. Provision
could also be made for this at the end of the lecture if time allows, as it
will help students to retain the information for a longer period of time.
Involve your audience
Adult students are never very happy just sitting listening to lectures; what
they like to have is some personal involvement in them. There is a wide
variety of strategies for involving students in lectures, even when faced
with a large number of students. One effective way is to use buzz groups,
in which students form groups of four to six without moving their seats,
for example by some swivelling around to face the people behind them.
These small buzz groups spend a couple of minutes discussing some
aspect of the topic and then feedback is invited. Incomplete handouts
offer another way of ensuring student participation; the handout
contains only key headings or diagrams and the student is required to
fill in the details gleaned from the presentation. A quiz or test given at
the end of the lecture may also serve to focus students attention on the
material presented!
Note-taking
This is discussed in detail in Chapter 8 (p. 323), but it is helpful to note
a few key points here. There are both advantages and disadvantages in
taking notes during a lecture. Taking notes provides a permanent record of
the information which is then available for review at a later date. Another
advantage is that the information is actively processed and encoded in the
students own words. Bligh (1998) summarizes 29 studies showing that
note-taking aids memory, and 20 studies showing that note-taking aids
revision. On the negative side, notes may be inaccurate, and students may
miss important points whilst writing down previous ones. On balance,
however, I favour note-taking if it is done effectively, i.e. recording the
key points rather than trying to write down everything word for word.
At degree level, it is more important to note key references given in the
lecture, so that the original source can be accessed later, avoiding reliance
on secondary sources.
Get out on time
It is quite common to find that lectures over-run their allotted time, and
this could be thought a cardinal offence! Students find it difficult enough
to maintain attention during the normal span of a lecture, and overrunning simply compounds the problem. There are also knock-on effects
on the students next class or lunch break, and it delays the next groups
access to the lecture room. One of the causes of over-running is an overambitious lecture plan for the time available. These lecture plans seem to
exert a powerful influence over teachers, who slavishly follow them until
the bitter end, often regardless of the time or circumstances. From the
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teachers perspective, the lecture plan contains important material that

must be covered by the end of the lecture, even if this results in running
late in order to do so. On the other hand, the students perception is
quite different, in that the important aspects of their college day are
more likely to be the coffee and lunch breaks when they meet with their
friends and peers. The teacher should aim to finish five minutes before
the official end of the lecture, to give students and themselves a break
before starting their next session.
After the lecture

Average/mean performance
Teachers often worry unduly if a lecture does not go as well as they
would like, but it is important to see it in the context of their average
performance. Some lectures go very well, others we would rather forget;
it is not helpful to spend time worrying about a less than satisfying oneoff performance. The teacher should aim for a good overall standard of
performance but realize that there will inevitably be minor variations
from day to day.
Focus on well-done/less well-done
When evaluating a lecture, it is helpful to try to focus on those aspects
that were well done and on those that were less well done. By adopting
this system the teacher will hopefully avoid distorting the evaluation by
agonizing over a single unsatisfactory episode.
Tape the lecture and review
Evaluation of a lecture can be much more effective if the teacher can
videotape one from time to time. It is a salutary experience to watch
yourself performing as a lecturer, but by and large it is an encouraging
activity that can boost confidence considerably.
Experience other peoples lectures
Giving lectures can be quite an exciting experience for teachers, but it
is easy to forget what it is like from the audiences point of view. It is
helpful for teachers to attend lectures from time to time just to remind
themselves what it feels like to sit in a lecture, especially if it is not
particularly interesting or well presented. Also tips and ideas may well be
picked up that can be used in later lectures!
Retain a sense of proportion
The problem with the lecturing/acting analogy is that teachers may
feel that they have to produce virtuoso performances in every lecture.
Clearly, some teachers have a flair for lecturing, while others are merely
competent; the important thing is to be yourself. A sense of proportion
is a great asset in lecturing; if the teacher attempts to incorporate every
good point of style gained from observation of colleagues, then there
will be little room left for the most important quality that the teacher
possesses, namely individuality.
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Variants
Variants
of the lecture
of the lecture
The standard format for the lecture is capable of many adaptations to

suit the purposes of the teacher, and three such variants will be discussed:
demonstrations, team teaching and dialogue.
The demonstration
A demonstration can be defined as a visualized explanation of facts,
concepts and procedures. The purposes of demonstration can be broadly
classified into:
those designed to show the learner how to perform certain psychomotor

skills; and
those designed to show the learner why certain things occur.

In the former, the learner must reproduce exactly the behaviour that is
demonstrated; whilst in the latter the behaviour is intended only as a
strategy to aid the learners understanding of a concept or principle. Each
of these is now examined in turn.
Demonstrating a psychomotor skill
In Chapter 3 (p. 73), the theory of skills acquisition was discussed, so
we will bear these principles in mind when planning a demonstration.
There are many teaching strategies available for teaching clinical skills
although Reece and Walker (2000) point out that the choice of strategy
often relates to two aspects:
the objective of the session; and

the number of students in the class.
The strategies adopted for teaching fracture management include
demonstration, questioning, small group work and teacher transmission
or lecturing. When teaching a lesson that incorporates a psychomotor
skill such as fracture management, the demonstration of that skill by
a teacher is an essential strategy to ensure student learning (Dix and
Hughes, 2005). Table 6.3 gives a checklist for giving a demonstration.
Before the demonstration
Table 6.3
1.
2.
3.
4.

Checklist for giving a

demonstration
Formulate the learning outcomes.

Perform a skills analysis.
Assess entry behaviours of students, and determine prerequisites.
Formulate the teaching plan, with particular reference to:
(a) ensuring optimum visibility;
(b) preparation of all materials.
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During the demonstration

5.
6.
7.
8.
State the learning outcomes to the students.

Motivate them by explaining why the skill is important.
Demonstrate the total skill at normal speed.
Write the sequence of part-skills on the chalkboard or overhead projector, as a checklist for
the step-by-step demonstration.

9. Demonstrate each part-skill slowly, in the correct sequence.
10. Obtain feedback by questioning and observation of non-verbal behaviour.
11. Avoid the use of negative examples and variations in technique.
After the demonstration
12. Provide immediate supervised practice, with adequate time allowance.
13. Provide verbal, rather than physical, guidance.
14. Make the environment psychologically safe by providing a friendly atmosphere and
constructive criticism.
15. Remember that initial interest may wane, so provide motivation and encouragement.
16. Remember that students will acquire the skill at different rates, so individualize the planning
to cater for the fast and slow learner.
Commentary on Table 6.3

It is good practice to put the subskills on the chalkboard in the correct
sequence, so this can serve as a guide when the learner is practising
the skill. Whatever the purpose of the demonstration, it is imperative
that each learner can see what is going on, and this implies very careful
arrangement of the room and the lighting. Provision of seating is often
considered unnecessary when giving a demonstration, but the students
should be comfortable, so that they can give maximum concentration to
the demonstration.
Closed-circuit television, if available, can provide a valuable addition
to the demonstration, in that the camera can be placed so that it shoots
over the shoulder of the teacher, giving a demonstrators-eye view of
the skill.
A full-speed total demonstration of the skill, at the commencement of
the demonstration, gives the learner an overall gestalt of the form of the
total skill. If the teacher has not demonstrated the skill in class before, or
not for some time perhaps, then he or she is well advised to practise the
skill a day or so before the class is due. This will have benefits not only
from the point of view of the skill itself, but also for the timing. Some
teachers like to teach a skill using examples of how not to do it, and
others like to include one or two variations of the technique. A common
example of this is aseptic technique, which has permissible variations
within a framework of principles. However, when teaching a new skill,
most authorities would agree that learning is facilitated by teaching only
one method of performing the skill and omitting any negative examples.
This will minimize the effects of psychological interference that would
otherwise arise due to the similarity between the original material and
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Variants
of the lecture
the variations or negative examples. Of course, once the learner has

become proficient in the skill, interference from other techniques is
unimportant.
It is crucial to formulate the objectives and prerequisites before
commencing the lesson plan, just as in preparing any kind of lesson. As
we saw in Chapter 3 (p. 74), the skills analysis will provide a detailed
breakdown of the types of behaviour that constitute the total skill,
and these must then be set out in the correct sequence. This is a very
important step, as it is not always appreciated that the learner must not
only remember the techniques for each subskill, but also the correct
sequence of these.
The single most important aspect of the demonstration of a
psychomotor skill is the provision of immediate practice for the students.
A demonstration can only provide information about the cognitive and
affective aspects, and the psychomotor components must be learned
through the students own muscles, i.e. by practice. It is often tempting,
when teaching a skill in a clinical setting, to take over from the student in
order to show how to do it. Of course, this is quite valid if the student
is unsure of the correct technique, but, generally speaking, students must
be allowed to learn the skill by doing it themselves. It is thus that students
receive the proprioceptive feedback from their own muscles and joints,
which in turn modify their performance. No amount of showing by the
teacher will provide the necessary kinaesthetic feedback, without which
no skill can be learned. Learning a skill can be frustrating and tiring, so it
is essential that the atmosphere is friendly and relaxed. Testiness on the
part of the teacher will only lead to tension in the students and this in
turn will lead to poor performance and an increase in errors. This is why
it is so important to allow sufficient time for practice and to bear in mind
that not all students will master a skill at the same rate. In this kind of
situation, competition between students can be quite counter-productive,
so the teacher needs to emphasize that individuals differ in their rates of
learning and that it does not matter if some people acquire a particular
skill more quickly than others. What is important is that every student
actually acquires the skill, not the speed of acquisition.
Demonstrating a principle or concept
Let us take as an example the concept of osmosis, a fundamental concept
in medical science, which is readily demonstrated by a simple experiment
using two glass beakers, each containing a piece of raw potato. The
first jar is filled with plain water and the second with water containing
a tablespoonful of salt. After several hours, the potato in the beaker of
salt water is seen to be shrivelled and dried up, whilst the potato in the
first one remains much the same. If teaching the concept of osmosis in
a deductive fashion, then the teacher would first explain and define the
term and give examples from human physiology. The demonstration could
then follow, as a further example. In the inductive method, however, the
demonstration would be presented first and the students put into groups
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to decide how the findings could be explained. Hopefully, they would

arrive at a definition of the phenomenon of osmosis having explored
the possibilities. Direct questioning can reinforce the learning that has
taken place and can not only stimulate the students but also allow the
teacher an opportunity to expand further on the subject being discussed.
One disadvantage, however, to this strategy is that only a minority of
students may participate; careful planning may be required to avoid this
problem.
Small-group
teaching and experiential learning
The juxtaposition of small-group teaching and experiential learning

within this chapter is no coincidence. These two educational strategies
are very much inter-related and interdependent, but it is useful to identify
the characteristics of each before going on to explore them in more
detail.
Small-group teaching
The term small group is difficult to define. Brown (1996) emphasizes
the importance of context in defining what constitutes a small group;
i.e. the term can apply equally to three or four students working on a
project, or the subdividing of a large lecture group into small groups of
twenty or more.
Group size
Clearly, the size of the group will have an effect on the processes
occurring within it, particularly with regard to the amount of face-to-face
interaction with other group members. With numbers greater than about
25, this becomes impossible and subgroups have to be formed in order
to allow for it.
Group size has another important bearing on learning: the larger
the group, the less time each individual member will have available for
contribution. Let us take a typical 1-hour group session: if there are
30 students, each will have a maximum possible contribution time of 2
minutes; with a group of only 10 students, the individual contribution
time becomes 6 minutes. If we assume that not all students contribute to
the same extent, it becomes quite probable that certain students will gain
at the expense of others; it is interesting to note that none of the above
timings includes any input from the teacher and the more the teacher
becomes involved, the less time there is for student participation.
Purpose of small groups
The concept of a small group is not defined solely by the numbers of
students involved; it also includes the purpose of the group. Broadly
speaking, the function of an educational small group is to put the student
at the centre of things; to allow opportunities for face-to-face interaction
with other group members in order to exchange ideas and feelings; to
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Small-group
teaching and experiential learning
be challenged by other peoples viewpoints in short, to expand the

students universe of awareness. Brown (1996) suggests that working in
small groups can help students to develop interactive and collaborative
skills that are necessary for employment and research.
For many teachers, small-group teaching is the essence of education,
providing them with the opportunity for more intimate and rewarding
engagements with students than is possible in lectures. The term smallgroup teaching covers a very wide range of strategies and techniques
and is one of the main ways in which students learn from and through
experience.
Experiential learning
Although experiential learning is not confined to a single teaching or
learning method, small-group strategies do provide a major vehicle for
many aspects of it: hence the inclusion of both strategies in this chapter.
David Kolbs theory of experiential learning was discussed in Chapter
2 (p. 34), so the present chapter will focus on more practical aspects of
experiential learning. At its simplest, experiential learning is learning that
results from experience, but, since almost everything in life constitutes
experience, this becomes an impossibly global notion. Essentially,
experiential learning is learning by doing, rather than by listening to
other people or reading about it. This active involvement of the student
is one of the key characteristics of this form of learning, together with
student-centredness, a degree of interaction, some measure of autonomy
and flexibility, and a high degree of relevance.
Kolb (1984) identifies the characteristics of experiential learning:
Learning is best conceived as a process, not in terms of outcomes.

Learning is a continuous process grounded in experience.
The process of learning requires the resolution of conflicts between
dialectically opposed modes of adaptation to the world.
Learning is a holistic process of adaptation to the world.

Learning involves transactions between the person and the
environment.
Learning is the process of creating knowledge.

From these key characteristics, Kolb offers a working definition of
learning:
Learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the
transformation of experience.
(Kolb, 1984, p. 38)
The term experiential learning is used in a number of ways in

education; some apply it specifically to the learning of interpersonal
skills, whilst others see it as pertaining to field placements away from
the educational institution. It is useful to distinguish between learning
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from experience and learning through experience (Burnard, 1990). The

former involves using past experiences to gain new insights, whereas the
latter consists of experiences deliberately planned to facilitate learning. In
other words, both there and then and here and now experiences can
be useful learning stimuli.
Burnard (1991) describes a study in which nurse teachers were
interviewed about their perceptions of experiential learning and
experiential learning methods. The range of definitions given by
respondents was quite wide-ranging, and included:
tautological definitions (experiential learning is learning from

experience);
all-encompassing definitions (any activity could be experiential);

time-related definitions (learning from the past and the present);
practical definitions (learning from clinical placements);
personally focused definitions (gaining awareness); and
contrast-with-tradition definitions (less cognitive input).
Although the study used a very small sample, the results graphically
illustrate the wide range of perceptions that these nurse teachers have
about the concept.
Experiential learning as therapy
In Burnards study, one of the respondents suggested that for him
experiential learning was more like doing therapy, and this view is
supported by Rogers (1983) and Heron (1986). It is important, however,
that nurse teachers are fully aware of the problems associated with
the blending of teaching and therapy. The primary objective of an
educational group is the learning of particular aspects of curriculum,
whereas the purpose of a therapeutic group is helping group members
to heal themselves in a therapeutic setting. Although it is important for
students to understand the working of therapeutic groups, the teacher
must be careful to avoid running educational groups as therapeutic
groups, since there are ethical and moral implications such as informed
consent of students.
Group
dynamics
Whatever the nature of the group, there are a number of fundamental

processes that are identifiable; knowledge of these will help the nurse
teacher to understand the dynamics of a given group.
Social roles
In any given group, there are many social positions called social roles:
the family has roles called father and mother; nurse education has
roles called teacher and student; and the individual over time plays
many parts. A number of roles are played concurrently, as with a post-
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Group
dynamics
registration student who is also a ward manager; others are played

sequentially as with the roles of child, adolescent, adult and elderly
person.
Types of role
It is useful to differentiate between ascribed roles and achieved roles in
society: the former are roles that cannot be altered without difficulty,
such as sex roles and social class, and the latter are roles that are achieved
by the individuals own volition, such as the roles of husband, engineer
and so on. Primary roles are those that are always played, i.e. sex roles
and social class; secondary roles are linked to economic awareness and
employment, and tertiary roles are occasional ones such as captain of the
local cricket team.
Group norms
Group norms are defined as required or expected behaviours and beliefs
of group members, which may be covert or overt. Covert or implicit
norms are usually typified by the phrase it just isnt done, whereas overt
norms are usually formulated as explicit rules of behaviour. In nursing,
there are explicit rules about the way in which uniform is worn, but, in
clinical settings, there may be implicit norms such as The ward manager
likes it done this way. It could be argued that norms are simply roles that
are applied to all group members rather than to different concepts.
Both roles and norms may be considered as either imposed or
emergent. Imposed roles are those that arise from outside the group,
such as the appointment of a new head of department; emergent
roles are those arising from within a group, such as the election of a
chairperson. Such norms may also arise from outside the group as when
a nurse teacher lays down the rules for conduct in a small-group session.
Alternatively, the group may itself develop norms for behaviour and these
are often termed group rules.
Belbin (1997) studied teamwork for many years; he famously
observed that people in teams tend to assume different team roles. He
defines a team role as a tendency to behave, contribute and interrelate
with others in a particular way and named nine such team roles that
underlie team success.
The nine team roles are identified in Table 6.4 and are categorized into
three groups: action-oriented, people-oriented, and thought-oriented.
Each team role is associated with typical behavioural and interpersonal
strengths.
Action-oriented roles
Shaper, implementer, and completer finisher
Table 6.4
People-oriented roles
Co-ordinator, teamworker, and resource

investigator
Belbins nine team roles
Cerebral roles
Plant, monitor evaluator, and specialist
Adapted from Belbin (1997)
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In addition to team role characteristics (see Table 6.5), Belbin also

defined weaknesses that usually accompany the team role and called them
allowable weaknesses; these are areas to be aware of and, potentially,
to improve.
Table 6.5
Action-orientated roles
Belbins team role characteristics

People-orientated
roles
Cerebral roles
Shaper
Challenges the team to improve
Implementer
Puts ideas into action
Completer finisher
Ensures timely completion
Co-ordinator
Acts as a chairperson
Teamworker
Encourages co-operation
Resource investigator
Explores outside opportunities
Plant
Presents new ideas and approaches
Monitor evaluator
Analyses the options
Specialist
Provides specialized skills
Adapted from Belbin, 1997
Bruce Tuckmans classic description of the stages of group development

focused on the behaviour of small groups in a variety of environments
(Tuckman, 1965). He recognized the distinct phases through which
groups develop and suggested that groups need to experience all four
stages before they achieve maximum effectiveness. Tuckman further
developed the model in 1977 (in conjunction with Mary Ann Jensen),
adding a fifth stage:
1. Forming. Individual behaviour is driven by a desire to be accepted
by the others and avoid controversy or conflict. Serious issues and
feelings are avoided, and people focus on being busy with routines,
such as team organization, who does what, when to meet, etc. But
individuals are also gathering information and impressions about
each other, and about the scope of the task and how to approach it.
This is a comfortable stage to be in, but the avoidance of conflict and
threat means that not much actually gets done.
2. Storming. Individuals in the group can only remain nice to each other
for so long, as important issues start to be addressed. Some peoples
patience will break early, and minor confrontations will arise that are
quickly dealt with or glossed over. These may relate to the work of the
group itself, or to roles and responsibilities within the group. Some will
observe that it is good to be getting into the real issues, whilst others
will wish to remain in the comfort and security of Stage 1. Depending
on the culture of the organization and individuals, the conflict will be
more or less suppressed, but it will be there, under the surface. When
dealing with the conflict, individuals may feel that they are winning or
losing battles and will look for structural clarity and rules to prevent
the conflict persisting.
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Reflection
in small-group and experiential learning
3. Norming. As Stage 2 evolves, the rules of engagement for the

group become established, and the scope of the groups tasks or
responsibilities is clear and agreed. Having overcome their conflict,
group members now understand each other better and can appreciate
each others skills and experience. Individuals listen to each other,
appreciate and support each other and are prepared to change preconceived views: they feel theyre part of a cohesive, effective group.
However, individuals have had to work hard to attain this stage, and
may resist any pressure to change especially from the outside for
fear that the group will break up, or revert to a storm.
4. Performing. Not all groups reach this stage, which is characterized
by a state of interdependence and flexibility. Everyone knows each
other well enough to be able to work together, and trusts each other
enough to allow independent activity. Roles and responsibilities
change according to need in an almost seamless way. Group identity,
loyalty and morale are all high, and everyone is equally task orientated
and people orientated. This high degree of comfort means that all the
energy of the group can be directed towards the task in hand.
5. Adjourning. This is about completion and disengagement, both from
the tasks and the group members. Individuals will be proud of having
achieved much and glad to have been part of such an enjoyable group.
They need to recognize what theyve done and consciously move
on. Some authors describe Stage 5 as deforming and mourning,
recognizing the sense of loss felt by group members.
Reflection
in small-group and experiential learning
One of the most useful strategies for learning in small groups or

experiential learning is reflection, and the teacher can assist the student
in this process by using a model devised to promote reflection by Boud et
al. (1985), with a fourth stage added by Johns (1994). The model consists
of a series of stages through which the student nurse should progress,
having completed an experience. For example, the student may have
completed the admission of a patient for surgery and some time later
takes time to reflect on this using the following stages.
1. Returning to the experience. During this first stage the student is
encouraged simply to replay the whole experience over again,
describing what happened but not judging it.
2. Attending to feelings. The aim of this stage is to put students in touch
with their own feelings about the experience. They should try to use
any positive feelings that they may have about it, such as the pleasure
felt by making the patient feel welcomed and reassured. Some feelings
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can actually form barriers to learning, so these should be removed by

such means as laughing about an embarrassing question inadvertently
asked during the admission, or by expressing feelings to another
person. This removal of obstructing feelings is vital if learning is to
take place.
3. Re-evaluating the experience. The third stage consists of a number
of substages, which in essence involve the students in associating the
experience with their existing ideas and feelings about admission, and
in testing for consistency between them.
4. Learning. This fourth stage also has a number of substages where
students should identify how they feel about the experience. Could
they have dealt better with the situation? What was actually learnt
from the experience?
This model of reflection needs to be practised until the student feels
comfortable with each stage, and this is best accomplished by sharing the
reflections with other students.
Planning
and implementing small-group and

Small-group teaching and experiential learning is more challenging

than many teachers realize, so it is essential to plan carefully for its
implementation.
The experiential taxonomy

A helpful framework for planning and implementing small-group and
experiential learning is that of Steinaker and Bell (1979). They describe
an experiential taxonomy that can be used as the basis for writing
learning outcomes for all kinds of small group teaching and learning. The
taxonomy can be used for a single lesson or for a complete curriculum
course. The taxonomy is shown in Table 6.6, and Table 6.7 shows two
applications to nursing for each of the main categories.
Table 6.6
The experiential taxonomy
Taxonomic level
Description
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
Consciousness of an experience
Deciding to become part of an experience
Union of the learner with what is to be learned
Experience continues to influence lifestyle
Attempt to influence others
Exposure
Participation
Identification
Internalization
Dissemination
Adapted from Steinaker and Bell (1979)
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Taxonomic level
Nursing applications
Table 6.7
1.0
Exposure
Nursing applications of
experiential taxonomy
2.0
Participation
3.0
Identification
4.0
Internalization
5.0
Dissemination
(i)
(ii)
(i)
(ii)
(i)
(ii)
(i)
(ii)
(i)
(ii)
I see an injection given.

I hear about Orems self-care model.
I administer an injection.
I attempt to use Orems self-care model.
I become competent in giving injections.
I become adept at using Orems self-care model.
Giving injections is now part of my life.
Orems self-care model is now part of my life.
I teach other students to give injections.
I show other students how to use Orems self-care model.
The physical environment

As with all learning settings, the physical environment should be as
pleasant and comfortable as the facilities allow. It is useful if particular
rooms are designated as discussion rooms so that students associate
them with democratic participation and equality. The main aspect of the
physical environment, however, is the arrangement of seating (and desks
if used). Some people feel that small-group methods work best when
students are seated without desks, as this lends an air of informality to the
group. Nevertheless, certain students prefer to have a surface upon which
they can jot down key thoughts, especially when the group is working on
a specific task that requires writing.
A good rule of thumb is to ensure that whether or not desks are
used, every group member has the same facility, including the teacher.
It is common to see a group of students sitting in a circle without desks,
with a teacher firmly ensconced behind one; this inequality may serve to
highlight the differences in status between teacher and students to the
detriment of group effectiveness. There is a variety of arrangements for
seating during group work, some of the common ones being illustrated
in Figure 6.1:
1. The U arrangement is useful for teacher-led discussion, as each
member can be seen clearly and, equally, the students can see any
material that the teacher may want to show to them.
2. The circle, with or without desks conveys a sense of equality amongst
all members of the group; it is particularly intimate when chairs alone
are used and even a group of 15 can create a feeling of close personal
contact.
3. A number of horseshoes, each consisting of a table around which
three students are seated, can provide a very effective way of breaking
larger groups into subgroups. The seating arrangement ensures that
each student can see the teacher during plenary periods; but each
horseshoe can work independently, with its members on some aspect
of a topic or problem. This arrangement can also capitalize on shortage
of space, where a large circle is not feasible.
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4. The committee arrangement is a useful one for small-group work that

has more formal purposes, providing a large surface, in the form of
a central table, around which each member is seated. Although each
member can engage in eye contact with the rest of the group, the shape
of the table can make a big difference to the pattern of interaction.
A rectangular table has a natural head at either end, and students
occupying these may be seen as the leader or chairperson, whereas
a round table has no such natural positions of power. A rectangular
table has corners and students occupying these seats tend to make the
least contribution to discussions; people generally interact most with
those sitting diametrically opposite, again this being more obvious in a
rectangle than in a circle.
Figure 6.1
Seating patterns for

small group teaching.
S = student, T = teacher
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
T
S
S
S
S
S
S
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implementing small-group and experiential learning
Re-arranging seating
One of the common errors that inexperienced teachers make is to
rearrange seating in the classroom without adequate explanation to the
group. Students of all ages tend to be quite sensitive about their personal
seat and usually sit in the same place for all sessions. If they suddenly
find that the seating arrangements have been altered, they may become
resentful; indeed, many an unwitting student teacher has entered a
classroom only to find that their carefully planned seating arrangement
has been returned to its normal state by the students.
The emotive nature of seating positions is such that the teacher must
ensure full and adequate explanation as to why he or she is wishing
to rearrange it. A few minutes spent in explaining ones philosophy of
teaching and the importance of the students contributions can save a great
deal of trouble later on by giving students rational, sincere reasons for
such a rearrangement. Students are usually tolerant of such innovation,
provided that they have been consulted before it is implemented. If a
group is particularly resistant to rearrangement, it may be wise to leave
the seating as it is, but to use a small group activity early in the lesson
that requires students to interact with others. This will encourage natural
pairing and movement, which can be capitalized on for the remainder of
the session.
Psychological environment
The ideal environment for small-group and experiential learning is
that which is termed a learning community. This is characterized by
a climate of acceptance, support and trust, where each member of the
team acknowledges that he or she is still learning and where the needs of
students are recognized. This notion of a learning community can apply
to the higher education institution and to the clinical or community
area and contains an implicit value judgement that students are equal
to trained staff in all respects other than those of age and experience.
In a learning-community approach, opportunities for learning are made
available and professional growth is encouraged by graded responsibility.
A large element of negotiation is typical of this approach, where students
can determine what they want to learn and the means by which this will
be achieved and evaluated.
Establishing trust
The establishment of trust among group members is fundamental to
successful small-group and experiential learning. The length of time
the small group is likely to be together is an important factor. For
example, small-group techniques may be used on a study day, and in this
short timescale it would be impossible to develop group identity. On a
programme of study, on the other hand, small groups may well remain
together for months or years, and it is therefore crucial that the group is
given the time and opportunity to foster interpersonal relationships and
trust. This means that the teacher must avoid the temptation of setting
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the group tasks and issues too early. Taking time to facilitate group
cohesion will pay dividends later on when the group is able to work
effectively without interpersonal conflict and competition.
Techniques
for fostering relationships in small groups
There are a great many ways in which small groups can be made aware
of individual members.
Pairs exercises
One technique is a pairs exercise that aims for maximum interaction.
Group members are asked to form pairs, choosing someone they do not
know. Each member spends two minutes introducing him- or herself to
the other. After this, group members are asked to find another partner
whom they do not know, and spend two minutes each on explaining what
they hope to gain from the group membership. This pairing continues
until all group members have met each other, using topics such as my
feelings about small group work, problems in my current job, etc.
In another example, group members are asked to form pairs, and
each member must choose a character from literature, theatre, films
or television whom they would most like to be. They must explain the
reason for their choice, taking up to two minutes to do this.
Developing trust
When members of a small group trust each other, they are able to
contribute without fear of being ridiculed if their suggestion seems
wrong; indeed, such suggestions may be seen as creative rather than
stupid and may lead the group in a new direction. Students need to
be able to try out their ideas, and this can only be encouraged in an
atmosphere of psychological safety. Where there is trust in a group, each
student is free to concentrate his or her energies on learning, rather than
wasting them on building up defensive barriers against attacks from other
group members. Trust may be developed using techniques which involve
the group members in such activities as being led around the room
blindfold. Yet another important way in which trust can be developed is
the use of group evaluation at the end of each session. The group is asked
to allow five minutes at the end for some spontaneous evaluation of the
groups performance.
Participation of the teacher

There are many roles that the teacher can adopt in small-group work;
he or she may function as the leader, taking the major responsibility
for the conduct of the group, or, alternatively, adopt varying degrees of
involvement, such as facilitator, resource person and group trainer.
The presence of the teacher is more likely to influence a very small
group but be less obtrusive in a larger group. Indeed, the teacher may
decide to leave the group entirely on its own during group work, being
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Basic
classification of small-group teaching
available close by, but out of sight, should group members feel that they
need assistance. If the teacher decides to be involved in the group, there
is always the danger that members will see the teacher as the leader, even
if it has been made clear that the teachers function is as facilitator only.
Establishing the right climate

The teachers role is invested with authority, and it is difficult for students
to overcome this barrier. Compare the interaction of a group of student
nurses talking in the local pub and their contributions in a small-group
learning session. It is obvious that lack of knowledge or interest is not the
main factor for the poor response so commonly found in group work;
rather, it is the climate of the situation that determines how well students
involve themselves in discussions. Presumably, in the local pub there is
no danger of humiliation from other people, since it is generally accepted
that individuals have the right to express their opinions, however unusual
these might be. In addition, the group in the pub is usually made up
of friends and a degree of trust is present, which adds to the climate
of psychological safety. If this atmosphere could be captured during
group work in the college of nursing, there would be fewer problems of
participation. Very often it is the teachers own anxiety that stifles the
spontaneous flow of ideas and opinions; the teacher must learn to trust
group members to control their own discussion to a large extent, even
if he or she is acting as their leader. If the teacher leads the group, then
it is vital that he or she avoids evaluating the members, since they may
become hesitant about giving their own opinions.
Importance of organization
Many of the dissatisfactions that are experienced with the use of small
groups stem from the fact that they have not been properly organized.
Because a small group is informal does not mean that it can be conducted
in an off-the-cuff manner, and it is sensible to indicate to the students
the goals to be achieved and the roles they must assume during the
discussion. Each member must be prepared to contribute something
to the group, and the importance of this should be explained at the
first meeting. The teacher must be aware of attempts to participate by
members and, if these are unsuccessful, should assist. A careful watch
of non-verbal communication will provide good feedback as to how the
students are feeling, and will also reveal such non-productive behaviour
as opting out, dominating and seeking sympathy.
Basic
The classification of small-group teaching presents a major conceptual

problem, in that there is a bewildering array of possible types. It is useful
to distinguish between these basic types of small group and the various
techniques that might be used with each. For example, role-playing is
really a technique that can be used in many types of small group, so it
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is not included here as a basic type of group. On the other hand,

syndicate work seems to have a very specific function and is structured
in a particular way, and is thus seen as a basic type of group. The
following section explores a number of basic types of small groups in
education, and the various techniques that might be used as part of these
basic types of group.
Seminar groups
In higher education, a seminar group is mainly concerned with academic
matters rather than with individual students and commonly involves
the reading of an essay or paper by one group member, followed by a
discussion of the topic by the total group. The teacher may decide to be
the leader or may delegate leadership to the group. It can be a motivating
strategy in nursing, where a student presents a paper on some aspect
of nursing and then participates in a discussion with the group. The
presentation of a seminar by the student can be counted as an assignment
for continuous assessment purposes and this may serve as a motivating
factor in ensuring a good-quality seminar.
Tutorial groups
Tutorial groups can take many different forms, and the term is often used
synonymously with seminar. It can also mean a one-to-one encounter
with a student, an encounter with three or four students and a teacher,
or can be synonymous with a controlled discussion. Clearly, the purpose
of the tutorial group will largely determine its organization; a one-to-one
tutorial is usually related to individual student progress and comments
upon specific aspects of the students work. The same kind of function
can be achieved with three or four students together, although this may
inhibit some individuals from speaking as freely as they might if they
were alone.
The term tutorial group is often used for convenience to describe the
collection of personal tutees for whom a teacher has responsibility, and
this is discussed in detail in Chapter 10 (p. 380).
Controlled discussion groups

In this form of discussion group, the teacher assumes leadership; its
purposes are to clarify points raised during a lecture and to develop the
ideas that it contained. Thus it can provide feedback to the teacher on
the level of understanding achieved in a lecture and gives an opportunity
for further explanation if the students have any difficulties with regard
to the subject matter.
Free discussion groups

In contrast to the controlled discussion, this type of discussion is under
the control of the group members; the teacher acts merely as an observer
and resource person. The topics and direction are decided by the group.
This can be a useful method in nursing for developing autonomy in
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Basic
the students, by giving them responsibility for their own learning. In

addition, the fact that the topic has been chosen by the students may
increase the motivation of the group.
Issue-centred or subject-centred groups

An issue-centred group has as its focus an issue that has no right or wrong
answer and which is usually controversial or provocative. Topics such as
is nursing really a profession? or should resuscitation be carried out
on the terminally ill? provide an opportunity for students opinions to
be questioned and attitudes to be changed. It also provides a forum for
public presentation of an individual students own beliefs and values and
gives practice in the efficient presentation of arguments.
Step-by-step discussion groups

A step-by-step discussion group involves a prepared sequence of material
designed by the teacher and consisting of key questions or issues that are
to be used to draw out the students own knowledge about the topic. It
uses inductive techniques rather than didactic presentation.
Problem-solving groups
In this form of small-group discussion, the students are given a problem
to solve and are usually provided with certain sources of information
from which to draw their solutions. The problem may be something
that requires a single correct answer, or it may involve a number of
correct answers, the students being required to decide which one is most
appropriate to the situation.
Brown and Atkins (1988) identify four main stages in problem-solving
that equate to the following questions:
1. What is the nub of the problem? This question gets at the core of the
problem, and may identify subproblems, conflicts and contradictions.
2. Have I met a similar problem before? By recalling similar problems
from past experience, the student may discover that the solution
arrived at then will apply to the current problem.
3. What approaches can I use? Students may have to resort to trial-anderror experimentation if the solutions in Stage 2 are not successful.
4. How should I check the solution? This stage involves checking whether
the solution feels right and also reflection upon the strategies used to
solve the problem, as part of the development of students problemsolving skills.
The main purpose of problem-solving groups is to encourage critical
thinking by the students, and this method has had considerable success
in the teaching of medicine. Nursing faculties have also developed a
problem-solving approach to nurse education, using real and simulated
patients. A common strategy for problem-solving groups is to present
a detailed case history of a patient and then to ask specific questions
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related to nursing or medical science. The students are required to define

the problems and to devise nursing measures that will help to overcome
them.
Learning-through-discussion groups
Learning-through-discussion (LTD) groups were described originally
by Fawcett-Hill in 1969 and are similar in some respects to the freediscussion groups described above. However, in an LTD group, the
topic is decided by the teacher rather than by the students. The teachers
roles in LTD are only those of resource person and group trainer; the
teacher does not take part as a group member. The roles normally taken
by a teacher or chairperson are seen to be the responsibility of each and
every group member. Fawcett-Hill maintains that students have little
preparation for involvement in small-group work and so need to have
a plan by which to proceed (Fawcett-Hill, 1969). The purpose of this
method is to enhance learning of course material by utilizing the skill of
each group member.
Syndicate groups
This type of group is valuable for putting students in a position for
discovery learning. The total class is given a major topic and then divided
into small groups of about six members. Each of these small groups
selects one aspect of the major topic and studies this over a period of
two weeks or so. Contact with the teacher is maintained intermittently to
report progress. When the work has been completed, each group reports
its findings to the total group, after which the findings are assessed and
interpreted by the teacher and a grade is awarded.
Project groups
The project method can be defined as a unit of purposeful experience in
which the educational needs and interests of the student determine the
aims and objectives of the activity and guide its process to a conclusion.
Characteristics
The main characteristics of the method are that the students are very much
involved in the formulation of the aims and objectives of the project and
that they are actively participating in the learning experience. Projects
may be done by individuals, but more commonly they are undertaken by
a small group of about six members. The main topics can be suggested
by the teacher or left completely to the students imagination, but in both
cases it is crucial for the teacher to ensure that the aims of the project are
clarified, so that the students are in no doubt as to the purpose of such an
exercise. The kinds of aims that a group project can foster are the ability
to work co-operatively in groups, collection of information, development
of confidence in decision-making and many others.
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Motivation and projects

For the project method to be successful it is necessary to have motivated
students and this in turn requires subject-matter areas that are seen to
be interesting and to contain scope for individuality and imagination. It
is common for students to be required to undertake community-based
projects, such as a neighbourhood study, and this allows the students
scope to be imaginative.
For example, when doing a neighbourhood study, a small group
decided to focus their project on access to local facilities by individuals
confined to a wheelchair. One of the students sat in a borrowed wheelchair
and two other students accompanied him to the local shopping centre.
This was an example of experiential learning for the students, as it soon
became apparent that it was extremely difficult to withdraw money
from a cash point due to the position of the dispenser on the wall of the
bank. Similarly, the students tried to gain access to a well-known tourist
attraction, but found that it was impossible to do so in a wheelchair. The
findings of the students were reported back to the rest of the group, and
provided very thought-provoking discussion about life in a wheelchair
(Quinn, 2000).
History of the project method
The project method itself is not a new development, having its origins in
the 1920s. The method was first described by John Dewey of Columbia
University and further developed by his colleague W.H. Kilpatrick.
Deweys philosophy was that the process of educational thought was
more important than the results of such thought; he believed that a child
would undergo mental growth if he or she actively participated in solving
a problem that he or she saw as real. Use of the project method declined
in the 1950s, but, with the advent of the Nuffield Foundation Science
Teaching Project and the personal topic in the Certificate of Secondary
Education, interest in the method revived.
A number of advantages are claimed for the use of the project method,
including greater interest for the student, development of resourcefulness
and independence in learning and the opportunity for the student to
use important skills such as the identification and analysis of problems
and the exploration of solutions. On the other hand, this method has
its critics, and the main disadvantages are the time-consuming nature of
project work and the difficulty in evaluating the students achievement.
Planning for project work
When planning to use the project method for the first time, the teacher
of nursing should ensure that the exercise is carefully organized. Groups
may be allocated by the teacher, or selected by the students according to
personal preference. The latter has the advantage of allowing them to
work with friends, which may increase motivation and spur their efforts
to succeed. As indicated earlier, it is important for the teacher to clarify
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the purpose of the project so that the enthusiasm and co-operation of the
groups are obtained, and it is equally necessary to allocate sufficient time
for the work to be accomplished.
When the groups have chosen, or have been allocated, a specific
subject area, they decide amongst themselves which objectives and
methods of inquiry they will use. The teacher must not control the
direction of approach, as this would stifle independence and enthusiasm.
The progress of each groups project should be monitored by the teacher,
but only to ensure that difficulties are being overcome and that the most
efficient techniques of data collection are being used.
The channels for obtaining information from personnel in the hospital
or community must be clearly understood by the group. It is important
to check that personnel who are likely to be approached by students are
willing to spend time talking to them. The form of presentation of the
projects should be decided before the students commence their work.
All projects should be written up regardless of the form of presentation,
and the teacher can negotiate with the group as to whether the projects
are presented to the total group or simply submitted to the teacher in
written form. Presenting the project to the total group can be seen as
the culmination of the students work and reinforces their feelings of
accomplishment and success. Assessment of project work is discussed in
Chapter 7 (p. 288).
Small-group projects, then give students the opportunity for more
intensive study of a topic, challenging them to seek more widely for
resources and giving experience in the skills of problem-solving and
decision-making, all of which are important for the changing role of the
nurse.
Experiential-learning groups
These groups are characterized by the use of experiential techniques to
develop greater expertise in a variety of fields, for example teaching in
clinical and community settings.
Focus groups
This is a qualitative research technique that is frequently used in nursing
and health research. Rees (2003) points out that a focus group can
be conducted with a small group of individuals who are prompted to
discuss certain topics and experiences. Focus groups have a degree of
acceptability because they tend to capitalize on the most natural form
of social communication, the conversation.
Techniques
for teaching small groups and experiential
learning
So far we have identified a number of types of educational small group,

each having fairly specific purposes or functions. Within any one of these
basic types, there are a number of techniques that might be employed to
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for teaching small groups
help group members to achieve the purpose of the small group. Again,
it is useful to categorize them according to their main purpose, although
some techniques have a wide range of application. Table 6.8 identifies
the categories.
Category
Techniques
Table 6.8
1.
Techniques to maximize group members

interaction with each other
Techniques to generate creative solutions
Techniques to generate date
Techniques to develop group members
self-awareness and empathy
presentational ability
Snowball groups; square-root or crossover

groups; buzz groups
Brainstorming; synectics
Carousel exercise
Role-play; simulation; gaming; case study
Categories of techniques
for small-group teaching
Techniques for applying knowledge and

skills to real life
awareness of group processes
Role-play; simulation; case study;

brainstorming
Fishbowl technique; peer review; groupinteraction analysis
2.
3.
4.
5.
6
7.
Debate; seminar; peer-tutoring;

microteaching; square-root technique
Snowball groups
As the name implies, this technique involves group members in subgroups
of ever-increasing size until the total group is involved together. It begins
with each individual group member working on a problem and then
sharing this information with another student. Each pair then joins with
another pair for further work on the problem, and then these tetrads
join with each other to form groups of eight. Work continues in this
fashion until the entire group comes together to share its ideas in a
plenary session. The work can become progressively more detailed as the
snowball grows, and this technique is useful for getting every member
of the group involved in participation.
Buzz groups
Buzz groups consist of from two to six members and are most frequently
used to provide student involvement during a lecture or other teachercentred session. For example, during a lecture on post-operative nursing
care, the large class can be asked to form buzz groups for a three- or fourminute discussion of the complications of surgery. The group leaders then
feed back their contributions to the total group. It is often a good idea
simply to ask the first row to turn and face the second and the third to
turn and face the fourth, and so on. These rows can then be segmented
into groups of six students and this system minimizes the reorganization
of the room. Buzz groups can be used more than once in any given
lecture and provide the students with social activity and involvement,
helping to maintain their level of arousal during the lecture. It is often
useful to begin a session by asking the students to form buzz groups
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and write down everything they know about a subject, for example the
structure of the heart. This can be fed into the main group and forms
the basis of the lecture.
Brainstorming
This is another effective method of obtaining creative solutions to a
problem (Osborne, 1962). The idea is for each member to generate as
many ideas as he or she can about the problem in question. The emphasis
is on free expression of ideas, and no criticism is permitted, however
unlikely the suggestions. De Bono (1986) suggests that there are three
main features of a brainstorming session: cross-stimulation, suspended
judgement and a formal setting. Cross-stimulation refers to the effects
of other peoples ideas on an individual and the fact that these ideas may
interact with existing ones to produce creative solutions. As the name
implies, suspended judgement means that no criticism of suggestions is
allowed, however silly the ideas may seem. It is important that the leader
or chairperson be on the lookout for any evaluative comments and stops
them immediately. It is not vital to produce entirely new or novel ideas;
indeed, it may be that an old idea is the best solution to a difficulty in
certain situations.
A formal setting is important so that participants can feel that there is
something special about the group and thus be less inhibited about saying
things that might seem ridiculous. The organization of a brainstorming
group involves a leader or chairperson and someone to make notes of
the ideas as they arise; it is helpful to use audiotape recording to ensure
that no ideas are lost. The brainstorming activity can take any amount
of time up to a maximum of about 3040 minutes, and frequently lasts
only some 510 minutes.
The activity itself is only a means to an end, so there has to be an
evaluation session in order to see what the next steps should be.
This evaluation should take place some little time after the brainstorming
session itself, and involves the sifting out of all the useful ideas into three
categories: those ideas that are of immediate use; those that need further
exploration; and those that represent new approaches.
Synectics
Synectics is a system of problem-solving that aims to produce creative
solutions by making people view problems in new ways. Creative ideas
are seen as involving the making of new connections between ideas, and
one way of facilitating this is the use of the SES box steps method
(SES Associates, 1986). This method is based on the assumption that
all problems contain a paradox or contradiction that can only be solved
if new connections can be made. It uses the notions of analogy and
metaphor to create these new connections and there are four distinct
steps in the process:
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1. Identify the paradox, which is the essence of the problem.

2. Develop an analogy or metaphor to provide a creative, different
viewpoint.
3. Identify the unique activity associated with the metaphor or analogy.
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4. Apply equivalent thinking, in which the unique activity is transferred

to the current problem, resulting in a new idea for its solution.
An example will be useful to help understanding of this series of stages.
Consider the following problems. A specialist community public health
nurse wishes to put on health promotion sessions on the topic of safety
in the home, for mothers of young children. Despite local advertising,
however, there is a very poor turnout.
1. Paradox. Health promotion sessions may be perceived by mothers as
less attractive than other forms of social interaction, such as visiting
friends or attending coffee mornings with other mothers and young
children.
2. Analogy. Sales parties are a well-established strategy for selling all sorts
of goods, such as clothes, perfume, and gifts. The salesperson brings
the wares to someones home, and a number of friends, relatives and
their children are invited over by the person hosting the party.
3. Unique activity. The salesperson combines business with a social
setting, including company and refreshments.
4. Equivalent thinking. The specialist community public health nurse
must combine the health promotion message with an opportunity
for social interaction. This means that he or she must organize the
classes as social events, for example by providing refreshments and
creating an opportunity for social interaction in an atmosphere of
informality.
The carousel exercise

This is an excellent and novel way of generating data from a group of
students and also for the development of interviewing skills. The first
step is for the teacher to identify a series of topics or subtopics that will
be the focus of the session. The group is then divided into two, half of
whom will be interviewers and the other half who will be respondents.
Each interviewer is given a sheet of paper that is blank apart from a
question that is written across the top of the page. The desks are arranged
in a circle, with the interviewers seated on the inside facing out and the
respondents seated on the outside facing in.
This arrangement ensures that there is a pair of students sitting
opposite one another and separated by a desk. At a given signal from
the teacher, each interviewer proceeds to ask their respondent to answer
the question at the top of their sheet of paper and to answer it as fully
as possible. Each interviewer has a different question and five minutes
are allowed for each interview, after which time the teacher signals all
change and the outer circle of respondents moves round to the next
seat on each persons right. The inner circle of interviewers remains
in the same position throughout the exercise and every five minutes,
a new respondent arrives opposite each of them. They proceed to ask
their question to each respondent as they appear, recording the various
answers on the same sheet of paper.
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Eventually, the entire outer circle will have been interviewed by each of
the interviewers and the latter will have a sheet of different responses to
their question. These data can then be analysed to reveal the opinions of
those group members who were in the outer circle. It is desirable to then
exchange the roles, so that the outer group become the interviewers and
vice versa, thus generating twice as much data for analysis.
Simulations
A simulation is an imitation of some facet of life, usually in a simplified
form. It aims to put students in a position where they can experience
some aspect of real life by becoming involved in activities that are closely
related to it. Airline pilots spend time working in flight simulators,
which are identical to the flight deck of an aircraft and in which the
pilots can gain simulated experience of handling emergencies that cannot
(for reasons of safety and/or expense) be gained in any other way. For
example, they are able to practise emergency procedures for such things
as sudden depressurization, failure of engines, etc., and this experience
should transfer to the real-life setting, if it is ever required. The notion
of transfer of learning underpins all aspects of simulation, the aim being
to use the simulated experience to help the student to learn how to cope
with the real thing.
Using simulation in nurse education
In nurse education, a commonly used simulation is that of the cardiacarrest procedure or crash-call. The teacher organizes the simulation
by providing an authentic environment that simulates a ward setting,
with a patient in a bed, a locker, charts, etc. Certain staff or students
are designated roles such as anaesthetist, sister, relatives and nurses, and
the whole scenario of what happens when a patient has a cardiac arrest
is enacted. The scenario can be used to give student nurses an insight
into how the procedure operates and, in this instance, would serve as a
demonstration. Alternatively, students can be asked to take the part of the
student who discovers a patient with a cardiac arrest and to imitate
the procedures required following such detection. By this means it is
possible to give students experience of a situation, without the associated
anxiety of learning it initially in the real-life setting.
Transfer of learning
It is always debatable whether or not there is transfer of learning to
the real-life setting, but, at the very least, the students will have had an
opportunity to internalize the sequence of procedures required, and to
appreciate the urgency of the whole situation. One of the important
hallmarks of a simulation is that the students are not required to act out
any kind of script; they are expected to behave and react in any way they
feel is appropriate. In other words, a simulation involves the students in
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being themselves and dealing with situations using their normal, everyday
behaviour. Whatever the scenario of the simulation may be, the students
are expected to be themselves and to deal with the situations presented.
Simulations in first aid
One of the most valuable areas in which simulation can be used is that
of first aid. Although this topic has some theoretical basis, the main
emphasis is on practical techniques, so it is important to teach first aid
in a way that helps students to cope with real-life situations. The first
part of each session might introduce the concepts in question and then
demonstrate the techniques required. Volunteers are then invited to join
in with a simulation, in which they are required to give first-aid treatment
to a casualty, and the simulation should be as realistic as possible
within the limitations of the college setting. With a little imagination and
dramatic flair, it is quite possible to create a scenario that simulates to a
reasonable extent a first-aid emergency such as a head injury, a fracture,
poisoning, and the like. The aim is to create a simulation that is as near
as possible to the real-life situation that the student will encounter, so
that the established behaviours and procedures can be transferred easily
to the new setting.
Simulations and role-play
The term simulation is closely related to the concepts of role-play
and gaming; indeed, many simulations will involve an element of roleplaying by other people, even though the students in question remain
themselves. For example, a teacher may wish to do a simulation involving
the admission of a mentally disturbed patient to the admission ward. A
student is first identified who will be the admitting nurse, whilst another
student or teacher will undertake the role of the disturbed patient. In this
scenario, one nurse will be acting out the role of a disturbed patient, i.e.
he or she will indulge in role-play; the other nurse, however, will simply
behave and react in the way that he or she feels is appropriate in order
to carry out the admission, i.e. remaining as him- or herself throughout
the simulation.
When carrying out simulations, it is important that the teacher should
give full briefing beforehand and allow sufficient time for an adequate
debriefing at the end. These aspects are discussed in the next section on
role-play.
Role-play
Role-play is derived largely from the work of Moreno on psychodrama
(Marineau, 1989) and uses acting and imagination to create insights
into the students own behaviour, beliefs and values, and those of other
people. Students are required to take on someone elses identity and to
act as they think that person would behave. Although some scripting is
essential to delineate the role, this should be kept to a minimum so that
the student can act out the role in his or her own way.
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Counter-attitudinal role-play
Role-play can be an excellent way of creating empathy with other
peoples points of view, particularly if the student is given a role that
is opposite to the position or viewpoint currently held. This counterattitudinal role-play forces students to consider issues and feelings from
the other persons point of view and can help them to gain insight into
why that persons behaviour is occurring. One of the important points
about role-play is that the student, after some initial self-consciousness
about the role in question, then quickly settles down to project his or
her own character and values into the role. It is this identification with
the role that forms the basis for subsequent debriefing and experiential
learning. Role-play can be used for almost any social situation and is the
method par excellence for exploring interpersonal communication skills.
A checklist for organizing role-play is given in Table 6.9.
Table 6.9
Before the role-play
Checklist for organizing role-play
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Organize the room to allow for free interaction.

Write out the role briefs for each participant.
Write out instructions for process-observers.
Do warm-up exercises.
Do a briefing session, outlining purpose, rules, etc.
Invite or select participants.
During the role-play
7.
Enact the role-play.
After the role-play
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
Facilitate group discussion and evaluation.

Re-enact the role-play if required.
Facilitate group discussion and re-evaluation if re-enacted.
Explore the implications and applications arising out of role-play.
Encourage actors to de-role.
Summarize the original aims and purpose of the role-play.
Organize group thanks to the actors.
Briefing for role-play

As mentioned earlier, briefing and debriefing of participants are vital to
the process of role-playing. Briefing is an important preliminary process
prior to many kinds of small-group activity and is particularly pertinent
to role-playing situations. Briefing involves giving prior guidelines about
rules, intentions and goals, and is designed to ensure that participants
benefit from the subsequent activities. It is not necessary to declare the
outcomes beforehand, particularly if this might give the game away;
many role-play activities are designed to allow students to discover things
for themselves, so it is important not to pre-empt this.
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One of the essential rules of role-play is that no member of the group

should be allowed to be a passive observer; any students who are not
directly engaged in one of the acting roles should be given the job of
process observers. This implies that they are actively observing the roleplay, including the verbal and non-verbal signals emitted by the actors.
Such process observation is a crucial part of the feedback and debriefing
session that follows the role-play.
Debriefing
Debriefing occurs after the activities have been concluded and can be seen
as having three stages:
1. A description of what occurred.
2. Sharing of participants feelings about the activity.
3. The examination of the implications of the activity for future work.
The first stage simply asks participants and observers to describe what
occurred during the role-play; this is followed by a sharing of group
members feelings about the activity, and it is important to have an
atmosphere of mutual trust for this stage. The final stage involves the
application of what has been discussed to the real world of nursing and
is where the insights gained can be shared with other students. The
actors may receive much useful feedback from the observers about their
personal skills of communication, and the group as a whole can benefit
from the range of ideas and values generated by the role-play. As a great
deal of emotion can be generated during role-play, it is important that
the participants are encouraged to de-role at the end, so as to establish
contact with reality again. This can be done simply by having students say
out loud that they are out of role and that they are their normal selves
again.
Gaming
Gaming is closely related to simulation and role-play, but gaming differs
from simulation in that it has very precise sets of rules and is usually
competitive in nature. Unlike simulation, games have no scenario, being
complete in themselves, and participants behave as their normal selves.
Educational games are simply extensions of recreational games, such as
board games, card games and quizzes, and the aim is to create a method
of learning that is both enjoyable and beneficial.
Case studies
Case studies are textual descriptions of specific situations that may either
be genuine or fictional and that provide a trigger for the discussion of
issues and the examination of real-life events. Case studies differ from
simulations in that they offer the student a cognitive view of the event
rather than an experiential one. However, it is possible to use a case study
as the basis for a simulation or role-play, with students taking the parts
of the characters involved.
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Case studies usually entail making decisions about particular courses

of action or, alternatively, making judgements about decisions contained
within the case study. Case studies can be used to very good effect
in bringing theoretical issues closer to the real world of nursing; for
example, students may be given a case study of the nursing care of a
patient and asked to evaluate the care given in the light of their own
knowledge and skills. In some instances, it is useful to use fictional studies
to abstract the typical features of issues or problems, but, generally
speaking, it is better to use real-life examples, since these are based on
actual nursing practice.
Writing a case study
Writing a good case study is time consuming and difficult and Davis
(1985) suggests three basic questions that need to be addressed when
planning a case study:
1. What is the major issue or problem? This needs to be clearly stated
along with any subordinate problems related to it.
2. What facts does the student need? It is important to include all relevant
data required to deal with the problem or issue, but not to overload
the case study with superfluous material.
3. How should the material be presented? This involves deciding on the
sequence of the material, such as background to the case, significant
facts, use of the past or present tense, and inclusion of statistics. The
writer must avoid putting in personal opinions, keeping only to factual
material.
One of the great uses of case studies is to integrate information from a
wide range of topics in nursing: in order to solve a nursing-care problem
in a case study, the students will need to integrate their knowledge of
biological and behavioural science, nursing science and other areas.
When using the case-study method the teacher must be very familiar with
every detail of the case, so that he or she can be of greatest use to the
group during the discussion. The teacher needs to be particularly careful
that the group does not skim over the case study too quickly, thereby
missing many of the important aspects. It is very useful to jot down an
evaluation of how the session went, so that this is available for reference
when the same case study is used again.
The fishbowl technique

This technique is very useful for process observation of group behaviour.
The total group is divided into two, and one of these subgroups arranges
itself into a circle for discussion and interaction. The other subgroup
arranges itself outside the first circle concentrically and can then observe
the inner group as though it were in a fishbowl. After the inner group
has completed its interaction, the outer group can give feedback and
evaluation about the group processes.
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Debate
Although commonly thought of as a large-group technique, debate can
be used to good effect in small-group teaching. Debate is a formal way of
examining issues that can be very exciting to the participants as well as the
audience and it has the added advantage of not only raising the students
awareness of issues and values, but also giving them the opportunity to
formulate an argument and present it in a public arena.
Debate is quite easy to set up; the teacher can choose a number of
issues, or the group may come up with its own list. Four students are
required to present their views, two speaking for the motion and two
against it. Following the presentations, the issue is opened up to the
audience to contribute and then a vote is taken on whether the motion
is carried or defeated. Debate is particularly useful for topical, emotive
issues and can serve to make students examine their beliefs and values
about such issues.
Microteaching
Microteaching is a small-group activity that has many uses in nurse
education. Essentially, microteaching consists of a cycle of events. It can
be seen that the cycle consists of the performance of some microskill, i.e.
some aspect of a social or psychomotor skill such as asking questions,
which is recorded on videotape. This recording is then played back
to the small group; the performer firstly evaluates his or her own
performance, and then the group members contribute their evaluation.
The performer then replans the performance using the feedback gained
during the analysis. The performance is repeated, incorporating the
changes suggested in the analysis, and this is also videotaped. The video
is then replayed, further analysis takes place and the cycle is repeated as
often as is required until the performance is satisfactory. Microteaching
can be a very potent tool for the acquisition of skills, but it does need a
fair amount of time in order to allow students the chance to teach and
re-teach several times.
Field visits
A well-established technique in nurse education, field visits can provide
insight when extending students experience of nursing. Visits can be
clinical (to a hospice or specialist centre) or non-clinical (to museums or
public utilities). Within programmes for initial registration, it is common
to find that students are required to undertake field visits as part of a
neighbourhood study, for example to local government offices, sports
centres, supermarkets, etc. Briefing and debriefing are important if the
maximum learning value is to be gained from the visit.
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Exercises
Exercises are particularly common in experiential learning; consisting of
structured sequences in which students are actively involved, exercises
often contain written instructions. Exercises consist of dyadic, triadic
or small-group activities, usually ending in a discussion of participants
feelings about the exercise.
Body movements
Also extensively used in experiential learning, physical contact may
or may not be involved in this kind of experience but is common in
the various forms of warm-up exercises prior to interpersonal skills
sessions. Relaxation also comes under this heading.
Guided imagery and meditation

Guided imagery is being increasingly used in clinical practice, particularly
in pain management. For example, a patient might be asked to imagine
that he or she has flown to a peaceful island, far away from the pain.
In nurse education, these experiential techniques are useful for gaining
greater self-awareness. The student sits comfortably relaxed, with eyes
closed and with the verbal help of the teacher, imagines being back in a
pleasant place of his or her choosing. The student is prompted to involve
all the senses in this re-creation.
Meditation is also carried out in a relaxed environment with eyes
closed, and there are many techniques for this. One of them consists of
simply attending to ones thoughts as they pass through the mind.
Instrumentation
A variety of instruments are used to facilitate activities, the commonest
being questionnaires and inventories that direct the student to selfexploration.
Common
difficulties in small-group and experiential
learning
The teacher may find that difficulties arise from time to time in a small
group, and these require sensitive handling. It is usually better to deal
with problems as they arise, but occasionally it may be necessary to have
a private word with a group member after the session has finished.
Multi-speak
Commonly in small-group discussion, all the members talk at once
(multi-speak), which leads to a chaotic situation where no progress is
made. The teacher should exert firm, friendly control to bring the session
to order, and a sense of humour is invaluable in keeping the atmosphere
informal, while at the same time maintaining order. Very often there is
a vocal member of a group who tends to monopolize the session, and
it is important not to squash that person, as motivation can easily be
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lost. Ignoring the contributions may lead to extinction of the response,

but it usually makes the student feel hurt and resentful. Possibly the best
solution is to remind the student gently that other group members need
a chance to air their views also.
Hogging the limelight

A similar problem is that of the student who attempts to engage the
teacher in a dialogue, to the exclusion of the rest of the group. This often
arises when a student wishes to show that he or she has a particular piece
of knowledge or expertise that the other students do not. Again, sensitive
handling is required; a particularly useful strategy is deliberately to open
out the dialogue to the rest of the group by using such statements as,
You are raising some interesting points here. Would anyone else like to
comment or react to any of them?
Conflict
Group discussions can become very heated, especially when debating an
issue that is emotionally charged, such as abortion. However, conflict
is not always undesirable, as productive conflict can be an effective aid
to learning. It is useful to reassure the group that disagreement is quite
in order, but that it should be the opinion of another group member
that is questioned and not that person as an individual. Each group
member is respected, but his or her opinions are open to challenge and
disagreement.
Emotional outbursts
Occasionally, the teacher may be confronted with an emotional outburst
by a group member. One of the most dramatic of all gestures is that of
a student walking out of the group, and it is always difficult to know
how best to handle such a situation. Resisting the temptation to follow
the individual, the teacher should stay with the group and attempt to
help them to realize that such behaviour (flight, rather than fight) is one
way that people have of coping with anxiety or anger; it is important
to convey to the group that this is not a major disaster. However, it is
extremely important for the welfare of the group as a whole that the
teacher make contact with the distressed student before the next group
meeting to discuss the incident with a view to deciding how best to raise
it with the group.
Whilst every student has the right to behave in this way when under
stress, the teacher cannot ignore the effects of such behaviour on the rest
of the group. It might be that at the next meeting the student concerned
in the incident should be invited to make a statement to the group about
his or her feelings at the time and thus use the incident as a positive
learning experience for all concerned.
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Chapter 6Teaching
strategies
Unwillingness to participate
Another common problem in small groups is that of the student who
is unwilling to participate. Arguably, every individual has the right to
remain silent but this obviates the whole purpose of an educational
small group. However, the teacher must acknowledge that students
will differ in the degree of confidence they possess for making public
contributions, and that this may be due to a variety of factors including
basic personality, lack of knowledge, feelings of lack of personal worth
or inadequate preparation. On the other hand, it may be the teachers
own style that is inhibiting a student; if the climate of the group is not
conducive to psychological safety, then it is unlikely that students will
risk contributing to discussion, lest they be humiliated or made to feel
inadequate in some way.
The previous background and experience of students will also
influence their desire to contribute to group discussions; in certain
cultures, the teacher is seen very much as an expert who is not to be
questioned and this may be difficult to overcome. Childhood experience
of teachers who humiliated students may have left scars that ensure that
the student tries never again to be put in such a position. Some of these
factors may be impossible to change, although the teacher can do a great
deal to ensure that the group members are valued and respected. Students
can be invited into the discussion by gentle questioning, particularly in
areas that rely upon student opinion rather than hard fact, since there is
no likelihood of giving an incorrect answer.
It may well be that such reticent students require more specific help in
the building up of confidence in public, such as a systematic programme
of interaction that begins in pairs and gradually builds up to larger
numbers, but such provision has obvious resource implications for the
institution.
Summary
Lecturing is the most common teaching strategy in adult education,
but teachers opinions tend to be polarized: some love it; others loathe
it.
Over-reliance on lectures may lead to dependence on the part of the
students, who expect all the information to be handed to them on a
plate.
Lectures are often long, tedious and poorly organized, whereas with
careful planning and practice they can be an effective vehicle for
motivating students.
Lecturing can be seen as analogous to acting, each lecture requiring
careful scripting, polished presentational skills, and a certain personal
charisma for effective performance.
Recapitulation or repetition should be used frequently, so that the
learner is exposed to the information on more than one occasion.
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References
Adult students are never very happy just sitting listening to lectures;
they like to have some personal involvement in them.
Small-group teaching puts the student at the centre of things, allowing
opportunities for face-to-face interaction with other group members

in order to exchange ideas and feelings and be challenged by other
peoples viewpoints.
Group norms are defined as required or expected behaviours and
beliefs of group members, which may be covert or overt.
A team role can be described as a tendency to behave, contribute and
interrelate with others in a particular way.
The use of small-group teaching has benefits not only in terms
of academic learning, but in the development of social skills and
confidence in the presence of other people.
A seminar group is mainly concerned with academic matters rather
than with individual students and commonly involves the reading of
an essay or paper by one group member, followed by a discussion by
the total group on the topic.
A focus group can be conducted with a small group of individuals who
are prompted to discuss certain topics and experiences.
Group discussions can become very heated, especially when debating
an issue that is emotionally charged.
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A Cognitive View. Holt, Rinehart & Winston, New York.
Bales, R. (1950) Interaction Process Analysis: A Method for the Study of
Small Groups. Addison-Wesley, Cambridge, MA.
Bavelas, A. (1948) A mathematical model for group structures Applied
Anthropology, 7, 1613.
Belbin, R. M. (1997) Team Roles at Work. Butterworth-Heinemann,
Oxford.
Bligh, D. (1998) Whats The Use of Lectures? 5th edn. Intellect, Exeter.
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into Learning. Kogan Page, London.
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Brown, S. (1996) The art of teaching small groups. New Academic, 6(1),
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Burnard, P. (1990) Learning Human Skills, 2nd edn. Heinemann,
London.
Burnard, P. (1991) Defining experiential learning: nurse teachers
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Davis, R. (1985) Some suggestions for writing a business case. In D. Bligh
(ed.) Teach Thinking by Discussion. SRHE/NFER-Nelson, Guildford.
De Bono, E. (1986) Brainstorming. In D. Bligh (ed.) Teach Thinking by
Discussion. SRHE/NFER-Nelson, Guildford.
References
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strategies
Dix G. and Hughes, S. (2005) Teaching students in the classroom and

clinical skills environment. Nursing Standard, 19(35), 4147.
Fawcett-Hill, W. (1969) Learning Thru Discussion. Sage, Newbury Park,
CA.
Heron, J. (1986) Six Category Intervention Analysis. Human Potential
Research Project, University of Surrey, Guildford.
Johns C (1994) Nuances of reflection. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 3(2),
7175.
Kolb, D.A. (1984) Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of
Learning and Development. Prentice Hall, New York.
Leavitt, H. (1951) Some effects of certain communication patterns on
group performance. Journal of Abnormal Social Psychology, 46, 3850.
Marineau, R. (1989) Jacob Levy Moreno, 18891974. Tavistock/
Routledge, London.
Mulder, M. (1960) Communication structure, decision structure and
group performance. Sociometry, 23, 114.
Osborne, A. (1962) Applied Imagination. Scribner, New York.
Quinn, F.M. (2000) Principles and Practice of Nurse Education, 4th edn.
Sunderland.
Rees, C. (2003) Introduction to Research for Midwives, 2nd edn. Books
for Midwives, Edinburgh.
Rogers, C. (1983) Freedom to Learn for the 80s. Merrill, Columbus, OH.
SES Associates (1986) The SES box method for creative problem-solving.
In D. Bligh (ed.) Teach Thinking by Discussion. SRHE/NFER-Nelson,
Guildford.
Steinaker, N. and Bell, M. (1979) The Experiential Taxonomy: A New
Approach to Teaching and Learning. Academic Press, New York.
Tuckman, B. (1965) Development sequences in small groups. Psychological
Bulletin, 63(3), 384399.
Tuckman B. and Jensen, M.A. (1977) Stages of small group development
revisited. Group and Organisational Studies, 2, 419427.
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Assessment
of learning
The setting, marking and moderation of students written assessment

work constitutes a very significant part of the lecturers role in higher
education, but in nurse education there is the added dimension of
workplace assessment to be considered. Given that both success and
failure have important consequences for their future development,
students often perceive assessment as the most important aspect of their
course or programme, and the one that causes them most anxiety. It is
almost inevitable, therefore, that students will see the assessment tasks as
the main priority of their studies, to the possible detriment of their wider
reading and exploration of topics.
This point is nicely made by Brown et al. (1997):
Assessment defines what students regard as important, how they
spend their time and how they come to see themselves as students
and then as graduates. Students take their cues from what is assessed
rather than from what lecturers assert is important.
However, if the assessment has been carefully planned, it will form

an integral part of the teaching and learning experience for the student
rather than something that distracts from the main business of studying.
Brown et al. cite examples of studies showing that the type of assessment
can influence whether students adopt a reproductive style or deeper
strategies of understanding. The standards for teaching and learning
(FENTO, 2002) identify the need for teachers to be effective in using an
appropriate range of assessment methods to provide accurate information
about learning and achievement.
According to the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education
(QAA, 2006) assessment provides the means by which students are
graded, passed or failed. It provides the basis for the decisions on whether
the student is ready to proceed, to qualify for an award or to demonstrate
competence to practice. In addition to this, it enables students to obtain
feedback on their learning and helps them improve their performance,
and it also enables teachers to evaluate the effectiveness of their teaching.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC, 2002) advocates that nurse
educators should contribute to the development and implementation of
effective assessment procedures in both practice and educational settings.
They must not only support students when receiving feedback and devise
subsequent action but also provide advice and support to assessors in the
clinical practice setting.
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Chapter 7Assessment
of learning
Purposes
and aims of assessment
Curzon (2003) sees assessment as the process of collecting, measuring and

interpreting information relating to students responses to the process of
instruction, whilst Welsh and Swann (2002) defined it as a way in which
we determine the extent to which learning has taken place. Neary (2000)
believes that there are three reasons why assessment is carried out; these
are to ascertain:
the level of theoretical knowledge;

the level of practical clinical skills; and
insight into the level of professional attitudes.
Rowntree (1987) highlights six main purposes that assessment serves
and argues that in the education of health professionals there should be
an element of all these purposes:
selection;
maintenance of standards;
motivation of students;
feedback to students;
feedback to the teacher; and
preparation for life.
Assessment can provide valuable feedback to students about their
progress, and point out ways in which they could develop further. Also,
the successful achievement of a publicly recognized award can enhance
an individuals status, and may lead to employment opportunities or
confer eligibility to undertake further academic study.
There is no doubt that assessment can act as a powerful motivator
of study; students expect to be assessed, and they plan their studies
accordingly. Assessment also provides feedback to the higher education
funding bodies about the effectiveness of an institution, and in that sense
is a performance indicator of quality.
Regardless of the type, there are three basic aims of assessment:
It should assess student performance in relation to the aims of the

particular programme in question.
It should be regarded as an integral component of the teaching and

learning process, and not simply a means of measuring attainment.
It should encourage the students to undertake self-assessment and

reflection on their learning.
These aims are set in a context of equality of opportunity and antiracism, and it is a fundamental tenet of higher education that no student
is assessed on the basis of their race, religion, politics, gender or sexual
orientation.
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The
The
terminology and dimensions of assessment
The inclusion of multiple forms of assessment helps students to integrate,

synthesize and assimilate the theoretical components of the domain with
the clinical application and practical skills involved. Banning (2003)
classifies this as a powerful tool as it would not only incorporate strategies
to promote critical thinking but would also assess the students overall
performance and ability to reason clinically. One of the most confusing
aspects of assessment is the number of different terms used for what is
essentially the same thing.
Table 7.1 gives the main distinctions between the most commonly
used terms.
Measurement
Assessment
Evaluation
Test
Examination
A quantitative process involving the assigning of a number to an individuals

characteristics
A term used instead of measurement when a numerical value is not involved,
e.g. checklists of behaviours
The process of judging the value or worth of an individuals characteristics
obtained by measurement or assessment
An instrument or tool for obtaining measurements or assessments,
e.g. an essay
A formal situation in which students undertake one or more tests under
specific rules.
Table 7.1
Terminology of assessment
In addition to this basic terminology, it is useful to look at the dimensions

of the concept of assessment, as shown in Table 7.2.
Formal
Quantitative
Episodic
Formative
Teacher-centred
Norm-referenced
Achievement
Paper and pencil
Informal
Qualitative
Continuous
Summative
Student-centred
Criterion-referenced
Aptitude/personality
Practical/oral
Table 7.2
Dimensions of assessment
Formal assessment involves the use of tests to obtain data that are then
made available to the institution; the data are often subjected to statistical
analysis, and comparisons are drawn between students. Examples of
formal assessment in nurse education are modular or unit assessments,
unseen written components, and clinical practice assessments.
Informal assessment, in contrast, does not involve comparisons with
other students; it is essentially private and subjective to the teacher
concerned. Such informal assessment is gleaned from the day-to-day
observation of students behaviour, examination of students notes, and
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Chapter 7Assessment
of learning
from informal contact and interviews. Informal assessment, then, is for

the private use of a particular teacher and forms an essential part of the
total assessment process.
Quantitative assessment refers to the use of numerical data in the
assessment of students, whereas qualitative assessment is concerned with
the properties or qualities that an individual possesses. Scores obtained
on a written test constitute quantitative data; a students views on what
constitutes effective relationships with a patient would be qualitative
data.
There are two dimensions that are concerned with the timing of
assessment, the first being episodic versus continuous assessment.
Episodic assessment involves testing the student at specific times or
occasions during an educational programme, such as an end-of-year
assessment or a number of specific clinical assessments in particular
aspects of nursing. One of the major drawbacks of this system is its
reliance on a students one-off performance on the day of the test and
this performance may not reflect the students typical performance over a
longer period. In other words, episodic assessment generates data that is
based on a very small and possibly unrepresentative sample of a students
behaviour. A further criticism, which relates particularly to the clinical
setting, is that of artificiality, in that episodic clinical assessments are often
seen as set pieces that the student may rehearse until word perfect and
which bear little resemblance to the students normal working practices.
Continuous assessment as a method of evaluating progress and
learning is now well established in many educational institutions, in
academic and clinical situations (Neary, 2000). It attempts to overcome
the weaknesses mentioned above by sampling all of a students outputs
in a course on a continuous basis. In the college setting, this might
involve assessing all of a students coursework, including tests, projects
and seminar presentations. In the clinical setting, continuous assessment
samples a students nursing practice on a continuous basis, so that no
particular nursing skill can be said to have been passed on a once-andfor-all basis.
The second time-related dimension is that of formative versus
summative evaluation; these terms are used in two distinct ways.
First, they can be applied to the assessment of a particular students
achievement and, secondly, to the evaluation of a particular aspect of
curriculum design, such as teaching media.
Formative assessment provides feedback about the progress that a
student is making whilst the course or unit is being followed, so that
modifications can be made to the teaching if necessary.
Summative assessment, on the other hand, takes place at the end of
a course or unit to see if the student has achieved the objectives of the
programme and is usually done as a formal test covering the content of
the course. Many teachers feel that formative assessment should not be
graded for assessment purposes, but used only as feedback or diagnosis
of student needs.
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The
With regard to the use of these terms for curriculum evaluation,

formative evaluation means that instructional material intended for
eventual use with students is tested during its formation and modified in
the light of these pilot studies. Summative evaluation is the evaluation of
such material after it has been used with students in its intended setting.
Another useful dimension to consider is that of teacher-centred
assessment versus student-centred assessment. Traditionally, the teacher
has been the key figure with regard to the assessment of students in
nursing, but, with the growth of interest in student-centred learning,
there is a move towards much greater involvement of the student in his
or her own assessment. Indeed, self-assessment seems to be one of the
hallmarks of a professional practitioner in any field, so this is a practice
that should be encouraged from the outset.
The next dimension to be considered relates to the interpretation of
the results of assessment; there are two main ways that these results can
be referenced: norm-referencing and criterion-referencing.
Norm-referenced assessment means that an individual students score
on a test is compared with scores of other students in a given group, and
a rank order is assigned. Cut-off points for pass and fail are built into
the assessment. In norm-referenced assessment, a student could be in the
top 10 per cent of scores in one year, but the same score in the following
year may not achieve the top 10 per cent if the scores of the group are
generally higher than in the previous year.
Criterion-referenced assessment implies that the score is compared
with some criterion or learning task such as achievement of behavioural
objectives; it is also termed content referenced or domain-referenced
assessment. The main difference between these two forms of referencing
is that norm-referenced assessment means that the score obtained by
the student is influenced by the performance of the group to which he
or she is compared. Criterion-referencing, on the other hand, does not
depend on any form of comparison with others, only with achievement
in relation to a specific criterion or standard.
Assessment is not only concerned with the measurement of student
achievement, but includes such aspects of an individual as attitudes,
aptitudes, personality and intelligence. Achievement refers to how well a
student has performed in the past; aptitude refers to how well he or she
will perform in the future. Assessment of personality and intelligence is
usually done using published standardized tests.
A useful distinction can be made between the kinds of tests employed
in the assessment of nurses. On the one hand, we have the so-called
paper-and-pencil tests, which include essays, objective tests and a host
of other kinds of written instruments. At the other end of the scale, there
are the practical, clinical forms of assessment and oral examinations.
Practical assessment usually involves observation combined with some
form of checklist or rating scale to guide the observer. Oral, or viva voce,
tests rely on the spontaneous answering of questions by the student and
allow for follow-up and further elaboration on answers given.
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Chapter 7Assessment
of learning
Cardinal
criteria for assessment
Regardless of the type of assessment employed or the purpose for which

it is used, every effective assessment must meet the four cardinal criteria
described below.
Validity
This is the most important aspect of a test and is the extent to which the
test measures what it is designed to measure. In other words, validity is
the relevance of a test to its objectives.
Content validity
Assessments should sample adequately the content of the syllabus and, if
this is the case, then the examination is said to have content validity.
Predictive validity
If a test is designed to predict the future performance of a student and it
fulfils this function, then it is said to have predictive validity.
Concurrent validity
Concurrent validity is the extent to which the results of a test correlate
with those of other tests administered at the same time.
Construct validity
The fourth kind of validity is construct validity. A construct is a quality
that is devised by psychologists to explain aspects of human behaviour
that cannot be directly observed. For example, such things as attitudes,
values and intelligence are constructs. Construct validity is the extent to
which the results of a test are related to the data gained from observations
of individuals behaviour with regard to the construct in question.
Reliability
Reliability is the term used to indicate the consistency with which a test
measures what it is designed to measure. In other words, it should yield
similar results when used on two separate occasions, provided that the
other variables remain similar. The main way to assure reliability is to use
more than one type of assessment to measure student achievement.
Testretest reliability
If a test is administered to a group of students and then re-administered,
either immediately or after an interval of time, and the scores are
similar on both occasions, then the test is said to have high testretest
reliability.
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Cardinal
criteria for assessment
Parallel-form reliability
If the group is given a different test in the retest phase, but one that
measures the same thing, a positive correlation indicates parallel-form
reliability.
Split-half reliability
To ascertain split-half reliability, the test items are divided into two halves
and the correlation between the two sets of scores is calculated.
The importance of validity and reliability is self-evident, but it might
be helpful to give an example to show the inter-relationship between
them. One of the most common measuring instruments to be found in
the home is the bathroom scales. Just like any other assessment tool, the
measurement of human weight by the scales must be valid and reliable.
To check the validity (accuracy) of the measurement of an individuals
weight, it is necessary to record the weight as registered by the scales, and
then to check the weight again using different scales, such as can be found
in most chemist shops. If the two weights are identical, then the measure
is valid, i.e. it is demonstrating accuracy and fitness for purpose.
If the measurement of an individuals weight by the bathroom scales is
reliable (consistent) then the scales should register the same weight when
the individual weighs themselves again and again (provided, of course,
that their weight has remained constant since the last measurement).
It is possible, however, for an assessment test to be valid but not
reliable, or reliable but not valid. For example, the bathroom scales may
register the same weight each time (reliability), but that weight may be
several pounds above the actual weight of the individual (i.e. not valid).
Alternatively, the scales may register the correct weight of the individual
on some occasions (validity), but the incorrect weight on others (i.e. not
reliable).
Discrimination
The purpose of any test is to discriminate between those who answer
correctly and those who do not. The term discriminate is used in the
sense of distinguish between, and not in the equal opportunities sense. If
a test makes no discrimination between students, then it has no purpose.
The discrimination index will be examined later in this chapter (p.000).
Practicality or utility
It is important that a test is practical for its purpose. This implies such
factors as the time taken to conduct the test, the cost of using it and its
practicality for everyday use.
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Chapter 7Assessment
of learning
Planning
assessments
Given that assessments have significant implications for students, it is

essential that considerable time and care is given to their formulation and
implementation.
Students assessment workload

One of the aspects of higher education programmes most commonly
highlighted at validation events is the assessment workload of students.
Whilst assessment is clearly an important aspect of teaching and learning,
over-assessment has a number of undesirable consequences; Brown
and Knight (1994) point out that excessive assessment may result in
superficial coverage of content rather than understanding in depth.
Over-assessment becomes a treadmill for both students and markers,
demanding from both parties a considerable commitment of time. There
is a danger that students and tutors become subject to assessment fatigue,
thereby reducing the quality of the formers assessment work, and the
latters marking.
Brown et al. (1996) suggest seven questions to ask oneself when
designing written assessments:
1. What are the outcomes to be assessed?
2. What are the capabilities/skills implicit in the outcomes?
3. Is the method of assessment chosen consonant with the outcomes and
skills?
4. Is the method relatively efficient in terms of student time and staff
time?
5. What alternatives are there? What are their advantages and
disadvantages?
6. Does the specific assessment task match the outcomes and skills?
7. Are the marking schemes or criteria appropriate?
Learning outcomes and assessment

The statement of learning outcomes for programmes and modules is
now an almost universal practice in higher education, and these form the
basis for planning assessments. It is important that each of the learning
outcomes is assessed, although this need not be by formal written
assessment for every outcome. The assessment must be appropriate for
the level of learning outcome and also for the domain of learning covered
by the learning outcome. It is also necessary to bear in mind the general
aims of higher education, and to ensure that these are incorporated
into assessment strategies. Table 7.3 shows the general aims of higher
education.
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Assessing
knowledge and understanding using essays
Engaging with learning, scholarship and research.

Enabling individual students to achieve their highest intellectual potential.
Promoting creative thinking and analytical skills.
Fostering a commitment to lifelong learning.
Exploring career options.
Developing core skills that include interpersonal skills, problem-solving skills, information
technology, time management.
Table 7.3
General aims of
higher education
Levels of learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are stated at one of a number of academic levels,
and these levels and definitions may vary between higher education
institutions. It is important that the assessment takes account of the level
of the learning outcome, as the level may not be apparent within the
statement itself. In order to ensure that students achieve the outcome at
the appropriate level, the assessment must utilize the level-definition of
the institution.
Learning outcomes are discussed in more detail in Chapter 4 (p. 114).
Domains of learning
Some higher education institutions use Blooms (1956) taxonomy as
a basis for their definitions of the level of learning outcomes. The
taxonomy is discussed in detail in Chapter 4 (p. 114) in relation to
educational objectives.
Assessing
knowledge and understanding using essays
Essay assessments require learners to supply an answer that is organized in

their own words and presented in their own style and, in an examination,
handwriting, with few restrictions imposed, and no single correct answer.
The term essay format covers a number of forms of written assessment;
for example, it is used to describe negotiated coursework as well as
formal written examinations.
The use of essay tests

Because of the factors indicated above, essays are inefficient for testing
recall of knowledge, but are useful for assessing higher levels of cognitive
functioning, such as application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation. There
are a number of weaknesses in this form of assessment that may limit its
usefulness.
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Chapter 7Assessment
of learning
Weaknesses of essay tests

Low content validity
In essay tests, only a small number of questions are answered, hence only
a small proportion of the total syllabus is sampled by this method.
Low marker-reliability
Essay tests are notoriously unreliable from the point of view of marking.
Every learner knows that some teachers are easy markers and others
hard, and the final mark depends to a large extent on the marker. There
is often wide variation between markers and between the same markers
at different times.
Often ambiguous or unclear
Essay questions are often difficult for the learner to understand because
they do not spell out clearly enough exactly what is required.
Marking is difficult
The marking of essay tests is time consuming and often tedious, which
may adversely affect the markers judgement about the quality of the
essay.
Student fatigue
This aspect, which is rarely mentioned in connection with essay tests,
could be considered a very serious disadvantage. Examinations are
commonly timetabled in three-hour slots, so students are required to
write for three hours without a break. If a student has a three-hour
examination in both the morning and afternoon of the same day, the test
may be more a measure of stamina than of academic prowess.
Marks are affected by students writing ability
The learners ability to write good prose can influence the mark that is
awarded. It is often difficult to separate the content of an essay from
the literary style, with the result that a learner may bluff the marker
into giving a higher grade than he or she deserves. On the other hand,
learners may be penalized for poor grammar or expression, even though
they know the content adequately. Of course, the essay must be legible,
but under examination conditions, few marks should be taken off for
the grammar and spelling. The teacher may draw attention to this aspect
by adding a comment in the margin, without this affecting the mark
awarded.
Choice is often included
In any essay examination a choice of questions is invariably included, but
this practice is open to question on a number of counts. First, it is difficult
to construct questions which have the same degree of difficulty, so that
in effect a different test is being offered to each learner. This obviously
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Examples
of types of essays
makes comparison difficult between the achievements of students.

Secondly, the more able students may well be attracted to the difficult
questions and suffer penalties if they fail to do well.
Examples
of types of essays
Interpretive essay
Example: The accompanying table relates accidents at work to the type
of industry, i.e. manufacturing, construction, railways, coal mining and
agriculture. Comment on the relative risk of accidents for the types of
industry represented in the table.
When answering this type of question, the student has to interpret
the table in order to come up with the relative risk for each industry; this
requires high-level cognitive functioning.
Hypothesis-formation essay
Example: Imagine that you are the chair of a committee charged with
making recommendations for the siting of a new home for brain-injury
patients in a quiet suburban area of town. Speculate on the likely planning
objections to your proposal.
In this case, the student has to consider all the relevant facts and come
up with a hypothesis about the likely planning objections. This essay
cannot be written by a simple reliance on memorized facts; it requires
higher-order synthesis.
Questioning-assumptions essay
Example: Read this article from the Journal of Advanced Nursing and
comment on the authors underlying assumptions.
This assessment requires the student to explore the article thoroughly
and to search for the writers assumptions. These assumptions may not
be obvious, and the student may have to analyse the text deeply before
they become apparent.
Inquiry-based assessments
As the name suggests, this type of assessment requires the student to
undertake some form of enquiry, the results of which must be written up
in the form of a report.
Example: Carry out an investigation into the provision for disabled
people in terms of access to public buildings within the Cardiff Borough.
Write up your findings in the form of a report to go to the Cardiff
Borough Council.
Assessments requiring synthesis

This kind of assessment requires the student to synthesize information
gained by both experiential learning and study in order to identify any
gaps between them; it requires high-level cognitive functioning on the
part of the student.
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Example: Select a patient within either a hospital or community

setting in consultation with your mentor. Participate in the care for this
patient over a period of one week, maintaining a diary of your interactions
and interventions. Write a commentary on the care given, within the
context of relevant theory from both nursing and social and biological
science. Make particular reference to any incongruities between your
experiences and your theoretical analyses.
Marking
and grading of essay tests
In relation to marking and grading of assessments, Cardiff University

(2006) makes the following helpful points:
Assessment is a matter of judgement, not simply computation.

Marks and grades are not absolute values, but symbols used by
examiners to communicate their judgement of a students work.
Marks and grades provide data for decisions about students fulfilment
of learning outcomes.
Marking and grading criteria

Higher education institutions normally use an institution-wide grading
scale for undergraduate programmes, whereas postgraduate programmes
tend to be graded on a pass/fail basis or a pass/fail/distinction basis.
Grading scales tend to incorporate both percentage grading and literal
grading, the latter meaning letters such as A, B, C, etc. The grading scale
used in Cardiff University is shown in Table 7.4.
Undergraduate grading scales are likely to be very similar in other
higher education institutions. It is interesting to compare this scale with
the percentage equivalents for the class of honours degree, as shown in
Table 7.5.
Table 7.4
Grading scale for undergraduate
assessment
Mark on a 0100 scale
Comments
70+
6069
5059
4049
039
Work of exceptional quality

Work of very good quality
Work of good quality
Work of satisfactory standard
Referral
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Marking
Percentage
Degree as class
Degree award
Table 7.5
039%
4044%
4549%
5059%
Fail
Pass
3rd
2:2
Percentage equivalents for class

of honours degree
6069%
2:1
70% and above
1st
Fail
Pass Degree
Third Class Honours
Second Class Honours
Division II Second Division
Second Class Honours
Division I First Division
First Class Honours
Marks or grades are assigned to students essays to indicate the

degree of achievement that they have attained; there are two systems for
assigning grades.
Absolute grading gives the student marks for his or her essay answer,
depending on how well the essay has met the assessment criteria, and is
usually expressed as a percentage or letter, for example 60% or B.
Relative grading tells the student how his or her essay answer rated
in relation to those of other students doing the same test, by indicating
whether or not it was average, above average or below average. Relative
grading usually uses a literal scale such as A, B, C, D and F.
However, some teachers would argue that two grades are the best way
of marking, so that students are given either a pass or fail grade. This
gets over the problem of deciding what constitutes an A or a C grade
but does reduce the information conveyed by a particular grade, since no
discrimination is made between students who pass with a very high level
of achievement and those who barely pass at all.
Analytical method of marking (marking scheme)

When using absolute grading to specific criteria, the analytic method
of marking is useful. In this method, a marking scheme is prepared in
advance and marks are allocated to the specific points of content in the
marking specification. However, it is often difficult to decide how many
marks should be given to a particular aspect, but the relative importance
of each should be reflected in the allocation.
This method has the advantage that it can be more reliable provided
that the marker is conscientious, and it will bring to light any errors in the
writing of the question before the test is administered. Table 7.6 gives an
example of an analytical marking scheme for a nursing essay.
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Chapter 7Assessment
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Pressure sores constitute one of the biggest challenges for nursing care. Critically discuss the role of the nurse in risk assessment and
prevention of pressure sores (3000 words)
ANALYTICAL MARKING SCHEME
Element
Marks allocated
(out of 100)
ELEMENT 1.0: INTRODUCTION (10%)

1.1
1.2
1.3
Definitions and prevalence

National context, e.g. DoH targets and strategy
Nursing context
2
3
5
ELEMENT 2.0: RISK ASSESSMENT (30%)

2.1
2.2
2.3
Factors implicated in pressure sore development, e.g. poor nutrition, immobility, incontinence, etc.
Nursing rationale for use of tools for risk assessment, e.g. Norton Scale, Waterlow Scale, etc.
Critique of tools, including criteria used for critique
10
10
10
ELEMENT 3.0: PREVENTION (30%)

3.1
3.2
3.3
Nurses role in reducing risk factors at home and in hospital

Methods available to nurses, e.g. turning, alternating-pressure mattresses, etc.
Critique of preventative measures, including criteria used for critique
10
10
10
ELEMENT 4.0 PRESENTATION AND SCHOLARSHIP SKILLS (30%)

4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
Spelling, grammar and syntax

Citing and listing references
Coherence of arguments and discussion
Reference for appropriate theoretical perspectives
3
7
10
10
Table 7.6
Example of an analytical marking
scheme for a credit level 3
module assessment
Global method of marking (structured impressionistic marking)
The global method, also termed structured impressionistic marking, is

best used with relative grading. This method still requires a marking
specification, but in this case it serves only as a standard of comparison.
The grades used are not usually percentages, but scales, such as
excellent/good/average/below average/unsatisfactory. Scales can be
devised according to preference, but it is important to select examples
of answers that serve as standards for each of the points on the scale.
The teacher then reads each answer through very quickly and puts it in
the appropriate pile, depending whether it gives the impression of
excellent, good, etc. The process is then repeated and it is much more
effective if a colleague is asked to do the second reading. This method is
much faster than the analytical one and can be quite effective for large
numbers of questions.
When marking essay answers it is important to eliminate the halo
effect, which is the term used to describe the influence that the
preceding answer has on the marker. If all the answers from one learner
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Marking
were marked together, then the chances are that this would create an
impression, favourable or otherwise, that would influence the marking
of the remainder of the answers for that learner. It is thus important to
mark all the answers for one question before proceeding to the next. It
has been suggested that answers should be shuffled randomly after each
question has been marked, so that the position of any paper will not
consistently be affected by the quality of the preceding ones.
Anonymous marking helps to eliminate bias, by avoiding the use of
students names; a number is substituted instead.
Assessing students written presentation and scholarship skills

Marking an essay assignment involves more than simply checking the
content for accuracy; it also requires the marker to make a judgement
about the quality of the students scholarship skills.
Spelling, grammar and syntax
Assessment work in higher education requires students to be able to
express themselves adequately in written English. It is therefore important
that errors of spelling, grammar, syntax or punctuation are pointed out
to the student by markers. Poor use of grammar, syntax and punctuation
can interfere with the students communication of the content of the
assessment, preventing it from being fully understood unless an extra
effort is made by the marking lecturer. This can adversely affect the
final grading of the assessment, since communication is an essential core
academic skill.
It is standard procedure in higher education that students must adhere to
a given format for citing and listing references in their assessment work.
Such consistency facilitates the marking and moderation of assessment
work.
Scholarship skills
The content of students assessments in higher education must be
appropriate and relevant to the assessment specification. The arguments
and discussion must be presented coherently and logically, and in the
context of relevant theory.
Giving feedback to students about their presentation and

scholarship skills
It is important that, from the outset of their studies, students attention is
drawn to any problems of presentation and scholarship skills. If lecturers
ignore such problems this may be perceived by the students as tacit
acceptance, reinforcing the likelihood of errors in future assessments.
However, it would not be feasible for marking lecturers to point out
all the grammatical errors in a students assessment work, given the
length of assessments and the numbers of scripts requiring to be marked.
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Nevertheless, it is good practice for markers to correct such errors on

the first two or three pages of an assessment, and then to note at the end
that there are problems in this area. If lecturers identify students with
problems in the area of presentation and scholarship skills, they should
ensure that such students are made aware of the sources of help available
to them within the institution.
Giving formative feedback to students

Formative feedback is that which is given to students during the process
of preparing their work for assessment, i.e. prior to their handing in the
final draft. It is important that a clear policy exists with regard to the
provision of formative feedback to students about their assessments. It
is appropriate that students should be able to seek advice about their
assessments, but the danger exists that the teacher may influence the
subsequent draft to such an extent that the assessment is no longer
the students own work, but a collaborative effort of both student and
teacher. Teachers should not accept written drafts of entire assignments
from students for formative comments; it is, however, appropriate to
comment on outline assignment drafts, or one section of an assignment.
Writing summative feedback comments on students assessments

Formal summative examinations are designed solely to assess students
achievement, so feedback comments are not offered and the papers are
not returned to the students. However, in assessment by coursework
it is common practice to provide written as well as verbal feedback.
The question of how much feedback to give is a difficult one, since for
some answers the teacher would have to write out the entire essay again
to indicate the improvements required. In addition, feedback is time
consuming, whereas it is fairly easy simply to assign a mark without
comments. However, feedback is very important for students learning,
provided that they review such feedback rather than just filing their essays
away. It is often better to return marked essays to the student during a
tutorial so that the main feedback points can be discussed.
Brown et al. (1996) offer a number of suggestions for giving student
feedback, including:
the need to target feedback on those aspects that could be improved;

the importance of making feedback positive rather than overly critical;
and
the need to provide feedback promptly so that the student has less
chance of forgetting what he or she has written in the answer.
Feedback needs to be adapted to students differing levels of confidence

and experience. It is important to provide them with the opportunity to
self-assess first; then follow the following feedback format:
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Using
objective tests
Start with the positive. Most people need encouragement and to be

told when they are doing something well.
Offer alternatives. If negative feedback is given, it is important not to
criticize but to suggest what the student could have done differently.
Turn a negative into a positive suggestion.
Own the feedback. It is important to own the feedback. Beginning the
feedback with I or in my opinion is a way of avoiding the impression
of being the giver of cosmic judgements about the other person.
Leave the student with a choice. A teacher may invite resistance if the
feedback given demands change. Skilled feedback will offer students
information about themselves in a way that leaves them with a
choice about whether or not to act on it. It can help to examine the
consequences of any decision to change or not to change, but it does
not involve making change mandatory.
Ask the student. It is often helpful to ask students how they think they
have performed; it will enable them to feel involved in the assessment
process.
Do not labour what went wrong. It is only necessary to get the student
to recognize and accept what went wrong and to identify how it can
be corrected.
Empathize. Be sensitive about how students feel about their performance
and try to put yourself in their position.
Variants
of essays
The seen-paper
Some essay examinations allow the candidates to see the paper some
weeks prior to the examination and may even allow them to bring notes
into the examination (up to 100 words). The test is used to evaluate the
candidates ability to select sources and to organize the information in a
meaningful way.
The open-book examination

The candidate is allowed to look up information in a book during the
examination. This removes over-reliance on memorizing facts and is
closer to the reality of professional behaviour, where information has to
be looked up most of the time. Gray (1993) suggests that there are several
benefits of open-book examinations, such as deeper study of course
notes, development of important professional skills, easier marking of
exam scripts and a reduction in students exam anxiety.
Using
objective tests
The limitations of the essay test led to the development of the objective
test, the word objective referring to the marking of the test, which is not
influenced by the subjective opinion of the marker. However, the actual
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Chapter 7Assessment
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writing of the test may be as subjective as setting an essay, depending

on the expertise of the writer. In current terminology, an objective-test
question is termed an item, and this seems quite logical, as many items
are written in the form of statements.
In contrast to essay tests, objective tests have perfect marker reliability,
because the answer is predetermined. Content validity is also very high in
this form of test, as the large number of items ensures that the syllabus is
adequately sampled. Furthermore, the marking can be done very quickly
by using hardware such as optical scanners, and items can be kept in a
bank and used time after time. The question of student fatigue does not
arise, as objective tests take much less time to answer. However, they are
very time consuming to write, and tests of the higher levels of intellectual
functioning are difficult to formulate. Objective tests are commonly
classified into those that require the answer to be selected from amongst
alternatives and those that require the answer to be supplied by the
learner.
Multiple-choice item
This consists of three parts; the stem containing the problem or
statement, the key, which is the correct response, and distracters,
or incorrect responses. There should be at least three options given, to
reduce the chances of guessing. Example:
(Stem)
The type of epithelium that lines the colon is called:
(Distractors) a squamous

b cuboidal

c transitional
(Key)
d columnar
The multiple-choice item is a very versatile test that can measure a variety
of levels of functioning. It is less susceptible to guessing, as there is only
a one-in-four chance of getting it correct.
Matching item
This consists of two lists in columns, and the learner is required to match
items from column A with responses in B. For example:
A
B
1 Yellow discolouration of skin
a Bile salts
2 Severe itching of skin
b Unconjugated bilirubin
3 Clay-coloured stools
c Bilirubinaemia
4 Dark urine with yellow foam
d Jaundice

e Haemolysis

f Obstruction
Matching items are useful for testing both knowledge of terminology and
specific relationships between facts.
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Guidelines
for writing objective tests
Truefalse item
Truefalse items are statements that the learner has to decide are true or
false. There is a large risk of guessing in this type of item, and it is often
difficult to select items that are categorically true or false. For example:
The commonest form of mental illness in Great Britain is schizophrenia.
True/false.
Assertionreason item
This test presents two statements, an assertion and a reason. The learner
is required to decide whether (a) each statement is true and (b) whether
the reason is a correct explanation of the assertion. For example:
Assertion
Reason
Pressure in the glomerular
The efferent arteriole has a
capillaries is 70 mm Hg
smaller calibre than the afferent.
Short-answer (missing-word) items

In this item, there is a statement or question that has a missing word that
the learner must supply. For example:
The part of the brain which contains the visual cortex is called
the lobe.
This type is used to test knowledge of terms but is not very useful
for higher levels of functioning. Often more than one answer will fit the
blank, and this item may encourage rote learning.
Multiple-completion items
This involves the selection of more than one correct response, from a
choice of combinations. The learner is looking for the incorrect option,
so this item is often termed reverse multiple-choice. For example:
Which of the following would indicate occurrence of cardiac arrest?
a Apnoea
b Dilated pupils
c Chest pain
d Absence of pulse.
Guidelines
Writing multiple-choice items

The stem should include:
the clearly stated problem;

only material that is essential for clarity;
novel material to test higher levels.
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Chapter 7Assessment
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The options should:
be three or more, to limit guessing;

be in logical or quantitative order;
be as short as possible, but clear;
avoid repetition;
be homogeneous;
make limited use of negative forms; and
avoid all of these and none of these.
The distractors should be plausible.
The key should be:
the single best or most likely answer; and

free of specific determiners.
Specific determiners are clues contained in the item, but not linked to
knowledge of content. There are several types to be aware of:
constant position of key in options;

length of key in relation to distractors;
opposite options;
grammatical inconsistency; and
use of words like never and always.
Students will often see the key as being one of the opposites, as item
writers commonly choose statements which are opposite to the one
that they have selected. It can be remedied by including another pair of
opposites.
Worked examples and comments on their construction

Example
Comments
Example 1
Vitamin B12:
a. contains iron
b. is absorbed by mouth
c. is stored in the liver
d. is given for haemolytic anaemia
Stem does not contain the

problem.
Example 2
Vitamin B12, one of the water-soluble
B group of vitamins, is necessary for:
a. prevention of haemolytic anaemia
b. formation of haemoglobin
c. formation of thrombocytes
d. maturation of red corpuscles
Stem contains non-essential

material, namely one of
the water-soluble group of
vitamins.
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Guidelines
Example
Comments
Example 3
A female patient aged 60 is admitted
with history of fatigue, dyspnoea on
exertion, and fainting attacks. Her
Vitamin B12 is low and tests reveal
achlorhydria. The likely diagnosis is:
a. iron deficiency anaemia
b. haemolytic anaemia
c. pernicious anaemia
d. folic acid deficiency anaemia
Stem contains a novel

problem which requires
application and synthesis
of knowledge.
Example 4
The normal range of haemoglobin
level for men (g/l) is:
a. 320380
b. 3080
c. 230280
d. 130180
Options should be in rank

order.
Example 5
A patients blood pressure when
lying down is charted using:
a. 2 black dots joined by an interrupted
horizontal line
b. 2 black dots joined by a continuous
vertical line
c. 2 black dots joined by a continuous
horizontal line
d. 2 black dots joined by an
interrupted vertical line
Options are repetitious.
Example 6
The inferior boundary of the thoracic
cavity is:
a. sternum
b. thoracic vertebrae
c. diaphragm
d. peritoneum
Options are not

homogeneous; i.e.
peritoneum is not part of
thoracic cavity.
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Example
Comments
Example 7
Which of the following are not found
in normal urine:
a. urea
b. albumin
c. phosphate
d. chloride
Negative should be clearly

indicated by capitals or
underlining.
Example 8
Which of the following is found in
dehydration:
a. inelastic skin
b. oliguria
c. constipation
d. all of these
Using all of these is

poor; i.e. option (d) can
be discarded if student
recognizes one wrong
option, or two correct
ones.
Example 9
The secretion of the sebaceous glands
is called:
a. cerumen
b. sebum
c. semen
d. sweat
Option c. is implausible.
Example 10
A patient in the ward develops
diarrhoea.
The nurses first priority is to:
a. increase his fluids
b. isolate him
c. send stool to laboratory
d. commence fluid balance recordings
None of the options is

clearly right or best.
Example 11
Hypertension is a state of:
a. high blood sugar
b. high blood pressure
c. low blood sugar
d. low blood pressure
Two pairs of opposites are

included, to reduce chance
of guessing.
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Analysis
Example
of objective-test items
Comments
Example 12
Diaphragmatic breathing is usually
seen when a patient is:
a. running
b. standing
c. sleeping
d. in pain
Option d. is grammatically
inconsistent.
Writing matching items

When writing matching items, there are two specific points to watch
out for. The number of choices should always exceed the number of
statements, so that guessing is reduced. Also, the longer statements should
be used as the premises, so that the student has the shorter responses to
scan when searching for the answers.
Writing truefalse items

The specific points when writing these are to:
have an equal number of true and false statements;

ensure that items are clearly true or false; and
avoid trick questions.
Writing short-answer (missing-word) items
The specific points when writing these are:
Leave only important words blank.

Avoid excessive blanks in a statement.
Ensure that it is factually correct.
Analysis
of objective-test items
One of the more useful characteristics of objective-test items is that they

can be stored and used again, but this can only be the case if the item has
been validated. Validation is performed after the test has been marked,
and two aspects are considered: facility and discrimination. The facility
index is the percentage of students who answer the item correctly, and the
discrimination index indicates the extent to which an item discriminated
between the more knowledgeable and the less knowledgeable students.
Facility index
This is calculated by the following formula:
Number of students who answered correctly
Total number of students tested
100
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For example, if 40 students take the test, and 20 get the item correct,
then the facility index is
20/40 X 100 = 50%
Discrimination index
This is normally calculated by arranging the completed test papers in
order from the highest to lowest mark, and then putting them into high
and low groups. The top 27 per cent from the high group and the bottom
27 per cent of the low group are used to calculate the index, as follows.
First, work out the number of students in the top 27 per cent who
answered the item correctly and subtract the number of students in the
bottom 27 per cent who answered the item correctly. Then divide that
answer by 27 per cent of the total number of students tested.
The figure of 27 per cent is not rigidly fixed, and if the number of
students is less than about 40 it is better to use the top and bottom halves
of the group. The index range is from + 1.00 to 1.00.
Example: if a batch of 200 test papers is used and the number of
correct answers for the top 27 per cent is 40, and for the bottom 27 per
cent it is 20, then the calculation will be as follows:
40 20 = 0.37
54
Interpretation of indexes
The facility index is generally considered ideal when it is 50 per cent, but
the acceptable range is from about 25 to 75 per cent. It is often desirable
to include some easy items at the beginning of the test and then make it
progressively more difficult.
The index of discrimination ranges from +1.00 to 1.00 and zero
indicates no discrimination. Positive discrimination is accepted at 0.3
and above. If the index shows a negative figure, this implies that the less
knowledgeable students are getting more correct answers for an item
than the more knowledgeable ones and may indicate that the item is
ambiguous or that the wrong key has been chosen.
The writing of objective-test items is made easier if regular shredding
sessions are conducted, in which three or four lecturers look at new test
items to decide whether or not they are suitable for inclusion in pretesting.
Assessment
of group projects
Group projects can take many forms depending upon the subject being
studied, but the fundamental principle is that a small number of students
work collaboratively on a common problem or task, for example the
design and production of artefacts such as a computer program, with each
student in the group receiving the same overall grade. Group projects can
help students to experience teamwork at first hand, and also to develop
interpersonal communication skills and management skills. There are
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Student
self-assessment
also advantages to the teacher, in that the number of assessments to be

marked is considerably reduced. There are, however, some disadvantages
associated with assessment of groups (PCFC, 1992):
In the end, it is students not groups who gain academic awards, so

marks have to be awarded to individuals.
Giving all students in the group the same grade creates the danger that
some students will opt out of the work.
Outstanding students can be dragged down by poor or lazy group

members.
One way to overcome the problem of non-contributing group members is

for each individuals contribution to the project to be taken into account.
The advantage of this is that lazy students do not get the same reward as
those who have worked diligently. Brown et al. (1996) suggest a way of
dealing with this issue using a soccer analogy. Students who contribute
little to the group project in the early stages are shown a yellow card, and
their potential group mark is reduced by 10 per cent. If their commitment
does not improve by the end of the project, they are shown a red card
and marked at zero!
When attempting to assess projects it is important that a clear set of
criteria is used. The nature of the criteria will depend upon the subject
specialism; for example, assessment of a project report might use the
following criteria:
identification and context of the issue or problem;

use of appropriate literature to inform project design;
design of the project methodology;
collection and analysis of data/information;
discussion of findings and implications.
Student
self-assessment
Self-assessment is an important strategy for students to acquire, as it

forms the basis of life-skills and lifelong learning. It could be argued that
students already engage in self-assessment when, for example, they write
successive drafts of assignments until they are satisfied with the quality.
Student marking of their own essays can be a very useful way of
encouraging self-evaluation. In this method, students are given the
opportunity to mark their own essays according to the criteria that
the teacher has devised, and then student and teacher discuss their
respective marking with each other. Interviews are another useful way of
getting students to undertake self-assessment; the teacher can facilitate
this by careful use of probing questions that focus attention upon aspects
of the students performance.
Questionnaires provide an alternative method for this and are less
time consuming, but both methods are open to distorted reporting by
the student. It is best not to grade these self-assessments to ensure honest
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Chapter 7Assessment
of learning
and unbiased reporting, although the teacher may wish to negotiate with
the student about the final grade of work, taking into account these
self-assessments. Another method is to keep a self-assessment diary or
commentary about progress on a course; this involves the student writing
down reflections about his or her experiences and feelings.
Peer
assessment
Peer assessment is the assessment of a student by his or her peer group

and is already familiar to students in the form of quiz assessment, where
students exchange answer papers with each other and then mark them
correct or incorrect. Essays can be exchanged between students and
marked by them prior to returning to the writer, but peer assessment
need not be confined to this contentious area. It can be used in a range
of other, less sensitive, areas of assessment; for example, it is commonly
used to facilitate students report-writing ability, where peers are invited
to comment constructively on draft reports. Similarly, use could be made
of peer assessment of students presentations to an audience; in this
case, peer feedback may be more acceptable to the presenters than that
provided by the tutor.
Peer-assessment is also useful for assessing practical skills; groups of
three or four students are briefed on how to assess their peers practical
skills, and then each student performs the skill whilst the other group
members observe. Feedback is given after each performance, and the
whole cycle may be repeated so that students can remedy any mistakes
or deficits.
A problem with any kind of peer assessment is the potential for
collusion amongst the students to raise the level of marks. Students might
soon realize that if each of them gives a high mark to the other, then
the overall marks will be very high for everyone. The teacher needs to
be aware of such collusion, especially if the marks are to be taken into
account towards a final grade. One solution to this problem is to use peer
assessments as feedback rather than as final grading, to ensure honesty
of feedback. However, Brown et al. (1996) emphasize the importance
of making peer-assessment marks meaningful, so that students take the
issue seriously.
Assessment
and evaluation of small-group processes
Assessment of achievement in small groups differs from the assessment of

group processes within a group. The following approaches are designed
to elicit students opinions on the interaction processes within their
groups.
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Assessment
and evaluation of small-group processes
Individual-response evaluation
Reflective diary
Group members are invited to keep a diary of the events and feelings
that they have about the group meetings over a period of time. These
comments may be disclosed to the group or the tutor and can give much
insight into the group process. However, the fact that the diary may be
seen by other people may inhibit students from revealing some aspects
of their experiences.
Individual impressions
Students are asked to jot down two aspects of the group that they did
not like and two aspects that they did like, for feedback to the tutor, the
group or both.
Face-to-face interview
Here, the tutor spends time with a group member discussing his or her
perceptions of the group and the usefulness of the process. It can be time
consuming but is worthwhile, provided that both parties are sufficiently
trusting to be honest and open.
Sociometry
This technique involves individual group members privately writing
down the names of other group members with whom they would choose
to spend time on a particular activity.
Group-response evaluation
Nominal group technique
There are five stages in this technique as follows:
1. Each group member generates his or her own response.
2. Each group member feeds back his or her response to the group.
3. The group clarifies each members response.
4. Each group member votes on, and ranks, each response.
5. The groups consensus of opinion is discussed.
Do-it-yourself evaluation
This involves each group member in writing three statements about the
group and then snowball groups of two, four and eight people are
formed to modify and hone the statements. A plenary is called and the
group must edit the list, after which the finished statements are put up
on a notice board. Each group member then has to rate each statement
on a six-point scale ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree
and record his or her rating in the form of large blobs that can easily be
seen. The whole exercise provides a forum for discussion and exchange
of feelings.
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Chapter 7Assessment
of learning
Group consensus
Group members form buzz groups to ascertain whether they have
common likes or dislikes about the group and are required to reach a
consensus of opinion.
Group interview
Similar to the face-to-face interview with one group member, this involves
the total group in interview with the teacher. Again, this requires skilful
handling if it is to be effective and not just tokenism.
Sculpting
This is a technique for evaluation that uses physical position to indicate
group processes. One member is asked to volunteer to be the sculptor
and the rest of the group is asked to remain in any position the chosen
member would like to put them in. He or she is asked to sculpt the way
that they see relationships within the group; the leader is often put on a
chair to indicate elevation above the rest of the group. Trust is essential
among members if this is to work well, particularly as some may find
themselves in the role of outsider or isolate. Following the sculpting there
is group discussion and debriefing about the exercise.
Third-party evaluation
Observation
This can take place during normal group interaction, where a non-group
member observes the process of group interaction. The main problem
is the Hawthorne effect; i.e. the presence of an observer may alter the
natural behaviour of the group.
Video-recording
This can provide a good alternative to a live observer, since it will not
interpret the events, only record them. During the analysis playback,
group members comment on the process.
Assessment
of student presentations to an audience
It is common practice in project work to require the students to present

their projects to an audience of peers or other members of the institution.
This can be a useful way of developing students confidence and skills
of public speaking, but it can also provoke a good deal of anxiety. As
in other forms of assessment, clear criteria are essential, and it is good
practice to involve the students in formulating these. Lecturers need to
organize the sequence of presentations very carefully indeed, as timing is
crucial if all students are to fit in their presentations.
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Assessment
of laboratory practicals and fieldwork
As a means of reducing anxiety, some tutors prefer not to grade

the actual delivery of the presentation, simply using it as feedback to
the students concerned. Table 7.7 shows an example of an assessment
specification for student presentations on a nurse education programme;
in this example the actual presentation is not assessed.
You are required to carry out a 10-minute teaching session to your peer group according to the
following criteria:
1. You must choose a health topic that you would teach to a patient/client, e.g. healthy eating,
giving own insulin, etc.
2. The session must be based on a plan containing details of aims/goals, sequence of
development, content notes, learning aids used, and assessment of learning.
3. Following the presentation, the plan and materials used must be handed in as part of
the assessment.
4. The plan must also be accompanied by a rationale (1000 words) consisting of the following:
(a) An introduction that states why the topic you chose is relevant to the role of the nurse.
(b) An explanation of the reasons underlying your choice of teaching method and approach.
This explanation must make reference to educational theories.
(c) A critical self-evaluation of how you felt the lesson went, and any changes you would make
in the light of your own and your peer evaluation of your lesson. (Video-recording facilities
are available for your presentation.)
(Peer-evaluation consists of brief written feedback by students and tutor following each student
presentation.)
Table 7.7
Example of an assessment
specification for student
presentations
Please note: the actual presentation of your lesson, although compulsory, does not count towards
your grade. You will be graded only on the written materials and accompanying rationale.
This decision is to help reduce the stress that inevitably accompanies a students first formal
presentation to a large group.
Assessment
of laboratory practicals and fieldwork
The assessment of practical skills is undertaken in a wide variety of

contexts, including laboratory work, fieldwork, and the workplace (for
discussion of workplace assessment, see page 297).
Laboratory practicals
These are usually assessed by means of the students laboratory reports.
These reports are completed by the student after each practical activity,
using a standard format. Many laboratories now provide computers so
that students can input their reports at the time that they are undertaking
the practicals. There must be explicit criteria for assessing the laboratory
reports, and examinations should require the students to draw upon their
reports when answering examination questions.
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Chapter 7Assessment
of learning
Fieldwork
Programmes in nurse education commonly require students to undertake
some kind of fieldwork. For example, students commencing a common
foundation programme may undertake a survey of food labelling in a
local supermarket. Fieldwork is normally assessed by means of students
fieldwork logs and reports, but other artefacts such as video, audio and
photography can be assessed.
Assessment
of portfolios, profiles and experiential
diaries
Portfolios, profiles and diaries

Portfolios, profiles and diaries are mainly used within an experiential
learning context, including interpersonal skills training, and workbased learning. The terms portfolio and profile are used interchangeably
within the literature, and Redfern (1998) identifies the characteristics
common to each:
They value experience as a source of learning.

They encourage reflective practice.
They provide a storehouse for information about, and evidence of,
experience, learning and achievements.
They encourage personal and professional development.

Portfolios, profiles and diaries are well established as valuable
learning strategies in professional education programmes, but they do
present problems in the context of assessment. Institutions differ in their
approach to the assessment of portfolios, profiles and diaries; some use
them solely as a vehicle for student learning, and do not require them
to be assessed, whilst others view them as a component of the learning
process. By definition, they are a record of students thoughts, feelings
and reflections on aspects of experience, which are often intensely
personal to the student concerned. Although for assessment purposes
they cannot be considered to be confidential, they need to be considered
with some sensitivity. In addition, it is not easy to define appropriate
assessment criteria for learning from reflection.
Murrell et al. (1998) describe how they assess clinical practice on a
stoma care course using portfolios. The assessment involved marking each
students completed portfolio, and also the records of three interviews
between the student and her clinical practice supervisor held at the
beginning, middle and end of the course. A marking grid was used for
the portfolio consisting of five key headings and associated descriptors:
1. Presentation, for example introduction and contents of portfolio;
2. Clinical expertise, for example appropriate and safe evidence-based
practice;
3. Professional role, for example teamwork, relationships,
accountability;
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Assessment
of accreditation of prior learning
4. Management/education, for example flexible approach to practice and

resource allocation;
5. Innovation, for example understanding of change and innovation,
ability to promote innovation.
The assessment of portfolio-type material can be assisted if students are
given clear advice about how to compile their portfolio, including the
need to edit the material that they include, so as to avoid the portfolio
becoming too large, and the importance of a contents page and dividers
between each section. Portfolios also provide a good vehicle for students
to begin to self-assess their work. One of the main uses of portfolios in
higher education is for the accreditation of prior learning.
Assessment
of accreditation of prior learning
Accreditation of prior learning has become a significant process within

the higher education sector, offering students the opportunity to count
relevant, previously acquired learning towards academic awards.
Traditionally it has been divided into two types: learning acquired
through successful completion of certificated courses is termed
accreditation of prior learning or APL whereas that acquired through
uncertificated experiential learning is termed accreditation of prior
experiential learning, or APEL.
However, another acronym incorporating both types of prior learning
also appears in the literature, AP(E)L. AP(E)L can normally provide the
student with advanced standing of not more than 50 per cent of the
total credits required for the award that the student is seeking. When a
student wishes to claim accreditation for prior learning, his or her claim
is subjected to assessment just like any other study component. However,
the nature of the assessment will depend upon whether the claim is for
APL or APEL.
Accreditation of prior learning (APL)

Assessment for this type is more straightforward, in that certificated
learning is assessed against the learning outcomes of the programme on
which the student is registered. Certificated learning means any learning
gained through study on a formal programme for which a certificate
or transcript is provided as evidence of successful completion. Many
institutions have a credit tariff of courses that can count as APL against
specific programmes, so that assessment is simply a matter of checking
that the students evidence of his or her successful completion of the
programme is valid.
Accreditation of prior experiential learning (APEL)

It is important to note that, for an APEL claim to be successful,
experience alone is insufficient. The student must demonstrate how
he or she has learned from the experience. Credit points can be given
for such experiential learning provided that it is relevant to the award
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Chapter 7Assessment
of learning
which the student is seeking to achieve, and that a portfolio of evidence

for such learning has been presented for accreditation to the awarding
institution.
Butterworth and Thorne (1998) describe how students can be helped
to compile a portfolio by asking themselves a series of questions as
follows:
1. What past work and training experiences do I have?
2. What have I learned from these experiences?
3. Which of this learning is relevant to this course?
4. Which of the course outcomes can I claim to have already achieved?
5. How can I prove that I have achieved them? What evidence do I
have?
AP(E)L portfolios are assessed and moderated according to the same
standards as other programme assessments.
Management structures for the operation of APL/APEL
Responsibility for awarding APL or APEL credit resides with the relevant
programme board of examiners, but the business of assessing and
moderating claims is normally delegated to an accreditation subcommittee.
The subcommittee is responsible for monitoring the pathway leaders
recommendations for the award of credit for APL and APEL and is also
responsible for accrediting courses from external providers. There are
two roles that are essential in any APEL system: the APEL counsellor
and the APEL assessor. The APEL counsellors main role is to assist the
claimant to formulate his or her learning claim in accordance with
the procedures of the institution. Because of this close involvement in the
process, the actual assessment of the claim is undertaken by the APEL
assessor or gatekeeper, someone who has had no previous involvement
with the claimant in relation to the learning claim.
Reliability and validity of AP(E)L assessment
Higher education institutions approach the assessment of prior learning
in a variety of ways, and nurse education has been at the forefront of
developments in this area. One major study of AP(E)L in relation to
nursing, midwifery and health visiting (ENB, 1997) identified a number
of key points:
AP(E)L assessment appears to be as valid and reliable as other forms of

assessment in higher education.
Portfolios are the main method of assessment for AP(E)L.

APEL is not normally graded, nor does it count towards the degree
classification.
Reflection is an important aspect of portfolio construction.

The AP(E)L co-ordinator role is a crucial one in ensuring the quality
of the system.
The costs of operating an AP(E)L system are not adequately reflected

in the charges made.
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Assessment
Assessment
in the workplace
in the workplace
Within the UK, practice-placements constitute 50 per cent of the total

hours of study on programmes for pre-registration nurse education, so
work-based assessment is a major component of the overall assessment
strategy. The Fitness for Practice programme for pre-registration nursing
states that
The sequencing and balancing between university and practicebased study should be planned to promote an integration of
knowledge, attitudes and skills.
(UKCC, 1999)
Standards of Proficiency for Pre-registration Nursing Education (NMC,

2004) specifies that practice-centred standards essential in nursing are
directly linked to the wider goals of achieving clinical effectiveness within
health care teams, with the ultimate aim of achieving high-quality health
care. A further stipulation is that assuring the quality of nursing care is
one of the fundamental underpinnings of clinical governance and must
be addressed within all programmes of preparation. Standard 6 of this
document states that clinical practice should provide opportunities to
enable students to develop understanding of users experiences of health
care, and that the length of such placements should be sufficient to
achieve the standards of proficiency required.
However, work-based assessment presents a challenge to nurse
educators in terms of the validity and reliability of the assessment
methods used to determine students competence. Unlike classroom
assessment, work-based assessment is not controlled entirely by academic
staff from the institution; employers, supervisors and workers may all
be involved to some extent in the context of the assessment. Clients,
patients and relatives also form part of this context, and this presents a
very different assessment scenario from, for example, essay assessments
in the higher education institution.
Competence
The term competence has a range of meanings according to the context
within which it is discussed. The Further Education Curriculum Unit
defines it as follows:
Competence is the possession and development of sufficient skills,
knowledge, appropriate attitudes and experience for successful
performance in life roles.
(FEU, 1984)
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Chapter 7Assessment
of learning
According to Benett (1989), the term has several dimensions such as

task competence, job competence, functional competence, occupational
competence, and vocational competence.
Eraut (1998) suggests that common usage of the term applies to two
kinds of situation. In the first, an implicit binary scale operates; i.e. an
individual is either competent or not competent. This is the meaning
of competence as used in competence-based assessment systems such as
the National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ) framework. In the second
situation, competence means adequate but not excellent, and this
view is reflected in the expression mere competence, which indicates
mediocrity.
Assessment by observation
By far the most common, and valid, method of assessment for work-based
learning is observation by the assessor. However, the mere presence of
an observer is often sufficient to raise students anxiety levels so that
the quality of their performance is adversely affected. On the other
hand, the presence of an observer can, in some circumstances, enhance
performance. One of the weaknesses of assessment by observation is the
subjectivity of the observer, so it is of paramount importance to have
specific assessment criteria in the form of a checklist or rating scale that
serves as a guide for the assessor and allows a second observer, when
present, to assess the same aspects as the first.
Checklists
A checklist is simply a list of student behaviours associated with a
particular aspect of practical work, with a space for the assessor to check
or tick off whether or not that particular behaviour occurred. There is
no means of indicating how well a behaviour was carried out, and this
limits the usefulness of checklists. A checklist normally contains only the
desired behaviours, but it can include the behaviours that constitute poor
performance. Table 7.8 shows an example of a checklist.
Table 7.8
Checklist for assessment of
admission of patients from
waiting list
Assessor should place a tick or a cross in each box depending upon whether or not the
behaviour was observed.
Prepares bed and locker area in advance
Greets patient (and companion)
Introduces him or herself
Conducts patient to bed
Ensures privacy whilst patient is unpacking
Introduces patient to adjacent patients
Shows patient the ward layout
Allows ample opportunity for questions
Gives only essential explanations initially
Makes appointments for further explanation and discussion
Employs appropriate procedures with regard to patients property
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Assessment
in the workplace
Categories or descriptions of nursing behaviours are notoriously

difficult to write with any precision, as many interventions involve value
judgements about quality and will vary between assessors.
There are many ways that a nurse can establish rapport with a
patient and it may be that the only sure way of telling whether or not it
has occurred is to ask the patient whether he or she felt that a rapport
existed. Even then, the patient may be reluctant to say that rapport did
not exist; the patient might feel this would be letting the nurse down, or
that such a comment might influence the quality of care received for the
rest of the hospital stay.
Rating scales
Rating scales provide an indication of the degree or amount of a particular
characteristic and use either numbers or descriptions. Fearon (1998)
describes a six-point rating scale used to indicate the level of achievement
on a given competence. The scale extends from zero (novice) through to
6 (expert) and the following rating descriptions are used:
0. cannot perform this activity satisfactorily to participate in the clinical
environment;
1. can perform this activity but not without constant supervision and
some assistance;
2. can perform this activity satisfactorily but requires some supervision
and assistance;
3. can perform this activity satisfactorily without assistance and/or
supervision;
supervision with more than acceptable speed and quality of work;
supervision with more than acceptable speed and quality of work and
with initiative and adaptability to special problem situations;
supervision with more than acceptable speed and quality, with initiative
and adaptability and can lead others in performing this activity.
Table 7.9 gives three examples of descriptive rating-scales.
A. Bipolar description
X
Work shows a consistently

high standard of attention to
detail and finish
X applies
Marked
tendency
to X
Some
tendency to
XY
Y applies
Work does not always show

sufficient attention
to detail and finish
Table 7.9
Examples of descriptive
rating scales
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Chapter 7Assessment
of learning
B. Single-word category
Gives a full explanation to
patient prior to commencing
a procedure
Always
Usually
Occasionally
Never
C. Phrase description
Working in
partnership with
another nurse
Takes a leading role
Shares equal
responsibility with
partner
Allows partner to
lead most of the time
Critical incident technique

One way of generating behavioural descriptions is critical incident
technique or CIT (Flanagan, 1954). This involves the observation of
competent practitioners as they practise, noting down any particular
desirable or undesirable incidents. These particularly critical incidents
are written down as descriptions of behaviours rather than as evaluative
comments and then large numbers of these incidents are classified by
experts to see if there is agreement about whether or not they represent
particularly good or bad practice. The incidents that are agreed by the
experts are then used to provide descriptions of effective or ineffective job
performance and can be used as checklists for observational assessment.
Some
problems with assessment by observation
The assessor
Accurate assessment requires care and effort if it is to be objective, and
there may be a lack of time and interest for this. An assessor may be
biased in his or her perception of the performance, and this bias can
take a number of forms. The halo effect occurs when the assessor is
influenced by the general characteristics of the student: if the assessor
forms a good impression of the student, the latter is likely to be rated
highly on the performance and if the impression is unfavourable, then
the reverse will occur. Another common factor is the central-tendency
error, in which the rater gives everybody an average mark.
The generosity error occurs when the rater gives a higher score
than is warranted; the explanation for this is the tendency to feel
that our nursing role is to care for students, so this the assessor does
unconsciously. In addition to the above factors, assessors will be subject
to the same influences on their interpersonal perception as everyone else,
namely past experience, motivation and personality.
The student
The main factors that influence assessment from the students point of
view are state of preparation, level of anxiety and the presence of others.
The first point is self-evident, in that the student must have prepared
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Some
problems with assessment by observation
adequately for the aspects that are being assessed. Anxiety has the effect
of degrading decision-making, which could make a difference to an
assessment in which decisions are required. The presence of others, i.e.
the assessor, may have the effect termed diffusion of responsibility (Latan
and Darley, 1968), which might account for a students indecision in the
assessment.
The methodology
The criteria chosen for the observation schedule will have implications
for reliability and validity, and it is exceedingly difficult to formulate
objective criteria for checklists or rating scales. The problem is that most
criteria are fairly general; this may be necessary because it is impractical
to state them in a more precise way.
These examples illustrate the dilemma referred to earlier about trying
to make accurate descriptions of nursing behaviours. One solution is to
give more detailed criteria; for example, Describes the action, dosage,
route of administration, unwanted side effects and contraindications of
a given drug, to the level indicated in the current edition of the British
National Formulary. This criterion is certainly more specific and does
give the student an idea as to the kind of level of questioning to expect.
However, it is rather lengthy, and one can imagine a checklist of skills
required for a medicine round being stated in several pages of text.
Another problem is that, although such objectives are reasonably
meaningful when applied to knowledge or motor skills, how do we go
about writing criteria for the interactional elements of a drug round? We
could try Displays warmth and friendliness towards patients during the
drug round. This is certainly an important aspect of nursing care, but
the difficulty lies in the assessors interpretation of the behaviours that
are considered to be warm and friendly. At first glance it may seem fairly
straightforward, until we begin to wonder what the borderline is between
friendliness and familiarity and between humour and offence.
One way round the problem would be to adopt a stance advocated
by Stenhouse (1975) who suggests that the teacher, as an expert in the
field of nursing, can judge the quality of what is observed without having
to define what that quality might consist of in advance. In other words,
a competent teacher-practitioner can tell whether a student has done a
satisfactory drug round or not without having to go through any kind
of checklist. The problem arises when different assessors hold different
views on competence, but perhaps it is naive to expect any real consensus
in nursing, or in any other social-science endeavour, since there are so
many variables to be considered. In the world of the arts, an art critic
makes judgements about the merits of a work of art without having to
specify in advance what the work of art should look like.
Many teachers are often asked by students: How should I approach
this topic in order to get an A grade for my assignment? All one can say
in reply is, I cant tell you in advance what an A assignment will look
like, but I will recognize one when I see it.
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Chapter 7Assessment
of learning
Assessment
of attitudes
The term attitude is used in two senses within the nursing and teaching
professions: in one sense it is used to describe someone who exhibits
undesirable characteristics, as in he was giving me a lot of attitude, and,
in another sense, it describes a human psychological phenomenon.
According to Recommendation 16 of Fitness for Practice (UKCC,
1999), the balance between university- and practice-based study should
be planned not only to promote integration of knowledge and skills but
also to promote an integration of attitudes. The All Wales document
for pre-registration nursing highlights that appropriate action should
be taken if a student indicates unsatisfactory performance in terms of
professional behaviour/attitude (WAG, 2005). Consequently, consistent
or repeated unsatisfactory professional attitude will result in the students
discontinuation from the course. Professional attitudes are assessed in
terms of students individual needs, communication and teamwork and
rating scales are completed by both the student and mentor in clinical
practice. A scoring system is employed between 1 (lowest) and 7 (highest)
and students should achieve 3 or above in each criterion statement. A
score below 18 will require discussion with the students personal teacher
and referral to a senior educational manager. An example of an assessment
of professional attitudes in relation to teamwork is demonstrated in Table
7.10.
Table 7.10
Assessment of professional
attitudes team
Always waits to be told to do things

1
Reluctant to take responsibility
Needs supervision to see that work is

being done
1
Is unable to accept constructive

criticism
1
Works well as a team member
Can always be trusted to carry out allocated work
Always prepared to accept constructive criticism
Shows little interest in learning, e.g.

never asks questions
1
Prepared to take responsibility appropriate to stage

within the course
Works as an individual, shows no

awareness of team responsibilities
1
Looks for work and carries it out within own ability
Always well motivated to learn, e.g. asks questions

regarding new experiences
4
Adapted from WAG (2005)
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Assessment
of attitudes
Attitudes as undesirable characteristics of an individual

Experienced practitioners and teachers can often feel that a student has
the wrong attitude towards aspects of nursing work; it may be exhibited
in a general lack of enthusiasm in the workplace, or a manner that rubs
up colleagues in the wrong way. These characteristics are often difficult
to pin down to specific incidences, and assessors are naturally cautious
about commenting on a students negative attitude, as the requirement
for transparency in assessment decisions means that specific examples
must be recorded. If a students attitude gives an assessor cause for
concern, it is important that additional opinions are sought from other
professionals who have experience of the student.
Attitudes as a human psychological phenomenon

Attitudes are commonly described as having three components: a
cognitive component or belief, an effective component or feeling, and
a motor component or tendency to action. Attitudes predispose an
individual to act in a certain way towards stimuli and are thus powerful
influences on learning and behaviour. Some people may adopt an antismoking attitude; this would consist of a set of beliefs about smoking
plus a set of related feelings of disgust, bafflement or aggression towards
smokers. The third component is the action tendency, which would make
the individual react to smokers in a typical way, probably avoidance or
confrontation
Measurement of attitudes
A note of caution is required here; the methods of assessing attitudes
outlined below include a wide range of techniques, most of which require
a qualified psychologist to administer and interpret.
Self-report
In this approach, the students are asked to write down their attitudes
towards something, either anonymously or otherwise, depending on the
degree of trust and the honesty of the respondent.
Published inventories
These are standardized scales for measuring attitudes to various things,
such as attitudes towards college. They are more useful than home-made
tests because they claim to have high validity and reliability, but they may
not meet individual teachers exact requirements.
Likert scaling
In this technique, a pool of items is devised to cover the attitude in
question, and then a scale is drawn up that rates each item under
five points, ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree. These five
points are scored from one to five, and the teacher can choose whether
the high score of five is to mean a favourable or unfavourable attitude
towards the statement in question. Once this has been decided, the
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of learning
inventory is given to respondents, who are asked to tick the appropriate

response for each item, and then the total score is calculated. This score
gives an indication of the respondents attitude towards the thing in
question: favourable, unfavourable or neutral. Table 7.11 shows an
example of a Likert scale for attitude measurement.
Table 7.11
A Likert scale for attitude
measurement
1.
Nursing gives me a great

deal of job satisfaction
2.
Academic nurses dont

make good practical
nurses at the bedside
3.
Enrolled nurses are the

best bedside nurses
Strongly
agree
Agree
Uncertain
Disagree
Strongly
disagree
The semantic differential

This kind of rating scale consists of a number of bi-polar rating scales,
each with seven points between them. At either end of the scales there are
adjectives that are the opposite of each other, such as blackwhite, and
respondents are each required to select a point on the scale that they feel
represents their feelings about the item in question.
Projective techniques
The most famous of these is the ink-blot test, but others include
the word-association test and the thematic apperception test (TAT).
Projective techniques aim to reach behind the mask that people put up
consciously or otherwise to prevent access to awareness. In the ink-blot
test respondents are required to study patterns to see what they represent.
In the word-association test, the respondent has to respond very rapidly
to the experimenters prompt words by saying a word that comes into
his or her mind that is associated with the first word. In the TAT, the
respondent is shown a picture and asked to make up a story about what
he or she thinks is going on.
Management
of the assessment process
All the foregoing discussion about ensuring the validity and reliability
of assessments can be rendered meaningless if the management of the
assessment system is inadequate.
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Management
Assessment regulations
One of the most important aspects of assessment is the assessment
regulations; these act as an absolute guide to the whole assessment system
for a given course or programme and should be followed meticulously.
Although assessment regulations will be specific to a given course or
programme, there are some generic aspects that apply to most:
Student referral. The first time a student is unsuccessful in an
assessment is commonly termed referral. There would normally be

one opportunity for retrieval for each unit assessment, and there is
usually a maximum grade that can be obtained, which is less than the
highest grade possible.
Compensation. This refers to a situation where a good grade in one
assessment can compensate for a weaker grade in another. Some
courses allow this; others do not.
Submission date for assessments. There should be a published date for
submission of assessments, after which the student will be deemed to
have been referred. In exceptional circumstances, the student may be
granted an extension. A request for such an extension must normally
be made in writing and received by the institution before the original
due date for submission.
Failure on re-submission of assessment. In the event of students being
referred and then failing upon being re-assessed, they would normally
be counselled to reconsider their programme of study. The failed unit
may then be retaken only at the discretion of the institution.
Suspected cheating and plagiarism. All higher education institutions
will have a policy on suspected cheating and plagiarism, and this
should be available to students via the student handbook for
each programme. Cheating is self-explanatory; it includes taking
unauthorized material into examinations with the aim of gaining an
unfair advantage. Plagiarism is using other peoples work and passing
it off as the students own; it includes using published references
without acknowledging the source. The procedures for dealing with
these normally involve a series of stages, depending upon whether
the offence is considered to be minor or serious. For a first or minor
offence, the student would normally be warned by the head of
department, and a record kept. For significant offences, the student
may be referred to an assessment offences panel, which will decide the
appropriate penalty.
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Chapter 7Assessment
of learning
Students with special needs

Students often have special assessment needs, which may be trivial or
of enormous importance, and require extra time and encouragement
to achieve their true potential. The following is a list of some special
needs:
religious beliefs for example, if students were fasting, or if a situation

in which they were working caused ethical or moral dilemmas;
physical disabilities deafness, arthritis, migraine, etc. that might

interfere with the students performance;
the student might be very shy or nervous;

the workload that the candidate is dealing with might be too
excessive;
the student may find difficulty in writing, owing, for example, to
dyslexia, and other avenues of producing evidence must be explored,

such as oral questioning, written evidence and simulation;
the student might require extra study time because family commitments
make it difficult for them to study at home.
Presentation of students assessment work

It is good practice to impose a degree of uniformity on the presentation
of students assessment work, by issuing and reinforcing standards for
presentation. Students are expected to word-process their assessment
work and their work should normally be submitted in an appropriate
lightweight folder or file. Exceptions to the latter are allowed for
portfolio and similar assessments, where the amount of material is such
that a more extensive binder is required.
Submission of assessments
The handing-in procedures for unit assessments are very important.
Students must be made aware of the correct procedures for the handingin of assessments, and no deviations should be allowed. Programmes
will vary in their handing-in procedures; Table 7.12 shows a typical
example.
Table 7.12
Example of a handing-in
procedure for assessments
1. Assignments must be handed-in to the designated office by the close of day on the deadline
date for submission.
2. Assignments are not normally handed in to teaching staff.
3. A receipt is normally issued to the student as proof that the assessment has been handed in.
4. If assignments are posted, they should be sent by recorded delivery.
5. Students should keep a copy of all their assessments, in case of loss.
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Management
Extensions to the deadline for submission of assessment

Students may request an extension to the unit assessment deadline in the
case of exceptional circumstances such as prolonged illness, bereavement
or severe domestic problems. Requests should be made in writing to
the course leader in advance of the submission deadline, giving the
reasons for the request and providing supporting evidence, for example
a medical certificate. Alternatively, some institutions require the request
to be sent directly to the academic registry, which then forwards it to the
appropriate programme leader.
If a request for extension is not granted, students should note that
work submitted after the deadline will lead to the assessment being
referred. They should also note that everyday pressure of work would
not normally be grounds for an extension.
Conduct of formal written examinations

The room should be prepared the evening before, with desks spaced
evenly and the appropriate materials distributed. Clocks must be clearly
visible and synchronized, and a room plan with seat numbers should
be displayed outside the room. Before the commencement of the
examination the teacher should provide water to drink, in case a student
gets a coughing spasm. The lighting and ventilation will need careful
monitoring during the examination.
The name of each candidate should be checked before entry to the
room or hall, and personal property should be stored separately in a
cupboard or at the rear of the hall. Candidates should bring no books or
paper unless specifically requested to do so. If there are a large number of
candidates, a microphone and public-address system may be required.
At the commencement of the examination, the invigilator should read
out any instructions, such as beginning each answer on a fresh page, and he
or she should point out the procedure for leaving the room for purposes
of visiting the toilet. The examination papers can then be distributed,
face down on each desk and the candidates requested not to turn them
over until instructed. The invigilator asks them to turn the paper over
and to check that they have the correct one. The instructions at the top
of the paper are read out and the candidates are told when time checks
will be given. The word is given to commence the examination, and the
invigilators are responsible for observing the candidates throughout
the examination.
Time is called at the end, and candidates are requested to put their
pens down. They check each question to see if they have numbered it
correctly and are then dismissed. The invigilators collect and arrange the
papers in order, checking them against the attendance register.
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Chapter 7Assessment
of learning
Marking
and moderation of students assessment work
The programme leader is responsible for distributing the assessment

work to the appropriate members of the team for marking; marking
tutors should also be given a deadline for the return of the marked work
and the appropriate marking record forms for completion. The latter
constitute an important official record of the marks awarded to each
student and form the basis of information subsequently input into the
institutions academic information system.
When the marked work has been returned the programme leader will
need to organize an internal moderation meeting at which the range of
assessment work is sampled and scrutinized by the programme team.
Moderation
of marked assessment work
Before marked work is handed back to the students, it undergoes two

kinds of moderation, internal and external. The purpose of moderation is
to ensure consistency and fairness of marking amongst the unit markers.
Inter-marker reliability, i.e. consistency, is notoriously low, and internal
moderation seeks to expose marked papers to a second scrutiny so as to
determine the consistency of marking standards between different unit
markers. External moderation is carried out by the external examiner
appointed to the programme, and the aim here is also to monitor
consistency and standard of marking to ensure that students are being
assessed fairly. In addition, the external examiner can compare the
standard of work with that on similar courses nationally.
Internal moderation
Internal moderation can be carried out in a number of ways, but the
principles remain the same, i.e. to ensure fairness and consistency of
marking across the programme. Internal moderation normally consists of
the scrutiny of a sample of students work across the range of marks.
Internal moderation and double-marking (second-marking)
It is important to distinguish internal moderation from double marking.
Double or second marking is a process whereby two tutors independently
mark a students work and come to an agreement about the final mark
awarded. However, this process has limited value: as it focuses on the
work of individual students it does not tell us anything about the overall
consistency of a given marking tutor across their entire range of marking.
Moderation, on the other hand, involves one marker evaluating another
markers judgement.
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Moderation
of marked assessment work
Internal moderation process

One effective way to carry out internal moderation is to select from
each marking teacher a sample of marks that they have awarded at each
grade or percentage band. Of course, it is important that markers avoid
moderating their own work. The moderators will have a sample of each
grade or percentage band for every marking teacher and are then in a
position to ascertain the degree of consistency between markers for each
grade or percentage band. If only one unit is being assessed, the internal
moderation will sample only in relation to that unit.
For example, each teacher is asked to provide a 10 per cent sample
from each of the grade or percentage bandings that they have used in
their marking. For a typical programme using a literal grading system,
this might involve three or four papers marked at Grade A, and a similar
number from each of Grades B to D, including all borderline and referred
papers. This is a resource-intensive activity and as such requires careful
planning. Whatever system is used, it will have to be agreed by the
programme committee and the board of examiners.
One point that is often contentious is whether or not internal
moderators should alter individual student marks. Generally
speaking, moderators should only adjust student marks if all the
assessments within a category have been moderated, for example all
borderline or referred papers. Since moderation involves only a sample
of the students assessments, there will be many students whose work is
not moderated. If the moderators were to alter individual student marks,
this could give an unfair advantage or disadvantage to those students
whose work was sampled.
When internal moderation has been completed, a sample of assessments
should be sent to the external examiner for further scrutiny.
External moderation
External moderation is undertaken by the external examiner, who will
inform the programme leader of the procedures that he or she would
like to adopt for this. Normally, the external examiner would receive all
referred papers and all papers awarded the highest grade, as well as a
sample of papers from each grade or percentage band. The programme
leader needs to ensure that the external examiner has a timescale
sufficient for adequate scrutiny of the papers.
Once the moderation system has been completed, assessment work
can be returned to students. Assessments are made available for collection
at the departmental office. Students should note that any mark awarded
is provisional at this stage. The final mark is determined when the board
of examiners meets, and a unit pass list is sent to each successful student
as soon as possible after that meeting. Students who were unsuccessful
are informed individually by letter.
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Chapter 7Assessment
of learning
External
examiners
The external examiner plays a crucial role in the assessment process

and must be present at any meeting of the board of examiners where
conferment of awards is recommended. A decision of the external
examiner is normally taken as final, except in extreme cases such as
disagreement between external examiners, when the matter would be
referred to the academic board of the institution. External examiners
should be experts in the relevant subject area and be experienced in the
assessment of students at the level of the programme in question. Their
judgements must be impartial and not influenced by previous association
with either students or staff of the institution. Table 7.13 gives the typical
responsibilities of an external examiner:
Table 7.13
Typical responsibilities of
an external examiner
1. Approve proposed examination papers and other assessments.

2. Consider and, if appropriate, agree proposed changes to assessment regulations.
3. Undertake moderation of students assessment work, including scrutiny of all students work
proposed for the highest and referred grades.
4. Compare students assessment performance with that of students on comparable
courses elsewhere.
5. Report on the consistency and standard of internal marking.
6. Attend meetings of the board of examiners at which recommendations are made for
conferment of academic awards.
7. Provide reports to the institution on the assessment process.
Boards
of examiners
Table 7.14 gives the typical composition of a board of examiners, and

Table 7.15 outlines its responsibilities.
Table 7.14
Typical composition of
a board of examiners
Table 7.15
Typical responsibilities of
a board of examiners
1. Appropriate senior manager (chair).

2. Other senior managers with involvement in the programme.
3. Programme leader.
4. Representative of staff teaching on the programme as internal examiners.
5. External examiner(s).
6. A representative from the academic registry will normally attend meetings to record the
proceedings and to offer advice regarding regulations.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Oversight of assessment procedures.

Ensuring students are assessed fairly.
Maintenance of the standard of awards.
Ensuring compliance with assessment requirements.
Making decisions about student progression and reassessment.
Recommending students for academic awards.
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Boards
of examiners
One of the responsibilities of the programme leader is making

arrangements for meetings of the board of examiners, in consultation
with the chair and the external examiner; these arrangements include
room booking and catering. He or she must also arrange the production
of all papers, including draft results lists and pass lists, for each meeting
and be prepared to comment on individual students performance.
When required to do so by the board, the programme leader should be
prepared to comment on any mitigating circumstances affecting student
performance.
Following the meeting of the board of examiners, the programme
leader must arrange for the mailing of pass lists and referral/fail letters
to students, and also send copies to the registry for the academic
information system.
Subject assessment panels

Some higher education institutions allow boards of examiners to delegate
responsibility for the assessment of groups of units to subject assessment
panels. The chair of such panels is normally the head of the school
that houses the majority of units, and membership consists of internal
examiners, i.e. staff who taught the units under consideration, and
external examiner(s).
Subject assessment panels consider and approve assessments for units
in the panels subject area, submit marks and recommendations to the
relevant board of examiners and notify the board in relation to students
extenuating circumstances.
Chairing the board of examiners

The board of examiners is normally chaired by the head of department
or his or her nominee, and the approach should be formal and rigorous.
Each meeting should be numbered, for example fifth meeting of the
board of examiners; this facilitates review of decisions taken at previous
meetings.
The chair should never take the minutes of the meeting, as this would
distract him or her from conducting the meeting in an appropriate
manner. The minutes should be headed Confidential, and recorded
by an experienced administrator who should identify the chair and the
secretary by name. Each agenda item should be numbered according
to the number of the meeting, for example 5.1. Sub-items should be
numbered similarly, for example 5.1.4. Where an agenda item requires
action, the minutes should indicate clearly and boldly the individual(s)
responsible for undertaking the action, so that completion may be
checked at a subsequent meeting of the board of examiners.
It is customary for the chair to read aloud the name of each candidate
whose results are being considered. When the board has confirmed the
results of the cohort, the chair and the external examiner should sign the
master copy of the examination results. All copies should be numbered,
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Chapter 7Assessment
of learning
so that when they are collected back from board members at the end of
the meeting, the administrator can check that all have been returned. This
measure is designed to maintain the confidentiality of the proceedings.
In the event that a student is given a fail grade, the chair would
normally ask if there are any mitigating circumstances in relation
to the student concerned. If the board considers that the mitigating
circumstances were such that the students performance in the assessment
was adversely affected, the board has the authority to allow the student
to do the assessment again.
Appeals against a decision of the board of examiners

All institutions have procedures for appeals by students, and the grounds
of appeal are carefully defined. Students may not appeal against the
academic judgement of the markers as ratified by the board of examiners.
The grounds upon which an appeal may be based are normally:
illness or other factors which the student claims affected his or her
performance, but which he or she was unable or unwilling, for
legitimate reasons, to make known to the board of examiners before it
made its decision;
the occurrence of an administrative error or other irregularity affecting
the assessment;
the assessment was not carried out in accordance with the regulations
for the programme.
Appeals are conducted by an appeals committee whose typical

composition includes a deputy vice-chancellor, the dean of faculty, a head
of department from a different faculty, a member of the academic board
of the institution, and a student nominee of the students union. No
member of the committee should have had previous involvement with
the student in matters regarding the appeal.
Summary
Setting, marking and moderating students written assessment work
constitutes a very significant part of the lecturers role in higher

education, but in nurse education there is the added dimension of
workplace assessment to be considered.
A carefully planned assessment can form an integral part of the teaching
and learning experience for the student rather than something that
distracts from the main business of studying.
Assessment can provide valuable feedback to students about their
progress, and point out ways in which they could develop further.
The inclusion of multiple forms of assessment helps students to
integrate, synthesize and assimilate the theoretical components of the
domain with the clinical application and practical skills involved.
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References
Norm-referenced assessment means that an individual students score
on a test is compared with scores of other students in a given group,

and a rank order is assigned.
Criterion-referenced assessment implies that the score is compared
with some criterion or learning task such as achievement of behavioural
objectives.
Assessment is not only concerned with the measurement of student
achievement but includes such aspects of an individual as attitudes,
aptitudes, personality and intelligence.
Essay assessments require the learner to supply an answer that is
organized in his or her own words and presented in his or her own
style and, in examinations, handwriting, with few restrictions imposed,
and no single correct answer.
Marking an essay assignment involves more than simply checking the
content for accuracy; it also requires the marker to make a judgement
about the quality of the students scholarship skills.
Formative feedback is that which is given to students during the
process of preparing their work for assessment.
Feedback needs to be adapted to students differing levels of confidence
and experience.
Group projects can help students to experience teamwork at first
hand, and also to develop interpersonal communication skills and
management skills.
Work-based assessment is not controlled entirely by academic staff
from the institution; employers, supervisors and workers may all be
involved to some extent in the context of the assessment.
One of the most important aspects of assessment is the assessment
regulations; these act as an absolute guide to the whole
assessment system for a given course or programme, and should be
followed meticulously.
Banning, M. (2003) The use of structured assessments, practical skills and
performance indicators to assess the ability of pre-registration nursing
students to apply the principles of pharmacology and therapeutics to the
medication management needs of patients. Nurse Education in Practice,
3, 17.
Benett, Y. (1989) The assessment of supervised work experience (SWE):
a theoretical perspective. The Vocational Aspect of Education, XLI (109),
564.
Bloom, B. (1956) The Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: The
Classification of Educational Goals, Handbook One: The Cognitive
Domain. McKay, New York.
Brown, G., Bull, J. and Pendlebury, M. (1997) Assessing Student Learning
in Higher Education. Routledge, London.
Brown, S. and Knight, P. (1994) Assessing Learners in Higher Education.
Kogan Page, London.
Brown, S., Race, P. and Smith, B. (1996) 500 Tips on Assessment. Kogan
Page, London.
References
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Chapter 7Assessment
of learning
Butterworth, C. and Thorne, L. (1988) The accreditation of prior learning

and nurse education in higher education. In F.M. Quinn (ed.) Continuing
Professional Development in Nursing: A Guide for Practitioners and
Educators. Stanley Thornes, Cheltenham.
Cardiff University (2006) Academic Regulations Handbook. Cardiff
University, Cardiff.
Curzon, L.B. (2003) Teaching in Further Education: An Outline of
Principles and Practice, 6th edn. Continuum, London.
English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting
(1997) An investigation into the reliability and validity of assessment
strategies for the accreditation of prior learning of nurses, midwives and
health visitors. Research Highlights, 26, July 1997, ENB, London.
Eraut, M. (1998) Concepts of competence. Journal of Interprofessional
Care, 12(2), 127139.
Fearon, M. (1998) Assessment and measurement of competence in
practice. Nursing Standard, 12(22), 4347.
FENTO (2002) Standards for Teaching and Supporting Learning in Further
Education in England and Wales. Learning and Skills Development
Agency, London.
Flanagan, J. (1954) The critical incident technique. Psychological
Bulletin, 51, 327358.
Further Education Curriculum Unit (1984) Towards A Competency-based
System. FEU, London.
Gray, T. (1993) Open book examination. The New Academic, 3(1), 69.
Latan, B. and Darley, J. (1968) Group inhibition of bystander intervention
in emergencies. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 10, 215
221.
Murrell, K., Harris, L. and Tomsett, G. (1998) Using a portfolio to assess
clinical practice. Professional Nurse, 13(4), 220223.
NMC (2002) Standards for the Preparation of Teachers of Nursing,
Midwifery and Health Visiting, 2nd edn. Nursing and Midwifery Council,
London.
NMC (2004) Standards of Proficiency for Pre-registration Nursing
Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council (1992) The Teaching More
Students Project. Oxford Centre for Staff Development, Oxford.
Standards in Higher Education: Section 6 Assessment of Students. The
Redfern, E. (1998) The power of the professional profile. In F.M. Quinn
(ed.) Continuing Professional Development in Nursing: A Guide for
Practitioners and Educators. Stanley Thornes, Cheltenham.
Rowntree, D. (1987) Assessing Students: How Shall We Know Them? 2nd
edn. Kogan Page, London.
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References
Stenhouse, L. (1975) An Introduction to Curriculum Research and

Development. Heinemann, London.
and Midwifery Education. United Kingdom Central Council, London.
WAG (2005) Fitness for Practice All Wales Initiative: Assessment of
Clinical Practice. Welsh Assembly Government, Cardiff.
Welsh, I., and Swann, C. (2002) Partners in Learning: A Guide to Support
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Teaching
study skills
Students commencing a programme of study in higher education have

two characteristics in common: they are adults with a greater or lesser
amount of life experience, and they have had the benefit of some 10
years of compulsory schooling. It would seem safe, therefore, to assume
that they had accrued a range of study skills over that period of time, but
experience with higher education students shows that they often have
considerable weaknesses in this area.
The inclusion of study skills training is now an important feature of
higher education; the diminishing resource base for teaching, combined
with the ideology of student-centred-learning, has led to an increase in
self-directed learning in most curricula for professional education. Also,
many students entering nurse education are mature individuals who
may not have undertaken any study since leaving school, and even those
students who enter with previously acquired qualifications may find that
the approach to teaching has shifted considerably since they qualified.
Without the support of study-skills workshops and advice, students may
find it very difficult to pursue independent study in an efficient and
effective manner.
Levels
of study in nurse education
It is self-evident that students need to be able to undertake independent

study at a level appropriate to the award that they are pursuing. Within
nurse education there is the full spectrum of academic awards, from
Diploma of Higher Education through to Doctor of Philosophy, but there
are also in-house CPD programmes that may or may not carry academic
credit. One of the characteristics of the progression from diploma level
through to doctoral level is an increase in students independence and
autonomy. Table 8.1 shows the characteristics of a range of levels of study
descriptors in higher education (Quinn, 2000).
Table 8.1
Characteristics of levels of
study in higher education
Award
Credit levels
Characteristics
Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE)
1, 2
Extends and reinforces theoretical/

practical aspects of knowledge
Bachelors degree with honours
1, 2, 3
Requires a capacity for sustained,

independent, high-quality work
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Making
Masters degree
Requires ability to reflect on

significance and inter-relationship
of knowledge, and to formulate
original ideas and innovative
proposals, all with a fair degree of
autonomy
Doctoral degree (PhD)
n/a
Requires ability to produce

an independent and original
contribution to the field of
knowledge
Students
effective use of the library
learning styles (cognitive styles)
Research into learning styles has impacted on the literature of study

skills, particularly the work of Marton and colleagues on deep and
surface processing. Hartley (1998) points out those teaching methods are
being devised to foster deeper learning in various subject disciplines that
are not normally included on traditional study-skills courses. However,
he comments that the evidence from such methods suggests that they
reduce surface learning but do little to develop deep learning, and he
attributes this to institutional constraints.
Making
Since one of the main characteristics of undergraduate and postgraduate

study is the ability of the student to work independently, the library is the
single most important educational resource for this. If they are to benefit
from their studies, students need to develop a thorough understanding of
all the facilities afforded by a library.
Registration and induction

Library registration usually takes place at the same time as general
registration for a programme, and the student identity cards that are
issued incorporate library access. In higher education, it is common
practice for the library to provide an induction programme for new
students, complemented by written guides to the various library facilities.
The induction covers such aspects as the opening hours, the borrowing
rights of students, any system of fines that may be in operation, and
photocopying facilities. In addition, it should be pointed out that no food
or drink is allowed into the library, and conversation is reduced to the
bare minimum to avoid disturbing other peoples study.
Most libraries in higher education have a security system, which is
activated if a book is taken out of the library without the appropriate
authorization. Multidisciplinary libraries are common within the health
service and combine the resources for a wide range of health professions
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Chapter 8Teaching
study skills
such as nursing, midwifery, medicine, and the professions supplementary

to medicine. The periodicals or journals stock is usually very extensive in
multidisciplinary libraries.
Classification systems
The Dewey classification scheme (Dewey decimal system) is the system
favoured by university libraries to classify resources. It is divided into ten
main classes:
000
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
Generalities;
Philosophy and related disciplines;
Religion;
Social sciences;
Language;
Pure sciences;
Technology;
Arts;
Literature;
General geography and history.
Within this main classification, there are more specific ones; for
example, nursing is classified at 610, anatomy and physiology at 612,
psychology at 150159, and education at 370. The Dewey classification
is used not only for the main book stock, but for reference books,
periodicals, oversize materials, pamphlets, and audio-visual media. When
searching for specific subjects, students tend to concentrate on books,
and they may need reminding to look at the other resources shelved in
different areas of the library
Searching the catalogues

The online public access catalogue (OPAC) is the fastest way to locate
books and other resources; it operates via the Internet and is accessed
from the higher education institutions Web page. The OPAC offers a
range of options when searching for resources:
Author and title. This is the fastest search if both the author and the
title are known.
Author. This will search for work by a specific author.

Title. This will find a specific titled item.
Keyword. A keyword is entered, such as bereavement, and a list of
titles will appear that matches the keyword.
Subject. This is used to find the shelf mark, for example psychology.
Class. This is used to search for items within a Dewey decimal class
mark, for example 610, nursing.
Author and keyword. This is used if the author is known but only a
general idea of the subject is known.
Number. This is the ISBN, a number that is unique to each book and
the fastest way to search for a book.
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Making
The Web OPAC will also show details of loans, fines, and reservations.
Books
Although the majority of the book stock of a library is available for
loan, there are some categories that have restricted access. A short loan
collection consists of books that are in very great demand, and the
loan period for these is only one or two weeks in order to maximize their
availability to all readers. A counter text collection also contains popular
books, as well as other materials, and is available for use in the library
only. The reference collection contains materials that are not available
for loan, including statistical sources, encyclopaedias, dictionaries and
directories. If the library does not stock a particular book or other
resource, it can be obtained via the inter-library loan service; a charge
may be levied for this service.
Periodicals
The term periodical applies to any journal, newspaper or magazine,
and these are a valuable source of reference, particularly as they contain
material that is published long before it reaches the textbooks. Current
editions of periodicals are usually displayed prominently in the library,
with back copies stored under the appropriate classification.
Databases
Most libraries will have a range of computer databases stored on CDROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory). A compact disc can hold
the equivalent of a quarter of a million pages of A4 text or pictures, with
very fast access to indexes and abstracts. One of the most frequently
used in nursing is the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health
Literature (CINAHL), which contains citations from a large number of
journals. MEDLINE is the database of the National Library of Medicine,
USA, and NERIS is a British educational database.
Other library resources
In addition to books, periodicals and databases, libraries hold syllabuses,
prospectuses from educational institutions, past examination papers,
student dissertations, and audio-visual materials such as videotapes.
Searching the literature

Most undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in nurse education
require students to be able to undertake a literature search and review,
particularly in relation to research projects. In some institutions and
organizations, the library staff will undertake a literature search for
students, but there may be conditions or restrictions attached to this
service. Table 8.2 gives a checklist for undertaking a literature search. To
retrieve further literature in relation to a specific topic, the method of
back-chaining can be used, where the reference list of a given article is
also searched and additional literature located.
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Chapter 8Teaching
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Table 8.2
Undertaking a literature search
Before the search

1. Decide exactly what it is you want to know, i.e. the subject. Use dictionaries or encyclopedias
if unsure of definition, and check synonyms and related terms.
2. Decide on the limits of the search, for example how far back will it go? Will it be restricted to
certain areas or aspects? How long will it take?
During the search
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Consult the Web OPAC for the material held by the library on your subject.
Consult the relevant CD-ROM databases on your subject.
Consult other relevant abstracts and indexes on your subject.
Consult other relevant biographies on your subject.
Locate each of the references, using inter-library loan as appropriate.
Read this material, noting the quality. For example, is there any obvious bias? Does it contain a
biography? What is the quality of the index? Have there been previous editions? It is easier to
start with the latest material first, proceeding to the earlier material.
9. Complete a separate reference card for each reference, using a standard format such as the
Harvard system.
10. Complete reference cards for further references which might be given in the sources you
locate.
Bibliographies
There are two main types of bibliography, each of which contains
references to work in a given subject area. The first kind is the
retrospective bibliography, which gives a list of references up to a
particular date, for example, Thompsons Bibliography of Nursing
Literature 196070. The second kind is the serial bibliography, which
is published at regular intervals; for example, Nursing Bibliography
(monthly) and Current Literature on Health Services (monthly). The
British National Bibliography is published weekly and contains every
publication in Britain since 1950.
Online information services are remote databases such as the
International Bibliography of the Social Science (IBSS).
Abstracts
These consist of summaries of publications in certain fields, for example
Hospital Abstracts, Nursing Research Abstracts, and Research into Higher
Education Abstracts.
Indexes
Indexes contain references for articles on a particular subject, culled
from a variety of journals; for example, International Nursing Index and
British Education Index.
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Making

It is a general requirement throughout higher education that students
correctly cite and list the references used in their written work. This
applies to all forms of material to which reference is made in the
students work.
Book references
Students should be encouraged to use a standard format or citation style
in their work, such as the Harvard system or the numeric system. Harvard
referencing for a single book is shown in Table 8.3, and referencing for a
chapter in a book is shown in Table 8.4. The purpose of underlining and
italics is to show which element of the citation is a separately published
unit.
Authors surname and initials
Table 8.3
Indication of editorship, where appropriate
Harvard system for book

references
Year of publication
Title, in italics or underlined
Edition
Publisher
Place of publication
Example:
Quinn, F.M. (ed.) (1998) Continuing Professional Development in Nursing: A Guide for Practitioners
and Educators. Nelson Thornes, Cheltenham.
Chapter authors surname and initials
Table 8.4
Year of publication
Harvard system for book

chapter references
Title of chapter
Book authors initials and surname
Year of publication
Title of book, in italics or underlined
Edition
Publisher
Place of publication
Example:
Hinchliff, S (1998) Lifelong learning in context. In F. M. Quinn (ed.) (1998) Continuing Professional
Development in Nursing: A Guide for Practitioners and Educators. Nelson Thornes, Cheltenham.
In the numeric system, each citation is numbered in the sequence it

appears in the text, and the full citation is given against the appropriate
number in the listing at the end.
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Chapter 8Teaching
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Example
Quinn (7) suggests that the main purpose of problem-solving groups is
to encourage critical thinking. In the reference listing, the full reference
would appear as follows:
7. Quinn, F.M. (2000) The Principles and Practice of Nurse Education,
4th edn. Nelson Thornes, Cheltenham.
Journal articles
For journal articles, slightly different details are needed to help the
reader locate the information. The use of italics is also different from
the convention used for book references, as shown in Table 8.5.
Table 8.5
Harvard system for journal
references
Authors surname and initials

Date of article
Title of article
Title of journal in full, in italics or underlined
Volume number
Issue number, in brackets
Page numbers of article (first and last)
Example:
Hughes, S.J. (2005) Student attendance during college based lectures: a pilot study. Nursing
Standard, 19(47), 4149.
Further examples of the style of references appear at the end of each

chapter of this book.
Citing electronic sources
Citations of material from the Internet are as given in the example
below:
NMC (2006) The Prep Handbook, www.nmc-uk.org/aFrameDisplay.
aspx?DocumentID=1636.
Effective
reading skills
The student may gain a great deal of information by simply handling

a book and noting some of its features. An idea of its content can be
ascertained from reading the publicity description found on the back of
the book or the flaps of the dust jacket. In addition, a preface or foreword
will indicate the target audience and often the aim of the author, but it
should be remembered that a foreword by an eminent writer, although
usually a good recommendation, should not be taken as the sole criterion
for the excellence of a book.
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Effective
note-taking
A glance at the bibliographical page will indicate the author, title and
date of publication; if the book is into a second or subsequent edition,
this may indicate success. The contents page can be scanned for an idea of
the main sequence of the book, and it is important to examine the index
to see the kind of content included.
Approaches to reading
Students will approach reading in different ways, depending upon its
purpose. Brown and Atkins (1988) identify six approaches:
1. Scanning. This approach is used to find a specific piece of
information.
2. Skimming. This is used to obtain an overall impression of an article or
chapter.
3. Surveying. This is used to ascertain the overall structure of an article
or chapter.
4. Light study reading. This is reading with no specific purpose other than
general background study.
5. Directed reading. This is focused reading for a specific purpose, for
example to grasp concepts, theories, etc.
6. Deep study reading. This is active reading in depth for example to
discover meanings, to consider and evaluate arguments, etc.
Pre-reading and follow-up reading

If at all possible, it is very useful for students to do some relevant reading
prior to each group meeting. They will be in a much better position to
contribute during the session and will also have a good insight into the
topic under discussion. It is equally valuable to do some follow-up reading
each week after the unit meeting, as this will help students to consolidate
their learning, and it also offers further perspectives on the topic.
Effective
note-taking
Bligh (1998) in a review of studies on note-taking as an aid to memory

concludes that the evidence supports the position that note-taking during
a lecture does aid students memory of the lecture content. He also notes
the evidence that note-taking for revision can improve performance.
Therefore, on balance it appears that note-taking is to be recommended
if it is done effectively, i.e. recording the key points rather than trying
to write down everything word for word. At degree level, it is more
important to note key references given in the unit, so that the original
source can be accessed later, avoiding reliance on secondary sources.
Table 8.6 gives some advantages and disadvantages of note-taking.
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Chapter 8Teaching
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Table 8.6
Advantages and disadvantages
of note-taking
Advantages
Disadvantages
Provides a permanent record for later review

Material is encoded in students own words
Aids memory of lecture points
Aids performance in revision
May be inaccurate
Student may miss part of lecture whilst writing
notes
May inhibit students own processing activities
if structured by teacher
Some teachers prefer to give notes in the form of handouts, so that

accuracy is ensured and nothing is missed during the lesson. On the other
hand, giving printed notes means that the students do not have a chance
to encode material in their own words, a major disadvantage. It also
means that the students own unique processing activities are suppressed.
Perhaps the best compromise is for the teacher to use incomplete
handouts that contain the key headings and subheadings of the lecture
and leave sufficient space for the students to write in their own notes.
Systems for note-taking

If students wish to take notes from teaching sessions, there are a number
of systems for this.
The standard system
The standard system consists of writing down the key headings and
subheadings, with outline descriptions under each one as in Table 8.7.
Table 8.7
Incidence
Commonest fatal cancer in developed world

Commonest cancer in men, accounting for half the total cancer deaths
in men
Second most common cancer in women, after breast cancer
Aetiology
90% accounted for by cigarette smoking

Risk is 40 times greater for smokers over non-smokers
Passive smoking accounts for some 5%
Urban residents have higher incidence than rural
Industrial products, e.g. asbestos, chromium
Pathology
Cell types: squamous cell; adenocarcinoma; small-cell; large-cell

Narrowing; obstruction; caviation; infection
Direct spread to pleura; mediastinum; chest wall; brachial plexus
Lymphatic spread to supraclavicular and mediastinal lymph nodes
Metastatic spread to liver, bone, brain, adrenals
Clinical features
Local: cough, haemotysis; breathlessness; pleural pain; chest pain; Horners

syndrome; Pancoasts syndrome
General: pneumonia; anorexia; weight loss; lassitude; symptoms due to
metastases, e.g. epileptic seizures, jaundice
Investigations
Radiology; bronchoscopy; biopsy; sputum cytology; thoracotomy
Management
Surgical resection (not possible or appropriate in 85% of patients);

radiotherapy; chemotherapy; laser therapy
Prognosis
80% die in first year, 56% 5-year survival rate
Standard system of note-taking:

bronchial carcinoma
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Source of data: Crompton et al. (1999)
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Participating
in group discussion and seminars
The pattern system

The pattern system uses only main concepts, which are connected by
lines showing the interrelationships, as in Figure 8.1.
DEVIANCE violation of
group or society norms
SOCIAL DEFINITION
Figure 8.1
Pattern system of note-taking:
labelling theory
CULTURE-DETERMINED
CHANGE OVER TIME
DEVIANCE
LABELLING THEORY
STIGMA e.g.
mad; gay
SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY
Bligh (1998) offers advice to students on effective note-taking:
Abbreviations should be used, and you should develop your own

system of shorthand for frequently occurring concepts.
Layout should be neat and flexible. Plan your notes so that information
from other sources can be added later.
Note questions and problems rather than facts.

Keep a notebook for thoughts and ideas about the subject, for use
anytime.
Review notes immediately after the lecture and add any further
points.
Familiarize yourself with the subject before attending the lecture, so

that your mind is prepared.
Participating
in group discussion and seminars
A key aim of units at undergraduate and postgraduate level is to foster

students critical-thinking abilities, and one way of doing this is to
encourage students to participate actively in discussion and debate.
Students should be encouraged to venture opinions to the group, even if
they are not entirely sure of their knowledge. The value of participation
lies in stimulating other members of the group to challenge contributors
ideas, and students should try to keep an open mind about the issues that
they confront, even if they feel strongly one way or the other; this will
allow them to evaluate the issue more objectively.
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Chapter 8Teaching
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Not everyone likes group work, and students may feel that the same
few people always dominate the discussion, so that others cannot get a
word in. Unit leaders need to be alert to this and be prepared to take steps
to encourage the more silent members to contribute. Students must be
encouraged to participate in group discussions during the units; it really
is important that they experience the process of constructive criticism.
Seminar presentation involves speaking to the group on a particular
topic, either chosen by the student or allocated by the tutor. Students
may feel that this is a nerve-racking experience, especially if they have
not done anything like it before! Tutors can give guidance and tips to help
students with seminar presentations, as shown in Table 8.8.
Table 8.8
Guidance for students
seminar presentations
1. Prepare your material carefully, i.e. ensure that any visual materials are written large enough
to be seen.
2. Make a brief plan of the presentation so that you have the sequence in front of you (it is very
disconcerting for you to lose your place).
3. Ensure that you have thoroughly understood the content of your material; you may be
questioned about it by group members!
4. Prepare the classroom carefully beforehand, i.e. make sure that everyone can see the
chalkboard/screen, etc.; ensure that the overhead projector is aligned carefully, with a full-size
image on the screen (if unsure how to do this, ask your tutor).
5. Remember, the aim of the seminar is that the group learns something from your presentation,
i.e. do not bombard them with masses of information; use overhead projector or handouts
for key points; allow sufficient time for note-taking.
6. Allow opportunities for discussion, i.e. the seminar is not about giving information, but should
stimulate thinking and debate; keep formal information to a minimum; posing questions for
the group to answer can stimulate debate.
7. Try to make your presentation serve two purposes, i.e. for the seminar and also as the basis
of your unit assessment. This will ensure that you take the necessary care over the reading
and preparation of the topic.
Planning
to study
Studying at higher education level needs to be carried out frequently

and regularly in order to achieve the required learning outcomes
of the programme. This is easier said than done, particularly where
studying is done on a part-time basis. Study time often conflicts with
work responsibilities and family commitments, and there may well be
associated guilt if studying is seen to take students away from their
children. It is therefore very important to plan carefully for study, so that
a sensible balance is struck between these conflicting demands.
Planning study time

Like most other activities in life, studying is facilitated by planning. A
carefully prepared plan of study can eliminate the somewhat haphazard
approach that tends to be common among students. To be really effective,
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Strategies
for effective study
study must be seen as a natural part of the students life, just like meal
times and other routines. Another aspect is the temptation to escape
from the chore of study by using certain devices that may or may not be
unconscious. For example, daydreaming is a common occurrence during
study as are frequent trips to make coffee, or some other ploy that takes
one away from the unpleasant situation. Boredom is another problem
against which the student must fight, and it is good advice to suggest that
he or she uses a pencil to make notes at regular intervals, thus aiding
concentration and providing a feeling of getting somewhere. Joining
with a small group of students to examine a common problem can be a
motivating activity from time to time and gives different perspectives on
an aspect of study.
When planning for study it is important to include regular breaks
so that fatigue is avoided. Stretching ones legs every hour or so will
help keep concentration and make the subsequent study more efficient.
It is unlikely that a period of study longer than about three hours will
be useful at any one time and even this length may prove difficult.
An interesting suggestion is given by Bandura (1977), which he terms
self-reinforcement. It involves setting oneself certain study goals and
allocating a reward that is conditional upon attainment of these goals.
For example, students might decide to study a particular section of a
textbook until they could describe its content in their own words. The
reward that they allocate could be a walk in the park, which can be taken
only when the objective has been achieved.
Organizing the environment for study

It is important that books and materials can be left lying in the same
place, since having to put them away, and then take them out on another
occasion, can be very demotivating. A comfortable chair, with good
support for the lumbar spine, is crucial, and the room should be at a
comfortable temperature with adequate ventilation to offset fatigue.
Daylight is the best form of illumination, but in the evenings it is good
to have two light sources with adequate shading to prevent glare. Many
students automatically switch on music when commencing study, as this
makes the task less of a chore. However, music is a source of distracting
input that will interfere with studying, so it is better to save music for the
five-minute breaks in studying that are taken every hour or so.
Strategies
for effective study
There are a number of strategies that can help students to study more
effectively, including rehearsal, mnemonics, and self-assessment.
Rehearsal
This is the silent repetition of sentences or words over and over again as
a way of remembering them. It is a particularly important metacognitive
strategy for retention of material, and there are two closely related
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Chapter 8Teaching
study skills
concepts: review, which involves going back over material that one has
previously read, and recitation, which is actually saying the material out
loud.
Mnemonics
These are memory aids that involve mental strategies; the best-known
ones involve rhymes, such as Thirty days hath September, April, June
and November
Mnemonics can be visual, as in the case of imagery. Evidence suggests
that by forming a mental picture or image we can remember items much
better. For example, one can form a picture in which items for recall are
associated with aspects of the home; one item may be hanging in the
hall, another on the sofa. A more practical example in nursing is the use
of images of patients one has nursed in the past. The student should try
to recall a patient who had nursing problems and picture the care given.
Narrative is a closely related idea and consists of making up a story that
links all the words one wishes to remember.
Self-testing
Self-testing can be a useful strategy for increasing retention of material,
and evidence for this is offered by Rothkopf (1970) and Rothkopf and
Johnson (1971). Rothkopf maintains that learning from written materials
involves two processes, the first one being the study and inspection
behaviours of the student. He calls these mathemagenic behaviours, i.e.
behaviours that give birth to learning. The second process is the actual
acquisition of learning of the subject matter. Rothkopf maintains that the
study habits of students are fluid and can be constantly modified during
study. He tested these ideas in a series of experiments involving the use of
questions inserted into texts and found that the greatest facilitative effect
on learning occurred when the questions were inserted after the material
to which they related, i.e. post-questions. The implication for students
is that the regular testing of study materials by the use of post-questions
may well enhance learning.
Tackling
assessments and examinations
Assessments and examinations tend to be perceived by students as

the most important aspects of a programme of study, and this is
understandable, given the consequences of failure. Advice about tackling
assessments and examinations can help relieve some of the anxiety that
students experience and possibly improve their performance.
Approaching coursework assessment tasks

The most important single step in tackling the assessment is to read the
assessment specification carefully. It is, unfortunately, a relatively common
occurrence to find that a student has been referred on an assignment
because he or she has not conformed to the assessment specification for
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Tackling
that unit. No matter how scholarly or erudite an assignment is, it will

not gain a pass grade unless it meets the specification for the unit. It is
no good having the right answer to the wrong question. When students
have thoroughly understood the assignment brief (if in doubt, it can be
checked with the unit leader), they should ask themselves the following
questions:
1. Assuming that there is a choice of assignments, is it sufficiently
motivating to pursue in preference to other relevant topics?
2. Is it manageable in terms of time and resources available to meet the
deadline for handing in?
3. Are there sufficient references available to be able to demonstrate
skilful use of the literature?
Reading for the assessment

When writing assignments it is vital to demonstrate the ability to use
the literature with insight. Textbooks provide an overview of the topic
and are a good starting point. Students should always check the date of
publication, especially in books that have been reprinted several times.
It is easy to misinterpret a current reprint date and assume that the book
is quite new, whereas it may be several years old and therefore possibly
out of date. Journals offer up-to-date articles on specific aspects of a
topic and usually contain an abstract from which the students can quickly
tell whether or not the article is relevant to their study. Journal articles
are also important as a source of criticism of other articles or theories.
Journals often run consecutive editions containing blasts and counterblasts from contributors with opposing viewpoints, and these provide
fascinating insights into critical, analytic argument. The literature of
philosophy is often overlooked by nursing students but can be extremely
useful in providing insights into issues such as values, beliefs, judgements,
freedom of choice, etc. The mass media, i.e. newspapers, radio and
television, are also a useful source of reference. There are many excellent
articles and programmes relating to health matters, and these tend to
address current, controversial issues.
Effective writing for coursework assessments

It is the coursework assessments, along with clinical assessments and
examinations that enable students to demonstrate achievement of the
learning outcomes of their programme. Most students will require some
help with the formulation of their assignments, particularly if they have
not had recent experience of study.
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Chapter 8Teaching
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Composing an essay-type assignment

Composing an essay involves four main processes (Humes, 1983):
1. Planning. This takes more time than any other process, and includes
not only the initial planning before commencement of writing, but
the constant planning that goes on throughout the composition.
Planning includes the organization and generation of content and the
sequencing of goals.
2. Translating. This is the transformation of thoughts into written form
and consists of complex mental activities, such as attending to syntax
and structure.
3. Reviewing. Writers engage in retrospective activities to check if their
written ideas are actually what were intended. It also serves to reorientate the writer for the next section.
4. Revising. This covers editing of the written material and usually results
in the production of a second draft, although much editing can occur
during the initial draft.
Essay-type assignments vary enormously in their approach, from the
standard essay question to case studies and problem-centred assignments.
However, it is possible to draw a few general guidelines for students to
consider. Essays must be written in prose, not in note form, with sentences
of appropriate length and the sensible use of paragraphs. Great store is
attached to legibility and clarity of expression in all educational systems,
so careful planning is required beforehand. Even under examination
conditions it is important to do a brief plan before attempting to write
an answer to ensure that all the main aspects have been considered for
inclusion.
One method for planning assignments has been used for many years
but remains an effective system even today. Spider diagrams can allow you
to make connections and construct logical arguments from what would
otherwise be just a series of notes. They also allow the student to visualize
the overall content and structure of work in the form of diagrammatic
reasoning, in other words, brainstorming or mind-mapping. According to
Burnard (2004), brainstorming involves giving the imagination free rein
around a given topic; notes or associations related to the question are
written down in any order.
Figure 8.2 gives an example of a spider diagram that focuses on
an assignment relating to accountability and the legal and professional
implications within the perioperative environment.
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taCkling assessments and examinations

Conclusion
Interests of patients are paramount
Maintain high standards of care
Justify acts/omissions
Introduction
Expanded role of theatre nurse
Concept of accountability
NMC code of conduct
Aim of assignment
Figure 8.2
Spider diagram for assignment
Assignment title
Accountability
Legal/professional implications in the
perioperative area
Main body
Modes of accountability (professional, employer, civil, criminal)
Misconduct in the operating theatre

Negligence (duty of care, standard of care, causation)
Consent (battery crime and tort)
Confidentiality
NMC code of conduct
Case law
Acts of statute
The length of an assignment must be clearly indicated by the teachers

and any minimum and maximum length strictly adhered to. It is quite
unfair to state that an assignment has a maximum of 3000 words and
then to accept ones that are perhaps twice this long. Students who stuck
to the limit are then, in effect, penalized as the others will have included
much more material in their work. Students should state the word count
of their assignment on the title page of the submission. New penalties
for excessive word counts have been introduced in many institutions and
should be strictly adhered to.
Word counts for all summative assignments should usually fall within
plus or minus 10 per cent of the wordage specified in the assessment
guidelines. This means that, for example, if the wordage for a summative
assignment is 4000 words, the work must have a word count of no less
than 3600 words and no more than 4400 words, although few penalties
are generally used for under-wordage. Words that form part of the word
count include all words in the text that comprises the introduction, main
body, recommendations and conclusion, with the exception of tables and
diagrams.
Strict attention must be paid to the wording of the assignment; there
is an ever-present temptation to interpret the question or title in the way
the student would like it to be phrased, rather than how it is actually
phrased. Students should use fluorescent highlighter pens to identify the
key words in the question or title, since these dictate the form of response
required. Table 8.9 gives a list of common terms and their meaning.
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Chapter 8Teaching
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Table 8.9
Common terms used
in assessment
ANALYSE
Literally, breaking up the issue into its constituent parts and

describing them in detail
ASSESS
Estimate the pros and cons of the issue and give a judgement
on these
COMPARE AND CONTRAST
Show the similarities and differences between the concepts
DEFINE
Show the exact meaning of the concept
DESCRIBE
Give a picture of an object or event without judgement
DISCUSS
Give viewpoints from both sides and then round off with
own conclusion based on these
LIST
Write down in tabular form with minimum words
OUTLINE
A general overview without fine detail
STATE
Present the points briefly without elaboration
It is well worth spending time initially on designing the overall structure

of the assignment, as a good assignment can be weakened by a poor or
incoherent structure. Whilst there is no ideal or standard structure, it may
be helpful to offer the student a basic pattern as shown in Table 8.10.
Table 8.10
1.
Title
Typical structure of an
essay assignment
2.
Introduction
Focus of assignment
Problem or issue
Context
Literature review
3.
Main body
Description
Analysis/argument
Synthesis/argument
Evaluation
4.
Conclusions
Review of issues
Students opinions in the light of the foregoing discussion
Recommendations if appropriate
5.
References
Use standard system of referencing, e.g. Harvard
6.
Appendix
Useful for documents that could not be included fully in the text for want of space, but
which would provide useful information for the reader
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Tackling
Word-processing
Word-processing is the answer to students problems when editing
the final draft for submission. With this technology, they can move
paragraphs around, or insert and delete until they are happy with the
result. Handwritten assignments do not easily allow for alterations
without a great deal of re-writing, so it might be worth students while
to acquire word-processing skills. Tutors can offer useful advice and tips
on editing, as shown in Table 8.11.
1. Check the number of words (do a spellcheck on word processor); it is normal to accept
plus or minus 10% of the required word length, i.e. if the assignment is 2500 words, then
an acceptable range would be 22502750 words. If you go outside these boundaries you
may well find that your marks are adversely affected. It is more difficult to write concisely, and
therefore students would be unfairly advantaged if they were allowed to exceed the word
length by a significant amount.
2. Avoid padding your assignment with materials that are not strictly relevant to the topic.
Students are often tempted to include material in the appendix just because it is readily
available from their institution. Any material in the appendix must be referred to in the main
text, and must have a substantial contribution to make to the assignment.
3. Carry out a final check against the unit assessment specification to ensure that all aspects have
been addressed.
4. It is imperative that careful attention is paid to the procedures for handing-in of your
assignment.
5. Always keep a copy of the assignment. In the very best systems there is always the possibility
of a mishap, and an assignment may occasionally go astray. It is heartbreaking if this occurs and
you have not kept a copy.
Table 8.11
Tips for students on
editing their assignments
Failing an assignment
Some students are likely to experience the failure of an assignment, and
one of the most common reasons is that the students have not tried as
hard and performed as well as they are able. Other reasons for failure
are likely to include illness, personal circumstances, learning difficulties
and plagiarism. Although all institutions have systems in place to support
students who fail, Mardell and Moore (2005) offer some very useful
advice on how actually to fail an assignment. Whilst by their own
admission it is relatively tongue-in-cheek, it is worth drawing students
attention to it as a reminder of the pitfalls associated with academic
writing. They identify key areas that students often dismiss when
studying, which include planning, plagiarism and referencing.
Plagiarism
There are now a number of Internet sites that offer to write students
assignments for them. Apart from the obvious plagiarism that occurs,
the issue relating to trustworthiness has huge implications for students
and qualified nurses. The NMC (2004) demands that we uphold the
reputation of the profession; if a nurse sees nothing wrong in paying for
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Chapter 8Teaching
study skills
an assignment to be written or in passing off a pre-written assignment as

his or her own, then it can be assumed that the same person is capable
of being untruthful in issues relating to general nursing practice. This
might include a drug error that poses severe consequences for a patient.
In circumstances such as this, the whole issue of fitness for purpose must
be explored.
In 2001 the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) was launched
to address student plagiarism and funded the Plagiarism Advisory Service.
The aim of JISC is to:
Work with further and higher education by providing strategic
guidance, advice and opportunities to use ICT to support teaching,
learning, research and administration
(JISC, 2005).
Park (2003) expressed concern that plagiarism in the UK is becoming

more common so the Plagiarism Advisory Service is in place to issue
advice and guidance on all aspects of plagiarism prevention and detection
to institutions, academics and students (JISC, 2005). It uses a UK version
of an American electronic detection service known as Turnitin and,
as a subscriber of this service, Cardiff University (2006) states that it
provides an online plagiarism detection service that can help identify
cases of unfair practice in written work. Submitted assignments are
checked against its database of previously submitted papers and millions
of web pages, highlighting found matches and returning a colour-coded
originality report.
The Turnitin Web site identifies plagiarism as an act of fraud and
considers all of the following as plagiarism:
submitting another persons work as your own;

copying words or ideas from another person without giving credit;
failing to put a quotation in quotation marks; and
changing words but copying the sentence structure of a source without
giving credit.
Turnitin (2005) further emphasizes that:

most cases of plagiarism can be avoided by citing sources and
simply acknowledging that certain material has been borrowed, and
providing the information necessary to find that source is usually
enough to prevent plagiarism.
Revising for examinations

Examinations are virtually confined to pre-registration programmes in
nursing and midwifery education and are often perceived by students as
the most stressful aspect of a course. It is crucial that students commence
revision as early as possible if stress is to be minimized, and the regular
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Summary
review of lecture notes will help. Again, planning is the key to effective
revision, with objectives and deadlines for each week, but, in the case of
examination revision, motivation is of paramount importance. Revising
in study groups can provide excellent motivation and, in addition,
the presence of other students who feel equally ignorant can be very
reassuring. Frequent changes of stimulus can help combat staleness,
and the use of a learning resources centre with audio-visual aids may
provide a welcome change from reading. It cannot be overemphasized
that cramming is a very inefficient and risky business, as the high levels
of stress that develop close to the examination act to impair the learning
performance.
Examination technique
Sitting for an examination requires a degree of self-control, since panic
can so easily undermine an otherwise well-prepared candidate. If the
examination consists of an unseen paper, the candidate will not be
allowed to take any resources into the examination room other than
those for writing and drawing. The instructions for filling in the answer
book should be noted. On the first scan of the paper, the student should
carefully note the number of questions to be answered, the parts from
which they should each be selected if relevant, and the amount of time to
be allocated to each. It is wise to allocate an equal amount of time to each
question, including an allowance at the end of the examination to go
back over and check the answers. The students should be advised to scan
the questions and to select the one that they feel most confident about.
Once writing begins anxiety levels should fall, and the students will be
able to choose subsequent questions in a more rational frame of mind.
Students should be advised to make a brief plan before commencing a
question, as this can ensure that all necessary elements of the answer have
been considered. This plan can then act as a prompt when the writing
begins to flow. It is important that a careful watch is kept on the time,
as it is all too easy to overrun on the easier questions, leaving a shortfall
for the more difficult ones. During the last five minutes or so, the student
should read through all answers, adding brief points that were missed the
first time. As a final check, the student should ensure that all papers are
properly identified according to the instructions.
Summary
The inclusion of study-skills training is now an important feature of
higher education.
Without the support of study-skills workshops and advice, students

may find it very difficult to pursue independent study in an efficient
and effective manner.
Students need to be able to undertake independent study at a level
appropriate to the award they are pursuing.
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Chapter 8Teaching
study skills
One of the main characteristics of higher education study is the ability

of the student to work independently.
Students should be encouraged to undertake relevant reading prior
to each group meeting, as they will be in a much better position to

contribute during the session and will also have a good insight into the
topic under discussion.
Some teachers prefer to give notes in the form of handouts, so that
accuracy is ensured and nothing is missed during the lesson.
A key aim of units at undergraduate and postgraduate level is to foster
students critical-thinking abilities, and one way of doing this is to
encourage students to participate actively in discussion and debate.
A carefully prepared plan of study can eliminate a haphazard approach
that tends to be common among students.
There are a number of strategies that can help students to study more
effectively, including rehearsal, mnemonics, and self-assessment.
When writing assignments it is vital to demonstrate the ability to use
the literature with insight.
Spider diagrams can enable a student to make connections and
construct logical arguments from what would otherwise be just a series
of notes.
Revising in study groups can provide excellent motivation and, in
addition, the presence of other students who feel equally ignorant can
be very reassuring.
References
Bandura, A. (1977) Social Learning Theory. Prentice Hall, Englewood

Cliffs, NJ.
Methuen, London.
Burnard, P. (2004) Writing Skills in Healthcare. Nelson Thornes,
Cheltenham.
Cardiff University (2006) Plagiarism: The JISC Turnitin Plagiarism
Detection Service, http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/schoolsanddivisions/divisions/
learning/themes/assess/plagiarism.html.
Crompton, G.K., Haslett, C. and Chilvers, E.R. (1999) Diseases of the
respiratory system. In C. Haslett, E.R. Chilvers, J.A.A. Hunter and N.A.
Boon (eds) Davidsons Principles and Practice of Medicine, 18th edn.
Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh.
Hartley, J. (1998) Learning and Studying: A Research Perspective.
Routledge, London.
Humes, A. (1983) Research on the composing process. Review of
Educational Research, 53(2), 201216.
JISC (2005) Institutional issues in deterring, detecting and dealing with
student plagiarism. http://www.jisc.ac.uk/uploaded_documents/plagFinal.
pdf.
Mardell, A. and Moore, C. (2005) How to fail an assignment. Nursing
Times, 101(37), 4445.
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References
NMC (2004) The NMC Code of Professional Conduct: Standards for

Conduct, Performance and Ethics. Nursing Midwifery Council, London.
Park, C. (2003) In other (peoples) words: plagiarism by university
students literature and lessons. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher
Education, 28(5), 471488.
Rothkopf, E. (1970) The concept of mathemagenic activities. Review of
Educational Research, 40, 325336.
Rothkopf, E. and Johnson, P. (1971) Verbal Learning Research and the
Technology of Written Instruction. Teachers College Press, New York.
Turnitin (2005) What is plagiarism? http://www.turnitin.com/research_
site/e_what_is_plagiarism.html.
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Part Three
Specific
teaching
contexts
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Teaching
in the clinical setting
Nursing, midwifery and specialist community public health nursing

practice is carried out in a range of workplace settings, including hospital
wards and departments, community health centres, GP surgeries, schools,
nurseries, day centres, residential homes, and industry. It is therefore selfevident that these settings constitute important learning environments;
indeed, experiential learning is based on the premise that learning gained
through experience is more meaningful and relevant than that acquired
in classrooms.
Some people prefer to use the term learners to describe individuals
who are pursuing an education or training programme in the workplace,
but given that everyone is now meant to be a lifelong learner, the term
student seems a more appropriate distinction. Within a given workplace
setting, a variety of individuals can be classed as students at one time or
another:
Pre-registration student. These are students undertaking an educational
programme in a higher education institution leading to an academic

award and registration as a nurse or midwife. Their presence in the
workplace is on the basis of a placement, i.e. they spend a given
amount of time in a range of workplace settings but are not part of the
workforce of those settings.

Post-registration students. These are qualified registered nurses or
midwives who are undertaking either:
an educational programme in a higher education institution leading
to an additional academic and/or professional award; or
an in-house programme of professional development.
Most of these are in-service students, i.e. they are undertaking their studies
on a part-time or flexible basis, whilst maintaining their responsibilities as
members of the workforce in a given workplace setting. However, some
post-registration programmes, such as specialist community public health
nursing, lead to a further professional registration and are therefore
classified as being both pre-and post-registration! These programmes
require full-time attendance, and the students undertake placements in a
range of community workplace settings.
National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) students. These are normally
health care assistants who are undertaking an NVQ programme at a

college of further education leading to an NVQ award. These are parttime in-service programmes with an emphasis on workplace learning
and assessment.
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Chapter 9Teaching
From the foregoing discussion, it can be seen that workplace settings

in nursing, midwifery and specialist community public health nursing
provide the learning environment for a whole range of personnel,
including those undertaking formal programmes, and those receiving
informal, and often spontaneous, teaching as part of their day-to-day
practice. Hence, this environment for learning becomes a crucial factor
in the success or otherwise of the personnel involved, so it behoves nurse
teachers to appreciate the social dynamics of the workplace. Chapter 6
(p. 236) contains a detailed discussion of group dynamics, but selected
aspects relating to the workplace are included below.
Group
dynamics and the workplace
The workplace does not simply provide an environment for learning the
knowledge and skills required for practice; it also serves as a vehicle for
pre-registration students socialization into the profession of nursing or
midwifery.
Socialization
From early infancy, individuals learn the values, knowledge and patterns
of behaviour that make them a member of their particular society; the
process by which an individual undergoes induction into these expected
behaviours or roles is termed socialization, and is a lifelong process
involving transmission of culture.
Primary socialization
This begins in infancy and is mediated through the immediate family;
sex roles, social class morals and manners are all part of this early
socialization process.
Secondary socialization
This begins once the child commences school and is influenced not only
by teachers but also by peers; the latter exert a powerful effect as the
child moves into adolescence, when peer-group pressure may result in
behaviour at variance with the childs family or society.
Occupational socialization
This is a particular kind of secondary socialization, which involves
induction into specific occupational roles after leaving school. Nursing
culture has a powerful influence on new members, socializing them into
the role of nurse, with all its attendant values and behaviours. In the past,
there was great emphasis on conformity and obedience to superiors and
a very rigid code of personal and professional behaviour.
Socialization may begin in anticipation of future rules, and this
anticipatory socialization is important in facilitating the eventual uptake
of such roles. Many girls are socialized into nursing from an early age
by means of play, especially that associated with hospitals and caring.
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Group
The mass media are a powerful influence on such socialization and may
well be responsible for sex-role stereotyping and racism. Television,
newspapers and even childrens books may portray nursing as being the
exclusive preserve of women; indeed, women are commonly depicted
in occupations such as nursing, teaching, domestic work and catering,
rather than in engineering or medicine.
The public nature of work-based teaching

One of the major differences between classroom teaching and workplacebased teaching is that the latter is a much more public endeavour. In the
classroom, the teacher is normally alone with the students; in contrast,
the workplace is populated by a wide range of people including:
nursing and medical staff;

practitioners from the professions allied to medicine, for example
physiotherapist, occupational therapist,
technicians;
support workers and administrators;
patients, clients, relatives and friends;
counsellors, ministers of religion.
medical
laboratory
It is very likely that much of the teaching will take place in this public
arena, so it may be helpful to explore the effects of an audience on
human performance. The mere presence of an audience may facilitate
or hinder behaviour, the so-called audience effect. For example, many
actors and athletes feel that they need an audience in order to perform to
their fullest ability. On the other hand, the presence of others can exert
an inhibitory effect on behaviour and this has been demonstrated in a
number of interesting studies.
Latan and Darley (1968) showed the effect of the presence of other
people on an individuals reaction to emergency situations. They conclude
that people are less likely to intervene in an emergency if other people
are present and that this can be explained by diffusion of responsibility.
If a person encounters an emergency when alone, that person is solely
responsible for his or her actions. If, however, other people are present,
each individual may feel that his or her own responsibility is reduced and
this makes the person less likely to become involved.
Roles and norms

Within the workplace setting, roles and norms exert a significant
influence. Roles are actions within a given status, such as the leadership
role of the ward manager. Norms are standards or values of behaviour,
which may be formal or informal. Formal norms in a workplace setting
are imposed by the organization, such as a requirement for practice
to be evidence based. Informal norms develop from within the group
as a result of interaction; for example, one ward may have a norm
involving a particular way of organizing the daily workload. Individuals
tend to conform to the prevailing norms of the workplace, and there is
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Chapter 9Teaching
evidence that norms may develop over a short period. In a classic study
on group norms, Sherif (1936) demonstrated the rapid convergence to
a group norm of individuals opinions regarding the extent of apparent
movement of a spot of light in a darkened room. Hence, individuals who
join a workplace setting will be expected to adhere to the norms, or risk
alienation or ostracism.
Labelling theory and expectancy effect

Another aspect of group dynamics that has significance for workplace
settings is that of labelling and expectancy effect. In sociological terms,
labelling is the assigning of an individual to a category as a means of
classifying his or her behaviour or state. Hence, ill is a label used
to distinguish people who are not healthy; vandal is a label that
distinguishes people who exhibit antisocial behaviour involving damage
to property.
Labelling, then, involves classifying people who deviate from what is
considered to be normal; the term deviance, however, is used to indicate
a negative social evaluation.
Primary deviance
This is the assigning of a label to particular behaviours or states judged
by society as deviant; these behaviours are socially defined and will
vary between different cultures. The behaviours that a society considers
deviant may change over the course of time; in the UK, it used to be
considered deviant to attempt suicide or to live as a couple without being
married, whereas nowadays these behaviours are seen in a quite different
light.
Secondary deviance
Once society has assigned a label to an individual, certain consequences
may occur. When a person is labelled deviant, he or she becomes
stigmatized or disgraced in the eyes of society; depending upon the
nature of the deviance, the individual may be shunned or worse this is
particularly true for labels such as rapist. Many diseases, however, can
stigmatize the sufferer, especially mental illness, epilepsy, Aids and even
such problems as deafness or blindness. Indeed, it can be argued that
the diagnosis of such conditions in itself constitutes labelling of primary
deviance, setting in train a series of predictable social consequences.
The self-fulfilling prophecy
A second major effect of labelling is that of changes in the individuals
self-concept; as a result of social reactions to the original label, the
affected person begins to respond in a way that is compatible with that
label. In other words, they come to believe that they are what the label
says they are and produce stereotyped behaviour that accords with it.
This phenomenon has been termed the self-fulfilling prophecy a
prophecy that comes true solely because it has been made. For example,
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The
workplace learning environment
a ward manager labels a student nurse as lazy and people begin to react
to him according to his label; eventually, the nurse begins to accept the
label and his behaviour becomes lazy. Obviously, there must have been
an initial episode that led to the label, but it may have been a one-off
incident entirely untypical of the individual.
The notion of self-fulfilling prophecy has been explored in education,
where it is known as teacher-expectancy effect. There is a good deal of
evidence about the effect of peoples expectations on certain outcomes;
experimenters have to be cautious when interpreting results because
such results may be due to the Hawthorne effect a variation in people
simply due to the fact that they are being observed. The presence of an
observer may have either positive or negative effects on the performance
of students that are totally unrelated to the style of teaching given.
In a classic study by Rosenthal and Jacobson (1968), carried out in
an American school, teachers were given false information about some
of the children in their classes; these children were purported to have
unusual academic potential and were called spurters, but in reality they
were randomly selected from the total class. The children were given
tests of non-verbal intelligence at the start of the experiment and again
at four months and eight months and results showed that the spurters
had gained significantly more in terms of IQ than the other children.
This was ascribed to the fact that teachers expectations of the spurters
had acted as a self-fulfilling prophecy, which made them achieve more.
The study has been criticized on methodological grounds, but there is
some support from other studies for the view that teacher-expectancy
can influence learning.
The
The qualified staff are a key factor influencing the learning environment
in hospital placements, the role of ward manager being particularly
influential. Not only do they have control of the management of the area,
but they also serve as role-models for nursing practice. The leadership
style and personality of the ward manager are important determinants of
an effective learning environment, as demonstrated in a series of classic
surveys in the 1980s (Pembrey, 1980; Orton, 1981; Ogier, 1982, 1986;
Fretwell, 1983).
Characteristics of a workplace environment conducive to

learning
The following summarizes the main perceptions of students in these
research studies with regard to the characteristics of a good clinical
learning environment.
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Chapter 9Teaching
A humanistic approach to students

Qualified staff should ensure that pre-registration students are treated
with kindness and understanding and should try to show interest in
them as people. They should be approachable and helpful to students,
providing support as necessary, and try to foster the students self-esteem.
In the case of colleagues undertaking post-registration programmes,
qualified staff should be sensitive to their study needs, a point easily
overlooked when a colleague has been working in the clinical area for
some time as a full-time practitioner.
Team spirit
Qualified staff should work as a team and strive to make the student
feel a part of that team. They should create a good atmosphere by their
relationships within the team.
Management style
This should be efficient and yet flexible in order to produce good-quality
care. Teaching should have its place in the overall organization, and
students should be given responsibility and encouraged to use initiative.
Nursing practice should be consistent with that taught in the university.
Teaching and learning support
Qualified staff should be encouraged to act as supervisors, mentors,
preceptors, and assessors as appropriate. Opportunities should be given
for students to ask questions, attend medical staff rounds, observe new
procedures and have access to patients/clients records. Non-nursing
professionals such as doctors, physiotherapists, dieticians and chaplains
can also contribute to the learning environment provided that they are
made to feel part of the total team. It is important for the ward manager
to spend a little time with new non-nursing colleagues in order to
explain the ethos of the ward or department in relation to learning, thus
encouraging them to see themselves as a resource for student learning.
It is not always appreciated that students themselves are very much a
part of the learning environment and not merely the passive recipients
of its influences. An effective environment will encourage the students to
take responsibility for their own learning and to be active in seeking out
opportunities for this. Critical thinking and judgement are fostered in an
atmosphere where the student can question and dissent without feeling
guilty or disloyal.
An important part of the learning process is experimentation, in which
the student can try to apply concepts and principles in different ways;
this implies that the student will need to adopt different approaches to
patients and be innovative. There may be other students in a clinical
area, and this peer support can be invaluable. Planning for two students
to work together can offer substantial benefits for both, provided that
they take time to discuss approaches and decisions and their underlying
rationale.
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The
The learning environment in community nursing

So far we have discussed learning environments with reference to
hospital settings, but the environment is equally important when students
are in community placements. Prior preparation in advance of a student
placement is vital to ensure that the student gains the most from it. It is
good practice to establish empathy with the student many weeks before
the actual placement, for example by the mentor giving the student
his or her work and home telephone numbers so that they can discuss
expectations and housekeeping issues such as transport arrangements,
etc.
The physical environment is clearly very different from that of a
hospital, particularly when it involves domiciliary visits to patients in
their own homes. Nursing staff are guests in this situation, with no
right of entry and, consequently, much of the teaching will occur by
observation, with discussion following later after leaving the patients
home. Much of this discussion takes place in the practitioners car in a
one-to-one setting, calling for very good interpersonal skills on the part
of the teacher. The practitioner needs to put the student at ease and treat
him or her as an equal. The effects of a strained relationship are much
more difficult to cope with when there are only two people involved.
Clinics and post-natal groups provide another community learning
environment for students. When running a well-baby clinic the mentor
can combine tutorials for both student and parent, since the information
is common to both. In community placements, media resources tend to
be less readily available than in hospital settings, and hence the mentor
places greater reliance on discussion and role-modelling strategies.
Stress and the workplace learning environment

Work-related stress has become a major issue for employers and employees,
evidenced by the increasing number of claims for compensation arising
out of work-induced, stress-related illness. Indeed, the term has now
become a normal part of our everyday experience of living, exemplified
in the expression, Im really stressed-out.
There can be few work settings that have more potential for stress
than hospitals or community health settings; the very nature of the work
involves staff in close contact with patients who are themselves often
distressed and traumatized.
The nature of stress
Stress is a difficult concept to pin down, but it is generally thought of as
consisting of two components:
Stressors. These are events in our lives that threaten our physical or
mental well-being.
Stress responses. These are our reactions to the stressors we

encounter.
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Chapter 9Teaching
The reaction of the individual to stressors occurs in three well-defined

stages termed the general adaptation syndrome (Selye, 1956):
1. The alarm reaction. This is a short-term reaction characterized by
changes in physiology, such as increased heart rate, respiration,
endocrine activity and sympathetic-nervous-system activity. This
combination is commonly referred to as the fight or flight reaction.
2. Resistance to stress. In this stage the body processes return to normal
and the individual adapts to the stress.
3. Exhaustion. This rarely occurs in psychological stress, although it
is common in extreme physical conditions such as severe exposure.
Here, the individual has used up all the resources for coping, and
death may occur.
This adaptation syndrome is non-specific, in that it occurs when the
person encounters any form of stress, of whatever severity.
One approach to stress is called personenvironment fit theory
(Caplan, 1983), in which stress is defined as either:
demands that exceed the individuals capability to fulfil, i.e. he or she

is overwhelmed; or
an individuals capability exceeds the demands upon her or him, i.e. he

or she is underwhelmed. This is typified by the case of an individual
whose work does not sufficiently stretch his or her capabilities.
Effects of stress upon the individual

The impact of stress can be classified into two main categories: the effects
of stress on students performance in the workplace, and the effects of
stress on the health of students and staff in the workplace.
Effects of stress on students performance in the workplace
An individuals level of emotional arousal has a significant effect on his
or her subsequent performance, including cognitive as well as physical
performance (Hebb, 1972). Each individual has an optimal level of
arousal at which that person performs at his or her best; under-arousal
or over-arousal results in deterioration in performance of learning tasks,
particularly complex ones.
The effects of stress on the health of students and staff in the workplace
The reaction to stress will vary from individual to individual, with some
experiencing feelings of anger and aggression, and others apathy and
depression. Relationships can be affected, and some individuals may find
solace in alcohol. Anxiety is another common symptom of stress, and
there is evidence that it can impair the response of the immune system,
leading to illness. There is also evidence of a link between stress and heart
disease, especially in relation to the Type A personality (Friedman and
Rosenman, 1974).
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The
Sources of stress in the workplace

The categorization of sources of stress in organizations by Cooper and
Marshall (1976) is adapted below to provide a framework for thinking
about sources of stress in the clinical and community workplace.
1. Job-related stressors:
too much work to get through in the time available;
insufficient staff to support practitioners;
inadequate availability of equipment or resources;
little opportunity to use higher-level skills.
2. Role-related stressors:
role ambiguity, for example lack of clarity about boundaries of
role;
role conflict, for example between role as practitioner and
manager;
inadequate staff development for role;
role conflict between work and family.
3. Relationship-related stressors:
conflict with superiors;
conflict with subordinates;
difficulties with colleagues from other health disciplines.
4. Career-related stressors:
pressures of continuing professional development;
expectations of promotion;
fear of redundancy.
5. Organization-related stressors:
inadequate communication;
internal politics;
secrecy and lack of trust.
Cooper (1999) gives a list of stressors that are specific to nurses working
in outpatients departments:
volume of patients;
aggressive patients;
unpredictable workloads;
always in the public eye;
new technology;
lack of managerial supervision;
fluctuating shift times;
lack of time for training.
Coping with stress in the workplace
Many of the stressors encountered in the workplace will be beyond
the individual practitioners power to change. The organization carries
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Chapter 9Teaching
a responsibility for the health and safety of its employees, and the
increasing incidence of litigation on the grounds of stress-induced illness
is forcing organizations to look more seriously at workplace stressors.
One of the most important elements of coping is being able to
recognize the signs of stress in oneself, and to attempt to identify the
main stressors involved. This enables coping strategies to be mobilized at
a relatively early stage before the stress gets to a more serious level. The
following coping strategies are commonly identified in the literature:
Avoid taking on more work than you can cope with, by developing
your assertive ability to say no to requests.
Delegate jobs to other colleagues where possible.

Always ensure that breaks are taken outside of the workplace area; for
example, go to the staff dining room for coffee and go outside to the
shops at lunch time.
Undertake relaxation techniques, such as physical-relaxation techniques
and meditation, at appropriate times.
Suggest to management that stress-reduction programmes should be
made available for staff.
Try setting up a stress support group in the workplace, where
colleagues can share their experiences.
Use the individual performance review/appraisal system to bring to
the attention of management the workplace stressors that you have
identified, for example lack of staff development for your role;
inadequate resources, etc. This will ensure that they are formally
recorded with the organization, an important point if evidence is
needed at a later date.
Report to your GP if your symptoms of stress are severe; not only
may treatment be provided, but a formal record is made which may
be important evidence if needed at a later date.
Managing emotion in the workplace
Clinical and community settings are, by their very nature, places of intense
emotions. These encompass positive emotions, such as excitement, joy,
elation, and also negative emotions, such as anger, frustration and fear. It
is interesting to note that both positive and negative emotions can equally
disrupt normal functioning in an individual, including the persons
relationships with others and his or her ability to make judgements and
take decisions. It may be necessary for nurses, midwives and specialist
community public health nurses to manage other peoples disruptive
emotions in the workplace, be it those of colleagues, patients or clients,
and a number of principles of good practice for managing the emotions
of others are suggested by Ostell, Baverstock and Wright (1999):
1. Deal with the emotional reaction before attempting to resolve the
problem. The individuals disruptive level of emotion needs to be
reduced so that he or she can begin to consider the problem rationally,
and the authors suggest two approaches to this. Apologizing to the
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The
individual can be helpful if there is a justifiable grievance of some kind:

for example if a patient has to wait in the accident and emergency
department for a long time, or if the recipient of the outburst is
responsible in some way for the circumstances provoking the outburst.
An alternative approach is to use reflective statements such as I can see
that you are unhappy about . These may help to defuse the emotion
but may well have the opposite effect if perceived as a statement of the
obvious.
2. Avoid behaviour that heightens adverse emotional reactions. When
responding to disruptive emotional outbursts it is self-evident that one
should avoid any behaviour that might exacerbate the other persons
emotional state. Hence, any form of confrontation should be avoided,
and it is important not to become angry when dealing with an angry
person, as this will simply fuel his or her emotional reaction.
3. Employ behaviours likely to dissipate adverse emotional reaction.
It seems normal to offer sympathy to individuals who demonstrate
disruptive emotional reactions, but this can often reinforce the adverse
emotional reaction by seeming to agree with the persons view of the
circumstances. It is preferable to use empathy to show that the persons
circumstances are understood, and this can be done by reflecting his or
her views back and by non-judgemental questioning.
4. Recognize differences between emotions. The authors point out that
all emotional reactions should not be treated in the same way, because
different emotions tend to be stimulated by different patterns of
thinking: for example, anger commonly arises when an individuals
demands have been denied; anxiety when individuals anticipate
unpleasant consequences that they perceive to be beyond their
control.
5. Where appropriate, attempt to find a solution to the underlying problem.
Finding a solution to the underlying problem can only occur once the
disruptive emotional reaction has subsided. It is important to find a
solution in order to prevent similar outbursts when the circumstances
are encountered again. A counselling approach can be useful here, but
advice and instructions are also helpful in some cases.
6. Learn to actively accept reality. Some problems that cause adverse
emotional reactions are not capable of solution, for example
bereavement and redundancy; in such cases, the individual must learn
to accept reality by letting go of unattainable desires. However, this
may take considerable time, and the help of a professional counsellor
may be required.
Auditing the workplace learning environment

In order to be considered an appropriate placement for pre-registration
students, a workplace must meet the standard laid down by the NMC
(2004). The NMC principles for practice learning are shown in Table
9.1.
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Table 9.1 The NMC principles for practice learning

Principle 1: Ensuring partnerships for learning
Clear demonstration of effective partnerships amongst all programme providers must be ensured through:
shared commitment from programme providers, stakeholders and commissioners in ensuring the quality and enhancement of practice
learning
lecturers/practice-educators and practice colleagues contributing jointly to programme delivery in all settings
shared approach between service and education of the integration of theoretical and practice elements of programmes
Inter-professional learning experiences must promote patient/user focus through:
students experiencing effective inter-professional teamwork allowing insight into individual and team roles
a range of professionals making appropriate contributions to the assessment of practice
Principle 2: Managing practice-focused learning
In ensuring well-organized and resourced practice learning opportunities it must be demonstrated that:
practice settings are promoted as learning environments for all staff and students
programme providers are responsible for identifying appropriate practice-learning opportunities to enable the achievement of learning
outcomes
regular audits of practice learning confirm that resources are available to support the stated maximum numbers of students in their
achievement of specific learning outcomes
staff from both education and practice maintain effective links in ensuring the quality of the learning environment
Principle 3: Ensuring fitness for practice
To ensure effective use of learning opportunities it must be demonstrated that:
mentors are regularly updated for their role and meet the NMC standards
practice learning means directly participating with service users/patients in their care
practice learning is evidence based
there are opportunities for the safe practice and consolidation of skills
students experience care required by a range of service users/patients across a 24-hour and 7-day cycle
periods of assessed practice are at least four weeks in duration and assessors of practice can justify decisions made in determining the
outcome of summative assessment, proficiency and fitness for practice
Principle 4: Positive student experience
Students must develop in an environment and culture conducive to learning where:
students are well prepared for practice-learning experiences
practice-learning settings are well prepared for students
a range of feedback systems influence student progression and enhance practice experience
learning resources in practice support evidence-based practice
students learning time in practice is protected and they are supported to take increasing responsibility for their learning as they progress
and develop
Principle 5: Enhancing quality
Clear effective quality systems must enhance practice learning by ensuring that:
feedback from students and mentors is used to inform the programme and enhance the practice learning experience
there is evidence of commitment from partner organisations at all levels to quality assurance and enhancement
the practice-learning experience is of a similar standard wherever it is experienced
the assessment of theory and practice is given equal importance and that external examiners consider and report on the quality of both
theory and practice learning
Adapted from NMC (2004)
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The
Educational audit
Educational audit is a process that ensures collaboration between
higher education institutions and health care providers on an ongoing
basis. It is defined by NAfW (2002) as the assessment of a student
placement completed by the link lecturer for that clinical area. All audits
are undertaken every three years and generally serve to ensure that
placements are appropriate learning environments for student nurses.
The All Wales FfP audit document (NAfW, 2002) is completed by both
the link lecturer and the educational co-ordinator and presents itself in
five sections. An example in relation to the operating theatre is identified
below (Hughes, 2004):
Section 1 outlines the general details and skill mix within the
placement.
Section 2 identifies the regular educational opportunities available

to students during the placement. In addition to working within
the realms of anaesthetics, recovery and scrub, the perioperative
environment might offer other learning environments that include
visits to:
pre-assessment clinic;
endoscopy unit;
surgical day ward;
sterile supplies unit;
lunchtime teaching tutorials.
Section 3 demonstrates how the placement supports and facilitates the
learning environment and how the skills and knowledge of students

can be developed. The placement must indicate how it can involve
students in assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating the
delivery of patient care and provide evidence of sound educational
standards in relation to support and supervision for students.
The audit document requires a named link lecturer who will provide
learning and educational support for students and staff in the practice
setting. It also requires a named clinician in theatre who will liaise with
the link lecturer to ensure that the relationship between the university
and the placement is effective.
The encouragement of continuing professional development must
be visible in the placement area and staff enabled to fulfil the
requirements of professional registration. There must also be evidence
of opportunities available for clinical supervision within the operating
theatre environment.
Sections 4 and 5 provide a summary of previous student evaluations of
the placement; an action plan is identified for any areas of improvement
with an appropriate timescale for completion.
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Chapter 9Teaching
Placement
support systems for students and staff
Clinical practice placements

Practice placements are a vital component of the student nurse experience,
so it is important that they reflect both the nature of the provision of care
to meet health care needs and the demands of professional registration.
(Hughes, 2003).
Students have the right to expect support from key individuals within
each placement to enable them to identify learning opportunities. They
must be able to make sense of their practice through the application of
theory, feedback and reflection on their clinical practice experience. The
FfP document acknowledged that pre-registration programmes must
meet certain requirements and provided a clear, ongoing set of outcomes
for commissioning bodies, higher education institutes, NHS trusts,
mentors and students. These all have a responsibility for ensuring that, at
the point of initial registration, nurses and midwives are fit. That is:
Fit for purpose (competency based) can function competently in

clinical practice.
Fit for practice (professional legal and ethical outcomes) can fulfil the
needs of registration.
Fit for award (meeting academic standards) have the breadth and
depth of learning to be awarded a diploma or degree.
In 1997, the English National Board (ENB) called for greater

emphasis on the assessment of practical skills in the workplace to
ensure a competent workforce and the delivery of quality care. Part
of the increased focus on the development and assessment of clinical
competence is to improve public protection (UKCC, 2000). This
increases the responsibility of clinical mentors in relation to the accurate
assessment of clinical competence (Watson, 2000). Therefore, adequate
preparation of mentors to undertake this role is crucial to ensuring that
student nurses are fit for practice, purpose and award at the end of
education programmes (Hughes, 2003).
The importance of practice placements in the education of health
care professionals has been emphasized in Making a Difference (DoH,
1999) as part of the Governments drive to modernize the NHS and to
ensure that education for health care professionals is strengthened and
focused on the services needed by patients. A subsequent development
was Placements in Focus (ENB/DoH, 2001), which was published to
enhance guidance and standards for student placements and practice
experience and to enable local standards to be developed within a
national framework. This document recognizes that it is important that
staff within the practice learning environment provide good role models
and advocates, and that, as part of their ongoing learning, students
should experience the positive culture of clinical governance, where an
evidence-based approach to practice is fundamental.
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Placement
Practice learning teams

According to Chapple and Aston (2004), practice learning teams involve
a group of nursing practice staff and lecturers who work collaboratively
to make a significant contribution to supporting student learning and
assessment within a designated clinical area or group of clinical areas.
Furthermore, they explain, such teams lead the development and
maintenance of the clinical learning environment and provide support
and guidance to mentors and assessors, and to others who contribute to
ensure that students meet their clinical learning outcomes and develop
appropriate competencies.
Practice learning teams were also introduced by Brooks and Moriarty
(2006), following concerns raised by students that clinical placements
were not addressing their learning needs; mentors had also expressed
concern, as they were feeling overwhelmed by the large numbers of
students in practice and the difficulty in providing appropriate levels
of support. Having identified examples of good practice already in
existence, the authors developed numerous initiatives to improve the
mentoring process for nursing students. These included:
student communication boards;

student information days;
exit questionnaires;
mentor information packs; and
student drop-in sessions.
Strategies to ensure that students experience a positive clinical
placement have been clearly recommended by Twentyman et al. (2006)
and by Morgan (2005). They encourage clinical staff to ensure that
students are welcomed and made to feel part of the team and make the
following recommendations:
Orientate the students to the ward, routine and staff that they are
likely to encounter during placement.
Ensure that students receive appropriate handover and are allocated

tea breaks with other team members.
Encourage students to be involved in every aspect of patient care.

Collaborate with students and involve them in the decision-making
and problem-solving process.
Use a variety of teaching strategies within practice placements.

Student induction to the clinical setting
On commencement of the clinical placement, it is important to identify
students learning needs during the induction process (see Table 9.2) and
discuss any concerns and anxieties that the student may have (Hughes,
2003). A useful way of organizing this is through a learning agreement
or contract (Welsh and Swann, 2002). Whilst such a learning contract is
not totally binding, Neary (2000) suggests that it should specify what the
student will learn, how it will be achieved and the criteria for measuring
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Chapter 9Teaching
success. The practical competence of the student is determined through

staged achievement within the four domains of competence (UKCC,
1999). These include:
professional and ethical practice;

care delivery;
care management; and
personal and professional development.
These domains can be applied to all nursing specialities and serve to
produce realistic and achievable learning objectives.
Table 9.2
Student nurse induction process
Liaise with education co-ordinator.

Orientation of department and introduction to key people.
Meet with mentor and discuss opportunities for working together.
Identify learning needs and agree learning outcomes.
Discuss concerns and anxieties relating to clinical placement.
Discuss philosophy of care, health and safety issues, policies and procedures, sickness and
absence, working hours, lunch breaks.
Establish lines of communication and emergency communication, e.g. cardiac arrest call, fire.
Discuss ethical and moral issues relating to clinical speciality.
Discuss roles and responsibilities of multiprofessional team.
Discuss respect for dignity, religious and cultural beliefs of patients.
Identify available learning resources.
Identify other specialities specific to the department.
Identify link lecturer and clinical teacher for clinical placement and contact details.
Adapted from Hughes (2003)
Mentorship
Mentorship is seen by many writers as being a long-term relationship
that extends throughout a students programme, whereas others limit the
concept to a relationship within a specific placement. In some systems,
students are encouraged to choose their own mentors, and in others the
mentor is assigned to the student. The former is preferable if possible,
because it increases the likelihood of compatibility between mentor and
student, an important factor in the relationship.
One of the controversial issues in mentoring is whether or not mentors
should also act as assessors in relation to their students. Anforth (1992)
argues that the role of mentor is incompatible with that of assessor, as
it presents a moral dilemma between the guidance and counselling role
and the judgmental assessment role. However, Quinn (2000) finds it
difficult to understand why there should be a dilemma between these two
aspects, since assessment should constitute an important teaching and
learning strategy and not simply a punitive testing of achievement. If the
mentor has an open, honest and friendly relationship with the student,
assessment can provide a rich source of feedback and dialogue to further
the students development. Quinn adds that the term mentor is used to
describe a qualified and experienced member of the practice-placement
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Placement
staff who enters into a formal arrangement to provide educational and

personal support to a student throughout the period of the placement
(Quinn, 1995, 2000). This support may involve a range of functions
including teaching, supervision, guidance, counselling, assessment and
evaluation. However, the mentor is not the only member of the practiceplacement staff who carries out these functions, and other staff will
undertake these according to the needs of the student and the practice
area. The concept of mentorship is further discussed in Chapter 10 (p.
377).
Preceptorship
From the foregoing discussion it is apparent that there is much overlap
in the literature between the concepts of mentor and preceptor. Burke
(1994) sees preceptors and students as having a short-lived, functional
relationship for a specific purpose in a practice setting. Given the
definition of mentorship above, preceptorship can be seen as a specific
teaching and learning strategy rather than as a generic support system for
students. A definition of a preceptor, therefore, can be an experienced
nurse, midwife or specialist community public health nurse within a
practice placement who acts as a role model and resource for a student
who is attached to him or her for a specific timespan or experience
(adapted from Quinn, 2000).
Preceptorship uses the principle of learning by sitting next to Nelly
but in a more systematic and planned way. A student is attached to the
preceptor for a relatively long period of time, such as a day or a week,
and shadows the preceptor throughout. The students role is to observe
the various interactions and decisions that the preceptor is involved with
in the course of his or her work, and then time is made available for the
student and preceptor to meet privately to discuss the events that have
occurred. During these meetings, there is two-way dialogue about the
various approaches adopted and the decisions made by the preceptor,
and the student can ascertain the basis for such decisions. Clearly the
person chosen to be the preceptor needs to have the confidence and
interpersonal skills to be questioned about why one course of action
was taken rather than another, and equally the student needs to have
sufficient confidence not to be overawed by the power differential.
In management training, the preceptorship is often conducted in
an institution other than the one in which the trainee works, and this
has the advantage of avoiding a boss relationship between preceptor
and student. Preceptorship offers not only benefits to the students, but
also to the preceptors because the system helps the preceptors to clarify
their reasons for making particular decisions or taking certain courses of
action.
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The
role of the lecturer-practitioner
At one time in nursing, there were two types of nurse teacher: the
nurse tutor, whose primary responsibility lay in classroom teaching,
and the clinical teacher, whose primary responsibility was teaching in
practice placement settings. These roles have been unified under the
title of lecturer-practitioner, a qualified teacher who has retained clinical
competence and whose responsibilities include teaching, supervision
and assessment of students. Additionally some lecturer-practitioners also
undertake part-time roles in the clinical practice and education settings
by acting as module leaders for post-registration modules.
The ENB commissioned a research project on the role of the
teacher/lecturer in practice (ENB, 1998), in relation to in nursing and
midwifery practice in both institutional and community contexts. The
aims of the project were to map the national range and variations in the
roles and responsibilities; to explore the factors promoting or inhibiting
the role, and to identify the most effective model to meet criteria for
clinical competence/credibility, promoting professional knowledge and
scholarship. The main findings included:
The most dominant model was that of link teacher.

Two-thirds of respondents said that there was no specific preparation
for the role.
The system is almost uniformly an un-managed system.

Students expressed a strong preference for lecturer-practitioners to
work alongside them.
Practitioners felt that they should continue to undertake practice

assessments of students, but valued lecturer support in this activity.
All respondent groups referred to the difficulties of being accountable

to two masters.
It is interesting to note that the dominant model is that of the link

teacher, whose role is to establish relationships with a small number
of clinical areas for the purposes of liaison, troubleshooting and staff
development. The last is primarily aimed at qualified staff in clinical
areas, who will be acting as supervisors, mentors and preceptors to
students undertaking practice placements.
Gerrish (1992) identifies three key roles for teachers in practice
settings:
Educational support for practice-based staff. This includes advice about

dealing with supernumerary students on pre-registration programmes,
and support for staff acting as mentors to students.

Tutoring students. This includes facilitating the development of
students autonomy as students, and their skills with regard to
reflective practice.

Facilitating good practice. This includes awareness of current practice,
providing a resource to unit staff, promotion of research-mindedness,
and fostering a critical approach to practice.
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The
Gerrish suggests that teaching in practice placements requires a

commitment by the teacher, collaboration between education and service
staff, and staff development for teachers on their new role in relation to
practice.
Staff development for mentors and preceptors

The careful selection of practice-placement staff for these important
roles is crucial, and Burke (1994) suggests that personal characteristics,
clinical expertise, teaching skill, and motivation are important. Courses
of preparation may take the form of recognized courses such as teaching
and assessing in clinical practice or a Post Graduate Certificate in
Education course. On the other hand, they may be specifically designed
in-house courses of preparation, and these need careful joint planning
between education and service, and also ongoing monitoring and quality
assurance.
Encouraging student autonomy means a hands-off approach, which
some experienced practitioners may find uncomfortable. There is also the
potential for perceived threat on the part of practitioners who qualified
some time ago, when supporting DipHE or undergraduate students.
This may result in barriers arising between mentor and student, to the
detriment of learning.
One very useful strategy for staff development is networking between
practice-placement support staff. Networking can be formal or informal,
and it functions in much the same way as self-help groups by providing
mutual support and sharing of experiences. Jinks and Williams (1994)
describe a study of the effectiveness of an educational strategy for
community nurses in relation to teaching, assessing and mentoring of
pre-registration students. They found that half the sample felt that their
preparation had been adequate and this correlated with the taking of a
formal course of teaching and assessing.
Clinical supervision
Clinical supervision is peer-support for practitioners in clinical and
community settings; it is defined by the Department of Health (DoH)
as:
a formal process of professional support and learning which enables
the individual practitioner to develop knowledge and competence,
assume responsibility for their own practice and enhance consumer
protection and safety of care in complex clinical situations.
(DoH, 1993)
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Chapter 9Teaching
Clinical supervision is described by the NMC as:

an important part of clinical governance and allows registrants
to develop their skills and knowledge and helps them to improve
patient/client care.
(NMC, 2006)
Although it does not advocate any particular model of clinical

supervision, the NMC (2006) has defined a set of principles that should
underpin any system of clinical supervision used; these include the
following:
Clinical supervision supports practice, enabling registrants to maintain

and improve standards of care.
Clinical supervision is a practice-focused professional relationship,
involving a practitioner reflecting on practice guided by a skilled

supervisor.
Registrants and managers should develop the process of clinical
supervision according to local circumstances. Ground rules should
be agreed so that the supervisor and the registrant approach clinical
supervision openly, confidently and are aware of what is involved.
Every registrant should have access to clinical supervision, and each
supervisor should supervise a realistic number of practitioners.
Preparation for supervisors should be flexible and sensitive to local
circumstances. The principles and relevance of clinical supervision
should be included in pre-registration and post-registration education
programmes.
Evaluation of clinical supervision is needed to assess how it influences
care and practice standards (NMC, 2006).
Table 9.3
Characteristics of
clinical supervision
Purpose
Professional support and learning
Development of knowledge and competence
Responsibility for own practice
Enhance consumer protection
Help practitioner to examine and validate his or her practice and feelings
Pastoral support
Formative assessment
Ensuring standards of clinical and managerial practice
Maintain and support standards of care
To help the client
Improve quality of patient care
Improve staff performance
Reduce stress and burn-out
Adapted from Grant and Quinn (1998)
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The
Process
A formal process
A practice-focused professional relationship
Should be developed according to local circumstances
Every practitioner should have access
Preparation for supervisors is important and should be included in pre- and post-registration
programmes
Evaluation is needed and should be determined locally
Clinical supervision is carried out in two main ways: one-to-one

supervision and group supervision.
One-to-one clinical supervision
This is the most common form of clinical supervision, in which an
experienced nurse acts as the clinical supervisor for a less-experienced
colleague. Practitioners normally choose someone with whom they have
a good relationship to be their clinical supervisor, usually a colleague
from the same area of work.
Group clinical supervision
In this approach, one supervisor is designated for the group, and the
advantages claimed are that it exposes supervisees to alternative modes
of helping and fosters an appreciation of the widespread nature of their
concerns.
Implementing one-to-one clinical supervision
The introduction of clinical supervision is a very sensitive issue, and it
may be regarded with scepticism or suspicion by some practitioners. For
example, prospective supervisors may see it as an unnecessary, timeconsuming activity that diverts resources from direct patient/client care.
Supervisees may be suspicious of the motives of managers in introducing
clinical supervision, seeing it as a covert means of disciplining staff for
inadequate practice.
Some practitioners may consider it naive to disclose openly and
honestly important aspects of their professional practice to a clinical
supervisor, particularly if they feel that such disclosure might adversely
affect their future employment prospects. It is also possible that some
models of clinical supervision may give staff the impression that
it is a counselling intervention or, at worst, some kind of amateur
psychotherapy.
Hence, one of the most important aspects of clinical supervision is
the relationship between supervisors and supervisees. Mutual trust is
required, and this could take some time to develop, particularly if there
was no choice in the selection of the supervisor.
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Negotiating the supervision contract

The first meeting between the clinical supervisor and supervisee tends
to be the most difficult, since both parties may be unsure about how
to proceed. It is helpful if this first meeting focuses on negotiating the
supervision contract, as the process of negotiation will itself help to
encourage the development of rapport between the two parties. Since
the contract contains tangible aspects such as practical arrangements and
record-keeping, it provides a less-threatening focus for discussion in the
initial phase of the meeting when the parties are at their most anxious. A
supervision contract is a useful way of clarifying the working agreement,
as well as making for an easier relationship, since everyone knows where
they stand. Table 9.4 shows the components normally included in a
supervision contract.
Table 9.3
Elements of a
supervision contract
Practical arrangements, i.e. time, place, frequency and length of meetings

Record-keeping arrangements
What will happen in the case of missed sessions?
Confidentiality
What will happen in the case of incompetent practice?
What communication, if any, will there be between the supervisor and the supervisees manager?
What access, if any, will the supervisee have to the supervisor between sessions?
Adapted from Grant and Quinn (1998)
Practical aspects of supervision meetings

Practical arrangements for clinical supervision may not always be
straightforward. For example, offices are rarely appropriate for clinical
supervision, as constant disturbance can be expected from telephones
and visitors. Cowes and Wilkes (1998) reported that all members wanted
to get away from their immediate working environment in order that
privacy could be ensured and distractions minimized.
Difficulty may be experienced in finding a suitably private room that
is not already booked, particularly if several clinical supervision meetings
are taking place on the same day. Over-running of a previous meeting is
a common occurrence, resulting in erosion of the time available for the
next meeting; one hour is a reasonable time allocation, but timing will
vary depending on local circumstances. The problem of room bookings is
further compounded where supervision for practice nurses and specialist
community public health nurses takes place in rooms in GP surgeries,
because the use of such rooms may be chargeable and this will impact on
the overall resource provision for clinical supervision.
Given that both parties to clinical supervision are busy practitioners,
it is likely that one or both will arrive late from time to time. When
negotiating the supervision contract, it is useful to allow a margin for late
arrival; for example, the parties might agree to wait up to half an hour
for the other to arrive. This margin can help reduce panic reactions, such
as driving too fast to get to the meeting on time. The time of day in which
the meeting takes place will vary according to local circumstances, but
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and learning strategies in the workplace
many supervisors and supervisees prefer the end of the day, when patient/
client demand may be less. The frequency of meetings varies widely in
the literature, ranging from weekly to three-monthly.
Keeping records of supervision
It is important that both supervisor and supervisee keep records of
clinical supervision for their personal professional profile, as evidence
of professional development. Whilst these records are confidential to the
individuals concerned, it is also necessary to keep a managerial record of
clinical supervision which contains the minimum amount of information
required by management in order to be able to confirm that supervision
has occurred, and to enable the time to be costed. This would normally
be the names of the supervisor and supervisee, the dates on which
supervision took place, and the reasons for any cancellation. In cases of
litigation by patients or clients, such records can provide evidence of the
ongoing professional development of the practitioner involved.
Teaching
The principles of teaching and learning that have been expounded in this
book are applicable to teaching and learning in the workplace. However,
some teaching strategies are more appropriate for the workplace
environment than others, and this section will explore a range of these.
Teaching on a one-to-one basis

Teaching on a one-to-one basis demands skills quite different from those
used in the classroom setting; both teacher and student are more exposed
to each other and the encounter takes place in the presence of other staff,
patients and visitors. The need to appear competent and credible to all
these groups, including the student, can add considerably to the pressure
on the teacher, making it more difficult to allow the student to make
decisions or to try out new approaches. On the other hand, there can
be great personal satisfaction in helping to provide good-quality nursing
care whilst at the same time facilitating the growth of nursing skills in
the student.
Much one-to-one teaching is opportunistic, i.e. the kind of spontaneous
teaching that occurs as part of everyday professional practice, with either
students, qualified staff, or patients and clients. Opportunistic teaching
can arise in a number of ways; for example, students may ask the teacher
to go through some aspect or procedure with them, or simply ask
questions about the care of specific patients. On the other hand, teachers
may themselves initiate teaching by asking questions or by explaining
aspects or procedures.
Teaching can also be initiated by teachers if they perceive that a
student or qualified member of staff is experiencing difficulty with
procedures or understanding. Within a given workplace setting there
will be some concepts that most students find difficult to understand,
and the teacher is asked time and time again to explain these to each new
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student. It is a useful strategy to prepare an explanation in advance that

can be wheeled out as required, preferably using some kind of visual
material. Feedback on student learning is important even in spontaneous
one-to-one teaching, so the teacher needs to use questioning to elicit the
students understanding of any explanations given.
Case conferences
Ideally these should involve all members of the nursing team in discussion
and evaluation of the nursing care of a particular patient. Medical staff
have long used the case-presentation method as a learning tool for
students and qualified doctors, and the same principles apply to the
use of nursing-care conferences. There is no standard format for such a
conference, but it is usual for one nurse to present the patients case and
then for the whole team to be involved in the discussion. This helps the
student to feel part of the nursing team, as well as providing the skills
required in a public presentation of self . Such conferences provide a
useful holistic view of the patient and his or her problems, together with
an opportunity to analyse critically the care that has been received, to the
mutual benefit of both nurses and patients.
Handover report
Many qualified practitioner nurses view the handover report as a valuable
opportunity to do some teaching. Handover is done normally in two
ways:
verbal handover, involving the entire nursing team meeting together in

a room for a reasonable period of time during the day;
non-verbal handover, conducted at patients bedsides using

documents.
Verbal handover can be a useful teaching strategy if the ward manager

or staff nurse often takes time to ask questions about aspects of patients
conditions and care, and if the atmosphere is relaxed and informal. There
are important trade-offs from a ward report in addition to the actual
report itself, namely the fostering of team spirit and the development
of public-speaking ability and confidence in presenting information to
peers. However, there are disadvantages, including nurses reliance on
memory, the amount of time consumed, and the fact that nurses are often
called away before the handover is complete.
Kennedy (1999) reports on a study of non-verbal bedside handover
in an elderly care setting. Using non-participant observation, the study
investigated the early-to-late shift handover; the key components of
handover were identified as venue, grade of nurse, documents used,
patient involvement, content of handover, whether the person handing
over was the care-giver, and whether unnecessary people were present.
The main findings were as follows:
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Handover was quicker, and staff were available on the ward for other
patients if needed.
Support workers played little part in the handover.

Staff were not confident about using care plans for the handover, as
these could not be relied upon.
The study recommended that all qualified nurses should attend planning
workshops, that bedside handover should continue and that patients
should be included wherever possible, and that the role of the
support worker should be reviewed in relation to communication and
documentation.
Clinical rounds
Students can gain a great deal from accompanying a doctor or nurse on
a clinical round. The former is useful for gaining insight into the role
of the medical team in patient care, and it is interesting to listen to the
discussion with regard to treatment. Students may find it valuable to
accompany a nurse teacher on a similar round and to make comparisons
of the needs of patients with similar conditions, and also to look at the
difference in attitudes between such patients. Examples of pathology
can be pointed out, for example oedema or inflammation, and the
reasons discussed at the end of the round. Students should always carry a
notebook to write down any queries or observations, but single sheets of
paper must not be allowed, as they can easily be lost and other patients
may read the confidential details.
Reflective practice diary

Reflective diaries or records are one of the key strategies in experiential
learning and consist of brief written descriptions of situations that can
be used as the basis for reflection later. The following examples are from
the reflective diary of a specialist community public health nurse who is
undergoing training as a mentor.
Situation 1: students first day on community placement
The first day of the students placement was spent in discussion and
negotiation of her learning contract in the light of my case-load
requirements. Since child protection is a major facet of my work, I made
it clear to the student that this aspect must by law take priority over all
other matters. Before commencing their community placement students
are required to complete a community profile so that they have insight
into the area. However, the student in question arrived at my office
having completed a community profile on a completely different area to
the one in which I work. This meant that the student had no information
whatsoever about the area, so we had to negotiate a series of sessions in
which I could explain the key aspects of the placement community. I also
contacted her personal tutor in the college of nursing to emphasize how
important it is for students to undertake a community profile that relates
to their placement.
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Situation 2: students first visit to a clients home

One of the items on my students learning contract was to visit a family
with a new baby. By accompanying me on the visit, the student was able
to see and understand exactly what a specialist community public health
nurse does in such a visit. During a prior briefing discussion, I explained
the official standard for a new-birth visit and asked the student to pay
particular attention during the visit to how I taught the mother to look
after the baby, and to compare my performance with that of the official
standard. I wanted her to focus particularly on my use of verbal and nonverbal communication with the family, since interpersonal relationships
are fundamental to the specialist community public health nurse role.
On arriving back at the surgery following the visit, we had a debriefing
session in which I challenged the student by asking her to evaluate my
performance against the official standards, and how she would now
approach her next new-birth visit in the light of what she had learned.
Situation 3: developmental assessment in the clinic
At age 18 months infants come to the clinic for assessment of physical and
behavioural development, and this involves a variety of tests, for example
hearing, speech, vision, motor movements, etc. I acted as a role model
for the student, in that she was asked to observe and record carefully my
relationships and involvement with the clients, with particular emphasis
in this case on the practical aspects of testing. One of the objectives in
the students learning contract was to develop the skills of developmental
assessment of infants, so I planned the learning environment with this
goal in mind. During the clinic, the student was asked to observe me
performing the developmental assessment on a number of infants, and
was then encouraged to participate in the assessment of a number of
infants. Once I was satisfied that she had grasped the essential points, I
allowed her to conduct an assessment in partnership with me, but she was
asked to take the lead, and to treat me as her student, showing me what
to do. This was a very effective way of teaching, as it showed the student
aspects which she needed to study further.
Critical incident technique

Critical incident technique (CIT) is a useful tool for identifying aspects
of practice which the student felt were particularly positive or negative
(Flanagan, 1954). These critical incidents can then be reflected upon and
analysed to give new insights into practice. Critical incident technique
was used by Benner (1984) in her study of acquisition of nursing skill;
she identified critical incidents as any of the following:
those in which the nurses intervention really made a difference in

patient outcome;
those that went unusually well;

those in which there was a breakdown;
those that were ordinary and typical;
those that captured the essence of nursing; and
those that were particularly demanding.
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Participants were asked to include the following information in their

description of critical incidents:
the context;
a detailed description;
why the incident was critical to the participant;
what the participants concerns were at the time;
what he or she was thinking about during the incident;
what he or she felt about it afterwards;
what he or she found most demanding about it.
Learning contracts
Learning contracts are an effective tool for developing student autonomy
in practice placements. It is useful to meet with students prior to the
placement to begin the initial contract negotiation, and this can be
modified as required once the placement has commenced. The theory
and components of a learning contract are discussed in Chapter 2 (p. 30).
Teaching a motor skill

Although it is possible to teach some motor skills by simulation in a
nursing laboratory, such learning will still need to be consolidated in the
workplace setting. Teaching motor skills involves the same principles
as any other form of teaching, namely, an atmosphere conducive to
learning that is free from threat or stress. There must be opportunity for
feedback and analysis of the performance, and teachers must appreciate
that learning a skill requires time and that individual students will differ
in the amount of time that they require. One point to be borne in mind
is that nursing procedures involve more than motor skills; Gagn (1985)
classifies procedures as intellectual skills or rules for determining the
sequence of actions, and thus students need to learn the procedural rules
as well as the motor-skills aspects.
When planning to teach motor skills, the teacher will have to consider
the level at which the student must learn the skill. It is obvious that
students cannot achieve the highest level of proficiency for every skill
they learn; indeed, experienced nurses will vary in their relative degree
of skill amongst the nursing procedures that they practise. There will be
some motor skills that students must learn to the highest level and others
where an intermediate level is acceptable. A useful point of reference for
levels of skills is the notion of taxonomies of motor skills. In Chapter
4 (p. 118), the taxonomy of Simpson (1972) is outlined in relation to
curriculum objectives, and this can provide guidance for the teacher. The
taxonomy has seven levels as follows:
1. Perception concerned with perception of sensory cues.
2. Set concerned with readiness to act.
3. Guided response skills performed under guidance of instructor.
4. Mechanism performance becomes habitual.
5. Complex overt response typical skilled performance.
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Chapter 9Teaching
6. Adaptation skills can be adapted to suit circumstances.

7. Origination creation of original movement patterns.
It would seem that many nursing skills learned by students will be
geared at levels 3 or 4 and that the higher levels may only be reached
when the student has practised as a qualified nurse for some time. Skills
at level 3 are commonly taught in specialist areas, where the student
is allowed to perform under guidance having first been shown how to
do a procedure. For example, the skills of dialysis may be taught at
this level during a students allocation to a renal clinical area, but there
is no expectation that the student nurse will achieve a highly skilled
performance during the brief allocation period. The same can be said for
other clinical specialisms such as intensive-care units, neonatal units and
the like.
The teaching of motor skills involves the provision of information and
the opportunity for practice under supervision. Table 9.5 gives a checklist
for teaching a motor skill, and the key points are further elaborated below.
Table 9.5
Checklist for teaching a motor
skill
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
Provide an atmosphere conducive to learning.

Carry out a skills analysis to determine part-skills and elements.
Determine the sequence of the procedure.
Assess entry behaviours of students these need not be taught again.
Model the skill by demonstration at normal speed.
Teach the sequence of the procedure.
Teach the motor skill by either whole-learning or part-learning method.
Allocate sufficient time for practice.
Provide augmented feedback on performance.
Prompt student to use intrinsic feedback.
Encourage transfer of existing similar skills by pointing out similarity.
The provision of an atmosphere conducive to learning has already

been discussed and its importance noted. Skills analysis is a useful way
of identifying the part-skills that comprise the total motor skill. Table
9.6 shows a task analysis for the motor aspects of the procedure for
performing a surgical dressing.
Table 9.6
The procedure of performing a
surgical dressing
Total motor skill
Part-skills (tasks)
Elements*
1.0 Preparation of work area
1.1 Clearing space
1.11 Pushing locker away

1.12 Moving bed table
1.21 Holding curtain and
pulling it round
1.31 Pulling window cord
1.41 Asking if possible to lie
recumbent
1.42 Removing pillows
1.43 Folding bedclothes
1.44 Loosening clothing
1.45 Covering with blanket
1.2 Screening
1.3 Closing windows
1.4 Positioning patient
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2.0 Preparation of equipment
and trolley
2.1 Hand-washing
2.2 Cleaning trolley
2.3 Collecting equipment
2.4 Setting trolley
2.5 Taking to bedside
3.0 Performance of dressing
3.1 Opening bags

3.2 Loosening dressing
3.3 Hand-washing
3.4 Opening packs
3.5 Removing dressing
3.6 Cleaning wound
3.7 Applying dressing
4.0 Organization of trolley
4.1 Closing pack

4.2 Closing bags
4.3 Securing bags
5.0 Ensuring patients comfort
5.1 Attending to position
6.0 Clearing of trolley and

equipment
6.1 Removing from bedside

6.2 Disposal of soiled
dressings
6.3 Disposal of instruments
6.4 Hand-washing
6.5 Clearing equipment
6.6 Cleaning trolley
6.7 Hand-washing
7.0 Returning to patient
7.1 Assist with clothing

7.2 Assisting with position
7.3 Offering drink,
newspaper, etc.
7.4 Removing screens
7.5 Returning tables, lockers,
etc.
8.0 Recording and reporting
8.1 Writing report

8.2 Reporting verbally to
nurse in charge
8.3 Comparing report with

previous one
*Elements are stated only for Section 1.0 of the total motor skills
These motor skills are further subdivided into part-skills and elements,
and it can be seen that the elements consist of many previously learned
entry behaviours, such as moving the bed table and pulling curtains.
Determining the sequence of the procedure is important, and it may be
forgotten that students must remember this as well as the motor skills.
Entry behaviours need to be identified, because they are already learned
and hence do not need to be taught again.
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The skill is normally modelled by an actual demonstration, but in the

classroom setting it can also be done by video, and it gives the students
an overall impression of the skill they are aiming at.
There is some controversy as to whether skills should be taught in
their entirety (whole-learning), or divided into part-skills, with each
part being taught separately first and then combined into a wholepartlearning. The disadvantage of whole-learning is that it may be difficult to
comprehend large units of procedures if taught together. However, partlearning may waste time because the student has to learn the part-skills
first and then learn to combine them together. It may also be boring for
the student if the part-skills are simple. The advantages of whole-learning
are that it may be:
more meaningful, as perceived as whole;

more efficient, as students can identify the aspects that need further
practice within the whole;
more effective for students who already have a background in the

skill;
better for highly motivated students; and

better for older students.
The advantages of part-learning are that it may:
help to motivate students, as each part-skill provides immediate

achievement;
by its small-step nature act as reinforcement for learning;

be better for younger students;
be better for students lacking a background in the skill; and
help to improve specific responses for part-skills.
Another area of controversy is that of massed practice versus spaced
practice; massed practice involves continuous practice until the skill is
learned, whereas spaced practice may spread the practice over a period
of time, with rest in between. There is no evidence that one is better than
the other, but there are obvious pitfalls associated with massed practice,
such as boredom and fatigue. As we have seen earlier, feedback is a crucial
aspect of motor-skills learning, without which no improvement can occur.
The teacher needs to encourage students to become aware of the intrinsic
feedback from their own muscles and joints, which informs them about
the position of limbs and the action of movements. Information gained
from their own observation of their actions will also help the students to
learn a skill and here again the teacher may use questioning to ascertain
whether each student is able to self-evaluate outcomes.
The main role of the teacher is in providing augmented feedback
in the form of verbal guidance both during and on completion of the
motor performance. The nurse teacher can teach for transfer of learning
by using a variety of techniques to make the student understand the
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principles underlying the skill. Existing skills must have been well learned
if they are to transfer positively to the new skill, and the similarities need
to be pointed out to the students.
Benners model of skill acquisition in clinical nursing practice

Patricia Benners book From Novice to Expert (1984) has become one of
the most frequently quoted research studies in nurse education. Benner
conducted paired interviews with beginners and experienced nurses
about significant nursing situations that they had experienced in
common, in order to identify any characteristic differences between
their descriptions of the same situation. Additionally, she carried out
interviews, critical incident technique, and participant observation with
a sample of experienced nurses, new graduates, and senior students, to
ascertain the characteristics of performance at different stages of skill
acquisition.
Using an adaptation of the five-stage model of skill acquisition
developed by Dreyfus and Dreyfus (1980), Benner described the
characteristics of performance at five different levels of nursing skill:
novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient, and expert. During his
or her passage through these stages, the student relies less upon abstract
rules to govern practice and more on past experience. Nursing situations
begin to be seen as a unified whole within which only certain aspects are
relevant, and the nurse becomes personally involved in situations rather
than a detached observer. It is important to note that Benner uses the
term skill in its widest sense to mean all aspects of nursing practice, and
not simply psychomotor skill performance.
Stage 1: novice
This level is characterized by rule-governed behaviour, as the novice has
no experience of the situation upon which to draw, and this applies to
both students in training and to experienced nurses who move into an
unfamiliar clinical area. Adherence to principles and rules, however, does
not help the nurse to decide what is relevant in a nursing situation and
may thus lead to unsuccessful performance.
Stage 2: advanced beginner
Unlike principles and rules, aspects are overall characteristics of a
situation that can only be identified by experience of that situation. For
example, the skills of interviewing a patient are developed by experience
of interviewing previous patients, and the advanced beginner is one who
has had sufficient prior experience of a situation to deliver marginally
acceptable performance. Advanced beginners need adequate support
from supervisors, mentors and colleagues in the practice setting.
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Stage 3: competent
This stage is characterized by conscious, deliberate planning based upon
analysis and careful deliberation of situations. The competent nurse is
able to identify priorities and manage his or her own work, and Benner
suggests that the competent nurse can benefit at this stage from learning
activities that centre on decision-making, planning and co-ordinating
patient care.
Stage 4: proficient
Unlike the competent nurse, the proficient nurse is able to perceive
situations holistically and can therefore home in directly on the
most relevant aspects of a problem. According to Benner, proficient
performance is based upon the use of maxims and is normally found
in nurses who have worked within a specific area of nursing for several
years. Inductive teaching strategies, such as case-studies, are most useful
for nurses at this stage.
Stage 5: expert
This stage is characterized by a deep understanding and intuitive grasp
of the total situation; the expert nurse develops a feel for situations and
a vision of the possibilities in a given situation. Benner suggests that
critical incident technique is a useful way of attempting to evaluate expert
practice, but she considers that not all nurses are capable of becoming
experts.
Summary
Workplace settings in nursing and midwifery education provide the
learning environment for a whole range of personnel, including those

undertaking formal programmes and those receiving informal, and
often spontaneous, teaching as part of their day-to-day practice.
The workplace does not simply provide an environment for learning
the knowledge and skills required for practice, it also serves as a
vehicle for pre-registration students socialization into the profession
of nursing or midwifery.
One of the major differences between classroom teaching and
workplace-based teaching is that the latter is a much more public
endeavour.
Within the workplace setting, roles and norms exert a significant
influence.
Labelling involves classifying people who deviate from what is
considered to be normal; the term deviance is used to indicate a
negative social evaluation.
Qualified staff are a key factor influencing the learning environment in
hospital placements.
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Qualified staff should ensure that pre-registration students are treated
with kindness and understanding and should try to show interest in

them as people.
Qualified staff should be encouraged to act as supervisors, mentors,
preceptors, and assessors.
An important part of the learning process is experimentation, in
which the student can try to apply concepts and principles in different
ways.
Work-related stress has become a major issue for employers and
employees, evidenced by the increasing numbers of claims for
compensation arising out of work-induced, stress-related illness.
The impact of stress can be classified into two main categories: the
effects of stress on students performance in the workplace and the
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Educational audit is a process that ensures collaboration between
higher education institutions and health care providers on an ongoing
basis.
Practice placements are a vital component of the student nurse
experience, so it is important that they reflect both the nature of
the provision of care to meet health care needs and the demands
of professional registration.
Clinical supervision is a formal process of professional support and
learning.
Clinical supervision is an important part of clinical governance and
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them to improve patient/client care.
Teaching on a one-to-one basis demands skills quite different from
those used in the classroom setting; both teacher and student are more
exposed to each other and the encounter takes place in the presence of
other staff, patients and visitors.
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Nursing Times Occasional Papers, 77(17).
Ostell, A., Baverstock, S. and Wright, P. (1999) Interpersonal skills of
managing emotion at work. The Psychologist, 12(1), 3034.
Pembrey, S. (1980) The Ward Sister Key to Care. RCN, London.
Quinn, F.M. (1995) The Principles and Practice of Nurse Education, 3rd
edn. Stanley Thornes, Cheltenham.
Rosenthal, R. and Jacobson, L. (1968) Pygmalion in The Classroom.
Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York.
Selye, H. (1956) The Stress of Life. McGraw Hill, New York.
Sherif, M. (1936) The Psychology of Social Norms. Harper, New York.
Simpson, E. (1972) The classification of educational objectives in the
psychomotor domain. The Psychomotor Domain, Vol. 3. Gryphon
House, Washington, DC.
South and West Development Forum (1996) The Coaching Toolkit
Programme. Foreward, Cheshire.
Twentyman, M., Eaton, E. and Henderson, A. (2006) Enhancing support
for nursing students in the clinical setting. Nursing Times, 102(14),
3537.
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UKCC (2000) Requirements for Pre-registration Nursing Programmes.
United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health
Visiting, London.
Watson, S. (2000) The support that mentors receive in the clinical setting.
Welsh I. and Swann, C. (2002) Partners in Learning: A Guide to Support
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support mechanisms
10
Mentorship
The concept of mentoring in nurse education is not a new one. The
original concept of mentoring is well documented and is said to have
originated in the US (Morle, 1990; Clutterbuck, 1991). It started to
appear in the nursing literature in the early 1980s, having traditionally
been linked to professions such as medicine, law and business, and
has resulted in a wealth of published literature in the 1990s (Andrews
and Wallis, 1999). Although mentorship has assumed respectability in
professional education, Jarvis and Gibson (1997) maintain that it remains
a term that is not easily defined, as numerous articles have debated
its meaning. However, evidence suggests that mentoring is primarily
associated with clinical settings and, to a lesser extent, educational
establishments (Sword et al., 2002).
The terms mentor and mentorship have received considerable
attention in the last decade within nurse education, and Lloyd Jones et
al. (2001) summarize the mentoring role as one that:
supports the student in the clinical area and acts as a role model;
facilitates the learning experiences on placements; and
undertakes clinical teaching and assesses the students practice.
Similarly, the process of mentorship, as defined by the Welsh National
Board (2001), is one that facilitates learning opportunities and supervises
and assesses students in the practice setting. Terminology frequently
used to describe a mentor includes teacher, supporter, coach, facilitator,
assessor, role model and supervisor (Darling, 1985; Jarvis and Gibson,
1997; Neary, 1997; Chow and Suen, 2001). Although there is substantial
variation in the meaning of these terms, Hagerty (1986) believes that
this is inevitable owing to the diverse contexts in which mentorship
functions.
Qualities of a mentor
The personal qualities of a mentor and the nature of the relationship
between the mentor and student are central to the success of the
mentorship process (Pulsford et al., 2002), and from the literature
(Darling, 1986; Davies et al., 1994) it can be surmised that the attributes
of a good mentor include:
trust, openness, generosity of time;

knowledgeable, approachable, motivated to teach, good communication skills; and
patient, kind, a good listener, a sound practitioner, an academic nurse,

a good teacher.
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In contrast, a qualitative study of effective mentoring by Gray and

Smith (2000) indicated that students quickly lose their idealistic view of
their mentor and over time develop an insight into the qualities of a poor
mentor. Poor mentors were identified as promise breakers, lacking in
knowledge and expertise, unapproachable and intimidating to students.
Characteristics of a good and poor mentor are listed in Table 10.1.
Table 10.1
Characteristics of good and poor
mentors
Characteristics of a good mentor
Characteristics of a poor mentor
Approachable
Knowledgeable and motivated to teach
Supporting
Good listener and trustworthy
Patient and friendly
Experienced and enthusiastic
Demonstrates interest in students
Committed to the mentoring process
Intimidating to students
Promise breaker
Lacking in knowledge and expertise
Unapproachable
Poor communicator
Lacking in time for students
It is worth noting at this point that all registered nurses, midwives

and specialist community public health nurses have a duty to facilitate
students to develop their competence (NMC, 2004a). Therefore, it could
be argued that many of the characteristics of a poor mentor contravene
the Code of Professional Conduct.
Morle (1990) describes a mentor as someone who smoothes progression
up the career ladder as mentors are primarily selected because of their
professional powers and personal characteristics. Whilst this is a likely
notion in the business setting, it appears to bear little resemblance to
the situation in nursing, although some practitioners might dispute this.
Morle (1990) also questioned whether or not the term mentorship was
really appropriate within nursing educational systems and suggested that
the term preceptorship should perhaps be given serious consideration;
as a consequence, this has been debated by many authors (Donovan,
1990; Armitage and Burnard, 1991; Lloyd-Jones et al., 2001)
Following the recommendations of the FfP report (UKCC, 1999),
the former UKCC (2000), and since then the NMC (2004b), published
standards for the preparation of teachers of nursing, midwifery and
specialist community public health nurses. Aimed at lecturers, practice
educators and mentors, these standards promote the integration of theory
and practice, which only serves to ensure the support of students. Table
10.2 identifies the mandatory standards for mentors and mentorship.
Table 10.2
Standards for mentors and
mentorship
Communication and working relationships enabling:

the development of effective relationships based on mutual trust and respect
an understanding of how students integrate into practice settings and assisting with this process
the provision of ongoing and constructive support for students
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Mentorship
Facilitation of learning in order to:
demonstrate sufficient knowledge of the students programme to identify current learning needs
demonstrate strategies that will assist with the integration of learning from practice and
educational settings
create and develop opportunities for students to identify and undertake experiences to meet
their learning needs
Assessment in order to:
demonstrate a good understanding of assessment and ability to assess
implement approved assessment procedures
Role modelling in order to:
demonstrate effective relationships with patients and clients
contribute to the development of an environment in which effective practice is fostered,
implemented, evaluated and disseminated
assess and manage clinical developments to ensure safe and effective care
Creating an environment for learning in order to:
ensure effective learning experiences, and the opportunity to achieve learning outcomes for
students, by contributing to the development and maintenance of a learning environment
implement strategies for quality assurance and quality audit
Improving practice in order to:
contribute to the creation of an environment in which change can be initiated and supported
A knowledge base in order to:
identify, apply and disseminate research findings within the area of practice
Course development that:
contributes to the development and/or review of courses
Adapted from NMC (2004b)
Whilst emphasizing the difference between theory and practice, Benner

(1984) recommended that it was the role of experienced nurses in the
clinical environment to facilitate the transition from novice to competent
practitioner. Burnard (1990) also refers to a mentor as an
experienced practitioner whose role is to guide and look after the student,
whilst Neary (1994) defines a good mentoring relationship as a dialogue
between two people committed to improvement. In general, a mentor is
usually someone who is experienced, and in many cases more senior than
the learner, and who provides support, encouragement and guidance.
The document Making a Difference (DoH, 1999) advocates the use of
all newly qualified and experienced nurses as mentors, noting that they
will need to have a positive approach towards mentoring students and to
feel supported in their role.
In 1996, Spouse discovered that students stress levels were significantly
decreased if the mentor and the clinical environment were friendly; Cude
and Edwards (1998) support this, stressing that mentors should be
friendly, enthusiastic and demonstrate genuine interest in their students.
Support for students in practice has since been further strengthened
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support mechanisms
by two documents published by the English National Board and the

Department of Health; Placements in Focus (2001a) and Preparation of
Mentors and Teachers (2001b).
The need for a mentor

Owing to the strong workplace tradition of mentorship, Neary (2000)
points out that students or new recruits are often assigned to more
experienced people who can induct them into clinical settings and assist
on skill development, understanding and attitudes. She also points out
the numerous gains that can be achieved for the mentor, the mentee
and the employing institution (Table 10.3).
Table 10.3
Gains achieved during the
mentoring process
Gains for the mentor:

Improved job satisfaction
Increased recognition within the establishment
Improved communications between the mentor and other staff
Opportunity for accredited training
Membership of a new and wider network of other mentors and trainers
Introduction to lifelong learning
Gains for the mentee:
Improved self-confidence and motivation
Becoming more familiar with the ways of working of the establishment
Fuller and better use of existing resources
Personal and career development
Specific help with meeting the outcomes of the institution
Help in ensuring that the support of education is relevant to his of her work
Gains for the employing institution:
Improved communication between individuals at different levels
Increased motivation of staff as interest is shown in their professional input
Skills of staff are recognized more quickly
Higher-calibre staff are attracted
A contribution to staff development across the whole institution
The establishment of a body of mentors for general use with new students
Adapted from Neary (2000)
Personal
tutoring
The Project 2000 curriculum brought about some fundamental changes

in the way in which nurses were educated (UKCC, 1986). Set at Diploma
of Higher Education level, the programme incorporated an increased
emphasis on theoretical content and a decrease in clinical practice
placements. However, over time it was highlighted that the curriculum
did not fully meet the needs of the students, clinical placements and
patients in terms of knowledge, skills and attitudes (DoH, 1999).
This was due to its overemphasis on the academic component of the
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Personal
tutoring
programme and the subsequent development of the theorypractice

gap. This theorypractice gap now dominates approaches to preparing
students for their future role, and, with increasing emphasis on workbased learning, one of the many strategies designed to support students
is supervision (Spouse, 2001).
Although the role of mentoring is generally associated with clinical
practice, it is also a concept that has been adopted within the realms
of nurse education establishments. Within higher education (HE), it
is usual to differentiate between the terms teacher and mentor.
Knowless (1984) theory of andragogy demonstrates that adults learn
differently from children and identifies many conditions associated with
this. Andragogy relies to some extent on the student engaging in selfdirected learning (Neary, 2000) and its many principles have been widely
incorporated into nurse education. However, Nolan and Nolan (1997a)
argue that if nurses are to become self-directing then the assumption that
adult learners prefer autonomy must be challenged.
Throughout their educational programmes, students are supported
by a range of professional and academic mentors and are allocated
a personal tutor who is able to guide, support and facilitate learning
(Welsh and Swann, 2002). According to Phillips (1994), the concept
of the personal tutor is one that has evolved over time in colleges of
nursing and midwifery education with little apparent active planning
or formality; although nurse teachers have always been personal tutors
in different guises and to varying degrees with individual and groups
of students. The personal tutor is now a well-established role and its
interpretation appears to be more coherent since the inception of the new
FfP curriculum (Hughes, 2004a).
The FfP All Wales Initiative (NAfW 2002) identifies the personal tutor
as a key person in the assessment process for pre-registration nursing
education along with the practice-based mentor and clinical link tutor. It
is the responsibility of the personal tutor to endorse the overall clinical
achievement record at the end of the common foundation programme
and branch programmes years two and three.
Being a personal tutor is a fundamental part of the academic role in
developing students understanding and perception of clinical practice.
The characteristics of effective tutoring are widely acknowledged with
the quality of a tutorial relationship being very much contingent upon the
interpersonal communication skills of the tutor (Quinn, 2000). Personal
tutors should possess certain attributes to facilitate tutorstudent
relationships; these include self-awareness, trust, acceptance and respect
for the student, empathetic understanding, credibility and retaining
individuality by being ones natural self.
Morle (1990) and Phillips (1994) believe there to be considerable
similarity and overlap in the functions of mentors, preceptors, supervisors
and personal tutors. While some authors believe these terms to be
synonymous, there are others who take the opposite view. Brennan and
Williams (1993) are convinced that this confusion, and the resulting
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dichotomy of opinion, may have arisen because of the ambiguity

surrounding the mentor concept. In professional education, the term
mentorship is often used synonymously with preceptorship and
supervision although Aspinall and Siddiqui (1996) argue that what is
seen in nurse education is not mentoring but pseudo-mentoring, since
the relationships are relatively short term. Darling (1985) believes that
the absolute requirement for successful mentoring is a long and intense
relationship. The personal-tutor role for pre-registration programmes
is one that involves a relationship for the duration of the three-year
educational programme and can only serve to strengthen students
theoretical knowledge (Hughes, 2004a).
Whilst describing a humanistic model for personal tutoring, Charnock
(1993) identified four key areas and suggested pointers for good practice
under the headings cognitive, behavioural, developmental, and feeling
and intuitive. He indicated that part of the personal tutor role is to
act as a bridge between what is taught in school and what happens in
clinical practice. In facilitating this, the tutor must possess clinical skills
to enhance credibility and should acknowledge that what is taught in
school is sometimes different from what happens in practice. The role
also has historical and literary associations concerning both pastoral and
authority associations (Richardson, 1998).
The NAfW (2002) details the multi-faceted role that the personal
tutor must adhere to and, although not exhaustive, this includes:
preparing each student, prior to his or her first and subsequent clinical
placements by explaining the importance and process of clinical

outcomes;
providing tutorial support by organizing and facilitating personal
tutorial discussions that focus on clinical experiences;
providing individual support for students who are experiencing
problems or failing to make progress in clinical practice and/or
academic programme;
discussing, with link tutor, issues that students have highlighted in
relation to their clinical placement; and
discussing, with students, reflective entries, supporting evidence and
relevant documentation within the portfolio.
Additional roles and responsibilities of the personal tutor are outlined
by Neary (2000) and include the following activities:
encouraging reflective practice to aid the relationship between theory

and practice;
providing academic support in the process of academic assignments;

maximizing learning opportunities and advising on learning activities;
and
participating in the preparation of placement mentors.
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Personal
tutoring
To summarize the literature at this point, the personal-tutor role appears

to concentrate on activities in four key areas: learning through reflective
practice, conflict, learning contracts and support for lecturers.
Learning through reflective practice

Reflection, explored in further detail in Chapter 13 (p. 443), has been
regarded as an essential part of professional learning for many years
(Schn, 1991) and is an important human activity in which people
recapture their experience, analyse it and evaluate it (Boud et al.,
1985). In supporting students to develop and manage reflection, Burns
and Bulman (2000) believe that mentors must have a grasp not only of
clinical practice but also of reflection. For Schn (1991), reflection is an
attempt to put into an explicit, symbolic form, the personal intelligence
that begins by being spontaneous and tacit. He speaks of reflection being
integral to an activity (reflection-in-action) or undertaken after the event
(reflection-on-action).
Using a model of reflection to facilitate the learning process and to
make learning as active and participative as possible, personal tutors
can encourage students to demonstrate their understanding of concepts,
knowledge, skills and attitudes within educational and clinical practice
(Schn, 1991; Jarvis, 1995; Burns and Bulman, 2000; Neary, 2000).
Introducing students to reflective practice goes some way towards
preparing them for clinical supervision after registration, and Claveirole
and Mathers (2003) profess that, in order to facilitate reflective groups,
lecturers require skills similar to those of a good clinical supervisor,
which include reflection, supervisory and facilitative skills.
A portfolio is a dynamic positive means of showing that a student
is developing knowledge and competence (UKCC, 1990) and of
encouraging students to engage in lifelong learning. A portfolio offers
an ideal vehicle for reflection whilst providing evidence of achievement
(Priest and Roberts, 1998).
The Student Portfolio (NAfW, 2002) is designed to assist students to
recognize and develop their potential throughout the pre-registration
programme. It demonstrates how students progress in both the theoretical
and clinical practice elements of the programme and provides a framework
for recording evidence and monitoring personal and professional growth.
Students are required to discuss their assessment and action plans with
their personal tutor who will assist with identifying learning opportunities
and provide academic support. The portfolio also provides opportunities
to discuss reflection, and these reflections become the focus for dialogue
between the student and personal tutor to evaluate personal strengths
and weaknesses and how to overcome them. The portfolio document
contains all the evidence required to ensure that, on completion of the
programme, the student is fit for practice, purpose and award.
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support mechanisms
Personal tutorstudent conflict

Teachers with their own unique personality may perceive and carry out
their personal-tutor responsibilities in an individual way (Phillips, 1994).
However, there are pitfalls often associated with the expectations of
both parties: a lack of understanding of the true nature of the personaltutor role and an emphasis on limited aspects of the overall learning
process. Neary (1997) found that when a mentormentee relationship
developed into friendship some students felt that the mentor could not
remain impartial and give an objective opinion on their performance. To
avoid this situation, she argued, two separate people should perform the
mentor and assessor roles.
There are weaknesses and prejudices in all mentoring systems, and the
conflict between the dual roles of mentor and assessor is just one of many
debated issues, with some lecturers believing that befriending students
impacts on the learning process and consequently effects progress.
Phillips (1994) emphasizes further weaknesses and cites Lewiss (1984)
belief that personal tutors may find it difficult to resist the temptation
to ensure that all of their own personal students successfully complete
educational programmes. He also fosters the belief that students may
reject the support offered by the personal tutor for fear of being labelled
as weak or perceived not to be coping.
Price (2002) reports strategies that student nurses have employed
to manage relationships with tutors and recommends ways of building
a constructive relationship. Whilst the qualities of a personal tutor are
defined as those of someone who cares, someone who is there and
someone to trust (Darling, 1985; Richardson, 1998), there is also a need
to help students realize that there are times when disagreement between
personal tutor and student is essential in order for both parties to reflect
and grow and that unpredictability of outcome may emerge for either
person (Gallego and Walter, 1990). This means that tutor and student
can freely demonstrate their boredom, enthusiasm, anger, sensitivity and
sympathy provided that they both understand and agree the rules of their
developing relationship (Charnock, 1993). However, in the event that a
personality conflict may persist and the relationship assumes a state of
impasse, students are able to request to change their personal tutor.
Makinson (2002) draws attention to the problems associated with
mentoring roles if there is poor support, poor matching of those involved
and not enough attention being paid to the learning process. He cites
Scanduras (1998) consideration of dysfunctional mentoring relationships
and the damaging effects that such relationships can have on mentors and
students. The many ways that negative relationships were manifested
include bullying, deception, submissiveness and harassment.
The view is that, to create a climate and culture of support, the
personal tutor will guide the student through the three years of training
and meet frequently with him or her during each of the modules of the
FfP curriculum. Although time is sometimes a constraint for personal
tutors who are attempting to provide support and individual tutorials
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Personal
tutoring
for their students (Phillips, 1994), they are not expected to be constantly
available for students, and arrangements should exist for appointments
that are deemed urgent.
Individual tutorials give the personal tutor an idea of the students
achievements but there are instances when the student is failing to
achieve the required standard. Quinn (2000) identifies many barriers
to learning, so, when faced with this situation, it is important to identify
what aspects of the programme the student is experiencing difficulties
with. During this time, both personal tutor and student must agree a plan
of action to rectify the situation and negotiate an increase in meetings to
monitor progress more closely (Welsh and Swann, 2002).
Contract of supervision
A contract of supervision, although not legally binding, is a method
of setting ground rules between a student and personal tutor. It can
be instigated by the personal tutor and created on commencement
of the studentteacher relationship to identify the process of making
appointments and the number of meetings required per module; it can
also identify when draft assignments can and cannot be reviewed. The
supervision contract is then agreed and signed by both parties and a copy
retained by the student and personal tutor. Table 10.4 demonstrates an
example of a supervision contract.
Student/Personal Tutor Contract of Supervision
Table 10.4
Personal Tutors name

Contact details
Telephone number/email
Example of a supervision
contract
Students name
Contact details
Telephone number/email
Please make direct contact to book appointments at least 5 days in advance unless an
emergency situation arises.
My location is identified on my office door and is also available from the directorate secretary.
Please provide all relevant documentation including portfolios and draft assignments 48 hours
prior to any meeting draft assignments may be submitted by electronic mail and portfolios
may be left with the secretary in the general secretariat office.
Formal meetings will be required according to the course of study undertaken. Two meetings
are normally acceptable at the beginning and end of the module.
Additional support can be negotiated and agreed and any other conditions required by the
College will be included.
Draft assignments and extension requests for summative work will not be accepted during the
final week prior to submission unless mitigating circumstances are evident.
If all of the above statements are satisfactory to both student and personal teacher, please sign and
date the contract below.
Personal Tutors Signature:
Students Signature:
Date:
Date:
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Learning contracts
Neary (2002) endorses the use of learning contracts designed by
both teacher and student to specify what the student will learn, how
it will be achieved and the timescale and criteria for measuring its
success. Identifying learning objectives will bridge the theorypractice
gap and demonstrate the transfer of knowledge to clinical practice
(Rolfe, 1996). A learning contract could be perceived as a combined
andragogical/pedagogical approach, instigated by the personal tutor for
meeting learning needs, and which, as it stands, defeats the theory of
adult learning. Whilst acknowledging that, at the start of educational
programmes, the knowledge, and subsequently power, is with the tutor, it
is presumed that, over a period of time, the personal tutor will challenge
the boundaries to shift responsibility slowly to the student. Nolan and
Nolan (1997a) support this and believe that, when it comes to matters of
control, it seems that students, at least in the early stages of their training,
want the tutor to take the lead.
Andragogy has been depicted at the level of grand theory as being
universally applicable to all adult learners, yet Nolan and Nolan (1997b)
clearly point out that evidence suggests that there is a growing realization
that, in nurse education, this is not the case, and they argue for a cooperative model of tutoring. However, Derbyshire (1993) challenged
the need to reclaim a pedagogical approach to overcome the deficits of
andragogy, which is, he believes, divisive and fragmentary.
Mentorship for personal tutors

Mentorship is a common culture at all levels within Schools of Nursing and
Midwifery Studies, with ongoing research and development specifically
aimed at new and unqualified lecturers. Mentoring supposedly speeds
up the learning process and as such is used as an academic and personal
development tool.
Whilst the literature appears to support a role for education in the
introduction of clinical supervision to nurses, Claveirole and Mathers
(2003) believe that this points to nurse lecturers as the main providers of
supervision to students. This in turn suggests that lecturers and lecturers
with a personal-tutor role may also benefit from clinical supervision,
namely from its supportive, educational and managerial qualities.
School policies in the mentoring process should safeguard lecturers
and ensure regular reviews between mentor and mentee to evaluate the
growing relationship (Hughes, 2004a). Personal experience advises that
such relationships, which include peer group support on a formal and
informal basis and a mentorship network, enhance work motivation
and improve commitment and job performance. Lewis (1998) claims
that lecturers find the supervision process a valuable tool as it provides
opportunities to learn from colleagues about new and different teaching
practices. In addition, he claims that lecturers require emotional and
psychological support in respect of issues that arise from teaching
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The
role of the link lecturer
practice. Furthermore, Claveirole and Mathers (2003) consider that

supervision is both a sounding board and an emotional safety valve, and
also an opportunity for problem-clarification and problem-solving.
The
The integration of nurse education with higher education has highlighted

uncertainty over the clinical role of nurse lecturers (Hughes, 2004b).
Although lecturers believe that they have maintained strong links with
clinical practice, the evidence suggests that nurse lecturer preparation in
practice areas is limited (Murphy, 2000). Following the move into higher
education and the demise of the clinical teacher, Camiah (1998) argues
that an effective model for nurse lecturers in practice no longer exists.
The concept of link lecturer emerged following the demise of the
two-tier system of clinical teacher and lecturer in favour of one level of
teacher to work in both environments: clinical and educational (UKCC,
1986). As a result, Ramage (2004) points out that all teachers were
assigned to clinical areas in which they were to facilitate the development
of an educational milieu to support student learning in practice.
Around the 1990s, the teaching and support of student nurses in the
practice setting was a shared responsibility between clinical staff, clinical
nurse teachers and, to a lesser extent, nurse lecturers (Chapple and Aston,
2004). The Peach report (UKCC, 1999) emphasized the importance of
clinical learning for students and the importance of the role of the link
lecturer in supporting them.
The NAfW (2002) defines the link lecturer role as:
A lecturer allocated to the clinical placement area who liaises with
placement staff on student issues, and is the first point of contact for
the health care provider who assists the mentors in practice in the
facilitation of a supportive, creative learning environment and will
provide support throughout the clinical assessment.
There appears to be a plethora of terms associated with the link

lecturer role; these include:
clinical teacher;
teacher/practitioner;
lecturer/practitioner;
clinical facilitator;
practice educator.
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ChaPter 10 teaChing suPPort meChanisms
However, it must be acknowledged that whilst the role of the link

lecturer does resonate with some of the experiences of the above roles,
its primary role in practice (NAfW, 2002) is to:
monitor the effectiveness of the mentorship system in allocated clinical

areas;
provide support to students, mentors, clinical managers and education

co-ordinators; and
provide appropriate feedback to clinical areas following student

evaluations.
According to Murphy (2000) there are four key elements of the

clinical role of nurse teachers, which include liaison, teaching, clinical
practice and research. Figure 10.1 shows many other aspects of the role
that link lecturers identify with.
Figure 10.1
Aspects of the link lecturer role
Educational
audit
Clinical
tutorials
Link
lecturer
role
Update on
curricular changes
Clinical
meetings
Review student
progress
Mentorship
preparation
Liaise with education

co-ordinators
Update on
current practice
Post-registration
education
Research
The link lecturers role is multi-faceted and within the clinical setting
most usually includes:
student support;
educational audit;
mentorship;
clinical credibility; and
research.
Pre-registration student support

One of the most important aspects of the link-lecturer role relates to
supporting students in practice. Following the recommendations of the
Fitness for Practice report (UKCC, 1999), the NMC (2004b) published
revised standards for the preparation of teachers of nursing, midwifery
and specialist community public health nurses. These standards, aimed
at lecturers, practice educators and mentors, promote the integration of
theory and practice, which only serves to ensure the support of students
(Hughes, 2004b).
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The
While nurse educators are striving to respond to changes in education,

the dichotomy between the theoretical input taught in the classroom and
what is practised or experienced in the clinical area remains a problem
for some (Hughes, 2004b). For example, to address this issue, preregistration students at the School of Nursing and Midwifery Studies in
Cardiff are now more prepared for their operating theatre experience,
which is integrated within the surgical module of the second year.
During the eight-week theory block, students receive 11 hours of taught
perioperative nursing sessions all relating to different specialist areas
within theatre; all of which can be applied to the clinical setting. These
include:
understanding the principles and nurse-led practices of pre-assessment,

primarily associated with day surgery;
nursing assessment of surgical inpatients, focusing mainly on the

rationale for the checking and completion of the pre-operative check
list; and
principles and practice of anaesthesia, addressing mainly the methods
and triad of anaesthesia; role of the anaesthetic nurse; patients with
special needs; and nursing care during the peri-anaesthesia period.
Within the sessions:
Intra-operative nursing care highlights relevant issues that include
caring for patients during the intra-operative phase; patient positioning;

surgical diathermy and the roles of the scrub and circulating nurse.
Post-operative nursing care is delivered as a half-taught didactic
lecture illustrating the principles of this vulnerable peri-operative stage
and using a student-centred learning approach by means of patient
scenarios and problem-based learning.
The final taught session focuses on post-operative complications of
anaesthesia and surgery and again utilizes patient scenarios completed
as student group work.
A recent study by Hughes (2006) evaluated the operating theatre
experience of pre-registration nurses, using a non-randomized convenience
sample of 150 second-year students over a nine-month period. Students
were issued with a questionnaire of 25 questions at the end of their
theatre placement. Although only 57 per cent of the questionnaires
were returned, the majority of students (76 per cent) felt adequately
prepared for their clinical placement in terms of the theoretical content
outlined above.
Clinical credibility
What exactly is clinical credibility and how is it generally defined? In
terms of the critical care environment, does it mean that a lecturer should
be able to walk into an intensive care unit and prepare the environment
appropriately for a ventilated patient? Then act in a competent manner
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Chapter 10Teaching
support mechanisms
and assist the anaesthetist for the duration of the shift? Anecdotal
evidence suggests that six weeks away from any clinical area renders a
nurse deskilled (Hughes, 2004b).
A study by Aston et al. (2000), exploring the role of the link lecturer
in the practice setting, highlighted a lack of strategic management of
the practice role by educational institutions. Interestingly, whilst the
researchers found that clinical credibility was of great importance for
lecturers, both clinicians and lecturers felt that this was a broad term and
that clinical credibility was understood to mean an awareness of current
issues and changes in the practice setting.
To overcome the obstacles of maintaining clinical credibility, several
strategies have been adopted to enhance the link-lecturer role. The
experiences of Maslin-Prothero and Owen (2001) demonstrate that nurse
lecturers should consider their current knowledge, skills and expertise in
order to develop an individualized practice-based role that enables them
to keep in touch with current clinical developments. They suggest a
number of realistic, pragmatic approaches that nurse lecturers can use to
enhance both clinical competence and credibility, and to ensure that their
teaching is up to date and grounded in the realities of clinical practice.
Some of these include:
developing the learning environment;

involvement in practice development;
developing links with local trusts;
involving clinicians in teaching in the college environment; and
clinically orientated research.
Research
Since the integration of nursing education into higher education in the
1990s, growing numbers of nurse educators are now required to undertake
research, or supervise students undertaking research, as an integral part
of their role (Jootun and McGhee, 2003). Universities now demand that
lecturers pursue research and scholarship in their individual disciplines
(Maslin-Prothero and Owen, 2001), in addition to their teaching and
learning commitments. A lecturer in mental health may consciously
choose to develop one of his or her research interests within the clinical
environment as a means of keeping in touch with current developments
in mental health practice. This provides an invaluable opportunity to
maintain awareness of current issues, concerns and developments. Thus
link lecturers can contribute to the development of professional practice
and actively be involved, and advance their own knowledge base through
research activities and regular contact with experts in practice (MaslinProthero and Owen, 2001).
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References
Summary
Although mentorship has assumed respectability in professional
education, it remains a term that is not easily defined.
The process of mentorship facilitates learning opportunities and the

supervision and assessment of students in the practice setting.
Terminology frequently used to describe a mentor includes teacher,

supporter, coach, facilitator, assessor, role model and supervisor.
A good mentoring relationship is often described as a dialogue between

two people committed to improvement.
The role of mentoring is generally associated with clinical practice, but
it is also a concept that has been adopted within the realms of nurse
education establishments.
Throughout their educational programmes, students are supported
by a range of professional and academic mentors and are allocated a
personal tutor who is able to guide, support and facilitate learning.
Being a personal tutor is a fundamental part of the academic role in
developing the students understanding and perception of clinical
practice.
The personal-tutor role tends to concentrate on activities in four key
areas: learning through reflective practice, conflict, learning contracts
and support for lecturers.
A personal tutor creates a climate and culture of support.
A link lecturer is allocated to a clinical placement area and liaises with
placement staff on student issues.
A link lecturer is the first point of contact for the health care provider
who assists the mentors in practice in the facilitation of a supportive,
creative learning environment and will provide support throughout
the clinical assessment.
There are four key elements of the clinical role of nurse teachers:
liaison, teaching, clinical practice and research.
Clinical credibility is understood to mean an awareness of current
issues and changes in the practice setting.
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Aspinall, L. and Siddiqui, J. (1996) Mentorship in the neonatal unit.
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Aston, L., Mallik, M., Day, C., Fraser, D., Cooper, M., Hall, C.,
Hallawell, R. and Narayanasamy, A. (2000) An exploration into the role
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290298.
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Chapter 10Teaching
support mechanisms

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11
Teaching
families
patients, clients and their
In Chapter 10 a range of consumers of nurse education were identified,

including pre-registration students, post-registration students, health
care support workers, and practitioners receiving informal, spontaneous
teaching as part of their day-to-day professional practice. However, there
is another significant group of people who do not come under the banner
of nurse education, but for whom teaching by nurses, midwives and
specialist community public health nurses is an important part of their
care, namely patients, clients and their families.
Each of the chapters in this book has focused on a particular aspect
of nurse education, with a strong emphasis on a range of teaching
strategies. These teaching strategies are essentially generic, in that they
can be used for teaching adults in any educational setting, and with any
subject matter, so this means that they should be equally applicable to
the teaching of patients, clients and their families. However, there are
some important differences between the teaching of students and that
of patients, clients and families, and this chapter will explore a range of
issues relating to the teaching of the latter group.
Issues
and context
When considering the teaching of patients, clients and their families, it

is useful to clarify what is actually meant by teaching. Nursepatient
interactions involve a wide range of activities subsumed under the
umbrella term communication, and these include social conversation,
information-giving, asking and answering questions, explaining, and
demonstrating skills. It is only social conversation that would not
normally be included in the concept teaching, so it seems sensible to
consider teaching as a fairly generic activity encompassing a variety of
interaction activities that often overlap with the concept of professional
practice.
One of the similarities between teaching students and teaching
patients, clients, and their families is that both involve a wide range of
contexts, including hospitals, clinics, GP surgeries, nursing homes, and
patients/clients homes. Hence, the principles of teaching students in
clinical and community settings, as discussed in Chapter 10, will be useful
as a basis for teaching patients, clients and their families.
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Issues
and context
Sources of professional guidance

The NMC Code of Professional Conduct governs the practice of every
nurse, midwife and specialist community public health nurse. According
to Standards 1.3 and 2.1 of the Code, the practitioner is personally
accountable for his or her own practice, which means that individual
practitioners are answerable for their actions and omissions, regardless of
advice or directions from another professional, and they must recognize
and respect the role of patients and clients as partners in their care and
the contribution they can make to it (NMC, 2004).
This applies to all aspects of care, including the teaching of patients,
clients and their families, and it is interesting to compare it with the
humanistic philosophy of adult education, which shares the same beliefs
about openness, fostering independence, and student involvement.
Furthermore, the NMC Code of Professional Conduct (NMC, 2004)
identifies standards about information-giving that can be applied to the
teaching of patients, clients and their families, including:
the importance of giving clear information on which the patient/client

can make informed choices;
the importance of using language that is familiar to them, which

should be accurate, truthful and presented in such as way as to make
it easily understood; and
the need to ensure that patients/clients understand the information
they are given.
The Code also says that:
Written communication is as important as verbal communication.

Patients/clients have a legal right to information about their condition,
and registered practitioners providing care have a professional duty to
provide such information.
A patient/client who wants information is entitled to an honest
answer, although selective information may be appropriate in rare
circumstances.
You always need to obtain the explicit consent of patients/clients
before disclosing specific information.
This last point about confidentiality becomes an important issue when
teaching members of a patients/clients family about aspects of their
loved ones care. The patient/client may not wish certain details to be
disclosed to members of the family, so the teacher will need to ensure that
confidentiality is maintained, and prepare his or her approach should the
confidential issue be raised by the family.
Differences in assumptions underpinning the teaching of students

and patients/clients
The teaching of students in nurse education is premised on a number
of assumptions, and it is interesting to see if these assumptions are
necessarily valid for the teaching of patients, clients and their families.
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Chapter 11Teaching
patients, clients and their families
Table 11.1 identifies a range of common assumptions that it would

normally be appropriate to apply to nurse education students. Of course,
there will be individual student variations within these categories, but we
can expect that these assumptions would be more or less valid for most
nurse education students. Similarly, the assumptions on the right-hand
side would not be appropriate for all patients and clients, but they will
be valid for many.
Table 11.1
Contrasting assumptions about
nurse education students,
and patients, clients, and their
families
Students
Patients/clients and their families
Highly motivated to learn
May not be motivated to learn, e.g. may be in

denial, or depressed, etc.
May not be ready to learn, as could still be
coming to terms with the condition
Attention span and memory may be low due
to illness and fatigue
May need technical terms translating into
everyday language
A wide range of prior educational attainment,
with some patients, clients, or family members
having learning difficulties
May be anxious or feel threatened by
assessment of learning
Ready to learn in order to register and practice

Attention span and memory normal
Understand the technical terminology of
nursing and health
A high level of prior educational attainment
Expect formal assessment of learning
Table 11.1 is designed to ensure that nurse teachers clearly understand

the assumptions that they make about the people whom they are teaching.
It is all too easy to transfer the assumptions of student-teaching into the
teaching of patients, clients and their families, and the consequences
could be distressing for both parties. For example, a patient who is left
with a colostomy following surgery will need a considerable amount of
teaching in order to be able to cope with the condition after he or she
is discharged home. However, the patient may well react with disgust
when seeing the colostomy working for the first time and develop a
negative attitude towards any kind of teaching about it. Unless the nurse
is sensitive to the underlying reason for this attitude, he or she may feel
that the patient is ungrateful for the teaching efforts.
This situation presents a challenge to the teaching skills of nursing
staff, since they cannot simply ignore the situation; they must use tact
and sensitivity to try to help the patient to come to terms with his or her
condition. One possible strategy is to introduce the patient to another
person who has successfully adapted to life with a colostomy, so that
the problem can be viewed from a longer-term perspective, enabling the
patient to begin the process of adaptation.
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Patient-teaching
Patient-teaching
and health promotion
One of the interesting issues about teaching patients, clients and their
families is the extent to which such teaching can be considered to come
under the umbrella term of health promotion. The concept of health
can be viewed in various ways, as one individuals definition will differ
from anothers. Until a few years ago, health promotion used to be
called health education; indeed, the special health authority that advises
the Government on health promotion is called the Health Education
Authority! It may be helpful to look at a number of definitions of each
of these terms:
Ewles and Simnett (1999) believe that the main aim of health
promotion is for people to have more control over the health aspect of
their lives, essentially to empower them. Whilst Naidoo and Wills (1998)
and Kemm and Close (1995) share very similar views:
Health promotion refers to a group of activities that help to prevent
disease and improve health and well-being.
(Naidoo and Wills, 1998)
Health promotion is the name given to all those activities which are
intended to prevent disease and ill-health and to increase well-being
in the community.
(Kemm and Close, 1995)
These terms embrace a very wide range of activities including:
environmental health, for example food hygiene, sewage, health and

safety at work, housing, etc.;
personal protection, for example seat-belt legislation, immunization,

etc.;
health education, for example safe-sex campaign, healthy lifestyle

awareness, etc.;
illness prevention, for example screening for cervical cancer, coronary

heart disease, etc.;
political activity, for example lobbying politicians for health

legislation.
Health promotion is the name given to all those activities which

are intended to Health Education is one very important method of
health promotion. It is an eclectic discipline based in education but
informed by other disciplines including social psychology and even
marketing.
(Kemm and Close, 1995)
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Chapter 11Teaching
This definition clearly shows that health education is a subcomponent

of health promotion, and this is the term that is most appropriate for the
teaching of patients, clients and their families. However, Faulkner (1996)
prefers to use the term patient education, which should cover teaching
the patient to understand his disease and treatment along with factors
which may affect his future or have contributed to his present state.
Within the nursing literature, the terms health promotion and
health education seem to be used interchangeably, as can be seen from
the examples of health education given later in this chapter.
Government policy and health promotion

Health promotion takes place in a context of government health
initiatives, and there are many government documents that are important
in this context.
Saving Lives: Our Healthier Nation (DoH, 1999)
This public health white paper builds upon the Green Paper Our Healthier
Nation and aims to save over 300,000 lives over the next 10 years in
England (DoH, 1999). The underlying philosophy is the mobilization of
the public to meet the Governments targets:
reducing coronary heart disease and stroke by two-fifths in people

under the age of 75, saving some 200,000 lives;
reducing the death rate from cancer by one-fifth in people under the
age of 75, saving some 100,000 lives;
reducing the death rate from accidents by at least one-fifth, and serious
injuries by at least one-tenth, saving some 12,000 lives;
reducing the mental illness death rate from suicide and undetermined
injury by at least one-fifth, saving some 4000 lives.
A First Class Service (DoH, 1988)

In 1998 the Department of Health published the White Paper A First
Class Service, which emphasized that the way forward in health care was
to set national standards to support the delivery of more consistent and
higher-quality care to patients. The main elements of this paper include:
clear national standards for services and treatments, through National
Service Frameworks and a new National Institute for Clinical

Excellence (NICE);
local delivery of high-quality health care, through clinical governance
underpinned by modernized professional self-regulation and extended
lifelong learning;
effective monitoring of progress through a new Commission for Health
Improvement and an NHS Performance Assessment Framework.
It also reinforces the need for NHS trusts and health authorities to
consider how they might take forward the development of new clinical
governance arrangements (DoH, 1998).
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Patient-teaching
The publication of this White Paper culminated in the development

of National Service Frameworks across England, Scotland and Wales by
the Labour government within the same year.
National Service Frameworks
National Service Frameworks (NSFs) are long-term strategies for
improving specific areas of care. The aims of NSFs are to:
set national standards and identify key interventions for a defined

service or care group;
put in place strategies to support implementation;

establish ways to ensure progress within an agreed timescale;
raise quality and decrease variations in service, introduced in The New
NHS and A First Class Service. The NHS Plan re-emphasized the role
of NSFs as drivers in delivering the modernization agenda.
NSFs are now in place for a variety of care settings, such as:
older people;
diabetes;
mental health;
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease;
cancer;
renal;
long-term conditions;
coronary heart disease;
children; and
paediatric intensive care.
The NHS Improvement Plan
The National Health Service (NHS) has made significant steps in
providing faster, more convenient access to care through increases in
capacity and changes in ways of working (DoH, 2005). Whilst it has
always been very patient centred and delivered excellent care, the NHS
Improvement Plan (DoH, 2004a) set out ways in which the NHS needed
to change in order to become patient led. It stated that the NHS needs
a change of culture to become truly patient led, i.e. as concerned with
health promotion as it is with sickness and injury.
The Wanless Report
Patients within patient-led services must have access to a range of services
and treatments to enable them to make informed choices about their
health. The Wanless Report (2002) Securing our Future Health: Taking a
Long-term View highlighted the benefits of giving patients choices, putting
them in control and helping them to be fully engaged in their health care.
Supporting the role of citizens in promoting their health, individually and
collectively underlies the principles of Designed for Life: Creating World
Class Health and Social Care for Wales in the 21st Century (WAG, 2005).
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Chapter 11Teaching
The design philosophy emphasizes lifelong health with focus on health

and well-being, not illness, by using every avenue to promote healthy
communities and empowering individuals to take responsibility for their
own health (WAG, 2005).
Choosing Health: Making Healthy Choices Easier (DoH, 2004b)
The NHS and local government have taken the lead together in promoting
health by helping individuals make informed, healthy lifestyle choices
and giving them the practical support and motivation to achieve this in a
way that reflects the reality of their lives (DoH, 2005). This commitment
is emphasized in the Choosing Health White Paper (DoH, 2004b) and
means that patients will increasingly receive advice on improving their
health as part of routine care. Government will provide information and
practical support to get people motivated and improve emotional wellbeing and access to services so that healthy choices are easier to make.
Such new strategies and services all contribute to health promotion,
protection, and improvement of quality patient care; and all agree that
staff working directly with patients have the most important role to play
in these patient-led services. The need to develop mechanisms for meeting
the need of practitioners suitably skilled to deliver health promotion is of
paramount importance.
Strategies
for teaching patients, clients and their
families
There are three main types of teaching intervention, depending on who

does the initiating:
Nurse-initiated teaching. This has two components:

teaching that the nurse believes the patient requires, for example
how to administer his or her own insulin; and
teaching that the nurse believes the family requires, for example
how to carry out eczema dressings on their child, or how to deal

with an elderly patient following discharge home. This is termed
carer education.
Patient/client-initiated teaching. This is teaching that the patient/client
requests, for example How can I maintain my weight loss after I have
been discharged home?
Family-initiated teaching. This is teaching that the family requests, for
example How can my husband reduce the risk of a recurrence of his
heart attack?
These categories can present dilemmas, such as whether the nurse
should teach a seven-year-old directly, or teach the parent instead. In
some circumstances, family members need to be taught how to supervise
their loved ones in such activities as taking their medication, or ensuring
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for teaching
that they do their exercises. This is not the only example of carer
education; some children are the sole carers for ill or disabled parents,
and in this case the child needs to be taught how to care for the parent.
The issue of confidentiality is important in terms of teaching the
carer; the nurse must ensure that the patient/client identifies what
information may be divulged to the carer, and that information must
remain confidential.
Planning for teaching

When teaching patients, clients and their families, the teaching can be
either planned in advance, or spontaneous, depending upon the context.
Advance planning is always preferred, since it helps to eliminate errors
and omissions. However, even spontaneous teaching can incorporate an
element of advance planning; the principles of planning for teaching are
discussed in detail in Chapter 5 (p. 183).
Giving information and explanations to patients, clients and

families
When giving information to patients, clients and their families, the
following tips may be helpful:
Ascertain what they already know about the subject or issue, and
then build upon that knowledge (this is the principle of Ausubels

assimilation theory of meaningful learning, described in Chapter 3, p.
76).
Deal with the most important aspects of the topic or issue and add
those of lesser importance later.
In order to avoid overloading the patient/client/family with information,
proceed in a sequence of small steps, checking their understanding at
each step (this is based upon the work of Skinner described in Chapter
3, p. 93).
Avoid the use of medical terminology as far as possible, by translating
it into laymans language.
Observe learner(s) closely for signs of puzzlement and, if detected,
help to clarify the point of concern.
Observe learner(s) closely for signs of fatigue or distress and, if
detected, discontinue the session.
At the middle and end of the teaching session, ask the patient/client/
relative to repeat back to you, in his or her own words, the gist of the
information that you have given.
A detailed discussion of planning an explanation can be found in Chapter
5 (p. 189).
Using questioning with patients, clients and families

Questioning is an important strategy when teaching patients, clients and
their families; types and purposes are outlined below:
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Open questions. These are phrased so as to allow the patients to
respond in any way they like and are particularly useful for ascertaining
the patients feelings.
Probing questions. These are used to follow up a previous response
by the patient and allow the teacher to explore the response in more
depth. However, their use requires skill and sensitivity on the part of
the teacher, as this type of question may provoke anger or distress in
some situations.
Factual questions. These are used to check whether patients have
understood the teachers points, and consist simply of asking them to
repeat back certain items of information.
A detailed discussion of questioning can be found in Chapter 5 (p.
191).
One-to-one teaching with patients and clients

This is the most common form of teaching with patients and clients in
hospital, and its success depends to a large extent on the interpersonal
skills of the teacher. The pace of the teaching has to be judged carefully
to ensure that the patient is keeping up with the information, and
the atmosphere needs to be informal and relaxed. Patients with some
conditions will tire easily, so the sessions should be kept short. Some of
the advantages and disadvantages of one-to-one teaching are outlined in
Table 11.2.
Table 11.2
Advantages and disadvantages of
one-to-one patient teachings
Advantages
Disadvantages
Patient gets the undivided attention of the

teacher
Rapport can be established more quickly with
just one patient
Progress can be quicker with just one patient
Patient may feel under the spotlight
Teacher can check learning more easily with

just one patient
Patient may miss the support of other patients

Patient may feel that the teaching is going too
fast for him or her
Patient may feel embarrassed if he or she does
not learn quickly
Teaching small groups of patients and clients

Small-group teaching can be a very useful strategy for teaching patients,
clients and their families, and it is used extensively in health promotion
in the community. Group size is an important variable, and for maximum
effect the number of patients should not be more than 10. Groups
can be used for a variety of purposes, including collective exercise
sessions, classes on a specific topic, discussions of health issues, and
demonstrations of particular skills. Small-group teaching requires a good
understanding of group dynamics on the part of the teacher, as well as
skills of facilitation.
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for teaching
The principles of small-group teaching are discussed in detail in

Chapter 6 (p. 234).
Using information materials for teaching patients, clients and

their families
One of the important principles of teaching patients, clients and their
families is the need to back up verbal teaching with written and pictorial
materials. These enable patients to review the information that they
have been taught, and to refer to it again and again as required. It is also
useful to have the same topic explained in more than one way, as this
aids understanding. Information materials are available in a wide range of
formats, from the simple pen-and-paper format produced by the teacher,
through to the very polished materials available from health promotion
departments. Information materials are often designed locally by groups
of professionals to meet a specific local need, but it is important to ensure
that the design and layout is reader friendly and easy to understand.
Coulter et al. (1999) carried out an evaluation of patient information
provided by a range of organizations including self-help groups, consumer
and voluntary organizations, professional bodies, health authorities and
NHS trusts, drug companies, and private health insurers. The materials
covered 10 common conditions or treatments and were reviewed by
patients and academic specialists. The patients had personal experience
of the health problems, and the academics were familiar with the research
evidence. Focus groups were used to elicit the patients opinions about
the materials; the academic specialists used a checklist to review the
materials independently, and the publishers of the materials were sent a
questionnaire.
The findings included the following:
Very few of the materials met patients information needs adequately.

Very few publishers had researched patients information needs before
they started.
Specialists identified many inaccuracies and misleading statements, the
most common fault being an over-optimistic view that emphasized

benefits and glossed over risks and side effects.
Many materials were too basic and introductory, and some were too
technical.
Many materials contained advice that was not supported by evidence,
with only two being based on systematic reviews.
One-third of the materials did not include a publication date, and the
specialist reviewers found that many were out of date.
Focus-group participants preferred a facilitative rather than prescriptive
style, the use of picture and diagrams, a clear structure and headings,
and important sections highlighted.
Participants preferred materials that actively engaged them, such as
space to write down questions, or symptom diaries.
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Chapter 11Teaching
The authors offer the following checklist for the content of patient
information materials:
1. Use patients questions as the starting point.
2. Ensure that common concerns and misconceptions are addressed.
3. Refer to all relevant treatment or management options.
4. Include honest information about benefits and risks.
5. Include quantitative information where possible.
6. Include checklists and questions to ask the doctor.
7. Include sources of further information.
8. Use non-alarmist, non-patronizing language in active rather than
passive voice.
9. Design should be structured and concise with good illustrations.
10. Be explicit about authorship and sponsorship.
11. Include reference to sources and strengths of evidence.
12. Include the publication date.
Assessing patients, clients and their families learning

Assessment of learning is an intrinsic component of the teaching process,
regardless of the context in which the teaching takes place. However,
when teaching patients, clients and their families, there are issues of
which the teacher needs to be aware. When teaching students, there is
an expectation on both sides that student learning will be assessed from
time to time; indeed, the student has no choice in the matter. Patients,
clients, and their families are not students, and this needs to be taken
into account when considering how to assess their learning following
a teaching session. The most common method of assessing patients
learning is oral questioning, and this can usually provide sufficient
feedback on their understanding. It is less common to find that patients
understanding is assessed by written methods, although the use of novel
materials such as a quiz, or a sheet with spaces to fill in, may well be quite
acceptable to patients, clients and their families.
Assessment of learning is discussed in detail in Chapter 7 (p. 265).
Examples
from the literature
In this section, examples of teaching patients, clients and their families

have been selected from the literature to illustrate patient, client and
family education in a range of contexts.
Teaching patients with Parkinsons disease

Parkinsons disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that is
usually diagnosed in older adults over the age of 70. It has also been
known to be diagnosed in adults under the age of 40. OMaley et al.
(2005) point out that, although Parkinsons disease is not a curable
disease, treatment should be aimed at symptom control to maintain
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from the literature
quality of life. The authors explain how conducting education sessions,

regarding the use and side effects of medications, is a strategy that can be
used to assist in maintaining quality of life.
OMaley et al. (2005) believe that a sense of empowerment over
their symptoms is often experienced by patients through educational
sessions. Such sessions for patients with Parkinsons disease are delivered
by a variety of methods, including one-to-one and group sessions.
Group teaching and individual teaching sessions were discussed earlier
in this chapter; OMaley et al. (2005) identify difficulties that are often
encountered in both methods:
Group teaching:
lack of privacy;
individual needs are not always addressed.
One-to-one teaching:
Time is required.
Specialist knowledge is required by the nurse.
Patient-support mechanisms should be ongoing to optimize the
session outcomes.
There are many special considerations that OMaley et al. identify,

which should be addressed when teaching patients with Parkinsons
disease:
The time of the session should be planned with the patient.

The location should be convenient and accessible.
Carers and/or family members should be invited to attend.
The patient should be assessed for cognitive impairment as the delivery
of information may need to be adapted.
The session should be planned during a period when the patient is in

the best physical condition.
Facilities for the patient should be appropriate to his or her needs; for
example, there should be enough room to move around, and seating

and toileting needs should be recognized.
Educational material should be readable and easily understood.
In order to promote interest and motivation, OMaley et al. advocate
that all information provided within an educational session should be
relevant to the patients needs and explained in a way that the patient is
able to understand. Discussing problems that the patient experiences on
a daily basis will develop an interactive exchange, thus ensuring that the
patients priorities are the main focus (OMaley et al., 2005).
The authors emphasize the importance of evaluation following a oneto-one or group teaching session, to justify the nursing time required to
facilitate the educational process. They stress that evaluating a session
should ensure that the patient with Parkinsons disease is:
aware of his or her current medication;

aware of the dosage and timing of medication;
aware of potential side effects;
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Chapter 11Teaching
able to utilize appropriate coping mechanisms to deal with the

symptoms of the disease if the medication proves ineffective; and
confident to deal with Parkinsons disease medication.

Teaching and support for the breastfeeding family
The early predictions of breastfeeding problems and ways in which such

problems can be rectified were discussed by Dann (2004). Problems with
breastfeeding are often encountered by new mothers but, according to
Dann, it is all about a good latch at the breast. She highlights that the
gold standard for proof of milk transfer from the breast to the infant is
audible swallowing but emphasizes that repetitive swallowing deep in
the infants throat ensures that milk is being received.
Problems with breastfeeding can include pain, bleeding and nipple
tenderness, all of which are signs that the latch is incorrect; even though
the infant might be swallowing milk. Dann (2004) notes that symptoms
predictive of poor breastfeeding might include:
increased infant weight loss;

hypoglycaemia; and
infrequent feeding.
When real problems are identified, Dann advocates a lactation
consultation or lactation teaching session by a midwife, during which
adequate education can be provided for the mother and her partner.
Whilst acknowledging that new mothers are often tired and overwhelmed,
Dann explains that the midwife should allow adequate time for the
mother to move comfortably through the lactation assessment and that
both parents should be involved in this process to solidify each parents
role as caregiver of a new baby.
The lactation session should preferably be conducted in a comfortable
environment as information will be more forthcoming and also more
easily absorbed by the mother. Dann suggests using a logical strategy to
retrieve relevant information and solve problems during the session; this
might entail:
listening to the mothers opinion about the infants feeding;

carefully examining the infant and noting its current weight and the
weight at birth, alertness, hydration, and presence of jaundice;
examining the infants tongue, palate and lingual frenulum;

questioning the mother regarding breast changes during pregnancy
and since delivery of the infant;
noting the condition of the mothers breasts, checking for the presence/
absence of milk and nipple damage;
assessing the latch by listening for audible swallowing and observing

the mothers comfort levels;
assisting the mother to position the infant comfortably for feeding;

and
allowing adequate time for the mother to demonstrate feeding

following instruction.
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Examples
from the literature
Dann (2004) advises that follow-up of the mother is essential to

ensure that the problems are resolving and that written instructions to
reinforce the teaching should be provided as a point of reference for the
mother. Different strategies and methods to achieve effective latch-on are
recommended by Dann, but she warns that no matter how perfect the
mothers breastfeeding might be, the infant is primarily responsible for a
good latch and effective breastfeeding.
Supporting patients with psychosis

Houghton et al. (2006) focused on a two-day workshop for mental health
workers, which aimed to assist workers to think about how they can
work effectively with patients distressed by their psychotic experiences.
The authors point out that the workshop:
moves beyond the traditional narrow view of psychotic experiences
as primarily a symptom of illness treated by medication, to a
broader approach which incorporates many different ways of
understanding psychosis.
The authors also point out that the workshops encourage a fresh
approach by prioritizing and including user-led sessions and involvement
as a part of the training. The workshops were conducted over a two-day
period and facilitated by service-users, user development workers and
clinical psychologists. The content of the programme included:
understanding psychosis using various frameworks;

the contested nature of mental health;
perspectives of professional, public and service users;
the causes and cultural context of psychosis;
fighting discrimination;
psychological interventions; and
medication and approaches to promoting recovery.
Houghton et al. (2006) explain that much debate occurred over what
participants felt was important in helping people who were distressed by
their psychotic experiences. They identified a number of key themes that
emerged from such discussions:
Being human. Participants discussed the importance of human qualities
such as listening, being friendly, and that these are easily forgotten but
are beneficial in assisting recovery.
The importance of small talk. Having conversations with service users
using everyday language was therapeutic.
Shrinking the gap between us and them. This theme stressed the need
to work collaboratively and to avoid distancing themselves from
service-users.
The value of user views. The distressing experiences of service-user
trainers were highlighted, and this was seen as inspirational by
participants.
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The importance of activities. Participating in meaningful activities was
identified as an important role for mental health workers as these can

assist with the recovery process.
Combating discrimination. Discrimination towards people with mental
health difficulties was discussed by workers, who identified the
importance of addressing discrimination in their own establishments
and services.
Encouraging hope. The importance of encouraging a positive outlook
was stressed within this theme by focusing on service-users strengths
as opposed to their difficulties.
The meaning of psychotic experiences. Workers were encouraged to
talk to clients regarding their psychotic experiences.
By evaluating the workshops using qualitative and quantitative methods,
Houghton et al. (2006) found that the majority of participants gained
further understanding of service-user perspectives on psychosis; identified
ways to work more effectively with psychotic patients; enhanced
practice and developed greater awareness of psychological and social
understanding of psychosis.
The facilitators also benefited from the workshops and believed that
tremendous value can be gained from:
providing a space where broader understandings of psychotic
experiences and service receipt can be safely explored and shared;
examples of good practice can be exchanged within a learning
environment where all are encouraged to contribute.
(Houghton et al., 2006)
The authors maintain that collaboration between workers and serviceusers was well received by staff attending the programme as it helped
to learn about service-user involvement in the training process and also
assisted in creating conditions for a positive experience for the serviceuser. Houghton et al. (2006) emphasize that this approach to psychosis
sees learning from the service-user as vital in informing and developing
practice and that developing collaborative relationships encourages a
positive and more hopeful outlook towards recovery.
Teaching parents to administer subcutaneous methotrexate

Livermore (2003) highlighted problems within a paediatric rheumatology
unit where families were experiencing difficulties accessing treatment
by injection for their children on a weekly basis. She describes how
a teaching package, specifically prepared for parents and children to
administer methotrexate was designed and implemented.
The work of numerous authors is cited by Livermore (2003):
collectively they identify that methotrexate is an agent of choice in
the management of paediatric rheumatology; it has profound anti-
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Examples
from the literature
inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects with minimal toxicity

when given in small doses; and the drug can be administered orally,
intramuscularly, intravenously or subcutaneously.
Livermore points out that whilst methotrexate is essentially a
cytotoxic drug; it is classed as a dangerous drug, which is why families
and their children are required to travel weekly to hospital to receive
the drug. She highlights many disadvantages in respect of regular travel
and its implications for families and children: time off work and school,
long waiting times in hospital and increasing anxiety for children are just
a few. However, the benefits of administering methotrexate at home are
quite evident: increased flexibility, reduced disruption for the family and
children, minimizing the sick role, and the development of a teaching
pack for families.
Prior to the development of a teaching pack, certain issues had to be
resolved with consideration to:
safe storage, handling and disposal of sharps and methotrexate in the

home environment;
precautions that families would need to adhere to;

advice for families such as teaching sessions and information booklets
referring to pregnancy, breastfeeding and latex allergies;
the design of a teaching package and the venue of teaching sessions;

and
the recommended injection technique to teach parents and children

(Livermore, 2003).
Livermore explains that a teaching package was developed by nursing

staff, a paediatric consultant rheumatologist and a ward pharmacist and
reviewed by a drugs and therapeutics committee. The teaching sessions
were conducted over a three-week period and focused on subcutaneous
injection technique using oranges for practice, the availability of
methotrexate prescriptions locally, acquiring sharps and disposal
of equipment, and administering methotrexate under supervision.
Once the staff were satisfied with the parents/childs competence, drug
administration could then be undertaken at home, although the hospital
could be contacted for further support and guidance if necessary.
Evaluation of the teaching package provided mostly positive responses
with the main objective of enhancing family life achieved. Livermore
(2003) concludes by emphasizing that:
this programme has demonstrated how a simple intervention can
have a major positive impact on family life; education and safety
issues were paramount in the structuring of the programme and
central to addressing the fears and concerns of everyone involved.
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The
expert patient programme
The expert patient programme (EPP) is an NHS-based self-management

course for patients living with long-term health conditions (DoH,
2001). The course is free and provides opportunities for people to learn
new coping skills, with the aim of improving quality of life. The EPP
recognizes that many long-term conditions can be disabling; these can
include arthritis, chronic heart failure, chronic bronchitis, glaucoma and
depression. There are some conditions that cause severe pain, such as
endometriosis, arthritis and ulcerative colitis, whilst others can cause
embarrassment, for example psoriasis, incontinence, stigma, epilepsy and
schizophrenia.
Available to anyone aged 18 and over, the course is run over a sixweek period, and patients are taught about managing their condition
by dealing with pain and tiredness; coping with feelings of depression;
healthy eating; relaxation techniques and exercise; communicating with
family, friends, carers and health professionals; and planning for the
future.
Patients are taught by trained tutors who also have a long-term health
condition. Whilst the programme does not provide health information
or treatment, it does aim to provide patients with the confidence to take
responsibility for their own care, and share experiences with others.
Whatever the long-term condition, the EPP can enable patients to be less
dependent on health and social care programmes.
Looking after me
There is also an expert patient programme called Looking after me,
which is aimed at adults who care for someone with a long-term condition
or disability. This course is also free of charge and led by trained tutors
who have experience of caring for a friend/relative. Although the course
itself does not address topics such as carers rights and benefits, and
skills such as moving and lifting, this information is freely available on a
resource table.
Both courses are not time consuming, but a commitment of 2.5 hours
per week for six weeks is required.
Teaching
carers in the home environment
Following discharge from hospital, many patients require looking after

by relatives or friends, and this is no easy task for people who are not
professionally trained. Nurses need to be aware of the carers need for
information about the role, and also about the support services available
in the community. It is very important when caring for relatives that
carers look after their own health, as caring for sick or elderly relatives
can be physically and emotionally exhausting.
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carers in the home environment
Carers UK
Carers UK is a registered charity that operates in Scotland, Wales,
Northern Ireland and England and was set up to improve the lives of
carers. According to Carers UK, the term carer:
is used to distinguish those who provide care for others on an
unpaid basis from those who are paid (care workers, home helps
and people employed by someone with a disability).
(Carers UK, 2004)
Carers UK aims to improve the lives of carers by:
transforming the understanding of caring so that carers are free from

discrimination and are valued by society;
mobilizing carers, decision-makers and the public to bring about the

changes that make a real difference to carers lives; and
informing carers of their rights, the help available and how to challenge
injustice so that they can lead fulfilled lives.
The Action for Carers and Employment (ACE) national partnership,

which is led by Carers UK, works to support the inclusion of carers in
training and work.
ACE points out some staggering statistics regarding carers:
Carers currently save the economy 57 billion each year in care costs,
which is the equivalent to a second National Health Service.
There are six million carers in the UK.

There are three million carers who combine caring and paid work.
Women are more likely than men to be carers in all age groups under
75 years.
One in 20 women and one in 30 men aged between 60 and 64

provides more than 50 hours of care per week.
The Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act 2004

The Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act was successfully passed through
the House of Commons in 2004; currently it extends only to Wales and
England. This Act amends many of the sections of the Carers (Recognition
and Services) Act 1995 and the Disabled Children Act 2000. Its main aim
is to provide carers with more choice to lead a more fulfilling life, by
ensuring that:
carers receive information about their rights;

assessment of carers considers leisure, lifelong learning and work
opportunities; and
local authorities enlist the help of housing, education and health in

supporting carers.
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Carers UK offers a number of broader benefits of the legislation:
It increases the employability of carers who wish to return to work.

More carers are able to juggle work and care and remain in
employment.
There are more opportunities for carers to access learning and training
programmes.
There are more opportunities for carers to lead a more fulfilled life.
Benefits of home care
Home care can confer benefits on both the carer and the relative being
cared for (Voluntary Aid Societies, 1997):
1. For the relative:
Being cared for at home confers a degree of independence greater than
that in an institutional environment.
A much more personal type of care can be given, as the carer knows
the relatives personal likes and dislikes.
The home environment contains all the familiar home comforts, such
as favourite books, pictures and furniture.
2. For the carer:
Providing support for the relative may enhance a closer relationship.
There is pride and satisfaction in knowing that the relative is receiving
good care.
Looking after a relative develops organizational skills such as
prioritizing and time management.
Carers needs
Carers need to be helped to recognize emotions, such as anger and guilt,
and to identify the underlying reasons for them. They need also to be
aware of the dangers of becoming isolated and lonely, and the need to
make the effort to maintain friendships and outside activities. It is essential
that carers are made aware of the wide range of care professionals with
whom they may have contact, including GP, social services, community
nurses, chiropodist, and ambulance personnel. They will also need
information on the types of benefits available to home carers, including
Invalid Care Allowance (ICA), and disability benefits for the relative.
The majority of registered charities now produce information
booklets relating to specific diseases. For example, the Arthritis Research
Campaign (ARC, 2005) has produced a comprehensive guide for caring
for a person with arthritis. It explains how a carer can help someone with
arthritis; what arthritis means; how to communicate effectively with the
person who has arthritis; how to offer practical help with treatment, and
how a carer can access further information, advice and support.
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Teaching
about support groups
Caring for relatives dying at home

It is natural for most people who are terminally ill to want to be cared
for at home, and whether or not this is feasible will depend upon the
commitment of the carer, the suitability of the home environment, and
the availability of local support services. Home care of a dying relative
is very demanding, and the advice given earlier about the health of the
carer is very much applicable here. In some areas, a care attendant is
available to sit with the relative for a few hours; a tuck-in service may
be available to help get the relative to bed, or a live-in helper may be
available to provide continuous care. Other short-term care is provided
by day centres and day hospitals, and longer term care by nursing homes
or hospices.
Carers will need to understand the needs of a dying person and the
fears that they may have about dying, including fear of pain, suffocation
or losing control over their lives (Mares, 1994). When the relative dies,
the carer will need to know the procedures to follow, for example calling
the doctor, contacting a funeral director, contacting other relatives
and friends, contacting a minister of religion where appropriate, and
registering the death with the Registrar of Births, Marriages and Deaths.
Teaching
patients, clients and families about support
groups
Support groups or self-help groups are formed of people who join

together because they have some life experience in common, such as
problems with alcohol, experience of a particular disease or disability, or
experience of bereavement or stillbirth. Support groups can help not only
those who have experienced these events but their carers also. Contact
details for support groups can be found in the local press, and in local
libraries. The kinds of activities that take place in support groups include
the following (Wilson and Myers, 1998):
provision of information, for example by producing or obtaining

literature, by inviting speakers, by forming a library;
social activities, for example dances, trips out;

fund-raising;
campaigning, for example publicity, lobbying health authorities, and
provision of services, for example volunteer helpers or
physiotherapist.
Table 11.3 gives an indication of the range of support groups that

exist in the community with accompanying Web sites.
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Chapter 11Teaching
Table 11.3
Support groups
UK Patient Support
Alzheimers Society
National Autistic Society
Cancer Backup
Diabetes UK
Downs Syndrome Association
KIDS (working for children with special needs)
MENCAP (Royal Society for Mentally
Handicapped Children and Adults)
Age Concern
CRUSE (bereavement care)
SANDS (Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society)
British Heart Foundation
Carers UK
ARC (Arthritis Research Campaign)
Pain Concern
Gender Trust
Stroke Association
APEC (Action on Pre-eclampsia)
Mental Health Foundation
Cystic Fibrosis Trust
Asthma UK
Meningitis Research Foundation
Gingerbread
RNIB (Royal National Institute for the Blind)
Spinal Injuries Association
MIND
Parkinsons Disease Society
OUCH UK (cluster headache support)
Haemophilia Society
Positively Women (HIV/AIDS support)
Terrence Higgins Trust
Leonard Cheshire (disabled care and support)
www.patient.co.uk
www.alzheimers.org.uk
www.autism.org.uk
www.cancerbackup.org.uk
www.diabetes.org.uk
www.downs-syndrome.org.uk
www.kids.org.uk
www.mencap.org.uk
www.ageconcern.org.uk
www.crusebereavementcare.org.uk
www.uk-sands.org
www.bhf.org.uk
www.carersuk.org
www.arc.org.uk
www.painconcern.org.uk
www.gendertrust.org.uk
www.stroke.org.uk
www.apec.org.uk
www.mentalhealth.org.uk
www.cftrust.org.uk
www.asthma.org.uk
www.meningitis.org
www.gingerbread.org.uk
www.rnib.org.uk
www.spinal.co.uk
www.mind.org.uk
www.parkinsons.org.uk
www.clusterheadaches.org.uk
www.haemophilia.org.uk
www.positivelywomen.org.uk
www.tht.org.uk
www.leonard-cheshire.org
Summary
Health education is a subcomponent of health promotion and is the
term that is most appropriate for the teaching of patients, clients and
their families.

When teaching patients, clients and their families, the teaching can
either be planned in advance or spontaneous, depending upon the
context.

Teaching in small groups can be a very useful strategy for working with
patients, clients and their families, and it is used extensively in health
promotion in the community.
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References
Patients, clients, and their families are not students, and this needs to
be taken into account when considering how to assess their learning

following a teaching session.
Nurse-patient interactions involve a wide range of activities subsumed
under the umbrella term communication; these include social
conversation, information-giving, asking and answering questions,
explaining, and demonstrating skills.
The concept of health can be viewed in various ways, as individuals
will have different definitions of the term.
One of the main aims of health promotion is for people to have
more control over the health aspect of their lives; essentially it is to
empower them.
The NHS and local government have taken the lead together in
promoting health by helping individuals make informed, healthy
lifestyle choices and giving them the practical support and motivation
to achieve this in a way that reflects the reality of their lives.
When caring for relative, it is very important that carers look after their
own health, as caring for sick or elderly relatives can be physically and
emotionally exhausting.
ARC (2005) Caring for a person with arthritis: an information booklet.
Available from: http://www.arc.org.uk/about_arth/booklets/6005/6005.
htm.
Carers UK (2004) The voice of carers, http://www.carersuk.org/Home.
Coulter, A., Entwistle, V. and Gilbert, D. (1999) Sharing decisions with
patients: Is the information good enough? British Medical Journal, 318,
318322.
Dann, M.H. (2004) The lactation consult: problem-solving, teaching and
support for the breastfeeding family. Journal of Paediatric Health Care,
19(1), 1216.
DoH (1998) A First Class Service: Quality in the NHS. The Stationery
Office, London.
DoH (1999) Saving Lives: Our Healthier Nation. HMSO, London.
DoH (2001) The Expert Patient Programme: A New Approach to Chronic
Disease Management for the 21st Century. The Stationery Office,
London.
DoH (2004a) The NHS Improvement Plan: Putting People at the Heart of
Public Services. The Stationery Office, London.
DoH (2004b) Choosing Health: Making Healthy Choices Easier. The
Stationery Office, London.
DoH (2005) Creating a Patient-led NHS: Delivering the NHS Improvement
Plan. The Stationery Office, London.
Ewles, L. and Simnett, I. (1999) Promoting Health a Practical Guide, 4th
edn. Baillire Tindall, Edinburgh.
Faulkner, A. (1996) Nursing: The Reflective Approach to Adult Nursing
Practice. Macmillan, Basingstoke.
References
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Chapter 11Teaching
Houghton, P., Shaw, B., Hayward, M. and West, S. (2006) Psychosis

revisited: taking a collaborative look at psychosis. Mental Health
Practice, 9(6), 4043.
Kemm, J. and Close, A. (1995) Health Promotion: Theory and Practice.
Macmillan, Basingstoke.
Livermore, P. (2003) Teaching home administration of sub-cutaneous
methotrexate. Paediatric Nursing, 15(3) 2832.
Mares, P. (1994) Caring for Someone Who is Dying. Age Concern,
London.
Naidoo, J. and Wills, J. (1998) Practising Health Promotion: Dilemmas
and Challenges. Baillire Tindall, London.
OMaley, K., OSullivan, J., Wollin, J., Barras, M. and Brammer, J. (2005)
Teaching people with Parkinsons disease about their medication. Nursing
Older People, 17(1), 1420.
Voluntary Aid Societies (1997) Carers Handbook. Dorling Kindersley,
London.
WAG (2005) Designed for Life: Creating World Class Health and Social
Care for Wales in the 21st Century. Welsh Assembly Government,
Cardiff.
Wanless, D. (2002) Securing our Future Health: Taking a Long-term View.
HM Treasury, London.
Wilson, R.A. and Myers, J. (1998) Self-Help Groups: Getting Started,
Keeping Going, 2nd edn. Wilson, Nottingham.
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Part Four
Continuing
professional
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Preparation
for an education post
12
Teaching and learning are subjects that involve all qualified nurses. They
live in a constantly learning profession where the teaching and facilitation
of students features greatly in their day-to-day working life. The Nursing
and Midwifery Council demands that registered nurses, midwives and
specialist community public health nurses maintain their professional
knowledge and competence by regularly taking part in learning activities
(NMC, 2004). They are also required to facilitate students of nursing and
midwifery and others to develop their clinical competence.
The main aim of this chapter is to focus on preparation for a nurse
education post in higher education; it will discuss the qualifications
necessary to become a nurse lecturer; gaining teaching experience,
setting probationary objectives once in an educational post; undertaking
a PGCE; compiling a portfolio of teaching evidence, and career pathway.
The terms teacher and lecturer will be used interchangeably but will
refer to the same position.
Criteria
for nurse lecturer role
Teaching in higher education is very demanding but, like nursing in

clinical practice, it is also very rewarding. The mandatory requirements
for a post in nurse education are a first degree and registration with
the Nursing Midwifery Council. Having a postgraduate certificate in
education is not always essential when applying for a teaching position,
but it is essential to undertake study for this qualification once in a post.
Table 12.1 identifies many of the essential and desirable criteria for a
nurse lecturer role; however, the list is not exhaustive, and criteria are
set by each individual university.
Essential criteria
Table 12.1
Current registration with the Nursing Midwifery Council

A Bachelors degree in nursing or other related subject
Clinical practice experience in a specific setting (timescale differs enormously between 510
years)
Ability to teach pre- and post-registration students
Knowledge and understanding of current issues in nurse education
Knowledge and understanding of evidence-based approaches to learning and teaching
An understanding of strategic issues in nursing and midwifery health care contexts
An understanding of health and social policies
Ability to work autonomously and as part of a team
Criteria for a nurse lecturer role
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Chapter 12 Preparation
Ability to adapt to change

Ability to influence others
Deliver teaching effectively to accommodate different levels of ability
Excellent written and oral skills
Ability to prioritize and organize workload and work to deadlines
Problem-solving skills
IT skills
Desirable criteria
Experience of teaching in a college environment
Masters degree (some universities request a PhD) or specialist practice qualification
Post-graduate certificate in education
Experience of research
Journal publications
Evidence of presenting at conferences
European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL)
Becoming
an ideal teacher
During a nursing and teaching career the majority of new teachers

will experience many conflicting feelings, which are both positive and
negative in nature. Some aspire to the qualities of a good teacher
and some do not. Teaching on a one-to-one basis in the clinical
environment can enhance feelings of confidence, as the individual uses
his or her experience and ability to share knowledge of the clinical and
theoretical aspects of specialist practice.
There is probably no such thing as an ideal teacher as we all have
strengths and weaknesses both in and outside the classroom environment.
However, Reece and Walker (2000) describe their version of an ideal
teacher as having the following characteristics:
expert in own subject;

expert in the teaching role, well organized and prepared;
confident and open to suggestions and other viewpoints;
flexible and approachable, interested in students and spends time with
them;
fair, even-tempered, friendly with a sense of humour;

knows the students as individuals including their strengths and
weaknesses;
communicates well in a variety of modes;

leads well with an appropriate pace;
flexible and willing to change approach;
gives feedback within an appropriate timescale.
Wong (1978) identified further characteristics: helpful teacher behaviour
that includes willingness to answer questions and offer explanations;
treating students with interest and respect; and having a pleasant voice.
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The
challenges of being a new teacher
In addition, it is often perceived that a good teacher, particularly

in nurse education, is both educationally and clinically credible and
able to make clear links between theory and practice; talks to students
and not at them in a language that is easily understood; is adaptable to
their situation and surroundings; is considerate of students needs and
disabilities and is not easily distracted by disruptions in a classroom or
lecture theatre environment. Although realistically it is inconceivable
to think that teachers can achieve all of the above qualities, aspiring to
achieve the majority would possibly satisfy todays adult learners.
From the students perspective, an effective teacher is one who gains
credibility from competence, character and intention, is honest and fair,
is qualified by experience to know what he or she is talking about and
is concerned about the students as well as him- or herself (Burns, 1982).
In contrast, Hinchliff (2001) believes that ineffective teacher behaviour
is often linked to poor interpersonal skills and an inability to respect and
value the student; although some people seem to be born teachers, the
complexity of behaviours that constitute teaching can be learned and
developed over time.
All nurse teachers will recall being a student, qualifying as a nurse
and undertaking many courses of study throughout their career. Being
in a classroom and observing the different mannerisms of teachers,
teaching strategies, presentation skills, class control and imparting
knowledge will provide awareness of what is considered to be a good or
bad teacher. It becomes evident who is able to deliver the content of the
lesson effectively; who is interesting to listen to; who is understandable;
who captures and maintains attention; and who is not intimidating or
threatening.
As a teacher in the clinical environment, there are few specific
guidelines or quality standards to guide the teaching process. However,
teaching on a one-to-one basis, or to small groups of students, allows
assessment of a students understanding of a subject area and for that
subject to be revisited, if necessary, to fill in knowledge gaps. Teachers
in practice are able to evaluate sessions almost immediately in order to
improve on the quality of teaching and learning.
As a new nurse lecturer in a School of Nursing you will become
more aware of what teaching qualities should be and how you should
teach and facilitate adult learners in higher education. Commencing a
Post-graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) is an ideal opportunity to
learn the theories of teaching and learning and be able to apply them in
practice instantaneously. In some respects, this is referred to as learning
on the job.
The
No teaching takes place in a vacuum, and Armitage et al. (1999) point

out that, even though teaching may be seen as a partly planned and partly
spontaneous act, approaches to it are shaped by a variety of factors.
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They also highlight that these factors include personal belief systems,
our own experience of being taught, our personality and our theoretical
understanding of the teaching and learning process. Learning to teach
is a complex, challenging, and, often, a painful experience, and student
teachers repeatedly begin their teaching experience with a simplistic
and idealistic understanding of their role, the relationship that they may
have with students and the nature of learning and teaching (Furlong and
Maynard, 1995).
Having taught in the clinical environment, most teachers would
report that it compares very little to the experiences and realities in a
higher education establishment. Approaches to teaching in practice are
seldom considered as it is often delivered on an ad hoc basis.
During a teaching career, all teachers will experience conflicting
feelings and emotions that are both negative and positive in nature.
Concerns are often associated with teaching a large audience and
controlling student behaviour.
Teaching a large group

A new nurse lecturer provides an example of an early teaching session
in a university:
During one of my first days of teaching, I was faced with students,
admittedly a minority, who sat with their backs to me for most
of the day, would not participate in group work, and one student
who sat at the back of the classroom read a tabloid newspaper
quite blatantly. I remember thinking What do I do about this?
and feeling out of my depth as I wasnt prepared for this kind of
behaviour. I experienced emotions such as anger and frustration and
questioned their motives for learning in higher education? Why were
they here? Do they want to learn? I was later informed that I should
have asked the student(s) to leave the classroom and that I was
entitled to do this. However, I was uncomfortable with this,
probably because I was an inexperienced visiting teacher.
It is probably fair to say that the above example and the issues associated
with it are often regarded as reality shocks and critical incidents. These
experiences can be meaningful because they are completely new, and
they can be both challenging and thought provoking; to some extent,
they bring home the reality of teaching adults. Student behaviour can be
poor at times, and their attitude is often fundamental in shaping a new
teachers approach to teaching. However it is the feeling of trepidation
when facing a larger audience that new teachers are likely to remember
most often, and finding a solution to managing such a situation is often
difficult. Concern about facing a large audience can stay with a new
teacher for some time, but there are some that might argue that this is
not a recurring feature associated with teaching. In other words, a fear
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The
of teaching large audiences should disappear quite soon after starting

a teaching career. Drawing on conversations with carefully selected
colleagues can often prove reassuring, enabling the new teacher to come
to an understanding of how to control anxiety and respond effectively. It
is worth remembering that new teachers or even teachers in training are
more knowledgeable and experienced than students, and they should use
this to their advantage to promote and encourage learning in students.
Whilst a new teacher might struggle to overcome anxieties related to
teaching to a large audience, being anxious can be advantageous; it can
help the new teacher to settle into the new role and function effectively,
and it can also nourish and strengthen a new identity. It provides
motivation to learn and assists conceptualization of how the different
learning and teaching experiences can influence teaching strategies.
Certain beliefs and expectations can either enhance or militate against
teaching, and teachers will often need advice and guidance throughout
their career to appreciate the complexities associated with education
processes.
Student behaviour
An aspect of teaching that is not often considered is identified by
Hinchliff (2001) who argues that, although teachers may be nervous
when teaching, the students may also be afraid to speak. Welsh and
Swann (2002) remind us not to underestimate the anxiety that students
may experience in learning situations; they say that care should be taken
to alleviate this and to assist students to progress towards their goals. A
possible reason for students reluctance to speak and ask questions in
class is addressed by Buckenham (1992), who found that increased group
size could often be intimidating and adversely affect communication.
Armitage et al. (1999) point out that students behaviour can
sometimes be irritating, disturbing or destructive, and that the kind
of behaviour that is acceptable in the classroom will depend on the
tolerance levels of the teacher on that particular day. They also point out
that teachers frequently establish a set of rules and set boundaries for
behaviour patterns but these rules are not often communicated because
of their association with the teaching of children.
Furlong and Maynard (1995) believe that a disruptive class or student
can be an extremely unsettling experience for student teachers and that
classroom control is essentially related to confidence. On the other
hand, Reece and Walker (2000) argue that careful planning of teaching
sessions ensuring that students are challenged appropriately with
relevant learning activities should increase motivation and reduce class
disruption. They do, however, acknowledge that some post-16 students
are not mature enough to respond fully to this situation; and, when this
happens, they suggest the use of a protocol.
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Table 12.2
Effective classroom management
Effective classroom management

Set standards of behaviour and apply rules firmly and fairly
Students often try to see how far they can go. Be prepared for this and be consistent and clear
All classes present problems; success is achieved by the way we deal with problems
In general:
In the classroom:
Do not ignore misbehaviour

Avoid confrontation
Listen and establish facts
Judge only when all facts are known
Know your subject

Begin on time and be prepared
Encourage student contributions
Keep students occupied and interested
Motivate all students
Try to avoid:
Try to:
Humiliation students resent it
Use humour it builds bridges
Shouting it diminishes you

Over-reacting the problem will grow
Sarcasm it damages you
Listen it earns respect

Be positive and build relationships
Be consistent and confident
Adapted from Reese and Walker (2000)
In order to learn about student behaviour and class control, it is

often beneficial to observe an experienced lecturer in the teaching
environment, perhaps someone who is known for their zero tolerance
of bad behaviour. By using ones powers of observation and recognizing
teaching practices that are congruent with ones own beliefs, strategies can
slowly be adopted so that the new teacher is able to respond effectively
when faced again with bad behaviour. Having expert help to develop
these teaching skills is an important part of the learning process, and the
coaching activities of peers who are prepared to share their knowledge
and experiences should be valued.
Making
that step into higher education
Making a step into higher education often proves difficult for many
nurses in practice for a variety of reasons. They do not know if they will
be suited to the environment or if the environment will be suited to them.
We have already established that teaching in practice differs greatly from
teaching in the education setting, but there are also many similarities.
Working in a team to ensure the best possible learning environment for
students is something with which all nurses are familiar, as is the necessity
to maintain professional development. To address areas of uncertainty
and to confirm the move is the right one, it might prove beneficial to
follow some or all of the following:
Make links with a School of Nursing and Midwifery through a link
lecturer who will be able to provide details of pre- and post-registration

programmes, teaching practice, etc.
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Developing
probationary objectives
In the absence of a link lecturer, consider making contact with the
director or deputy director of a specific nursing branch that applies to

you, i.e. adult, mental health, child branch (both these steps above can
demonstrate your enthusiasm and sometimes strengthen any future
application).
Gain practical teaching experience in the classroom environment.
It is sometimes more appropriate to start teaching post-registration
students as these groups tend to be smaller in number, so less daunting
for new teachers.
Apply for a secondment to the school for 612 months; during this
time you will be able to assess your suitability for the job.
Developing
probationary objectives
Once employed in a school of nursing and midwifery, new lecturers

are usually required to set objectives for the probationary period.
The probationary period for new employers is set by each individual
university, although the average timescale is three years. New lecturers
are also offered a programme of induction activities and are assigned
a mentor for the duration of their probationary period. The induction
process will usually involve meeting colleagues, programme managers,
and directorate managers in all nursing branches; it might also include
attending education committees and examination boards and observing
teaching strategies.
The mentor is usually a senior member of academic staff who is
able to offer support and advice during the induction and probationary
process. He or she will usually undertake regular probationary reviews
in order to identify the new lecturers progress. This can include how the
new lecturer is progressing in terms of:
knowledge and teaching skills;

lesson planning;
professional development needs;
dealing with students;
relationships with colleagues;
coping with administration;
maintaining worklife balance.
The mentor will also assist the new lecturer to develop probationary
objectives.
If there are doubts about performance, an extension of the probationary
period may be offered. Table 12.3 offers a list of objectives that could be
considered during the probationary period. They are again not exhaustive
and will differ according to institution.
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Table 12.3
Objectives for the probationary
period
Meet and greet

During the induction and probationary period, the new lecturer will:
Meet with colleagues, programme managers and directorate managers and understand their
roles and responsibilities
Meet with library, IT and AVA staff and understand their role and the services they provide
Meet research staff and learn about the school research strategy
Join a research group that is of interest
Policies and protocols
Obtain and read the nursing curriculum
Read and understand the university referencing guidelines and plagiarism document
Observe the process of undergraduate interviews
Attend recruitment and selection training
Attend exam board for undergraduate and post-graduate courses
Read and understand the policy relating to personal teacher arrangements
Understand the process of supervising distance learning students
Teaching
Aim to become a qualified teacher
Develop a range of teaching strategies
Gain experience of teaching in lecture theatres, classrooms and small group teaching
Plan a series of teaching sessions
Engage in teaching for pre-registration and post-registration students
Utilize the peer review process for feedback on teaching strategies
Determine the availability of IT support and access appropriate training, i.e. ECDL
Assist in the facilitation of pre-registration and/or post-registration module(s)
Participate in curriculum development
Gain understanding of evaluation processes and stages of evaluation during academic courses
Supervise pre and post-registration students
Engage with first/second marking
Clinical practice setting
Engage with the clinical educational audit process
Identify allocated clinical link areas in practice
Understand school guidelines on the role of the link lecturer
Visit and make introductions to clinical link areas
Observe the clinical educational audit process
Complete clinical educational audit unsupervised
Professional development
Commence/complete PGCE
Undertake Masters module for mentoring
Attend annual/bi-annual mandatory training
Access higher degree
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Achieving
Achieving
qualified teacher status
qualified teacher status
Completing the PGCE and achieving qualified teacher status is

a mandatory requirement of all lecturers in higher education. Although
mandatory completion of a course can be de-motivating for some people,
there are tremendous benefits to be gained from the PGCE course that
are not experienced in other courses. Group-based learning enhances the
learners ability to compare and contrast the needs of self and others;
group dynamics also facilitate the development of strategies for advancing
the learning process and overcoming problems. Huddleston and Unwin
(1997) point out that learning in groups can often be much more fun
than learning singly and can facilitate the continuation of learning once
the formal session has ended. They note that students may continue to
discuss ideas outside the classroom and apply themselves creatively
to group tasks. This is an aspect of the course that is particularly enjoyable
and motivating, especially when a group is engaged in developing a
teaching package for presentation to the rest of the students.
It is always comforting to work and learn with people of the same
educational and professional background, but it is also beneficial to learn
and teach with people from differing professions.
During the early stages of a teaching career, many lecturers wish that
they had embarked on a PGCE course years before, as it could have eased
progression into higher education. Although there is no hard-and-fast
rule here, one of the main advantages of completing this course in post
is the opportunity to combine educational theory and practical teaching
in tandem.
Whilst working in clinical practice, however, completing all aspects
of the PGCE might on occasions prove difficult, particularly in relation
to understanding and implementing relevant issues relating to classroom
management, curriculum planning and development, and higher education
professional education. Limited links with higher education institutions
can hinder progress within the course, and students have often to rely on
written information in academic journals and textbooks.
The PGCE provides an enhanced level of knowledge and understanding
of the essential aspects of teaching and learning. The transition from
being a nurse in the clinical environment to being a teacher within
higher education has been described as a process of losing ones identity
and entering a personal and professional limbo (MacNeil, 1997). Kenny
(2002) argues that such nurses are removed from the clinical environment
but are not yet part of the educational establishment, and the transition
phase for a novice teacher can be fraught with anxiety and insecurity.
The interesting study by MacNeil (1997), From nurse to teacher,
presents the views of teachers encountering their first experience of
classroom teaching, regarding the preparation and support offered by
colleagues. The majority of new teachers appeared to learn by copying
how other teachers taught. MacNeil found that teaching sessions were
delegated on the basis of which students were in college at a given time
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and that new teachers were allocated what they regarded as the less
academic teaching and the teaching sessions that nobody else wanted
to teach.
PGCE curriculum
Whilst the PGCE provides both personal and professional development
at postgraduate level, it also enables new teachers to respond effectively
to the needs of adult learners in a rapidly changing higher education
sector. The knowledge and understanding that is usually gained during a
PGCE is clearly outlined by Neary (2002, p. 237) and relates to a number
of realistic learning opportunities that a PGCE can provide.
Table 12.4
The purpose of a PGCE
Make the transition from being an expert in a subject to becoming a professional teacher in the
post-16 sector
Acquire knowledge of relevant educational theories of the post-16 system
Study teaching within the social, psychological and philosophical context and relate these to
changes in the provision of education and training
Develop the strategies, tactics and expertise necessary for planning, preparing, implementing
and evaluating teaching and learning activities for the subjects and classes that he or she is
expected to teach
Identify barriers faced by learners in education and training, such as disability, age, race and
gender, and promote professional practice that recognizes and values diversity
Respond to the educational needs of the older adolescent and adult learner
Develop confidence in your professional knowledge; develop a personal philosophy of
education and commitment to and critical awareness of professional situations
Plan teaching and learning to meet students needs
Use a range of information technologies, media and methods to support teaching and promote
learning
Assess student learning and achievement, using an appropriate range of assessment techniques
Practise and develop a range of professional skills and techniques associated with an effective
teacher
Demonstrate effectiveness as a specialist teacher and reflective practitioner
Use opportunities to enhance own learning and develop skills and strategies to facilitate other
peoples learning
Investigate an aspect of an organization and understand the context in which education takes
place
Be enterprising and respond positively and effectively to change
Evaluate own effectiveness and students learning experiences
Adapted from Neary (2002)
Compiling
a teaching portfolio of evidence
All teachers learn to be increasingly competent throughout their teaching

careers; however, many authors believe that the teacher in training needs
to be more systematic about this process (Reece and Walker, 2000;
Rogers, 2001). They discuss many ways in which new teachers can
accomplish this; these revolve mainly around the generation of evidence
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Compiling
a teaching portfolio of evidence
to demonstrate competence in a particular aspect of teaching. To do this,

the authors suggest the use of a portfolio to record accurately not only
teaching and learning activities but also reflections on those activities.
Neary (2002) identifies further ways to record learning, advocating
the use of journal writing to facilitate appropriate attitudes towards
practice and encourage a habit of reflective practice. One of the purposes
of this, she adds, is to develop the meaning of experiences by relating
unique experiences to established theory or by developing ones own
theories.
Huddleston and Unwin (1997) identify another strategy for
considering professional development needs; it involves keeping a record
of professional experience in and outside the college and could take the
form of a portfolio that includes a combination of examples of work with
students and accounts of our development as teachers.
Table 12.5 identifies the possible components of a teaching portfolio
that new lecturers may be required to complete as part of their induction
process in an education role or as a requirement of a PGCE.
Section 1
Background
Introduction to educational background of university/school

Student biography
Section 2
Observed teaching activities
Lessons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Lesson plans
Assessments of practical teaching
Reflections on teaching and assessment process
Lesson handouts
Section 3
Teaching evaluations
Selection of evaluation forms

Students comments
Section 4
Teaching environment
Layout of typical classroom environment

Layout of typical lecture theatre environment
Section 5
Presentations
Teaching appraisals
Approaches to teaching and learning
Section 6
Assessment and marking
Formative assessment guidelines

Summative assessment guidelines
Assessment marking grids
Table 12.5
Components of a teaching
portfolio
Examples of students assignments (consent required)

Examples of feedback marking sheets
Section 7
Practical teaching
Record of practical teaching hours

Records of practical teaching completed
Appraisal of personal performance
Section 8
Reflections
Personal reflections on practical teaching experience
Section 9
Probationary objectives
Probationary objectives
Methods of achievement
Additional evidence to support teaching/learning activities
Section 10
Teaching curriculum
Extract from pre-registration curriculum

Extract from post-registration module(s)
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Research activity
Increasingly, many lecturers are active in the field of research and are
also engaged in individual and departmental projects that enrich and
enliven their teaching; they are producing publications and developing a
profile in the research culture of the university (Hinchliff, 2001). There
is increasing pressure for nurse lecturers in higher education to become
research active, and the PGCE can often provide an ideal opportunity
to engage for the first time in a small research project. This can increase
motivation to incorporate research into teaching methods and can lead to
further involvement in research activity within education.
Professional
development for new teachers
Some of the immediate professional development needs of new teachers

are often covered in the universitys development programme. Mandatory
updates that include fire-hazard awareness, health and safety, basic
life support, and recruitment and selection of students are sometimes
completed annually or bi-annually. There are also opportunities for
academic staff to access a range of study days and short courses. Although
many universities now insist that new lecturers already possess a Masters
degree, if this is not the case, some might wish to pursue a higher degree
such as a research degree, which can include a Master of Philosophy, MSc
in Research Methods, or PhD.
Other areas that would enhance personal growth and development
in the nurse lecturers role include further development of teaching
and teaching methods, for example experimenting with computerassisted learning programmes and problem-based learning. There are
also opportunities to satisfy clinical demand, with the development and
introduction of distance learning packages which would be of enormous
benefit to post-registration students.
Career
pathway
The majority of lecturers in higher education pursue their own areas of

research and develop these in order to contribute to the wider research
activities of their directorate/university. Although the working hours tend
to be around 3537 per week, all lecturers are expected to work the hours
necessary in order to fulfil their responsibilities; administrative activities
can take up a significant amount of a lecturers time as can marking
assignments, so long working hours are not uncommon. During the first
year, new lecturers tend to concentrate on developing their teaching and
research skills and experience, and on mentoring undergraduate students.
Early responsibility is common, and most lecturers are given a high
degree of autonomy; but, as their career progresses, further responsibility
can be given in teaching, research or administration and, in some cases,
a combination of all three.
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References
Promotion to more senior levels will depend on willingness to

undertake further responsibility, professional development and continued
research activity. Progression to senior posts may be possible for lecturers
who build continually on this expertise; however, promotional prospects
vary amongst higher education institutions. Senior posts can include:
senior lecturer;
reader;
directorate manager;
deputy head of school;
head of school.
Having embarked on a career that ensures lifelong learning, teaching
in higher education can provide what can only be described as
emancipatory feelings. It appears that the more a person does and
achieves, the more that person is motivated and wants to progress, and
teaching in higher education offers opportunities to equip students with
the necessary tools for continued professional development and lifelong
learning.
Summary
It is evident from the literature and with hindsight from personal
experiences that planning for effective teaching and learning is the key
to a teachers success.
In order to achieve this, accessing an appropriate course of study
can ensure that novice teachers gain the necessary knowledge and
understanding of educational processes to influence their teaching
and learning strategies.
The PGCE can assist new teachers to develop key skills and
understanding of the theories of learning, curriculum planning,
lesson planning, preparation of the learning environment, and the
management of students in the classroom environment.
Teaching and learning is about flexibility; it is about learning how to
learn; it is about problem solving, and it is about growth.
Armitage, A., Bryant. R, Dunnill. R., Hammersley, M., Hayes, D.,
Hudson, A. and Lawes, S. (1999) Teaching and Training in Postcompulsory Education. Open University Press, Buckingham.
Buckenham, M. (1992) Academic and organisational change. In O. Slevin
and M. Buckenham (eds) Project 2000: The Teachers Speak Innovations
in the Nursing Curriculum. Campion Press, Edinburgh.
Burns, R. (1982) Self-concept Development and Education. Holt,
Rinehart & Winston, London.
Furlong, J. and Maynard, T. (1995) Mentoring Student Teachers: The
Growth of Professional Knowledge. Routledge, London.
References
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Hinchliff, S. (2001) The Practitioner as Teacher, 2nd edn. Baillire

Tindall, London.
Huddleston, P. and Unwin, L. (1997) Teaching and Learning in Further
Education: Diversity and Change. RoutledgeFalmer, London.
Kenny, G. (2002) Male teacher, female students: a novice teacher reflects.
MacNeil, M. (1997) From nurse to teacher: recognising a status passage.
Journal of Advanced Nursing, 25, 634642.
Neary, M. (2002) Curriculum Studies in Post-compulsory and Adult
Education: A Teachers and Student Teachers Study Guide. Nelson
Sunderland.
Rogers, J. (2001) Adults Learning, 4th edn. Open University Press,
Buckingham.
Welsh, I. and Swann, C. (2002) Partners in Learning: A Guide to Support
Wong, S. (1978) Nurse-teachers behaviour in the clinical field: apparent
effect on nursing students learning. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 3,
369372.
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Lifelong
learning
13
Given the constantly changing nature of subject areas and education, it is

imperative that staff continue to build upon and develop the knowledge
and skills acquired during their initial teacher training. Continuing
professional development (CPD) continues to be the favoured term and
has appeared in a number of different guises over the years, including
staff development, continuing education, professional development,
and lifelong learning. Regardless of the term used, the aim is to ensure
that the knowledge and skills of lecturers and practice educators are
kept up to date and remain relevant, both in terms of subject and
educational expertise. Awareness of the importance of CPD has received
a considerable boost with the publication of several significant reports
and documents relating to it.
Background
and context
The Dearing Report

The terms of reference of the Dearing Report (Dearing, 1997) were:
To make recommendations on how the purposes, shape, structure,
size and funding of higher education, including support for students,
should develop to meet the needs of the United Kingdom over the
next 20 years, recognizing that higher education embraces teaching,
learning, scholarship and research.
Recommendations 9, 13, 14, 15, 47 and 48 refer specifically to staff

development; the three main aspects covered are:
The need for institutions to review, update and make available to all
staff their policies with regard to staff development.
The need for institutions to review the impact of communications
and information technology on the role of staff, and ensure that the
necessary support and training is made available.

That an Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (ILT)
be established for the purpose of accrediting programmes of teachertraining, the commissioning of research into teaching and learning,
and the encouragement of innovation. All new full-time academic staff
should undertake an accredited teacher-training course as part of their
probationary period of employment.
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Chapter 13Lifelong
learning
Government response to the Dearing Report

In February 1998, the Government published its response to the
Dearing Report, Higher Education for the 21st Century (DfEE, 1998). It
welcomed the recommendations on the need for institutions to review
and update their staff development policies, and to make these available
to staff, and encouraged institutions to follow up these recommendations.
The Government also welcomed the recommendations on the need for
training and support of both staff and students in communications
and information technology, and identified the importance of the now
defunct Institute for Learning and Teaching (ILT) in the kite-marking and
development of these materials.
The Higher Education Academy, which replaced the Institute for
Learning and Teaching in 2004, is discussed in Chapter 4 (p. 160).
Teacher training for higher education

The issue of accredited teacher-training was also welcomed:
Governments long-term aim is to see all teachers in higher
education carry a professional qualification, achieved by meeting
demanding standards of teaching and supervisory competence
through accredited learning or experience.
This aim was welcomed by many people inside and outside the higher
education sector. Indeed, most members of the public would have been
unaware that higher education lecturers can be employed as teachers
without possessing a teaching qualification. Most higher education
institutions now require all newly appointed lecturers to undergo teacher
training as a condition of employment, the most common routes being a
postgraduate certificate in education. It is interesting to note that, in this
area, nurse education is leading the way; the UKCC, and more recently
the NMC, has always required teachers of nurses to hold a recognized
teaching qualification.
In 2003, the Department of Health published the White Paper,
The Future of Higher Education (DoH, 2003), which sets out the
Governments plans for radical reform and investment in universities and
higher education colleges. A year later saw the introduction of the Higher
Education Act 2004 intended to assist the implementation of a number
of policies set out in the above white paper. The Higher Education Act
2004 is divided into five sections as follows:
Section I refers to the new Arts and Humanities Research Council and
the funding of research.
Section II addresses student complaints.

Section III allows higher education institutions to charge variable fees
and, provided that they have an approved plan, fees above the basic
rate.
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Lifelong
learning
Section IV allows provision to transfer functions to the National

Assembly for Wales, and provisions to prevent student loans being
written off on discharge from bankruptcy, as well as amendments to
allow loans in respect of money owed by students to universities
to be paid to the university so as to facilitate deferral of fee payments
by students. It also includes provision about the disclosure of
information.
Section V refers to miscellaneous and general provisions relating to
higher education.
Lifelong
learning
Lifelong learning is central to the development of a move towards

patient-centred health care. According to Hinchliff (1998) the term
lifelong learning is:
often used to refer to the learning that occurs throughout the
(usually working) life of an individual, which may be planned or
not.
She believes that lifelong learning is complemented by lifelong education,

i.e. planned educational opportunities. However, Hinchliff (1998) also
believes that, for a lifelong learner to access such planned opportunities,
an element of motivation must exist. The DoH has dedicated substantial
investment to equip NHS staff with the skills and knowledge to improve
careers.
A First Class Service: Quality in the NHS (DoH, 1998)

A significant development, focusing on life long learning was published in
1998 by the Department of Health, titled A First Class Service: Quality in
the NHS. Delivering quality standards was high on the agenda; lifelong
learning was viewed as an investment in quality, and the need for health
professionals in all health care settings to gain the support of lifelong
learning through CPD programmes was stressed.
The DoH (1998) further emphasized that CPD should be valued as an
integral part of quality improvement by stating that:
continuing professional development is a process of lifelong
learning for all individuals and teams, which meets the needs of
patients and delivers the health outcomes and healthcare priorities
of the NHS and which enables professionals to expand and fulfil
their potential.
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Chapter 13Lifelong
learning
CPD programmes should meet local service needs and also those
of individual professionals. Higher education institutions and local
education agencies will have a key role in the development of CPD,
including innovative approaches to work-based learning (DoH, 1998).
The concept of clinical governance was also established within
this document, which identified a framework through which NHS
organizations are accountable for continuously improving the quality
of their services and safeguarding high standards of care by creating an
environment in which excellence in clinical care will flourish (DoH, 1998).
Clinical governance must be underpinned by a culture that values lifelong
learning and recognizes the key part that it plays in improving quality.
Gopee (2001) also recognizes the links between clinical governance and
lifelong learning, while being aware that lifelong learning is seen as an
inherent component of clinical effectiveness.
Working Together, Learning Together (DoH, 2001a)

The framework Working Together, Learning Together sets out a vision of
lifelong learning in the NHS and is aimed at education providers and
NHS employers. It addresses health professionals learning from preregistration education through to maintaining professional competence
following registration.
The DoH (2001a) highlights that:
lifelong learning is primarily about growth and opportunity, about
making sure staff are supported to acquire new skills and realise
their potential to help change things for the better.
The drivers to the development of this framework are clearly outlined by

the DoH (2001a) and include:
changes to the wider world of work, the diversity of peoples lifestyles
and cultures and their changing expectations about work and

learning;
changing patterns of health care delivery;
overall Government policy on lifelong learning, including the
opportunity offered by new technologies to share knowledge through
increasing access to learning in the workplace;
specific NHS policy as identified in the NHS Plan and subsequently in
Investment and Reform for NHS Staff Taking Forward the NHS Plan
(DoH, 2001b);
the Governments commitment to ensuring equality of opportunity and
valuing diversity with the NHS playing a full role in the economic,
educational and social life of the communities it serves.
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Lifelong
learning and
CPD
The Governments vision about lifelong learning is clearly evident in

this framework; it believes that learning should be valued, recognized,
recorded and accredited wherever possible. Furthermore, it considers
that:
access to education, training and development should be as open and
flexible as possible with no discrimination in terms of age, gender,

ethnicity, geographical location and staff working full or part time;
planning and evaluation of lifelong learning should be central to
organizational development and service improvement, supported by
robust information about skills gaps and needs;
the infrastructure to support learning should be as close to the
individuals workplace as possible, drawing on new educational and
communications technology and designed to be accessible in terms of
time and location;
wherever practical, learning should be shared by different staff groups
and professions.
The DoH (2001a) lifelong learning framework also embraces leadership
and management. The new Leadership Centre for Health, established
in 2001 as part of the Modernisation Agency, is aimed at supporting
change in leadership and management practice by the Governments
modernization programme. The centre is doing this through:
agreeing and promoting core leadership values;

ensuring leadership development is delivered; and
supporting career development and progression.
Lifelong
learning and
CPD
Lifelong learning is also perceived as an essential aspect of postregistration education and practice, which according to Gopee (2001) is
seen as central to professional self-regulation in nursing. He claims that,
although lifelong learning is very much apparent in nurse education,
various other forms of informal learning occur all the time. Informal
learning can also take place in formal settings, such as modules and
courses at diploma, degree and higher degree level, study days and halfday shorter programmes (Gopee, 2001).
The Department of Health (1998) supports the identification of
professional and service needs in a personal development plan, which
should identify different learning preferences, highlight where team
or multi-professional learning offers the best solution and take full
advantage of opportunistic learning on the job. It emphasizes that CPD
does not necessarily mean going on a course.
Gopee (2001) points out that lifelong learning has evolved consistently
over the last few decades at conceptual level; however, obstacles remain,
and these are mainly at organizational level. Obstacles to lifelong learning
are identified in Table 13.1.
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Chapter 13Lifelong
learning
Table 13.1
Obstacles to lifelong learning
Lack of time
Lack of confidence
Negative effects of school experience
Distance from classes
Reluctance to go out at night
Adapted from Gopee (2001)
Critical thinking and clinical actions empower the professional nurse,

and continuing education may be the key to promoting and maintaining
competency, strengthening the profession and improving quality care
(Griffitts, 2002). In order to promote nurses professional development,
Griffitts (2002) advocates making their education a priority and suggests
the following strategies:
Partner with staff to promote professional accountability through

periodic self-evaluation and ongoing education.
Invite staff to share what they have learnt at continuing education

activities.
Encourage staff to choose continuing education opportunities of interest,

which will promote attendance and professional accountability.
Make educational opportunities available at more than one time and

allow participants to choose which time to attend.
Constantly seek and praise good work.

Promoting lifelong learning
Jarvis (2005) believes that, in order to create lifelong learners, changes

must be made in nurse education and managerial practice; contentiously,
he suggests that if lifelong learning were actually fostered in nursing
then continuing education might be less necessary. Jarvis (2005) defines
lifelong learning as:
any planned series of incidents at any time in the lifespan, having
a humanistic basis, directed towards the participants learning and
understanding.
However, he does acknowledge that it may be necessary to assist selfdirected learners to be more effective in their quest for knowledge
because they may still need to acquire study skills. Study skills should be
an integral part of professional preparation in order that professionals
become lifelong learners.
What is interesting is that Jarvis (2005) explains how learners should
be given the opportunity to develop into self-directed learners rather
than become teacher dependent; they may then acquire a problemsolving attitude that would equip them better for their career. Following
this, nurse educators might see changes in their own role, moving away
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Lifelong
learning and
CPD
from providing packaged knowledge to enable learners to pass their

qualifying examinations to becoming educators preparing professionals
for a lifetime of service (Jarvis, 2005).
Because lifelong learning is increasingly being appreciated as an
essential ingredient for ensuring high-quality patient care, Gopee (2002)
advocates the need for sensitivity by both employer and employees to
nurture all mechanisms that can facilitate this. He believes that sensitivity
issues should be acknowledged to facilitate lifelong learning in the clinical
setting and also that clinical managers should recognize the communities
of their workforce.
A study by Ryan in 2003 aimed to identify the factors that influenced
motivation to participate in CPD among three groups comprising qualified
nurses, occupational therapists, and physiotherapists. A questionnaire
derived from the literature was used to determine the differences
between lifelong learning and CPD in a sample of 300 participants; 182
questionnaires were returned. When asked for their understanding of
lifelong learning, the three groups gave similar responses. Some of these
responses included:
personal development encompassing all aspects of daily life;

ongoing acquisition of knowledge and skills in a personal, professional
and social context;
the ability to continue self-development by having access to education

throughout the lifespan;
PREP, reflection, maintaining best standards;

learning on a continuous basis to update knowledge and experience.
The participants in Ryans (2003) study were also asked for their
understanding of CPD; all three groups provided identical answers:
updating knowledge and skills in line with the requirements of a

professional body; and
the need to prove that one is keeping abreast of professional issues

relating to ones own area of work or professional interest.
It appears from the study that the most influential factor for undertaking
CPD was to increase professional knowledge. The least influential factor
was the desire to achieve a higher educational qualification; students who
previously had poor education did not feel that this was a reason for
undertaking CPD. Other factors include:
updating existing qualifications;

increasing the status of the profession;
demonstrating professional competence;
fulfilling statutory requirements of governing body;
increasing self-esteem; and
obtaining further qualifications for promotion purposes.
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Chapter 13Lifelong
learning
Interestingly, Ryan (2003) found no difference between the intrinsic

or extrinsic motivational factors amongst the group, although some
participants showed a willingness to undertake a CPD course with
partial study leave; others were prepared to pay for CPD courses, and
some were prepared to complete a CPD course without study leave. She
concludes that:
continuous professional development is a fundamental component
that lies along the continuum of lifelong learning.
More recently, a sequential triangulation study by Hughes (2005)

aimed to investigate nurses perceptions of the value of CPD in the
NHS and private sector. The study also aimed to analyse the factors that
influence these perceptions and any potential barriers to successful CPD.
A questionnaire was designed from the literature to establish nurses
feelings in relation to CPD with the results used to highlight themes for
further exploration at interview. Semi-structured interviews took place
to explore the link between professional development and reflection
and were used to determine if the nurses ability to reflect affected their
personal values as well as the challenges to CPD. The results indicated
that, in the majority of nurses in both public and private sectors,
professional development had a positive influence on practice. However,
Hughes (2005) acknowledges that although there were similarities
in the responses, there was a clear difference between responses of
nursing-home and NHS staff concerning career prospects and being sent
on particular study activities. The results suggested that nurses in the
NHS value professional development as a means of career progression;
whereas nurses in the private sector may experience difficulty accessing
and undertaking professional development activities, owing to lack of
availability or because it is their employer who decides if they should go.
Hughes (2005) also identified that reflective practice was not seen
as a major benefit of professional development and few participants
acknowledged reflection as a means of improving practice. She suggests
that there is an inherent problem in developing professionally if nurses
find critical reflection difficult and concedes that, if some nurses are
unable to reflect on their own learning, not only is the learning process
incomplete, but they cannot be expected to improve their practice as a
result of studying. Hughes (2005) claims that this illustrates that nurses
are disassociating PREP from lifelong learning and may be choosing
study activities that meet the PREP requirements as opposed to CPD,
which can improve practice. She concludes that, if nurses continue to
undertake study activities without reflecting on their learning needs, then
resources will continue to be misdirected and PREP will continue to be a
futile exercise for some.
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Reflection
Reflection
The concept of reflective practice is mainly associated with the idea
of reflection on experience (Johns, 1996); however, Watson (2002)
believes reflection to be an accurate representation of the students
practice and that gaps in knowledge and/or skill competence can be
identified quickly and rectified. According to Jasper (2003) reflective
practice has been identified as one of the key ways to learn from
experiences and education recognizes it as an essential tool for helping
health care students to make links between theory and clinical practice.
Spouse (2001) argues that for many years the theory-practice gap has
dominated approaches to preparing students for their future role, with
an increased emphasis on work-based learning. However, Jasper (2003)
further emphasizes how the learning that is achieved using reflective
strategies is different from the theory that provides the knowledge
underpinning practice. In other words, reflective practice bridges the gap
between theory and clinical practice by providing a strategy that helps to
develop both understanding and learning.
Dix and Hughes (2004) recognize that a considerable number of
learners benefit from reflective practice. Johns (1995) argued that, to
enable learners to understand and learn through lived experiences, they
should take congruent action towards developing increasing effectiveness,
within the context of what is understood as desirable practice. Many
nursing students are expected to keep reflective journals whilst on clinical
placements, and some are required to submit a reflective essay during
each module of the programme (Dix and Hughes, 2004).
The nature of reflection

Reflection is essentially a psychological construct that is closely related to
a range of other internal mental (cognitive) processes such as thinking,
reasoning, considering and deliberating (Gregory, 1997). The term is
used in two ways:
in a general sense, as synonymous with thinking and deliberating;

and
in a specific sense, as the recollection of past experiences and mental

states by retrospection, i.e. looking back. (The word reflection is
derived from the Latin reflectere, meaning to bend back.)
The nature of reflective practice: Schns approach

Perhaps the single most influential interpretation of reflective practice
is that of Donald Schn, whose approach has influenced thinking about
professional practice in a number of professions, not least those of
teaching and nursing.
The publication of The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals
Think in Action (Schn,1991) and Educating the Reflective Practitioner:
Towards a New Design for Teaching and Learning in the Professions
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Chapter 13Lifelong
learning
(Schn, 1987) had considerable impact on both the teaching and the
nursing professions, providing, as the books do, an alternative rationale
for professional practice.
Schns focus is the relationship between academic knowledge as
defined in universities and the competence involved in professional
practice. He argues that professional practice is based upon a technical
rationality model that makes erroneous assumptions about the nature
of practice and in so doing reduces its importance in relation to theory.
Technical rationality views professional practice as the application of
general, standardized, theoretical principles to the solving of practice
problems; in other words, professional practice is problem-solving.
This top-down view puts general theoretical principles at the top of the
hierarchy of professional knowledge and practical problem-solving at the
bottom, leading to what Schn termed the pre-eminence of theory and
the denigration of practice.
Problem-setting
Within the technical rationality model, professional practice is viewed
as a process of instrumental problem-solving, with the assumption
that problems are self-evident. Schn, however, argues that in reality
practitioners are not presented with problems per se, but with problemsituations. These must be converted into actual problems by a process of
problem-setting, i.e. selecting the elements of the situation, deciding the
ends and means, and framing the context. Technical rationality also fails
to take account of the fact that problems encountered in professional
practice are rarely standard or predictable.
Knowing-in-action
Schn uses this term to describe the intuitive or tacit knowing that
is embedded in professional actions. Intuition is a mental process,
commonly termed the sixth sense, and refers to a process by which
an individual comes to a conclusion about something in the absence of
sensory inputs and without consciously thinking about it. For example,
skilled practitioners constantly make intuitive judgements about situations
without being able to specify exactly the criteria on which they base those
judgements; this is often termed thinking on your feet. Schn maintains
that, although this intuitive knowing is implicit within our actions, it
is possible for practitioners to access this by reflecting on what they are
doing while they are doing it.
Reflection-in-action
Reflection-in-action occurs when the practitioner is confronted by a
novel puzzle or problem-situation that he or she attempts to resolve. This
resolution occurs when the problem is re-framed, i.e. seen differently
during the actions. It is the process of reflecting upon the intuitive
knowing that is implicit in a practitioners actions, whilst at the same
time carrying out those actions, that constitutes reflection-in-action.
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Reflection
It is important to emphasize that the reflection is inherent in the action

itself and not in any thinking going on at the same time. Reflection-inaction is non-rational and non-linear and is embedded in the action.
Richardson (1990) succinctly captures this phenomenon: Schn found
intelligence in the act itself rather than in attempting to make the act
seem intelligent. Schn suggests that reflection-in-action is triggered
more commonly by surprising results, whereas anticipated results are
less likely to be thought about. Reflection-in-action occurs within what
Schn terms the action-present, i.e. the timescale in which any action by
the practitioner can still influence a situation.
Reflection-on-action
This is the type of reflection that is referred to in the models of reflection
discussed in the previous section of this chapter and involves retrospection
on past experiences, the aim of which is to generate knowledge for future
practice. Reflection-on-action contrasts markedly with reflection-inaction, the latter occurring whilst the practitioner is engaged in actions
rather than thinking about it later.
Knowledge-in-action
This is practical professional knowledge and develops by the process of
reflection-in-action. It does not rely on a series of conscious steps in a
decision-making process; instead it is inherent in the action itself. It is not
possible to ascertain this knowledge-in-action by talking to a practitioner,
as it is not a conscious process, but expert knowledge can be elicited by
observing the practitioner reflecting-in-action.
Characteristics of reflective practitioners
This notion of the reflective practitioner, according to Schn, contrasts
markedly with the prevailing model of professional practice, the technical
rationality model.
According to Schn, the reflective practitioner is characterized by a
range of personal qualities and abilities, such as the ability to engage in
self-assessment to criticize the existing state of affairs, to promote change
and to adapt to change, and the ability to practise as an autonomous
professional. He also distinguishes between the effective and the
ineffective practitioner: the former is able to recognize and explore
confusing or unique events that occur during practice, whereas the latter
is burned-out, i.e. confined to repetitive and routine practice, neglecting
opportunities to think about what he or she is doing
Although Schns ideas on reflective practice have been widely
accepted within the nursing profession, his approach has been criticized
because of a lack of empirical support. Muncie and Russell (1989) point
out the there is virtually no elaboration of the psychological realities of
reflection-in-action: for example, What makes it begin? What happens
when it begins? How do we know when it is occurring?
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learning
Jones (1999) suggests that approaches based on reflection may be more

appropriate for current health care provision. She argues that nursing
models are not integral to patient care and points out that qualified
nurses often disregard the contribution of nursing models to their
delivery of care.
Models may be viewed as unnecessary academic exercises that
increase nurses workload. In reality, they are inadequately
used, incompletely implemented and poorly understood by other
practitioners.
(Jones, 1999)
The use of reflection-on-action, the author argues, constitutes an

alternative professional framework for the provision of nursing care.
A qualitative study by Smith and Jack (2005) aimed to ascertain
whether students found reflection to be a meaningful activity and if
there are perceived benefits associated with reflective practice. A sample
comprising 50 students was invited to take part in the study to determine
their views on whether reflection is a useful tool for learning; however,
only eight students volunteered to take part. A semi-structured focusgroup interview, which lasted for one hour, was guided by open questions
relating to reflective practice. A Web-based learning environment
discussion board was used as a forum for posing questions relating to the
benefits of reflection.
Smith and Jack (2005) discovered that some of the findings
corroborated the literature. Many of the students agreed that keeping a
reflective diary was beneficial once they had mastered the art of reflective
writing and were able to be critical and analytical in their approach. The
students completed a learning styles inventory by Honey and Mumford
(1992) to diagnose their learning style; and those who identified their
style as being reflective in nature found reflecting on practice more
useful. Therefore, Smith and Jack (2005) conclude that students learning
styles are pertinent to their perception of the usefulness of the reflective
process.
Price (2005) emphasizes that reflection is no longer seen as a learning
style but as a skill that students should be encouraged to master if lifelong
learning is to become a reality. Interestingly, he assumes that there are
divergent and strongly held views in university departments on what
reflection relates to; Burnards (2005) experience supports this.
Strategies for teaching reflective practice

Boud, Keogh and Walkers model of reflection
A number of models of reflection have been used accurately and not so
accurately within nurse education. A model by Boud et al. (1985) to
which Johns (1995) added a fourth stage could be acknowledged as being
one of the clearer models; with only four stages, it allows less room for
irrelevant material.
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reFleCtion
Stage 1: Return to experience
1. Describe the experience, recollect
what happened.
2. Notice what happened/how you felt/
what you did
Stage 3: Re-evaluate the experience

1. Connect ideas and feelings of the
experience to those you had on
reflection
2. Consider options and choices
Figure 13.1
Model of reflection
Stage 2: Attend to feelings
1. Acknowledge negative feelings but dont let
them form a barrier
2. Work with positive outcomes
Stage 4: Learning
(added by Johns, 1995)
1. How do I feel about this experience?
2. Could I have dealt better with the
situation?
3. What have I learnt from this experience?
Adapted from Boud et al. (1985); Johns (1995)
The purpose of Stage 1 is to stand back from the experience,

clarify perceptions and focus on it again with the benefit of time and
concentration. Stage 2 is intended for noting any positive or negative
feelings; these might include pleasure, anger, frustration, elation,
annoyance or a sense of achievement. Stage 3 is re-evaluation of
the experience, and Stage 4 allows for identification of learning and
The Boud, Keogh and Walker (1985) model demonstrates a relatively
rational approach to the process of reflecting upon experience, and as such
as been adopted widely in nursing as a tool for teaching practitioners how
to reflect. It is worth noting, however, that Boud et al. (1993) emphasize
that systematic reflection is not the only way in which individuals learn
from experiences:
What we can say is that learning from experience is far more
indirect than we often pretend it to be. It can be prompted by
systematic reflection, but it can also be powerfully prompted by
discrepancies or dilemmas which we are forced to confront.
They go on to conclude:
Much as we may enjoy the intellectual chase, we cannot neglect
our full experience in the process. To do so is to fool ourselves into
treating learning from experience as a simple, rational process.
Whilst acknowledging the feelings of self and others enhances selfawareness and is an important aspect of health care, this stage could
be, and often is, incorporated within the experience/situation narrative,
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Chapter 13Lifelong
learning
thus reducing the need for unnecessary subheadings. However, as with

Gibbs (1988) and Atkins and Murphy (1993) a section for feelings still
remains.
The Johns model of structured reflection
Johns (1992) uses the concept of guided reflection to describe a
structured, supported approach that helps practitioners learn from their
reflections upon experiences. The approach involves using the model of
structured reflection, one-to-one or group supervision, and the keeping
of a structured reflective diary. The model of structured reflection uses
a series of questions which help structure the practitioners reflections.
In addition to one core question there are five sets of cue questions, as
shown in Table 13.2.
Table 13.2
The Johns model of structured
reflection
Cue questions
Aesthetics
What was I trying to achieve?

Why did I respond as I did?
What were the consequences for the patient, others and me?
How was this person (were these people) feeling?
How did I know?
Personal
How did I feel in this situation?

What factors were influencing me?
Ethics
How did my actions match with my beliefs?

What factors made me act in incongruent ways?
Empirics
What knowledge did or should have informed me?
Reflexivity
How does this connect with previous experiences?

Could I handle this better in similar situations?
What would be the consequences of alternative actions for the patient,
others and me?
How do I now feel about this experience?
Can I support myself and others better as a consequence?
How has this changed my ways of knowing?
Adapted from Johns (1992)
The Johns model is more detailed than any of the models outlined,
and there are both advantages and disadvantages to this. The nursing
literature indicates that nurses need to be taught how to reflect, and the
detailed questions that practitioners are required to ask of themselves
in the Johns model certainly provide a comprehensive checklist for
reflection. The disadvantage of such a detailed structure is that it imposes
a framework that is external to the practitioner, leaving little scope for
inclusion of his or her own approach. It is also open to criticism on
the grounds of complexity, although other models can be criticized
on precisely the opposite grounds, i.e. that they may appear simplistic
and self-evident.
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Reflection
Driscolls model of reflection

Pre- and post-registration students should be able to use a reflective
model that does not impact on their learning and restrict their writing
skills. They should be able to guide the reflection and have overall
control over their learning process. Too often, students use a model of
reflection that inhibits their creativity and detracts from the situation or
experience. To avoid confusing students and forcing them to write about
irrelevant issues, a model of reflection should have a minimum number
of headings with clear guidelines for each. By the time a student has
addressed all of the questions under each heading of a reflective model,
there is sometimes little or no wordage remaining to allow creativity or
independent thinking. Although Bortons (1970) framework comprises
an acceptable three stages, the headings What?, So what? and Now
what? adopted by Driscoll (2000) imply a flippancy that might not
influence a student to consider the exercise seriously, thereby distracting
from the learning situation.
What? Returning to the situation
Table 13.3
What is the purpose of returning to this situation?

What exactly occurred?
What did you see? What did you do?
What was your reaction?
What did other people do? E.g. colleague, patient, relative.
What do you see as key aspects of this situation?
Driscolls model of reflection
So what? Understanding the context

What were you feeling at the time?
What are you feeling now? Are there any differences and, if so, why?
What were the effects of what you did (or did not do)?
What good emerged from the situation, e.g. for self, others?
What troubles you, if anything?
What were your experiences in comparison to your colleagues?
What are the main reasons for feeling differently from your colleagues?
Now what? Modifying future outcomes
What are the implications for you?
What needs to happen to alter the situation?
What are you going to do about the situation?
What happens if you decide not to alter anything?
What might you do differently if faced with a similar situation again?
What information do you need to face a similar situation again?
What are your best ways of getting information about the situation should it arise again?
Adapted from Driscoll (2000)
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ChaPter 13 liFelong learning
A model of elementary reflection

An interesting argument from Jones (1999) appears to corroborate this
reasoning; it states that models of reflection are generally inadequately
used, incompletely implemented and misunderstood by practitioners.
Burnard (2005) discovered that student reflections can sometimes be
wrong and that it is possible to fail a students reflective activity. He
describes how failed activities are often sent back to students to be
done again, and he questions, quite justifiably, if we really believe that
students can re-reflect on what they have written? This leads to another
contentious argument, i.e. that a large number of students reflective
accounts are fictitious (Burnard, 2005).
A short and clear model of reflection would allow for freedom of
expression and could incorporate three steps (see Figure 13.2).
Figure 13.2
A model of elementary
reflection
Step
1
Step
2
Step
3
The learning experience

Evaluation
Personal and professional

development
Step 1: The learning experience

Anecdotal evidence suggests that many students believe that they should
reflect on a negative aspect of their practice when, in fact, that is not
the case. Reflecting on a learning situation can be a positive or negative
experience, although a model with the heading If I encountered the
situation again, what would I do differently? does suggest to students
that the experience should be regarded as a negative one and that they
acted inappropriately.
Step 2: Evaluation
We all evaluate the actions of other people and form opinions about how
effectively they do things. We also judge our own performance by being
aware of what we did well, or less well. Learners should be encouraged
to analyse the situation, and their involvement in it, and to draw lessons
from this for their future practice (Price, 2005).
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Interprofessional
education
Step 3: Personal and professional development

An important aspect of reflective practice is to learn from personal
and professional experience. Through reflection, a person is able to
engage in an ongoing dialogue with the self, which enhances selfawareness (Scanlon and Chernomas, 1997), and is then able to come to
a personal understanding of his or her own practice, facilitating further
development of professional expertise. In essence, reflection can help to
clarify thoughts and emotions, to work out strategies and to focus on
professional development and progress (Cottrell, 2003).
A framework for reflection should be simple and straightforward to
allow a student to make progress through each stage with relative ease.
Some might argue that a reflective exercise should be completed and then
closed, but this could have implications. Reflection should not only allow
a student the freedom to work through a positive or negative experience,
but it should also be used to inform future learning and clinical practice
and enhance personal and professional development. Therefore, to forget
or close the experience at any point could be seen as imprudent.
Interprofessional
education
Although it has already been mentioned, it is worth reiterating that

professions that work together should learn together (RCN, 2000;
UKCC, 1999) and that collaboration and co-operation across health
care disciplines is fundamental to maintaining high-quality care. Whilst
students of nursing, medicine and professions allied to health have
different learning needs and levels of attainment, Saunders (1997)
recognizes that some curriculum content is common to all professions
and therefore lends itself to multiprofessional-based learning. Castledine
(2001), however, argues that implementing multiprofessional education
would be too much hassle, but he does believe that multiprofessional
students should be brought together in clinical situations to solve
problems and identify patient-management strategies.
The Department of Health (2001a) emphasizes the need for core
skills elements in learning programmes for all health care students, and
these would provide the basis for interprofessional learning. The NHS
Plan (DoH, 2000) promoted better teamworking, and interprofessional
working is now high on the health care agenda (DoH, 2001b).
Defining the term interprofessional has proved problematic for
almost a decade, and there still does not appear to be a sound
consensus of definition. Scholes and Vaughan (2001) believe that
the terms interprofessional, multiprofessional, multidisciplinary and
interdisciplinary are regularly used interchangeably without careful
consideration as to their underpinning meanings. Scholes and Vaughan
define interprofessional working as interactions between team members,
whilst multiprofessional working involves a group of people from
different health and social care professions who do not necessarily
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Chapter 13Lifelong
learning
interact. The authors refer to multidisciplinary working as practitioners

who share the same professional background but practise within different
specialities.
Masterson (2001) also distinguishes between multiprofessional and
interprofessional working: multiprofessional work is seen as a co-operative
enterprise in which traditional forms and divisions of professional
knowledge and authority are retained, whilst interprofessional work is
seen as a willingness to share and to give up exclusive claims to specialized
knowledge and authority if other professional groups can meet patient
needs more efficiently and appropriately.
Shared learning
Much of the literature on multiprofessional teamwork has addressed
increasing collaborative practices through multiprofessional and sharedlearning programmes. Scholes and Vaughan (2001) explain that, whilst
this can occur in higher education settings, it also needs to centre on
learning from one another in practice if it is to be most effective.
Traditionally each profession has provided a different approach to
health care from a different educational base, and Masterson (2001)
notes that professional education and assessment of competence has
been traditionally uni-disciplinary. She also argues that service and role
developments require a readiness to cross traditional boundaries not only
in practice but also in education; as the work of health professionals
continues to change, significant changes will also be required in the
types of education and training that are provided. Following reforms in
education and service, Masterson (2001) expects to see greater emphasis
on work-based systems of learning, which aim to encourage the student
to be an autonomous learner (Chapman, 2006) and mean moving away
from a model in which the teacher imparts knowledge towards one where
the teacher is a facilitator of learning (Chapman and Howkins, 2003).
Educators and policy makers have argued that interprofessional
education breaks down some of the traditional and unhelpful demarcations
between the health and social care professions, facilitates cultural change
and promotes successful teamworking (Masterson, 2001). It is thought
to provide opportunities for health and social care professionals to
learn with, from and about each other, which, according to Masterson
(2001), includes developing knowledge, skills and attitudes required for
collaboration.
Shared learning for undergraduate students

Cooper et al. (2001) undertook a systematic review to explore the
feasibility of introducing interdisciplinary education within undergraduate
health professional programmes. As many authors have previously
identified, including Scholes and Vaughan (2001) and Masterson (2001),
Cooper et al. (2001) found that considerable conceptual confusion
remains regarding clarification of the terms interprofessional and
multiprofessional when associated with shared learning.
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Interprofessional
education
They discovered that the majority of reviews used two different

professional student groups, nursing and medical students, although a
variety of health professionals were involved at student and faculty level;
some of these included students of:
dentistry;
physiotherapy;
occupational therapy;
pharmacy;
social work;
psychology;
speech therapy;
dietetics;
audiology; and
chiropody.
Cooper et al. (2001) reported that the majority of educational
interventions occurred in non-clinical environments using academic
classrooms for teaching, although there was significant variation in both
the quality and the type of educational interventions used. The authors
point out that those educational interventions addressed a variety of
topics and that a range of teaching methods were utilized (see Table
13.4).
Topic
Teaching method
Table 13.4
Teamwork
Primary health care
Problem-solving
Chronic illness
Clinical skills
Communication skills
Health behaviour
Continuous improvement
Therapeutics
Small group teaching

Case studies
Experiential learning
Didactic teaching
Problem-based learning
Self-directed learning
Role-play
Examples of topics and

teaching methods used in
interprofessional learning
Adapted from Cooper et al. (2001)
Cooper et al. (2001) categorized the outcomes of the review

according to Kirkpatricks (1967) classification system, using four stages
of educational evaluation:
reaction;
learning;
behaviour; and
results.
Within each of these categories, a number of themes emerged. The reaction
category identified themes relating to evaluation of interprofessional
learning experiences, timing of courses and teaching methods. Each of
these themes demonstrated the value placed on the learning experience
with early learning experiences enhancing participation in interdisciplinary
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Chapter 13Lifelong
learning
activities. This category also identified that strong administrative support

and experienced faculty members were required to plan and facilitate the
course. However, Cooper et al. (2001) found that obstacles to the success
of interprofessional learning were lack of time, scarce financial resources,
assignments specific to each professional group, varying educational
schedules and discipline-specific requirements for registration. Not
surprisingly, the nursing students found the interprofessional experience
more useful than the medical students did.
The behaviour category highlighted practical experiences valued by
the students as enhancing interdisciplinary learning; whilst from the final
category, results, it was discovered that student perceptions of actual
co-operation and sharing of resources within and across professional
boundaries had significantly improved after interdisciplinary learning.
Although the literature identified a lack of educational or psychological
theory guiding the development of interprofessional education, Cooper
et al. (2001) suggest that the outcomes indicate the necessity of a
fundamental approach to interprofessional education, one that integrates
the best external evidence with educational expertise and students
choices.
To conclude the systematic review, Cooper et al. (2001) stipulate that:
as the need for interdisciplinary teamwork evolves with the increasing
complex needs of service users and changes in the boundaries of
professional practice, so the need for formal preparation for this
way of working becomes more important. Professional education,
as it stands, does not appear to equip practitioners with these
skills. However, if teaching on an interdisciplinary basis is seen as
an educational approach rather than a subject in itself, then it can
only provide additional benefits which have been shown to relate to
changes in knowledge, attitudes, skills and beliefs.
Summary
The knowledge and skills of lecturers and practice educators are
kept up to date and remain relevant, both in terms of subject and

educational expertise.
Most higher education institutions now require all newly appointed
lecturers to undergo teacher training as a condition of employment,
the most common route being a postgraduate certificate in education.
Lifelong learning is the term often used to refer to the learning that
occurs throughout the working life of an individual and which may be
planned or not.
CPD programmes should meet local service needs and also those of
individual professionals.
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Clinical governance must be underpinned by a culture that values
lifelong learning and recognizes the key part that it plays in improving
quality.
Lifelong learning is seen as an essential aspect of post-registration
education and practice and is central to professional self-regulation in
nursing.
Critical thinking and clinical actions empower the professional
nurse, and continuing education may be the key to promoting and
maintaining competency, strengthening the profession and improving
the quality of care.
Learners should be given the opportunity to develop into self-directed
learners rather than become teacher dependent.
Reflective practice has been identified as one of the key ways to learn
from experiences, and education recognizes it an as essential tool for
helping health care students to make links between theory and clinical
practice.
Reflection is essentially a psychological construct that is closely related
to a range of other internal mental (cognitive) processes, such as
thinking, reasoning, considering and deliberating.
Reflection-in-action occurs when the practitioner is confronted by a
novel puzzle or problem situation that he or she attempts to resolve.
The reflective practitioner is characterized by a range of personal
qualities and abilities, such as the ability to engage in self-assessment,
to criticize the existing state of affairs, to promote change and to adapt
to change, and the ability to practise as an autonomous professional.
A model by Boud et al. with a fourth stage added by Johns could be
acknowledged as one of the clearer models of reflection; with only
four stages, it allows less room for irrelevant material.
A short and clear model of reflection would allow for freedom of
expression and could incorporate three steps: the learning experience,
evaluation, and personal and professional development.
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14
Continuing
professional
development: the university context
Within all sectors of education, continuing professional development

is acknowledged as being essential for maintaining and improving the
quality of educational provision. It is not therefore the exclusive province
of individual teachers but must take into account the goals and strategies
of the department and the institutions in which they work. Hence, there
will be variations in the nature of continuing professional development
(CPD) according to the priorities of the teachers department; for
example, some departments may see their main priority as developing
more staff as active researchers; others may wish to develop open and
distance learning materials for their programmes. It is normally the
case that funding for staff development is linked to these departmental/
institutional priorities, and in this way teachers are encouraged to
undertake appropriate staff development within the stated priority areas.
The importance of CPD to the work of the institution is underlined by its
inclusion in the agenda of annual staff appraisal interviews.
The terminology related to CPD can be confusing, as a variety
of terms are in current use for what is essentially the same concept:
continuing professional development, staff development (SD), continuing
professional education (CPE), and lifelong learning. The first three are
normally applied to formal learning in an institution, whereas the latter is
a more generic term that includes learning outside the formal education
system. There are two main reasons why CPD is an important concept
for nurse teachers:
The design and delivery of CPD programmes and activities are

significant areas of work in nurse education.
Nurse teachers are required to maintain their own continuing

Standard 1.2 of the NMC (2004) Code of Professional Conduct, which

sets out standards for conduct, performance and ethics, states that
registered nurses, midwives and community public health nurses are
required to:
protect and support the health of individual patients and clients;

protect and support the health of the wider community;
act in such a way that justifies the trust and confidence the public have
in them;
uphold and enhance the good reputation of the professions.
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CPD in
nursing, midwifery and specialist nursing
Continuing professional development has a major role to play in

maintaining this requirement, and Standard 6 of the NMC code relates
specifically to CPD: maintain and improve your professional knowledge
and competence.
The teachers role in nursing, midwifery and health visiting is
performed in two distinct, yet inter-related contexts, i.e. the university
department and the workplace. The requirements for CPD cover both
these settings, and for the sake of clarity the former is addressed in this
chapter and the latter in Chapter 15 (p. 480).
Although CPD was acknowledged in association with lifelong
learning in Chapter 13 (p. 435), the current chapter explores a range
of university-focused CPD strategies, including staff appraisal, the
Higher Education Academy, research and scholarly activity, the research
assessment exercise, and writing for publication.
CPD
in nursing, midwifery and specialist community

public health nursing
Obviously, CPD has important implications for professional nurses

and for the general public. The public has a right to be safeguarded
against malpractice and to be protected from charlatans, and members
of the public expect nurses to possess up-to-date knowledge and skills
appropriate to the specialism in which they practice.
A nurses motivation to undertake continuing professional development
may arise from a range of different needs. The most obvious one that
springs to mind is the NMC PREP standards, to which all registered
nurses must conform if they are to continue on the register of nurses.
The PREP standards are discussed in detail in Chapter 15 (p. 480).
There are also more altruistic motives, such as a desire to improve the
standard of practice, and other less altruistic ones, such as gaining further
qualifications to enhance promotion prospects or a desire to increase
personal status by the acquisition of masters or doctoral degrees. There is
even the possibility that some nurses may see CPD as providing evidence
of safe practice in cases of litigation by patients or clients.
Many qualified practitioners can be classified as post-registration
students, as they are pursuing formal courses as part of their CPD. For
the majority of these nurses, studies will be undertaken whilst they are in
full-time employment.
The position with regard to study leave and funding for CPD continues
to worsen, and partial funding is the best that many can expect to gain.
Study leave to attend formal courses is even more difficult to obtain, and
in cases where it is granted the demands of service mean that it may not
always be possible to take the leave. Hence, the demand for more flexible
approaches to study has led to the development of open and distance
learning programmes which allow post-registration students to study in
their own time and without the need for attendance at an institution.
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ChaPter 14 CPd: the university Context
Another significant development in the delivery of CPD for nurses is

the accreditation of prior learning (APEL). As described in Chapter 7
(p. 295), this has enabled experienced practitioners to identify learning
gained within the workplace, to provide evidence of such learning in a
portfolio, and to use the credit thus gained to contribute towards the final
award. For many nurses, this has meant a considerable reduction in the
time taken to gain a higher education award.
Nurse lecturer roles in higher education

Teachers roles are extremely varied and diverse and, if we asked
two nurse lecturers to describe their work, we are likely to gain two
completely different accounts of its emphasis, of time allocation and
of ways of working. However, both lecturers are likely to say that they
undertake the following activities:
teaching;
curriculum planning; and
administration.
Figure 14.1 illustrates the multi-faceted role of nurse lecturers.
Figure 14.1
Nurse lecturer roles in higher
education
Curriculum
Planning, implementing
and evaluating
Administration
Managing modules, timetables
and recordkeeping
Assessor
Marking theory and
portfolio assessments
Personnel role
Recruitment and
selection of students
LECTURER
Research
Education research
and practice research
Teaching
Students in college and
clinical placement
Personal teacher role

Monitoring, teaching, recordkeeping and pastoral role
Professional development
PREP, reflection, publish,
conference paper presentation
The standards for teaching and learning (FENTO, 2002) stipulate that
teachers need to contribute effectively to the continuous improvement
of quality by evaluating their own practice, by identifying opportunities
for personal and professional development, and by participating in
programmes of professional development. To do this, teachers should:
identify where their own knowledge and skills need to be updated;

identify ways of maintaining their subject expertise up to date;
engage in research and study related to professional practice;
set realistic goals and targets for their own development;
take up professional development opportunities relevant to their work
and to institution priorities.
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staFF aPPraisal/individual PerFormanCe review
Welsh and Swann (2002) discuss the benefits of continued professional

development, the impact on the individual practitioner and the quality of
the learning experience subsequently offered to students. They highlight
that it has a major contribution to make in relation to high standards of
practice in terms of adopting an approach based on critical reflectivity;
providing an ongoing source of stimulation and motivation; and as a
basis for teamwork and team development.
Although mentioned in Chapter 12 (p. 431), it is worth reiterating
Huddleston and Unwins (1997) strategy for considering professional development needs. They suggest keeping a record of professional
experience in and outside the college, with the record taking the form of
a portfolio and including examples of work with students and accounts
of the teachers ongoing development.
Figure 14.2 shows some of the CPD activities for nurse lecturers.
Undertake
research
Act as mentor for

new lecturers
Write book/
journal paper
staFF
Team
teaching
Present paper
at conference
Continuing
Professional
Development
Undertake
international exchange
Study for higher

degree
Figure 14.2
CPD activities for nurse lecturers
Take on new
responsibilities
Chair and minute

meetings
Apply for
secondment
aPPraisal/individual PerFOrmance review
We spend about one-third of our adult lives at work and, as well as

providing money for living, work also functions as an important vehicle
for the expression of our individuality. There is little doubt that it is social
relationships that make or break the working environment, rather than
the nature of the job per se, and it is a sad reflection on the management
style of senior personnel that so many people fail to derive job satisfaction
from their work. It is important to appreciate the holistic nature of work
to the individual; it is intimately related to self-development, social
position and identity, and is not simply a collection of performances
to be evaluated. The concept of staff appraisal needs to be carefully
defined in order to be distinguishable from other related concepts such
as assessment and review of performance. Appraisal, in its literal sense,
is the estimation of value or quality, and it is this emphasis on value that
makes it more global than assessment. Appraisal can be seen as being a
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Chapter 14 CPD:
humanistic concept in which individuals aspirations, perceptions and

needs are considered, as well as his or her performance in the job. Hence,
performance evaluation is a necessary part of appraisal, but there is much
more to it than that.
Purposes of appraisal
Appraisal is used for a variety of purposes within educational management,
and these can be broadly classified into those that are aimed at the
person being appraised and those that are aimed at management. In
the former category, appraisal is used to encourage staff development,
self-evaluation, team awareness and review of performance. From the
management point of view, appraisal is used to clarify the organizations
objectives, to improve communication, to develop staff resources and to
evaluate the performance of the organization. An appraisal can be thought
of as a system in which staff can provide feedback to management and
management can provide feedback to staff, in terms of ambitions, growth
and development and perceived needs. The process of appraisal centres
around two questions:
Are you contributing to the growth and development of the

organization?
Is the organization contributing to your own growth and

development?
There is one purpose that has been omitted, but which is commonly
suggested, namely discipline. Indeed, appraisal may be a euphemism for
a procedure that ends in disciplinary action, but it should not be used as
a system for disciplinary action, since this undermines the whole purpose
of appraisal, i.e. the development of the individual. Clearly, disciplinary
action may be required in some cases, but the procedure should be
distinct from appraisal. Equally, an appraisal interview should not form
the basis for an employers reference, as this may inhibit free and frank
discussion during appraisal.
Implementing appraisal
In order to have maximum benefit for both appraisee and appraiser, the
appraisal interview needs careful planning, and confidentiality must be
ensured. The following sequence may be useful:
Preliminary reflection
A week or two before the appraisal interview, each party should take time
to complete an initial form that focuses on key aspects of the appraisal
such as those illustrated in Table 14.1. This ensures that each party has
given consideration to the various aspects of appraisal and should mean
that the interview itself can be used to best advantage
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Staff
appraisal/individual performance review
The appraisal interview

There are a number of points to be made about carrying out an appraisal
interview. Sufficient time must be allowed, so that two-way feedback
can occur without a feeling of having to move on quickly. Considering
that the appraisal interview may be the only time that the appraisee
has the opportunity for in-depth interaction with the manager, it is not
unreasonable to allocate an entire morning or afternoon. There must be
no interruptions by telephones or callers, and instructions must be given
to this effect. Provision of refreshment is useful, as it avoids the loss of
continuity occasioned by a visit to the common room for this purpose.
Needless to say, the appraiser must approach the appraisal with
as much objectivity as possible; it is sometimes difficult to discuss the
weaknesses of a respected colleague. On the other hand, the appraiser
must be able to accept criticism of his or her own management of a
team without becoming defensive. It is also important to ensure that
the appraiser actually knows the performance of the person being
appraised. If the appraisee is a teacher, then the appraiser may wish to
observe the appraisees teaching. However, peer observation of teaching
is a sensitive area, and may be resisted by the appraisees professional
organization or trade union. Nevertheless, with the advent of the Higher
Education Academy (see below), it is likely that peer observation of
teaching will become much more established in higher education as
it is accepted as a necessary and appropriate mechanism to facilitate
professional development. The career development aspect of appraisal is
very important, and much time should be given to the discussion of the
continuing professional development of the appraisee.
The action plan
At the end of the interview both parties should agree on an action
plan for the appraisee that clearly states the actions which are to be
undertaken over the coming year with regard to job performance and
personal or professional development. This may involve taking further
courses of study, gaining new experiences, attempting new techniques
for teaching, or undertaking research. When the appraiser has completed
the appraisal form, both parties should sign it. One copy is given to the
appraisee and forms the basis of the following years appraisal. A further
copy is retained by the personnel department.
When an appraisal system is in development, there can be great
anxiety amongst staff, particularly if they are suspicious of the motives
for its introduction. Indeed, it has been referred to as an overt system of
espionage by consent! and this indicates the fear that information will
be used against the provider. Separating appraisal from discipline and
references can go a long way towards reducing anxiety, but in the final
analysis the system will be judged by the personal qualities and skills
of the appraiser, including his or her sensitivity and trustworthiness.
As stated above, the appraisal record should be agreed and signed by
both appraisee and appraiser with a copy retained by each. In the event
of a disagreement between the appraisee and appraiser in relation to
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Chapter 14 CPD:
performance or personal and professional development, the areas of

disagreement should be recorded on the appraisal form. The appraisee
can then seek an interview with the appraisers line manager.
Table 14.1
Elements of appraisal
Section 1: Appraisee self-evaluation

Teaching and learning
Identify personal goals for the previous year and explain how these were achieved
Identify new skills acquired or new projects completed
List aspects of the role that you do well
List aspects of the role that could be improved upon, e.g. training and development/peer/
manager support
Provide details of undergraduate programmes that you contribute towards or are responsible
for
Provide details of postgraduate/post-registration programmes that you contribute towards or
are responsible for
Identify other teaching and learning activities that you contribute towards, e.g. recruitment
and admission of students/staff, module management, curriculum development and validation
processes
Identify the number of students that you supervise at undergraduate level, postgraduate/postregistration level and research level
Research
Provide details of research completed since the last appraisal (this can include publications,
publications in press, conference papers)
Provide details of research that is currently in progress
Identify future research plans
External activities
Provide details of activities that you undertake outside the university (this can include journal
reviewer; editorial responsibilities; book proposal reviewer; representing the university on
external bodies, e.g. HEA, QAA, HEFCW; clinical activities, e.g. link lecturer responsibilities;
member of institutions, e.g. HEA; commercial activities, committee work).
The coming year
Provide details of objectives for the coming year
Identify personal and professional development activities, which are required to meet personal
objectives, e.g. research, conferences, study days and short programmes, higher degrees,
secondment opportunities
Identify which of these activities would be your highest priority
Section 2: Appraiser evaluation
The appraiser evaluation might invite comments in relation to the appraisees:
quality of work
productivity
use of initiative
teamwork
tasks/projects that have been completed
areas of work that require support/training
Section 3: Personal and professional develop ment plan
This section of the appraisal should identify training or development activities, highlighting each
activity in priority order. This should then be agreed upon by both appraisee and appraiser.
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The Higher Education Academy (HEA) defines personal development
planning as a:
structured and supported process undertaken by an individual to
reflect upon their own learning, performance and/or achievement and
to plan for their personal, educational and career development.
(HEA, 2006a)
The HEA emphasizes that personal development planning (PDP) embraces

a range of approaches to learning that link planning PDP, completing PDP,
recording thoughts, ideas and experiences, and reflecting on experiences
and the results of learning.
One of the HEAs aims is to lead, support and inform the professional
development and recognition of staff in higher education. The UK
professional standards framework for teaching and supporting learning
in higher education (HEA, 2006b) was launched in 2006, having been
proposed in the White Paper The Future of Higher Education (DfES,
2003).
In order to demonstrate application of each of the standards, six
areas of activity, core knowledge and professional values are applied to
learning outcomes and assessment activities within the higher education
institutions professional development programme (see Table 14.2).
Areas of activity
Table 14.2
Design and planning of learning activities and/or programmes of study

Teaching and/or supporting student learning
Assessment and giving feedback to students
Developing effective environments and student support and guidance
Integration of scholarship, research and professional activities with teaching and supporting
learning
Evaluation of practice and continuing professional development
The standards framework
Core knowledge (and understanding of)

The subject material
Appropriate methods for teaching and learning in the subject area and at the level of the
academic programme
How students learn, generally and in the subject
The use of appropriate learning technologies
Methods of evaluating the effectiveness of teaching
The implications of quality assurance and enhancement for professional practice
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Chapter 14 CPD:
Professional values
Respect for individual learners
Commitment to incorporating the process and outcomes of relevant research, scholarship and/
or professional practice
Commitment to development of learning communities
Commitment to encouraging participation in higher education, acknowledging diversity and
promoting equality of opportunity
Commitment to continuing professional development and evaluation of practice
Adapted from HEA (2006b)
Higher education institutions can be accredited for their use of the

new standards with the support of the HEA. The purpose of the HEA is
discussed in further detail in Chapter 4 (p. 160).
Staff development programmes

All higher education institutions are committed to providing relevant
training and development opportunities and offer short programmes for
staff development. The annual appraisal review identifies the training
and development needs of staff, which are usually structured under the
themes of teaching and learning, research and management. Some of the
short programmes offered by Cardiff University (2006) are listed below:
Programmes related to teaching, learning and assessment:

lecturing skills;
small-group teaching;
personal tutoring;
designing teaching sessions and modules; and
strategies for assessment.
Programmes related to research:
getting a journal article published;
preparing a book proposal;
research governance and ethics;
supervising research students; and
academic career path.
Programmes related to management:
time management;
leading and managing teams;
handling conflict;
negotiating skills; and
rapid reading.
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researCh assessment exerCise
research
and schOlarly activity
As part of their contract of employment, academic staff in higher

education are required to engage in research and scholarly activity
(RSA); this generic term covers a range of activities contributing to the
continuing professional development of staff members. RSA takes place
in two main ways:
as ongoing activity throughout the teaching year; and

as self-managed activity separate from time-tabled teaching weeks and
annual leave entitlement.
Research and scholarly activity should inform the individuals teaching,

so the nature of the activity is normally negotiated between the staff
member and his or her manager. However, during the annual
staff appraisal process, teachers are normally required to demonstrate
how they have used their RSA time.
Figure 14.3 identifies typical RSA activities.
Figure 14.3
Developing
distance learning
and flexible
learning study
materials
Writing books
Research and scholarly activities

Presenting
papers at
conferences
Research
and scholarly
activities
Contributing
chapters in books
Writing journal
papers
Undertaking
research projects
The most significant imperative for undertaking research and scholarly

activity is the cycle of research assessment exercises (RAE).
research
assessment exercise
The RAE is a mechanism for allocating research funding to institutions

based upon the quality of their research and is conducted by the four UK
higher education funding councils every four to five years. The funding
councils are:
Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE);

Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC);
Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW); and
Department of Education for Northern Ireland (DENI).
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Chapter 14 CPD:
The next research assessment exercise is scheduled for 2008 and is the
sixth in a series of exercises conducted nationally in order to:
assess the quality of UK research and to inform the selective
distribution of public funds for research by the four UK higher
education funding bodies; it will provide a flexible framework for
all forms of research to be assessed on an equitable basis.
(RAE, 2006a)
The RAE process

For the purpose of the RAE in 2008, the RAE (2006a) states that research
is to be:
understood as original investigation undertaken in order to gain
knowledge and understanding; it includes work of direct relevance
to the needs of commerce, industry and to the public and voluntary
sectors.
The RAE defines scholarship as:

the creation, development and maintenance of the intellectual
infrastructure of subjects and disciplines, in forms such as
dictionaries, scholarly editions, catalogues and contributions to
major research databases.
The process involves peer review of an institutions research active staff.

In order to be considered research active, a member of academic staff
must have had a minimum of four books, book chapters, or papers
published in refereed journals within the four years preceding a given
RAE. If the member of staff has published more than four papers, then
the department will select the four papers that show the author in the
best light.
A standard scale is used by panels of assessors to rate each institutions
submission, depending upon how much of the institutions research is
considered to reach national or international levels of excellence. An
institutions subsequent research funding is based upon the quality rating
that it obtains in each unit of assessment. The results of the RAE are made
public and provide an indication of the relative quality of research across
higher education institutions.
The calculation of research funding for each unit of assessment is
based on the quality rating obtained by the department and the number
of research active staff. The RAE criteria are developed for each unit of
assessment, taking account of the feedback received from the consultation
process. Panel criteria are established for each academic discipline such
as law, education, computer science and informatics and psychology.
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Research
assessment exercise
Hence, panel criteria are also established for nursing and midwifery.
The criteria for the RAE in 2008 include submissions from all areas of
nursing, midwifery and specialist community public health nursing and
take account of the following themes:
research staff;
research outputs;
research environment:
research students and research studentships;
research income;
research structure;
staffing policy;
research strategy;
esteem indicators;
applied research and practice-based research;
individual staff circumstances;
working methods.
Example of RAE assessment criteria
The following is a brief summary of the 2008 RAE assessment criteria
for the unit of assessment (UOA) number 11, Nursing and Midwifery
(RAE, 2006b).
The panel will be looking for research of high quality that contains
originality, significance and rigour. Full recognition will be given

to applied research and practice-based research, which is of direct
relevance to the needs of Government, the NHS and social care, other
parts of the public and voluntary sectors, and commerce or industry as
appropriate.

All outputs that embody research and meet the definition of research
and scholarship will be considered with the exception of theses.

Indicators of peer esteem and national and international recognition
relevant to research will be highly regarded, which include editorial
activities; honours or awards given to individuals in recognition of
their research activities or outputs; evidence of research collaboration
with centres outside the UK.

The following types of output will be expected:
journal articles;
authored and edited books;
book chapters;
systematic reviews;
meta-analyses.
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Chapter 14 CPD:
Panels recognize arrangements for encouraging and supporting

interdisciplinary or collaborative research that draws on a range of
disciplines
The volume of registered research students, research degrees awarded
and research studentships, and their sources of funding, will be regarded
as indicator of quality in the research environment component of the
quality profile.
The definitions of quality levels, which will apply to the 2008 RAE,
are identified in Table 14.3.
Table 14.3
4*
Research judged to be of a quality which is world leading in terms of originality,

significance and rigour; regarded as a primary point of reference in its field,
which has made or is likely to make an outstanding contribution to knowledge,
theory, practice or policy.
3*
Research judged to be of a quality that is internationally excellent in terms of

originality, significance and rigour, which has made or is likely to make a highly
significant contribution to knowledge, theory, practice or policy.
2*
Research judged to be at an international standard of quality in terms of

originality, significance and rigour, which has made or is likely to make a
significant contribution to knowledge, theory, practice or policy.
1*
Research judged to be original, significant and rigorous, which has made or is

likely to make a contribution to knowledge, theory, practice or policy.
Unclassified
Work of a quality that does not meet the definition of one star, or which does
not meet the published definition of research for the purposes of the RAE.
RAE 2008 definitions of quality

levels
Adapted from RAE (2006b)
The RAE mechanism has been criticized for separating teaching and
research, particularly in the classification of academic staff into research
active and non-research active staff. Nevertheless, the RAE is clearly
a significant aspect of continuing professional development in nurse
education, with important implications for career development. McNay
(1997) found that 43% of higher education staff felt that their career
planning had been significantly affected by the RAE. The Web site address
for the RAE is http://www.rae.ac.uk.
Research
governance
In 2005, the Department of Health (DoH) published the Research

Governance Framework for Health and Social Care. The document
sets principles, requirements and standards for clinical and non-clinical
research undertaken by the DoH, NHS, social care agencies, industry,
charities, research councils and universities within the health and social
care system.
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Research
governance
The framework seeks to:

promote improvements in research quality and involves bringing
general performance in line with those at the leading edge; it
provides a context for the encouragement of creative and innovative
research and for the effective transfer of learning, technology and
best practice to improve care.
(DoH, 2005)
The standards of the framework apply to the domains of ethics, science,

information, health and safety, employment, and finance and intellectual
property. It sets out clearly the responsibilities of participants, researchers,
investigators, research funders and research sponsors. It also sets out the
key responsibilities of:
universities and others employing researchers;

organizations providing care;
care professionals; and
research ethics committees.
Further principles of the framework are identified in Table 14.4.
Research governance
Table 14.4
Defines mechanisms of delivering the principles, requirements and standards within the
framework
Describes monitoring and assessment arrangements
Improves research and safeguards the public by:
Enhancing ethical awareness and scientific quality
Promoting good practice
Reducing adverse incidents and ensuring lessons are learnt
Forestalling poor performance and misconduct
Is for all those who:
Design research studies
Participate in research
Host research in their organization
Fund research proposals or infrastructure
Manage research
Undertake research
Is for managers and staff in all professional groups, no matter how senior or junior
Is for those working in all health and social care research environments, including:
Primary care
Secondary care
Tertiary care
Social care
Public health
Research governance
Adapted from DoH (2005)
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Chapter 14 CPD:
Writing
for publication
Publications are an important form of continuing professional development,

as well as a significant generator of funds and kudos for the educational
institution. Publications will enhance an individuals curriculum vitae and
will possibly influence short-listing and employment prospects. The term
publication encompasses a wide range of activities:
sole authoring of books;

editorial authorship of books involving a number of contributors;
writing chapters in edited books;
writing journal papers or articles;
writing open, distance and flexible learning study materials; and
writing material for electronic media, for example CD-ROM,
Internet.
Writing and editing books

Publishing is a commercial enterprise and, like any other commercial
enterprise, profitability is a major consideration. When presented with
a book proposal from a prospective author, publishers have to estimate
the market and projected sales targets. Hence, a proposal must have
something special that makes it capable of attracting sales in a very
competitive market, and it is more likely to be accepted for publication
if it meets one or more of the following criteria:
It addresses a need that has developed out of some professional policy

decision, for example clinical supervision or clinical governance.
It addresses an aspect of nurse education not previously addressed in

the literature, i.e. a first in the field.
It adopts a different or novel approach to the subject, making it more

attractive to potential readers than existing titles.
It contains contributions by acknowledged experts in the field, i.e. it

includes star names.
It is written by an author who already has one or more successful

publications with the same company.
If a teacher is interested in writing a book, the first consideration is

whether he or she will be the sole author or the editor for a number of
contributors. In both cases, the work can be shared with one or more
authors/editors. However, the more authors/editors that are involved,
the less any individuals royalty payments. Royalties are paid on the sales
of a book, usually 10 per cent, and are paid each year at the end of the
tax year.
At first glance, becoming the editor of a book seems a fairly easy way
of getting into print; the idea is quite seductive, that you simply need to
find a few people who will each contribute a chapter on some aspect of
the books theme, add an introductory chapter yourself, and you have
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Writing
for publication
a book under your belt! However, the reality is very different; most
authors would rather write a dozen sole-authored books than be the
editor of one multi-contributor text!
The editors job requires a combination of characteristics, including
vision, literary skills, administrative skills, and above all interpersonal
communication skills. Vision is required if one is to come up with
an idea for an edited book that will make a significant contribution
to professional knowledge or debate, and at the same time more or
less guarantee sufficient sales to meet the publishers targets. It is also
required when deciding the structure of the book and the decisions
about who should be invited to contribute a chapter or chapters. Editing
a book is a complex business, and good administrative skills are essential
to maintain communication with the contributing authors. The more
contributors one has in a book, the more difficult the task of editing
becomes. The very fact that contributors are chosen for their expertise
will inevitably mean that they have other priorities that get in the way of
manuscript deadlines, and one of the most frustrating aspects of editing
is the chasing-up of chapter drafts from contributors. This is where
interpersonal communication skills come in; a mixture of friendliness,
respect and assertiveness will go a long way in encouraging recalcitrant
authors to submit their manuscripts, but as a last resort the editor can
always enlist the assistance of the publisher to send a more formal
reminder to them.
Writers block
One of the problems encountered by professional writers from time to
time is the so-called writers block, a psychological state in which an
experienced writer becomes unable to write, sometimes for considerable
periods of time. This phenomenon is more likely to occur in the case of
sole-authored works, where the workload is considerably greater than
that involved in contributing one or two chapters to an edited volume.
The everyday workload of teachers in nurse education makes major
demands on their time and commonly spills over into their private time
in evenings and weekends. Hence, the added demands of authoring
a book can be very stressful, particularly as deadlines approach and
slippage occurs. This stress can be compounded by feelings of guilt about
neglecting family responsibilities, and the demands of writing may mean
that insufficient time is available for recreational pursuits that are so
important for re-charging the batteries.
There are a number of strategies that may help prevent or eliminate
writers block. It is important to ensure that, wherever possible, writing
is done when you are fresh and alert. Writing is a creative activity, and
it is very difficult to be creative if you are exhausted in the evening after
a heavy days work. Maintaining regularity of writing is also important,
because the more one slips behind in the writing schedule, the more
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Chapter 14 CPD:
pressure and guilt we feel; this in turn may cause further blocking, so
writers should try to do even a small amount of writing each day if
possible.
Some publishers prefer to meet with their authors on a regular basis
throughout the period of writing, so as to maintain contact and to
monitor the authors progress. Whilst this may not be welcomed by every
author, meetings with the publisher once per term serve as mini-deadlines
that help to maintain focus and ensure that the schedule is adhered to.
Writers rights
Given the ubiquity of photocopying, authors and editors of books need
to know their rights in relation to their intellectual property. Chapter
5 (p. 211) discusses the legal position with regard to photocopying of
books and journal articles and identifies the restrictions on the amount
and type of material that can be copied. The Authors Licensing and
Collecting Society (ALCS) exists to collect fees for photocopying and to
pass 50 per cent of these on to those authors who are members; the other
50 per cent goes to the publisher. Membership involves a small annual
fee. ALCS has issued a declaration of academic writers rights (ALCS,
1998) that covers the following areas:
It acknowledges the role of the academic author as a communicator.

It emphasizes the academic authors aspiration to be a full partner
in the communication process with academic employers, publishers,

libraries and users.
It emphasizes that a fair balance needs to be struck between the needs
of academic authors, educational institutions, publishers, learned
societies, etc.
A contract should be used to specify the uses of an academic authors
work, and the author should not be made to transfer copyright.
Most academic authors wish to get a fair share of revenues for their
work.
The moral rights of authors are important, for example the right of
the author to be identified as the author of the work, and the right to
prevent the work being altered or amended without permission.
Prior to 1997, fees for photocopying only applied to books, but it is
now possible for authors of journal articles to receive 25 per cent of the
photocopying fee, provided that the publisher does not own less than 90
per cent of the photocopying rights.
Writing for professional journals

Writing an article for a professional journal is usually the first step that
teachers take into the world of publication. Unlike book publications,
journals are rated according to the degree of prestige they carry, so the
most prestigious journals are also the most difficult ones in which to get
an article published. Indeed, the RAE takes the title of the journal into
account when rating publications in higher education institutions. Most
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Writing
for publication
journals offer a guide for contributors that covers such aspects as word
length, a requirement for the manuscript to be both on hard copy and
disk, referencing format, illustrations and charts, and information about
the review process.
Trouble-shooters checklist for prospective authors
Alton-Lee (1998) offers the following checklist for prospective authors,
based upon the critical feedback given to authors by reviewers. The
checklist identifies 13 weaknesses demonstrated by prospective authors,
and these are given in rank order of occurrence, from most common to
least common, in the 142 studies researched.
1. Lack of methodological transparency, adequacy, or rationale:
insufficient information given.
2. Unjustified claims: based on insufficient evidence, or in spite of
evidence.
3. Shortcomings in format: title, abstract, presentation of data, style,
etc.
4. Theoretical shortcomings: failure to provide, articulate or develop
theoretical perspectives.
5. Data analysis problems: inadequate or lacking in substance.
6. Inadequacies in literature reviews: insufficient, dated, not linked to
subsequent studies.
7. Insufficient clarify of focus: focus not clear at outset, focus changed,
no statement of research question or purpose of study.
8. Conceptual confusion: need to take more care with definitions, and
use of metaphor.
9. Parochial blinkers: ensure that local contexts, policies and practices are
made meaningful to readers in different regions or countries.
10. Does not add to the international research literature: need to ensure
that the manuscript extends or develops the international literature in
the area of study.
11. Failure to link findings to the research literature: authors had not
linked their findings to the relevant research literature.
12. Lack of critical reflections on implicit assumptions: authors are
challenged to focus critically on unexamined issues implicit in their
manuscripts such as gender, political and economic resource issues,
etc.
13. Victory claims: reviewers rejected overly optimistic outcomes and
achievements as lacking in credibility.
An interesting study that surveyed the views of editors of nursing
journals about the process for submission and review of articles is
described by Wildman (1998). Data were received from 22 journals, 16
of which routinely submitted articles to referees or reviewers. In terms
of the quality of papers submitted, the data showed that there were two
main aspects that made a manuscript immediately appealing to editors:
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Chapter 14 CPD:
relevance and presentation. There were three main grounds that would
cause editors to immediately reject a manuscript: irrelevance, poor
presentation, and failure to adhere to guidelines.
The most common problems with manuscripts included poor academic
work, poor use of English, non-adherence to guidelines, inappropriate
references, poor presentation and unaltered coursework. The points most
frequently raised with authors about the suitability of their manuscripts
for publication included a requirement for better editing to improve
understanding, amendments to meet journal requirements, attention to
writing style, a need to be more critical, and an alteration of the title.
Based upon the study, and the literature, the author offers a checklist for
successful publication that includes the following helpful points.
Prospective authors should:
Consider discussing their work with the journal editor before

submitting it for publication.
Use a critical friend to read the article before submission.

Be prepared to accept constructive criticism from editors and
reviewers.
Celebrate when the article is accepted, but be prepared for a long wait
before it is published.
Refereeing journal papers

Refereeing journal papers is used to determine the suitability of an article
for publication. All journal papers should seek to inform and educate
the potential reader, and they are usually assessed for knowledge and
understanding, attitude, skills, application and synthesis. All prospective
authors are encouraged to follow the author guidelines required by
individual journals and these guidelines should be followed explicitly.
Burnard and Hannigan (2001) reflect on the process of reviewing
journal papers submitted for publication and acknowledge that for those
working in higher education, getting work published is an essential
activity. The authors focus on the range of problems often associated
with the reviewing process, particularly individual reviewers motivation,
mood, time availability, and their preferences and prejudices and identify
that there are many other contributing factors that impact on the overall
variability of the reviewing process. Additionally, the issue of anonymity
is also addressed; some journals reveal the reviewers identity, whereas
most do not.
When discussing the process of peer review, Burnard and Hannigan
(2001) point out that reports of submitted articles can vary considerably;
sometimes with little regard given to how prospective authors might feel
when reading the report, especially if the reviewer has offered less than
favourable comments. The authors argue that bluntness by the reviewer
can impact on motivation and can discourage prospective authors from
developing their work for publication; reviewers are advised to give
careful consideration to the tone and manner in which their comments
are conveyed.
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Writing
for publication
In light of this, Burnard and Hannigan (2001) believe that the

current reviewing process should be reviewed and make the following
comments:
The reviewing process is not uniform across journals.

The methods of reviewing differ considerably (e.g. tick-boxes, detailed
report).
There is a lack of clarity and reason for anonymous reviewing.

Guidelines should be available to reviewers to ensure that their
comments are concrete and to avoid disparaging remarks.
The authors remind us that, like students, prospective authors are also
learning a craft, so reviewing journal papers should be a supportive and
encouraging process.
Presenting papers at conferences

Presenting papers at conferences is considered to be an essential
component of continuing professional development in higher education.
Conferences are advertised a long time in advance, accompanied by a
request for submission of papers. Guidelines on the length of papers
are issued by the conference organizers, and if a paper is accepted it
is allocated a slot in the conference timetable. Papers are usually read
by the presenter, but there is no hard-and-fast rule about the style of
presentation. Conference organizers often make conference papers
available to delegates on registration, or, alternatively, the papers are
published soon after the event.
Writing open, distance and flexible learning study materials

The foregoing discussion about writing books and academic articles will
apply to a greater or lesser extent to the writing of open, distance and
flexible learning study materials, depending upon whether or not the
materials are written for a commercial publisher or for an academic
institution. In the former case, they can be considered to be like any other
commercial publication, but in the latter there are a number of significant
differences from ordinary publishing.
Copyright issues
The employing institution holds the copyright of any open, distance and
flexible learning study materials produced by staff in the course of their
employment, even though individuals are named as the author of such
work. Hence, all such materials must carry the copyright symbol and
text in the recommended form of words to ensure full protection of the
copyright.
Corporate identity rules
All higher education institutions have corporate identity rules whose
purpose is to ensure that business stationery, business cards and
promotional and other material produced by the institution conform
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Chapter 14 CPD:
consistently to the correct image. The rules include such aspects as the
institutions crest, logo and corporate colours; the corporate typeface,
front and back covers, and the corporate house style for letters,
memoranda and facsimile.
Issues relating to the writing of open, distance and flexible learning
materials are discussed in Chapter 4 (p. 167).
Summary
Within all sectors of education, continuing professional development
is acknowledged as being essential for maintaining and improving the

quality of educational provision.
The importance of CPD to the work of the higher education institution
is underlined by its inclusion in the agenda of annual staff appraisal
interviews.
The demand for more flexible approaches to study has led to the
development of open and distance learning programmes which allow
post-registration students to study in their own time, and without the
need for attendance at an institution.
Nurse teachers roles are extremely varied and diverse but usually
involve teaching, curriculum planning and administration.
Teachers need to contribute effectively to the continuous improvement
of quality by evaluating their own practice, by identifying opportunities
for personal and professional development, and by participating in
programmes of professional development.
Staff appraisal can be seen as being a humanistic concept in which the
individuals aspirations, perceptions and needs are considered, as well
as his or her performance in the job.
Appraisal is used to encourage staff development, self-evaluation, team
awareness and review of performance.
Appraisal, from the management point of view, is used to clarify the
organizations objectives, to improve communication, to develop staff
resources and to evaluate the performance of the organization.
Personal development planning is a structured and supported process
undertaken by individuals to reflect upon their own learning,
performance and/or achievement and to plan for their personal,
educational and career development.
All higher education institutions are committed to providing relevant
training and development opportunities and offer short programmes
for staff development.
Academic staff in higher education are required to engage in research
and scholarly activity.
The RAE is a mechanism for allocating research funding to institutions
based upon the quality of their research and is conducted by the four
UK higher education funding councils every four to five years.
Research governance sets principles, requirements and standards for
clinical and non-clinical research.
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References
Publications are an important form of continuing professional
development, as well as a significant generator of funds and kudos for

the educational institution.
Writing an article for a professional journal is usually the first step that
teachers take into the world of publication.
All journal papers should seek to inform and educate the potential reader
and are usually assessed according to knowledge and understanding,
attitude, skills, application and synthesis.
Alton-Lee, A. (1998) A troubleshooters checklist for prospective
authors derived from reviewers critical feedback. Teaching and Teacher
Education, 14(8), 8890.
Authors Licensing and Collecting Society (1998) Academic writers,
academic rights. ALCS News, Spring, ALCS.
Burnard, P. and Hannigan, B. (2001) Reviewing the review process:
towards good practice in the peer review of manuscripts submitted to
nursing journals. Nurse Education Today, 21(3), 238242.
Cardiff University (2006) Staff Development: Programme of Events.
Cardiff University, Cardiff.
DfES (2003) The Future of Higher Education. HMSO, London.
DoH (2005) Research Governance Framework for Health and Social
Care, 2nd edn. The Stationery Office, London.
FENTO (2002) Standards for Teaching and Supporting Learning in Further
Education in England and Wales. Learning and Skills Development
Agency, London.
HEA (2006a) Supporting Learning: Personal Development Planning,
www.heacademy.ac.uk/PDP.htm.
HEA (2006b) The UK Professional Standards Framework for Teaching and
York.
Huddleston, P. and Unwin, L.(1997) Teaching and Learning in Further
Education: Diversity and Change. RoutledgeFalmer, London.
McNay, I. (1997) The Impact of the 1992 Research Assessment Exercise
on Individual and Institutional Behaviour in English Higher Education.
Anglia Polytechnic University, Chelmsford.
RAE (2006a) Panel Criteria and Working Methods: Panel C, http://www.
rae.ac.uk/pubs/2006/01/docs/call.pdf.
RAE (2006b) UOA 11, Nursing and Midwifery, http://www.rae.ac.uk/
pubs/2006/01/docs/c11.pdf.
Welsh, I. and Swann C (2002) Partners in Learning: A Guide to Support
Wildman, S. (1998) Publishing your work in nursing journals. Professional
Nurse, 13(7), 419422.
References
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15
Continuing
professional
development: the workplace context
In Chapter 14, continuing professional development (CPD) was discussed

in the context of the university, but there are also important CPD issues
relating to clinical and community practice that have a bearing on the role
of the nurse teacher. This chapter addresses the NMC PREP standards;
resources for CPD; staff appraisal, personal development planning;
clinical governance; the National Institute for Clinical Excellence
(NICE); clinical effectiveness and evidence-based practice; clinical audit
and self-assessment.
Post
registration education and practice (prep)
The RCN (2002) emphasizes not only that all nurses must embrace and
engage in the principles of continuing professional development
and lifelong learning but also that professions that work together should
learn together. Standard 6 of the NMC Code of Professional Conduct
(2004) tells us that we must maintain our professional knowledge and
competence. It further states that all registrants:
Must keep your knowledge and skills up-to-date throughout your
working life. In particular, you should take part regularly in learning
activities that develop your competence and performance.
Post-registration education and practice (PREP) standards are designed to

keep nurses up to date with new developments in practice and encourage
us to reflect for ourselves. It provides an excellent framework for CPD
and, although not a guarantee of competence, it is a key element of
clinical governance. Within the nursing profession, CPD is a mandatory
requirement, which must be met in order for registration to be renewed,
and nurse lecturers are not exempt from this.
The NMC (2006a) PREP handbook identifies two PREP standards
that affect a practitioners registration. These are:
the PREP (practice) Standard; and

the PREP (continuing professional development) Standard.
The PREP (practice) Standard
This standard requires nurses, midwives and specialist community public
health nurses to have completed a minimum of 450 hours of practice
during the three years prior to renewal of registration. If registrants do
not meet this requirement, they are expected to complete an approved
return to practice course before registration can be renewed.
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Post
registration education and practice (prep)
The PREP (CPD) Standard

The NMC (2006a) points out that this standard requires a commitment
from registrants to undertake continuing professional development and:
Undertake at least 5 days or 35 hours of learning relevant to practice

during the 3 years prior to renewal of registration.
Maintain a personal professional profile of learning activity.

Comply with any request from the NMC to audit how these
requirements have been met.
The PREP standard can be met in a variety of ways, and The PREP
Handbook (NMC, 2006a) provides a template for recording evidence
of CPD learning: i.e. evidence of where the registrant was working;
the nature of the learning activity; a description of the learning activity
and how the learning activity informed and influenced the work of
the registrant. Table 15.1 outlines a suggested template for recording
evidence of PREP.
CPD PERIOD the three year period to which this learning applies
Table 15.1
From:
Template for recording evidence

of PREP
To:
WORKPLACE where you were working when the learning activity took place
Name of organization:
Brief description of your work/role:
NATURE OF THE LEARNING ACTIVITY
Date:
Briefly describe the learning activity, for example, reading a relevant clinical article, attending a
course, observing practice:
State how many hours this took:

DESCRIPTION OF THE LEARNING ACTIVITY
Describe what the learning activity consisted of, for example, why you decided to do the learning
activity, how the opportunity presented itself and what you expect to gain from it
OUTCOME OF THE LEARNING ACTIVITY

How did the learning activity inform and influence your work? Do you intend to follow-up the
learning?
Adapted from NMC (2006a)
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ChaPter 15 CPd: the workPlaCe Context
All nurses should receive some assistance from their employers for
CPD, but the primary responsibility for maintaining competence to
practice remains with the individual. Continuing professional development
ensures that the practitioner remains not only fit to practise but also
develops the knowledge and competence needed to advance practice
and progress through clinical and other career pathways (RCN, 2004).
However, the RCN (2004) acknowledges realistically that employers
wanting to access government finance and individual nurses seeking
CPD support from their employers face many obstacles. In an attempt
to overcome this, the RCN suggests an increase in collaboration between
clinicians and nurse teachers to facilitate work-based learning, which
should be research focused and educationally grounded.
The DoH (2001) fosters the belief that post-registration education
and CPD should be grounded in clinical governance and draw on
clinical audit. Clinical effectiveness findings enable the development of
a research-aware workforce. The clinical governance framework is an
umbrella term for everything that helps to maintain and improve high
standards of care for patients and the RCN (2003) emphasizes how
education, training and development are an integral component of this
framework. Hinchliff (1998) puts this quite succinctly and claims that
CPD is potentially a key tool in maintaining standards.
resOurces
FOr
cPd
There are many different ways in which CPD can be accomplished and
not just through undertaking post-registration courses. Figure 15.1 shows
how CPD can be achieved; Figure 15.2 gives examples of self-directed
CPD, and Figure15.3 shows CPD activities that require support.
Figure 15.1
Examples of CPD activities
Self-directed
study
Formal
study
Continuing
Professional
Development
Conference
attendance
Clinical
supervision
Organizing
study days
Clinical
activities
Professional
activities
Policy/standard
development
Reading nursing
journal articles
Research
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resourCes For CPd

Write paper
for publication
Selfevaluation
Selfdirected
CPD
Present a paper at
conference
Review
research
Self-appraisal
Distance
learning course
Conduct
research
Clinical
teaching
Reflect on a
critical incident
Seek guidance from

senior colleagues
Annual mandatory
training
Assisted
CPD
Job
rotation
Figure 15.2
Examples of self-directed CPD
activities
Shadow a student
and/or teacher
Maintain professional
portfolio
Act as mentor for

students/new staff
Develop
information board
for students/staff
Read a book/
journal article
Chair and minute

meetings
Figure 15.3
Examples of assisted CPD
activities
Take on new
responsibilities
Apply for
secondment
In its learning zone section, the Nursing Standard provides a weekly

CPD article; 10 multiple-choice questions linked to the article give
readers the opportunity to assess their knowledge and understanding
of the article. Readers are encouraged to answer the questions and
record the time that it takes to complete them. Once the self-assessment
has been completed, it can be included in a professional portfolio and
used towards the PREP requirements. Additionally, readers can gain
a certificate of learning by reading a Nursing Standard learning zone
article and writing a practice profile of between 750 and 1000 words.
The journal provides a framework for reflection for completing the
practice profile and offers a number of prompts for readers to consider
before submitting their profile:
1. What have I learnt from this article and how does it relate to my
practice?
2. To what extend were the intended learning outcomes met?
3. What can I apply immediately to my practice or patient care?
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Chapter 15 CPD:
4. Is there anything I did not understand, need to explore or read further

to clarify my understanding?
5. What else do I need to do to extend my professional development in
this area?
6. What other needs have I identified in relation to my professional
development?
7. How might I achieve the above?
Staff
appraisal
Although the fundamental principles associated with staff appraisal were

discussed in Chapter 14 (p. 461), staff appraisal in the clinical setting is
equally relevant and important. Until recently, there was little emphasis
or, indeed, literature focused on appraisal in practice. Very often,
documentation to support appraisal or individual performance review
(IPR) consisted of one page identifying the following elements:
objectives for the coming year;

training and development needs;
resources required;
how the objectives would be measured.
This is in considerable contrast to the appraisal system undertaken
in higher education; but the CPD requirements of clinicians are vital to
ensure professional development and the future needs of patient care
delivery and management.
The Healthcare Commission (2006) believes that staff appraisal in
practice should be based upon the principle that all staff have three
fundamental rights:
the right to know what is expected of them;

the right to know how they will be measured; and
the right to know how they are doing.
According to the Healthcare Commission (2006), a good appraisal
system should include the following:
the agreement of clear objectives at the start of the appraisal cycle
these should be SMART, i.e. specific, measurable, achievable, realistic

and timed;
the agreement of a related personal development plan to ensure that
the staff member is assisted to develop any skills necessary to achieve
the objectives (as well as development for career progression);
regular reviews to assess and discuss progress where honest and
objective feedback is provided;
the giving of quality feedback to ensure that there are no surprises at
the annual performance review discussion.
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Personal
development planning
To fulfil all of the above:
managers and supervisors should be trained to undertake appraisal

properly;
all internal monitoring systems should cover implementation and

equity.
Table 15.2 demonstrates key elements of the staff appraisal system

advocated by the Healthcare Commission (2006)
Part A: Taking stock
Table 15.2
What do you see as the purpose of your job?

Last years objectives
Summarize your main objectives last year
Note your successes, personal achievements, difficulties and changes
Skills and strengths
What do you feel are your skills and strengths in your current job?
Do you have skills and abilities that are not fully used and which you would be interested in
developing?
What hinders full effectiveness in your job and what can be done about it (e.g. lack of
information, communication issues, resources, management style, systems)?
Are there any issues relating to equality and diversity that you wish to raise (e.g. working hours,
health issues, which may be impacting on your working life)?
Are there any issues relating to health and safety that you wish to raise?
Staff appraisal system
Part B: Planning ahead/action plan

What will be the key objectives in your job for the next year (objectives should be SMART)?
Medium- and long-term development. (In the longer term, what career developments,
personal ambitions or changes in duties could be considered?)
Part C: Planning ahead/action plan
Appraisee: identify priorities for discussion
Appraiser: identify additional points for discussion
Part D: Agenda: to include objectives and target date
Adapted from Healthcare Commission (2006)
Personal
development planning
The implementation of Agenda for Change (DoH, 2003) and the process
of personal development review are becoming the accepted means of
turning learning into improvements in care and services. Harding and
Salmon (2005) recognize that most activities in the workplace can be
regarded as opportunities for self-directed learning, for teaching others,
or for strengthening and enhancing knowledge and skills. The authors
maintain that most professional learning is experiential or reflective in
nature, occasioned by events and experiences at work. They define onthe-job learning and development as follows:
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Chapter 15 CPD:
participating in specific areas of work;

project work;
secondments;
reflective practice;
professional and clinical supervision;
mentoring;
work shadowing; and
acting-up into senior posts.
Most people disregard learning that does not involve an academic
course, but Jenkins (2006) stresses that flexible approaches to learning
and a willingness to accept new technologies are vital. She suggests that
learning is beneficial because:
it encourages you to direct your own life;

it stimulates you to see alternative approaches;
it helps you maintain an interest in your career;
new skills can be offered to employers and patients;
learning helps to remove age barriers to career development.
Knowledge and skills framework
The NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF) demands that
participation in annual appraisal is undertaken by all staff, leading to the
production of a personal development plan (PDP).
According to the Department of Health (DoH, 2004), one of the key
purposes of the NHS KSF is:
to facilitate the development of services so that they better meet the
needs of users and the public through investing in the development
of all members of staff.
The framework also serves to:

support the effective learning and development of individuals
and teams with all members of staff being supported to learn
throughout their careers and develop in a variety of ways, and being
given the resources to do so.
The DoH (2004) emphasizes that the KSF is designed to form the basis
of a development review process; it is intended to be an ongoing cycle
of review, planning, development and evaluation for all staff that makes
links between the needs of the organization and the development needs
of individual staff members. Figure 15.4 demonstrates the development
review process.
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Personal develoPment Planning
Figure 15.4
Development review process
Joint review of
individuals work
against the NHS KSF
outline for the post
Joint evaluation of
applied learning and
development
Jointly produce
personal development
plan identify needs
and agree goals
Individual
undertakes supported
learning and
development
Adapted from DoH (2004)
The DoH (2004) development review process consists of:
reviewing how individuals apply their knowledge and skills to meet
the demands of their current post and identifying whether they have
any development needs;
developing a personal development plan for the individual outlining
the learning and development to take place;
learning and development for the individual supported by the
reviewer;
evaluating the learning and development and reflecting on how it has
been applied to work.
The DoH (2004) explains that the review process benefits individuals
by:
enabling them to be clear about the knowledge and skills that they
need to apply in their post;
enabling them to access appropriate learning and development;

showing how their work relates to the work of others in their
immediate team and beyond;
identifying the knowledge and skills that they need to learn and
develop throughout their careers;
providing a structure and process for the NHS to invest in individuals

learning and development throughout their working life in the NHS.
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Chapter 15 CPD:
Personal development planning identifies the learning and development

needs of individuals and also identifies how these needs are taken forward.
As in the appraisal system, PDP should be recorded and copies retained
by the individual and by the reviewer. Some of the main points to be
considered when developing a PDP are outlined by the DoH (2004):
The learning and development requirements of each individual must
be identified in order to develop and apply knowledge and skills in the

short and long term.
The learning and development must be prioritized through
considering:
statutory and regulatory requirements;
the individuals strengths and weaknesses.
The individuals preferred method of learning must be identified.
A person who has responsibility for taking the different aspects of the
learning and development forward should be identified.
A date for the next formal review should be arranged.
All CPD and PDP must be evaluated to identify the learning that has
occurred. The purpose of the evaluation stage within the development
review process is to enable individuals to reflect on the effectiveness of
their learning and development, and identify how learning has improved
their application of knowledge and skills in their post; it is also to provide
feedback to the organization, highlighting areas for improvement.
Clinical
education co-ordinator/facilitator
Students undertaking a practice placement within the clinical setting

are supported by a range of qualified and unqualified personnel, and
support mechanisms for qualified staff have already been established.
The primary personnel actively involved in supporting pre-registration
students include qualified nurses with mentor status and education coordinators or clinical facilitators (Hughes, 2006). There appears to be a
plethora of terms associated with the role of education co-ordinators in
the clinical practice setting, including:
teacher/practitioner;
clinical teacher;
education facilitator;
practice educator;
practice development nurse/facilitator; and
educator/practitioner (Hughes, 2006).
These education co-ordinators plan practice placements, allocate
students to appropriate learning situations and provide personal support
to students, mentors and all qualified and unqualified staff. Practicebased teaching is not new, and Koh (2002) believes that it is often seen
as a means of enhancing student learning and enriching the clinical
learning environment. To support students and qualified staff in practice,
effective educational activities within the clinical environment should be
available.
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Clinical
education co-ordinator/facilitator
Clinical education facilitators are responsible for the selection

and organization of training and development in practice settings.
McCormack and Slater (2006) explain that the facilitators role can
be seen as contributing to cultural change within an organization. The
authors go on to explain how the clinical education facilitator is in a good
position to lead the development of a learning culture through a workbased learning model; the role is a respectable and valued one, allowing
facilitators to influence learning developments in the workplace.
Some of the benefits of an education co-ordinator in practice are
identified by Hughes (2006):
helps with problems and advice;

supportive;
available if needed;
approachable;
aids in achieving skills;
provides introductions to relevant staff;
assists with documentation.
Training needs analysis
One of the many roles of the education co-ordinator is to identify
the training and development needs of qualified and unqualified staff.
Training needs analysis (TNA) is defined as:
a training and educational strategy that meets the continuing
professional needs of healthcare staff, both qualified and
unqualified.
It is also seen as a means of improving service delivery (Gould et al.,

2004). Pedder (1998) refers to the TNA as a systematic consultation and
identification of the learning or training of the key people involved; she
describes six stages associated with TNA at organizational level (see Table
15.3).
Stage 1:
Table 15.3
Identify competence, skill, learning or knowledge required, which may be simple or require a
complex level of research.
Key stages of training needs

analysis
Stage 2:
Identify key people or stakeholders involved, which will include staff, patients, managers,
purchasers, providers or those commissioning services.
Stage 3:
Consider the best means of ascertaining the knowledge of the key people in stage 2; identify what
they need to know, or do, to achieve stage 1.
Stage 4:
Consult all groups identified in stage 2 and check their understanding.
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Chapter 15 CPD:
Stage 5:
Analyse data, using valid systematic methods and match against what needs to be known or what
skills are required to find the gaps in the present knowledge or skill this will identify a training
need.
Stage 6:
Present to management with a plan of how to meet identified need.
Adapted from Pedder (1998)
Pedder (1998) also refers to a learning needs analysis (LNA), which

is completed less formally by an individual during individual performance
review. The LNA links well to the PDP described by the DoH (2004) and
involves highlighting learning objectives and developing an action plan
with a time frame identified for its completion.
Whilst education co-ordinators/practice educators are often responsible
for completing the TNA, anyone with an educational interest or remit,
including managers, can be involved in this process. However, as with
most things, there are, as Table 15.4 shows, benefits and drawbacks
associated with TNA.
Table 15.4
Benefits and drawbacks of TNA
Benefits
Drawbacks
Realistic objectives are set within a timescale

Improvements are seen in staff knowledge
Scarce resources are targeted towards
identified developments, knowledge or skills
Principles underpinning corporate
governance may be demonstrated
The need for clinical updating is evidenced
within an organization
The process is time consuming

It is difficult to target specific areas
Communication on education and training
may fail, unless a multidisciplinary approach
is taken
Only those who attend identified courses
will be able to use the knowledge gained
and pass it on to colleagues
Adapted from Pedder (1998)
Clinical
governance
The Government White Paper The New NHS: Modern, Dependable (DoH,
1997) introduced a new quality initiative called clinical governance,
which has important implications for professional practice and teaching.
Clinical governance is a framework that unites a range of quality
initiatives including clinical effectiveness, evidence-based practice,
reflective practice, and quality improvement processes such as clinical
audit. The aim of clinical governance is to assure and improve clinical
standards at local level throughout the NHS.
The White Paper also created a new quality body called the National
Institute of Clinical Excellence, whose purpose is to appraise new and
existing interventions, and to disseminate evidence-based guidance.
It may be helpful at this stage to offer a range of definitions of the
term clinical governance, in order to identify its key components.
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Clinical
governance
Governance means the act of governing, and hence clinical governance

means that clinicians become responsible for the act of governing the
service. The following definitions expand on this.
Definitions of clinical governance

Clinical governance is a new initiative in this white paper to assure
and improve clinical standards at local level throughout the NHS.
This includes action to ensure that risks are avoided, adverse events
are rapidly detected, openly investigated and lessons learned, good
practice is rapidly disseminated and systems are in place to ensure
continuous improvements in clinical care.
(DoH, 1997)
Clinical governance is an umbrella term for everything that

helps to maintain and improve high standards of patient care. It
covers a whole range of quality improvement activities that many
nurses are already doing for example, clinical audit and practice
development. It also provides a framework to draw these activities
together in a more co-ordinated way.
(RCN, 2003)
Clinical governance is a framework designed to help registrants and

other health care professionals to continuously improve quality and
safeguard standards of care; the principles of clinical governance
apply equally within the independent and private sectors, as
supported by the Care Standards Act 2000.
(NMC, 2006b)
The NMC (2006b) specifies that clinical governance is underpinned by:
professional self-regulation;
strong leadership;
effective communication;
being patient focused;
a commitment to quality;
valuing each other; and
continuing professional development.
Activities relating to clinical governance
The main activities relating to clinical governance are outlined by Cook
(1999) and the NMC (2006b):
Research and development:

primary research;
implementing research findings;
critical appraisal of research evidence.
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Chapter 15 CPD:
Risk management:
health and safety assessment;
clinical risk assessment;
staff training;
policy/procedure/protocol development.
Quality initiatives:
continuous professional development;
standard setting;
complaints handling and critical incident reporting;
user/patient involvement;
evidence-based practice;
clinical supervision.
Clinical effectiveness:
standard setting;
evidence reviews;
identification/production of clinical guidelines.
Clinical audit:
criterion-based audit;
significant-event audit.
Cook points out that all nurses will need to acquire the skills to
carry out these elements of clinical governance, including auditing skills,
disseminating good practice, and appraising research findings. The
application of these principles provides an environment in which clinical
excellence can flourish and high standards of patient care can be provided
(NMC, 2006b).
The implementation of clinical governance differs somewhat between
NHS trusts and primary care groups (PCGs). In the former, the chief
executive is responsible for ensuring that the trust is meeting its quality
responsibilities; in the latter, a senior professional member takes
responsibility for planning and implementation throughout the PCG.
As mentioned earlier, the clinical governance framework brings
together a number of quality initiatives, some of which are already well
established, and others that are new. The following sections will address
a selection of these initiatives.
National Institute
for
Clinical Excellence
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) is an independent

organization responsible for providing national guidelines on promoting
good health and preventing and treating ill health. It produces guidelines
in the following three areas of health:
public health: guidance on the promotion of good health and the

prevention of ill health;
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Clinical
effectiveness and evidence-based practice
health technologies: guidance on the use of new and existing medicines,

treatments and procedures within the NHS; and
clinical practice: guidance on the appropriate treatment and care of

people with specific diseases and conditions within the NHS.
The guidelines are developed in association with the NHS and

the wider health care community, including NHS staff, health care
professionals, patients, carers, industry, and academic staff.
Clinical
These two concepts, although often discussed as separate entities in

the literature, are effectively the same and focus on the importance of
evidence as the basis for practice.
Clinical effectiveness is very much part of the clinical governance
framework; it emphasizes the need for practitioners to be clinically
effective in their practice. This development reflects the shift in culture
consequent upon the white paper, from the quantity-focused provision of
care towards a quality-focused, evidence-based approach to health care.
(Clinical effectiveness is discussed in more detail below.)
Evidence-based practice is a term derived from evidence-based
medicine (EBM), and is also referred to as evidence-based nursing (EBN).
Maggs (1998) nicely sums up this approach:
Evidence-based practice offers, it is claimed, the opportunity of
addressing clinical problems through rigorous selection of best
available evidence, from sources such as randomized controlled
trials (RCTs), systematic reviews and meta-analyses, and from
primary research, and applying those findings in the clinical
situation.
According to the RCN (2003), practising from an evidence base

usually involves five stages, detailed in Table 15.5.
Stage 1:
Identifying areas of practice that are viewed as problematic
Table 15.5
Stage 2:
Identifying best available evidence
Stage 3:
Using the identified evidence to define best practice
Five stages of evidence-based

practice
Stage 4:
Putting this evidence into practice
Stage 5:
Measuring performance against expected outcomes through peer review or

clinical audit
Adapted from RCN (2003)
Clinical effectiveness
Adams (1999) outlines the requirements for clinical effectiveness:
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Chapter 15 CPD:
To be clinically effective involves primarily ensuring that your

practice is based on the best available evidence of effectiveness
and meets your clients requirements. Furthermore, that you
implement any change to practice within a framework of review
and evaluation. Once you have achieved clinically effective practice
it is important to share your experiences with others so that they
may also benefit from it.
Stages in achieving clinical effectiveness

Adams (1999) describes a practitioners achievement of clinical
effectiveness as involving six stages:
1. Question your routine practice. This involves selecting an aspect of
clinical practice and then asking specific questions such as: What
evidence is there for the way I currently practise this aspect? Could
it be performed more effectively?
2. Find the best evidence. This stage involves searching for the best
evidence for the chosen aspect of practice. Such evidence can be
acquired from colleagues, journals and books, electronic databases,
such as the Cochrane database of systematic reviews, and the
Internet.
3. Interpret your evidence. This stage involves a critical appraisal of the
sources of evidence acquired in Stage 2. This requires a thorough
understanding of research principles and methodology, and skills in
interpreting the evidence.
4. Put your evidence into practice. The evidence is applied in the
practitioners day-to-day practice.
5. Evaluate clinical change. This involves determining the impact of the
change on patient/client care, for example audit.
6. Disseminate successful outcomes. It is important to make known to
other professionals any successful outcomes, so that good practice is
disseminated.
An alternative model for nurses to use to evaluate their clinical
effectiveness is offered by McClarey (1997); it also consists of six steps:
1. Is there any research available which could be used? Is this the highest
level of evidence available? This involves the identification of an area
of practice, and investigating whether or not it is based on evidence
or tradition. Step 1 involves searching databases and other sources of
evidence.
2. Is this a practice that should be research based? This requires a
consideration of whether or not the chosen area of practice is, or
should be, research based. If no evidence is available, the practitioner
should bring this to the attention of those in the service with
responsibility for prioritizing research.
3. Has the research been incorporated into a systematic review? If the
identified evidence is in the form of a systematic review, it has greater
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Clinical
credibility. A systematic review brings together a range of research

focusing on a given topic.
4. Are there guidelines, standards or consensus statements for implementing
this evidence? Although evidence may be available, there may be no
guidelines or standards. If this is the case, the latter will need to be
developed at local level.
5. How can I implement a proposed change in practice? Successful
implementation requires collaboration, consultation and multiprofessional agreement, using publicity, conference presentations, and
forums.
6. Is anything else needed to ensure that care is clinically effective?
Auditing should be carried out to ascertain the impact of the change on
patient/client care, and there should be continuation audit to ensure
that the improvement is maintained.
Clinical audit
NICE (2002) defines clinical audit as:
a quality improvement process that seeks to improve patient care
and outcomes through systematic review of care against explicit
criteria and the implementation of change. Aspects of the structure,
processes and outcomes of care are selected and systematically
evaluated against explicit criteria.
Clinical audit is the component of clinical governance that offers the

greatest potential to assess the quality of care routinely provided for NHS
users; the principles for best practice in clinical audit are identified by
NICE (2002) below:
it provides the mechanisms for reviewing the quality of everyday care

provided to patients with common conditions;
it builds on a long history of nurses, doctors and other health care
professionals reviewing case notes and seeking ways in which to serve

their patients better;

it addresses quality issues systematically and explicitly, providing
reliable information;

it can confirm the quality of clinical services and highlight the need for
improvement.
Critical incident analysis

Critical incident technique (Flanagan, 1954) provides a useful strategy
for helping practitioners to reflect. As described in Chapter 9 (p. 000),
Benner (1984) identified critical incidents in nursing as comprising any
of the following:
those in which the nurses intervention really made a difference in

patient outcome;
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Chapter 15 CPD:
those that went unusually well;

those in which there was a breakdown;
those that were ordinary and typical;
those that captured the essence of nursing; and
those that were particularly demanding.
Benners study provides a useful framework for reflecting upon
and analysing critical incidents, leading to new insights into practice;
descriptions of critical incidents should cover the following:
the context of the incident;

a detailed description of it;
why the incident was critical to the practitioner;
what the practitioners concerns were at the time;
what the practitioner was thinking about during the incident;
what the practitioner felt about it afterwards; and
what the practitioner found most demanding about it.
Wood (1998) offers a four-stage model for analysing critical
incidents:
1. description of what took place during the incident;
2. analysis of communication skills used and clarification of the
underpinning moral values;
3. exploration of potentially effective alternative strategies to those
skills actually employed, including moral justification for proposed
alternatives;
4. identification of implications for practice.
Critical incident technique is not without its problems; Rich and
Parker (1995) explore the morality of using critical incident technique
as a teaching and learning tool. They point out that if students critical
incidents contain reference to dangerous behaviour or unprofessional
conduct, the tutor or lecturer may be deemed to be in breach of the
NMC code of conduct if he or she does not report the behaviour to
the appropriate authorities.
Self-assessment
Self-assessment is the process of identifying your strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and threats (SWOT); it can also identify your interests,
personality, traits and values and can be used in order to make an
informed career choice or to assess your current career role.
The most common personality inventory is the Myers-Briggs, which
identifies attitudes, needs, individual traits and motivation (available
from the Myers-Briggs Foundation: www. myersbriggs.org). However,
for the purposes of this chapter, we will focus on self-assessment and
SWOT analysis of professional development.
A SWOT analysis is aimed at discovering certain characteristics
about you and/or your job. By recognizing your strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and threats, you are in a position to uncover your talents
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Self-assessment
and abilities and put your weaknesses and threats into perspective. A
SWOT analysis can be undertaken for a number of reasons, for example,
within the change management process when considering a change
in current practice. It is also used for assessing ones suitability for
promotion or a career change.
Self-assessment and SWOT analysis have many benefits, allowing each
individual to:
become more independent;

become more motivated;
become more responsible for his or her own learning; and
be able to recognize the next steps in learning and development.
It is well known, especially in nursing, that it is far easier to criticize
ourselves than it is to comment on our good points, although generally
the strengths should outweigh the weaknesses and threats. Redfern
(1998) explains that self-appraisal is about identifying both sides of what
she terms a positive-improvement equation; by this she means that we
are all good at some things and we all have areas which could be improve
upon.
A SWOT analysis can be undertaken from a personal perspective
or from a professional perspective, i.e. job related. However, it is
probably more accurately undertaken from both perspectives. Although
a relatively simple concept, a SWOT analysis is quite difficult to complete
on ones own. One of the misconceptions associated with this process is
that should be completed by an individual alone; it should be completed
in association with a colleague and/or manager as he or she will see
you quite differently from where you see yourself. The person is also
in a better position to identify your strengths in terms of teamwork,
professionalism, candour, consideration, etc. Table 15.6 identifies a
SWOT analysis template for a possible career change or promotion.
Strengths
Weaknesses
Table 15.6
What do you do well?

What are your good qualities?
What are your achievements?
What are you confident about?
What do others see as your strengths
Which of your strengths can open up
opportunities?
What could you improve?

What are your weak points?
Is anything or anyone holding you back?
What do others see as your weaknesses?
How can you change your weaknesses into
strengths?
SWOT analysis template
Opportunities
Threats
What good opportunities or learning

opportunities are available to you?
What is happening within the
profession?
What do others see as your
opportunities?
How can you turn your strengths into
opportunities?
What might stop you developing: i.e. what

obstacles do you face?
Does anything worry you about your job/
profession?
Do you fit into the professional structure: i.e. is
your job changing?
What do others see as your threats?
What threats do your weaknesses expose you to?
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Chapter 15 CPD:
Example of SWOT analysis in practice

Oliver is currently employed as a practice educator in an operating
theatre, which forms part of a surgical directorate. He is informed
of a lecturers post teaching surgery and perioperative nursing at
the local university and would like to apply; the only problem that
Oliver identifies is that he does not think that he has the necessary
experience required to work in the higher education sector. His
direct line-manager, Olwen, suggests that Oliver undertakes a
SWOT analysis, and she offers to provide a managerial and
collegial perspective.
A SWOT analysis of Olivers current and possible future role is

demonstrated in Table 15.7.
Table 15.7
Olivers SWOT analysis
Strengths
Weaknesses
Bachelor degree
Specialist practitioner NMC
Excellent interpersonal skills and works well
within a team
Outstanding organizational skills
Adapts well to change
High standard of achievement
Ability to build relationships
Very supportive, approachable, reliable,
trustworthy, competent, confidential and
professional.
Honesty (can also be a weakness)
Sense of humour
Motivated and good motivator
Works well under pressure
Enjoys challenges
Experience of teaching in practice
Some experience of teaching students in
university
Identifies own limitations need for support
Lack of teaching qualification

Time management
Difficulty saying no
Impatient (can also be a strength)
Stubborn
Honesty (can also be a strength)
Opportunities
Further career
Professional development is actively
encouraged in HE
PGCE: to gain credibility as a qualified
teacher
Higher degree masters and/or PhD
Recruitment student nurse placements
Improve time management
Threats
Time
Lack of confidence in ability to perform the
role of the lecturer
Rheumatoid arthritis disease and uncertainty
regarding the future
Summary
All nurses must embrace and engage in the principles of continuing
professional development and lifelong learning.
Post-registration education and practice standards are designed to keep
nurses up to date with new developments in practice and to encourage

reflective practice.
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Summary
All nurses should receive some assistance from their employers for
CPD, but the primary responsibility for maintaining competence to

practice remains with the individual.
CPD ensures that the practitioner remains not only fit to practice
but also develops the knowledge and competence needed to advance
practice and progress through clinical and other career pathways.
Staff appraisal in practice should be based upon the principle that all
staff have three fundamental rights: the rights to know what is expected
of them, how they are doing, and how they will be measured.
Agenda for Change (DoH, 2003) and the process of personal
development review are becoming the accepted processes for turning
learning into improvements in care and services.
Most people disregard learning that does not involve an academic
course, but flexible approaches to learning and a willingness to accept
new technologies are vital.
The NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework demands that participation
in annual appraisal is undertaken by all staff, leading to the production
of a personal development plan.
Personal development planning identifies the learning and development
needs of individuals and also identifies how these needs are taken
forward.
Students undertaking a practice placement within the clinical setting
are supported by a range of qualified and unqualified personnel.
The primary personnel actively involved in supporting pre-registration
students include qualified nurses with mentor status and education coordinators or clinical facilitators.
Education co-ordinators plan practice placements, allocate students
to appropriate learning situations and provide personal support to
students, mentors and all qualified and unqualified staff.
Training needs analysis is a strategy for training and education that
meets the continuing professional needs of health care staff.
Clinical governance is a framework that unites a range of quality
initiatives including clinical effectiveness, evidence-based practice,
reflective practice, and quality improvement processes such as clinical
audit.
Clinical effectiveness, which is part of the clinical governance
framework, emphasizes the need for practitioners to be clinically
effective in their practice.
Evidence-based practice offers opportunities for addressing clinical
problems through rigorous selection of the best available evidence and
applying those findings in the clinical situation.
Clinical audit is the component of clinical governance that offers the
greatest potential to assess the quality of care routinely provided for
NHS users.
Self-assessment is the process of identifying your strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and threats.
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Chapter 15 CPD:
References
Adams, C. (1999) Clinical effectiveness: a practical guide. Community

Practitioner, 72(5), 125127.
Clinical Nursing Practice. Addison-Wesley, London.
Cook, R. (1999) Clinical governance: the role of community practitioners.
Community Practitioner, 72(4), 8385.
DoH (1997) The New NHS: Modern, Dependable. HMS, London.
DoH (2001) Working Together, Learning Together: A Framework for
DoH (2003) Agenda for Change: A Modernised NHS Pay System.
Department of Health, www.doh.gov.uk/agendaforchange/.
DoH (2004) The NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework (NHS KSF) and
the Development Review Process. The Stationery Office, London.
Bulletin, 51, 327358.
Gould, D., Kelly, D. and White, I. (2004) Training-needs analysis: an
evaluation framework. Nursing Standard, 18(20), 3336.
Harding, S. and Salmon, F. (2005) Career development: identify your
style. Nursing Standard, 20(8), 69.
Healthcare Commission (2006) Knowledge Network Signpost: Staff
appraisal, www.healthcarecommission.org.uk/_db/_documents/Staff_
Appraisal.pdf.
Hinchliff, S. (1998) Lifelong learning. In F.M. Quinn (ed.) Continuing
Professional Development in Nursing: A Guide for Practitioners and
Educators. Stanley Thornes, Cheltenham.
Hughes, S.J. (2006) Evaluating operating theatre experience: student
nurses in South East Wales. Journal of Perioperative Practice, 16(6),
290298.
Jenkins, A. (2006) Theres no need to stop. Nursing Standard, 20(18),
72.
Koh, L.C. (2002) Practice-based teaching and nurse education. Nursing
Standard, 16(19), 3842.
Maggs, C. (1998) A philosophy of continuing professional education
in nursing. In F.M. Quinn (ed.) Continuing Professional Development
in Nursing: A Guide for Practitioners and Educators. Stanley Thornes,
Cheltenham.
McClarey, M. (1997) Clinical effectiveness and evidence-based practice.
McCormack, B. and Slater, P. (2006) An evaluation of the role of the
clinical education facilitator. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 15(2), 135
144.
NICE (2002) Principles for Best Practice in Clinical Audit. Radcliffe
Medical Press, Abingdon.
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NMC (2006a) The PREP Handbook. Nursing Midwifery Council,

London.
NMC (2006b) AZ Advice Sheet: Clinical Governance, www.nmc-uk.org.
Pedder, L. (1998) Training-needs analysis. Nursing Standard, 13(6),
5056.
Redfern, E. (1998) The power of the professional profile. In F.M. Quinn
RCN (2002) Nursing Education: A Statement of Principles. Royal College
of Nursing, London.
RCN (2003) Clinical Governance: An RCN Resource Guide. Royal
College of Nursing, London.
RCN (2004) Quality Education for Quality Care: Priorities and Actions.
Royal College of Nursing, London.
Rich, A and Parker, D. (1995) Reflection and critical incident analysis:
ethical and moral implications of their use within nursing and midwifery
education. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 22, 10501057.
Wood, S. (1998) Ethics and communication: developing reflective
practice. Nursing Standard, 12(18) 4447.
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Index
Page reference in italics indicate
tables or figures.
Abstract concepts 64, 201

Abstract conceptualization (AC)
35, 42, 43
Abstract modelling 100
Abstracts 320
Academic validation of curricula
1368
Accommodator learning style 43
Accountability 144
Accreditation of Prior
Experiential Learning (APEL)
35, 12931, 2956, 460
Accreditation of Prior Learning
(APL) 1289, 295, 296
Acronyms 61
Acrostics 2245
Action for Carers and
Employment (ACE) 412
Active experimentation (AE) 35,
42, 43
Adaptation 18, 119, 120
Added value 145, 146
Adult development model,
Levinsons 20
Adult learning 1, 17
see also Learning
andragogy 2733
barriers to 478, 48
experiential learning approach
336, 2356
human development and 19,
20, 212
humanistic approach 227
learning styles 415
motivation and 3641
reflection and 36
strategies to assist 456, 467,
4851
Advance organisers 78, 7980,
80
AE (active experimentation) 35,
42, 43
Affective domain of educational
objectives 11819
Ageing process 20
general effects of 201
implications for teaching and
learning 212
Agenda for Change (DoH,
2003a) 10, 485
Aims, educational 112, 184
see also Educational objectives
ALCS (Authors Licensing and
Collecting Society) 474
Analysis 115, 116, 117, 193,
193
Analytic method of marking
277, 278
Andragogy 27, 381, 386
criticisms of 312
human resources development
2930
learning contracts 301, 33
and learning styles 41
and pedagogy 279, 28

reconstructed charter for 32
APEL (Accreditation of Prior
Experiential Learning) 35,
12931, 2956, 460
APL (Accreditation of Prior
Learning) 1289, 295, 296
Application 115, 116, 117,
193, 193
Appraisal
in university settings 4614,
464, 466
in workplace settings 4845,
485
Approach-avoidance conflict 41
Arguments, evaluation of 68
Assertion-reason item tests 283
Assessment 265
of Accreditation of Prior
Learning 2956
of attitudes 3024, 302
boards of examiners 310,
31112
component of curriculum
109, 110
criteria for 2701
of critical thinking 678
external examiners 310, 310
of fieldwork 294
of group projects 2889
of laboratory practicals 293
learning outcomes and 185,
2723
management of the process
3047
marking and moderation
3089
mentors and 356
of patient, client and families
learning 406
of portfolios, profiles and
diaries 2945
practice-based 152, 269
purposes and aims 266
quality of 1512
questioning and 192
self-assessment and CPD
4968
of small-group processes
2902
and spontaneous teaching 205
student peer assessment 290
of student presentations
2923
student self-assessment
28990
student strategies for tackling
assignments 32835
students assessment workload
272
terminology and dimensions
2679, 267
using essays 27381
using objective tests 2818
in the workplace 297301
Assignments
approaching 3289
editing 333, 333
failing 3334
using the literature 329

writing 32932, 331, 332
Assimilation theory of
meaningful learning 7680
Assimilator learning style 43
Assumptions 67
about those being taught
3978, 398
Attitudes 8990, 118, 119
assessment of 3024, 302,
304
Audio-cassettes 213
Audits
clinical 495
quality 156
of workplace settings 351,
352, 353
Ausubel, D.P.
assimilation theory of
meaningful learning 7680
on transmission of knowledge
124, 222
Authors Licensing and
Collecting Society (ALCS) 474
Autonomy 23, 39, 367, 381
Beattie, A.
fourfold model of curriculum
1234
Behaviour modification 95, 98
Behavioural objectives model of
curriculum 95, 11121
behavioural objectives
components 113
critique of 1201, 120
educational goal statements
11112
Stenhouse on 121, 122
taxonomy of educational
objectives 11419, 115,
11618, 11920, 1923,
193
Behaviourism 22, 23, 91
approach to learning 918, 99
approach to motivation 367
Belbin, R.M.
on teamwork 2378, 237, 238
Benner, Patricia
model of skill acquisition
3712
Bias in assessment 279, 300
Bibliographies 320
Blackboard Academic Suite
218
Bloom, Benjamin
mastery learning 96
taxonomy of educational
objectives 11415, 115
taxonomy and question
formulation 1923, 193
Boards of examiners 151,
31012, 310
Books 319, 329
citing references 3212, 321
photocopying 474
reading skills 3223
writing and editing 4723
Boud, D. et al
model of reflection 4468,
447
Brainstorming 252, 330
Branching programmes of
learning 956
Breastfeeding 4089
Brown, G. & Edmondson, R.
classification of questions 194
Bruner, Jerome
and discovery learning 813
Buzz groups 229, 2512, 292
CAL (computer-assisted learning)

21516
Career pathways for lecturers
4323
Carers
see also Patient-teaching
benefits of home care 414
education 4023, 412
home care of a dying relative
415
needs of 412, 414
patient confidentiality and 403
support for 41314
Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act
2004 41314
Carers UK 413
Carousel exercise 2534
Case conferences 364
Case studies 2578
Catalogues
searching 31819
Categorization of objects 812
CE (concrete experience) 35,
42, 43
Cheating 305
Choosing Health: Making
Healthy Choices Easier (DoH,
2004b) 8, 402
CINAHL (Cumulative Index of
Nursing and Allied Health
Literature) 319
CIT (critical incident technique)
300, 3667, 4956
Classical conditioning
educational applications 97
Pavlov and 912
prototype of learning 84
Watson and 923
Classification systems, library
318
Classrooms 256
management of behaviour in
4256, 426
organizing 2024
organizing for small groups
2413, 242
Client-centred therapy 24, 165
Clients, teaching see Patientteaching
Clinical credibility of lecturers
38990
Clinical facilitators 48890
Clinical governance 438, 4902
clinical audit 495
502
9780748797660_Q_Nursing.indd 502
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Index
clinical effectiveness 493,
4935
evidence-based practice 493,
493
National Institute for Clinical
Settings (NICE) 4923
Clinical practice placements see
Workplace settings
Clinical rounds 365
Clinical supervision 35961,
3601
group 361
one-to-one 361, 3623, 362
for personal tutors 386
Closed-circuit television 214,
232
CMT (computer-mediatedtutoring) 174, 217
Code of Professional Conduct
(NMC, 2004) 378, 397, 458
Coding systems 82, 82
Cognition 56
memory 5662
perception 623
thinking 639
Cognitive development, Piagets
theory of 1819
Cognitive domain of educational
objectives 11516, 115,
11618
Cognitive strategies 88
Cognitive styles see Learning
styles
Collection curricula 135
Communication
lecturer-student 2278
nurse-patient 396, 397
Community health nursing
learning environment in 347
standards of proficiency
78, 8
Competence 2978, 354
Comprehension 115, 116, 117,
193, 193
Computer-assisted learning
(CAL) 21516
Computer-mediated tutoring
(CMT) 174, 217
Concepts 64, 85, 858
Ausubel on 76
demonstrating 2334
difficult 205
mapping 1868, 187
rules and 878
teaching 189, 201
Concrete concepts 64, 84, 856,
87, 201
Concrete experience (CE) 35,
42, 43
Concrete operational stage of
cognitive development 19
Concurrent validity 270
Conditioning 91
classical 84, 912, 923, 97
operant 84, 935, 978
Conferences, presenting papers
at 477
Confidentiality, patient 397, 403
Conjoint validation of curricula
136
Conservation 19
Consolidation theory of
forgetting 62
Construct validity 270

Content validity 270, 282
Content-referenced assessment
269
Context 66
Continuing professional
development (CPD) 435,
4589
and Accreditation of Prior
Learning 460
appraisal 4614, 464, 466,
4845, 485
background and context
4356
clinical education
co-ordinators 48890
clinical governance 438,
4905
Higher Education Academy
4656
interprofessional education
4514
lifelong learning and 43741
motivation to participate
4412, 459
nurse lecturers and 4601,
461
personal development
planning 4858
PREP standards 4, 459,
4802, 481
public and 459
reflection 44350
research and scholarly activity
46778
resources for 459, 4824,
482, 483
self-assessment 4968
Continuous assessment 268
Contracts
clinical supervision 362
learning 301, 33, 489,
3556, 367, 386
of supervision (student and
personal tutor) 385, 385
Contrast practice 85
Controlled discussion groups
246
Converger learning style 42
Copyright 212, 474, 477
Corporate identity of higher
education institutions 4778
Courses see Programmes and
courses
Coursework
see also Essays
approaching task 3289
editing 333, 333
failing 3334
using the literature 329
writing 32932, 331, 332
CPD see Continuing professional
development
Credit exchange model and
APEL 130
Credit schemes 1268, 127
Accreditation of Prior
Experiential Learning 35,
12931, 2956, 460
Accreditation of Prior Learning
1289, 295, 296
Criterion-referenced assessment
269
Critical incident technique (CIT)

300, 3667, 4956
Critical path analysis and
curriculum development 1323,
133
Critical thinking 65
assessing 678
encouraging 247, 325
nature of 657
teaching 689
Criticism 65
Cross-stimulation 252
Crystallised intelligence 21
Cumulative Index of Nursing
and Allied Health Literature
(CINAHL) 319
Curriculum 12, 107
components of 109, 110
credit schemes and 12631
design 126, 1328
development 1256, 1312
inclusive 13841
models and 110
models of 11114, 135
modes of delivery 163, 164
nature of 1079
Project 2000 380
quality of 1501
Databases 319
Dearing Report (1997) 157,
4356
Debate 259
Decay theory of forgetting 62
Decision-making 723
Declarative knowledge 58, 73, 88
Deduction 67
Deductive teaching of concepts
189
Deep approach to learning 434,
50, 1889, 317
Definitions 867, 87
Demonstrations 231
of principles or concepts 2334
of psychomotor skills 2313,
2312
Development, human 17
adult 20
ageing 202
intellectual 1819
Development review 10, 4867,
487
Development, staff see Continuing
Developmental model and APEL
130
Deviance 344
Dewey classification scheme 318
Diaries 294
reflective 291, 3656
Disabilities, provision for students
with 13941
Disability Rights Commission 141
Disciplinary action 462
Discovery learning 76, 813, 248
Discrimination
and assessment 271
and learning 85, 856
Discrimination index of objectivetest items 288
Discussion groups 2468
Distance learning
context 1656
and continuing professional
development 459
defining 1634, 164
delivery systems 1667
managing 1747
materials for 16771, 16970,
1712, 4778
quality assurance 1778
role of tutor 1724
Diverger learning style 42
Dix, G. and Hughes, S.J.
strategies to help students to
learn effectively 4551
Domain-referenced assessment
269
Double-marking 308
Driscoll, J.
model of reflection 449, 449
Drives, motivation as 3841
Dual-code theory of memory 60
Dyslexia 139, 140
Ebbinghaus, H.
on memory 61
Editorial boards and flexible
learning 174
Editors 4723
Education co-ordinators 48890
Educational audit of student
placements 353
Educational objectives 11112
taxonomy of 11419, 115,
11618, 11920, 1923, 193
Email 21617
Emap Healthcare Open Learning
167
Emotions
managing in the workplace
3501
and motivation 389
in small groups 261
Empowerment 23
Encoding specificity theory of
forgetting 62
English National Board (ENB)
354, 358
Environments, learning see
Learning environments
Episodic assessment 268
Episodic knowledge 58
EPP (expert patient programme)
412
Equal opportunities 138
curriculum provision 13940
student support mechanisms
1401
Equilibration 18
Eros 378
Essays 273
composing 3303, 331, 332,
333
feedback and 27981
marking and grading
2769, 276, 277, 278
students marking own 289
types of 2756
variants of 281
weaknesses 2745
Ethology 37
Evaluation 141
503
9780748797660_Q_Nursing.indd 503
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Index
see also Assessment; Quality
assurance
of arguments 68
educational objective 115, 116,
118, 193, 193
formative and summative 2689
Evidence-based practice 493, 493
Examinations
see also Essays
conduct of 307
examination technique 335
open-book 281
revising for 3345
seen papers 281
and student fatigue 274
Examiners, boards of 151,
31012, 310
Examiners, external 152, 309,
310, 310
Exercises 260
Expectancy effect 345
Experience and adult learning 31,
32, 51
Experiential learning 33, 2356,
341
Accreditation of Prior 35,
12931, 2956, 460
common difficulties 2602
groups 250
Jarviss typology of learning
356
Kolbs theory 345, 34, 235
learning styles and 423
planning and implementing
2404, 240, 241
reflection in 23940
Rogers and 24
and small-group teaching
234, 235
techniques 25060
as therapy 236
Experimentation 346
Expert patient programme (EPP)
412
Explanations 189
classification of 18990
sequence for planning 1901,
191
to patients, clients and
families 403
External examiners 152, 309,
310, 310
Facilitation model of teaching

256, 125
Facility index of objective-test
items 2878, 288
Failure of assignments 3334
Families, teaching see Carers;
Patient-teaching
FAPs (fixed-action patterns) 37
Feedback to students 75, 266,
27981, 290
FEFC (Further Education
Funding Council)
Use of Technology to Support
Learning in Colleges (1998)
207
Field visits 259
Fieldwork 294
First Class Service, A: Quality in

the NHS (DoH, 1988) 4001,
4378
Fishbowl technique 258
Fitness for Practice (FfP) (UKCC,
1999) 3, 297, 302, 378
Five Year Strategy for Children
and Learners (DfES, 2004)
1112
Fixed-action patterns (FAPs) 37
Flexible learning
context 1656
development 459
defining 1634, 164, 165
managing 1747
1712, 4778
role of tutor 1724
Flipcharts 209
Fluid intelligence 21, 22
FLUs (flexible learning
workshops) 1678
Focus groups 250
Forgetting 62, 78
Formal assessment 267
Formal operational stage of
Formative assessment 268, 269
Formative feedback to students
280
Fourfold model of curriculum
1234
Free discussion groups 2467
Freud, Sigmund
psychoanalytic theory 378
From Novice to Expert (Benner,
1984) 371
Further Education Funding
Council (FEFC)
Learning in Colleges (1998)
207
Future of Higher Education
(DoH, 2003b) 10, 436, 465
Gagn, Robert
conditions of learning 72,
8391
theory of instruction 901
Gaming 257
Gender issues when learning 49
General adaptation syndrome
348
Gestalt psychology and insight
learning 70, 701
Gestures during lectures 228
Global method of marking 278
Grades and grading 2767, 276,
278, 305
Grammar 279
Groups
see also Small-group teaching
dynamics of 2369, 237, 238
3425
participation in group
discussion 3256
practice learning teams 355

size and learning 234
teaching large 4245
Guided imagery 260
Halo effect 2789, 300

Handouts 21012, 229, 324
Handover reports 3645
Hawthorne effect 345
HEA (Higher Education
Academy) 1011, 1601,
4656
Health education 399400
Health informatics 206
Health promotion 399402
Healthcare Commission and
staff appraisal 4845, 485
Herbart, Johann 201
Higher Education for the 21st
Century (DfEE, 1998) 157,
436
Higher education
see also Curriculum; Lecturers
continuing professional
development in 4356,
45878
credit schemes 12631, 127
developments in 1012
levels of study 316, 31617
mentoring within 381, 3812
preparation for post in
42132, 4367
Higher Education Academy
(HEA) 1011, 1601, 4656
Higher Education Act 2004
4367
Holist learning strategies 43
Homeostasis 38
Honey, P.
scheme of learning styles 44
Human development see
Development, human
Human motivation see
Motivation
Human resources development
2930
Humanistic theory 223
critique of 27
and learning styles 42
Maslows approach 234
Rogers approach 245
self-direction, empowerment
and autonomy 23
and teaching and learning
256
Hypothesis-formation essays 275
ICT (information and

communication technology)
2056
audio-cassettes 213
computer-assisted learning
21516
context 2067
distance learning 174, 178
flipcharts 209
handout material 21012
Internet and World Wide Web
21617
intranets and online campus

21718
issues in use of 2078
Microsoft PowerPoint 215
overhead projectors 20910
slide projectors 212
video-conferencing 214
video-recordings 214
whiteboards 2089
Imagery, guided 260
Improved Student Learning
Project (CNNA, 1992) 1889
Impulsive learning style 42
Independent learning 21516
Indexes to journal articles 320
Individual performance review
(IPR) 484
see also Appraisal
Induction
new lecturers 427
students to clinical setting
3556, 356
Inductive teaching of concepts
189
Inference 67
Informal assessment 2678
Information
coding systems for 82, 82
giving to patients, clients and
families 397, 403, 4056
memory and 56, 57, 5861
Information and communication
technology see ICT
Information-processing model
601, 83
and problem-solving 712
Ink boards 2089
Ink-blot tests 304
Innate releasing mechanisms
(IRM) 37
Inquiry-based assessments 275
Insightful learning 701
Instinct, motivation as 378
Instruction, Gagns theory of
901
Integrated curricula 135
Intellectual development 1819
Intellectual skills 84, 85, 85
Intelligence, crystallised and
fluid 21, 22
Interference and forgetting 62
Internet 21617, 217, 318, 322
Interpretation 68
Interpretive essays 275
Interprofessional education
4514, 453
Intranets 217
Intuition 70, 444
IPR (individual performance
review) 484
see also Appraisal
IRMs (innate releasing
mechanisms) 37
Issue-centred groups 247
Jarvis, P.
typology of learning 356
Johns, C.
model of structured reflection
448, 448
504
9780748797660_Q_Nursing.indd 504
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Index
Joint Information Systems
Committee (JISC) 334
Journals 319, 329
citing journal articles 322, 322
photocopying 474
refereeing journal papers
4767
writing for 4746
Kerry, T.
classification of questions 194
Key words (mnemonics) 61
Knowing-in-action 444
Knowledge
declarative and procedural 58,
73, 85, 88
educational objective 115,
116, 116, 193, 193
episodic and semantic 58
representation in memory
5860
transmission of 124, 222, 223
Knowledge and Skills
Framework (KSF) 10, 486
Knowledge-in-action 445
Knowles, M. S
on teaching of adults 2732
Khler, W.
insight learning experiments
701
Kolb, D.
learning style inventory 423
theory of experiential learning
345, 34, 235
KSF (Knowledge and Skills
Framework) 10, 486
Labelling theory 3445

Laboratory practicals 293
Lancaster Inventory of Study
Strategies 44
Learning
see also Adult learning
assessment of see Assessment
behaviourist approach to 918
cognitive theories of 7583
Gagns conditions of 8391
human development and
1722
insightful 701
models of 110
open, distance and flexible
16378
social/observational 98100
strategies in the workplace
36372
teaching and 1467
Learning community 243
Learning contracts 301, 33,
489, 3556, 367, 386
Learning environments 202
facilitative 256
organizing classrooms 2024
small-group teaching 2414,
242
workplace 3412, 34553
Learning needs analysis (LNA)
490
Learning outcomes 112
academic level of 185, 185,
273
and assessment 185, 272

curriculum design and 109,
110
organization of 84
stating aims and 184, 272,
273
Learning packages 169, 16970,
171, 1712
Learning styles 412, 317
deep and surface approaches
434
Honeys 44
Kolbs inventory 423
Lancaster Inventory of Study
Strategies 44
problems with concept of 45
reflective and impulsive 42
serialist and holist strategies
43
syllabus-bound and syllabusfree students 445
Learning to Manage Health
Information (Severs and
Pearson, 1999) 2067
Learning workshops 1667
Learning-through-discussion
(LTD) groups 248
Lecturer-practitioners 3589
see also Clinical supervision;
Mentorship
Lecturers 4, 222
see also Lectures and
lecturing; Teachers; Tutors
career pathway 4323
development 46078, 461
evaluation of teaching 146,
1479, 148, 149
ideal 4223
link 358, 38790, 388
making step into higher
education 4267
new 422, 4236, 427, 428,
4302, 431
nurse lecturer roles 421,
4212, 460, 461
PGCE course 42930, 430
in practice settings 3589
standards for preparation
of 45
teaching portfolio 4302, 431
Lectures and lecturing 2223
planning and delivering
22531, 225
techniques 2245
uses and shortcomings 2234,
224
variants of 2314
Lesson plans 1967, 198200,
201
Levinson, D
adult development model 20
Libraries 317
citing and listing references
3212, 321, 322
classification systems 318
literature searches 31920,
320
registration and induction
31718
resources 319
searching the catalogues 318
Lifelong learning 43741, 440
see also Continuing

Likert scaling 3034, 304
Linear programmes of learning
95
Link lecturers/teachers 358,
388, 388
clinical credibility 38990
pre-registration student
support 3889
research 390
Literature searches 31920, 320
LNA (learning needs analysis)
490
Loci, method of 61
Long-term memory 5760,
59, 60
Looking after me programme
for carers 412
Lorenz, Konrad 37
LTD (learning-throughdiscussion) groups 248
Making a Difference (DoH,

1999) 354, 379
Marking
analytical method 277, 278
assessing scholarship skills 279
of essay tests 27681, 278
feedback to students 27981
global method 278
halo effect 2789
marks and grades 2767,
276, 277
moderation and 3089
of objective tests 282
problems with 274
Maslow, Abraham H. 39
humanist approach to
psychology 234
theory of motivation 3941,
40, 51
Mastery learning 967, 96
Matching familiar figures test 42
Matching items tests 282, 287
Materials
corporate identity rules and
4778
handouts 21012, 324
information for patients
4056
learning 16772, 175, 177,
4778
Meaningful learning 7680
Mediationist approach to
motivation 37
Meditation 260
Memory 56
and ageing 21
encoding, storage and retrieval
56, 62
forgetting 62
information-processing
approach 601
long-term 56, 5760
remembering 61
sensory 567
short-term 56, 57
Mentorship 49, 3567, 377,
3812
see also Personal tutoring
and clinical competence 354

in education programmes 381
need for mentor 380, 380
for new lecturers 427
for personal tutors 3867
qualities of a mentor 5,
37780, 378, 3789
staff development for mentors
359
Method of loci 61
Methotrexate, teaching parents
to administer 41011
Microsoft PowerPoint 215
Microteaching 259
Midwifery standards of
proficiency 67, 7
Missing-word tests 283, 287
Mnemonics 61, 328
Modelling 99100
Models 11011
curriculum 11124, 135
nursing 125
of teaching 1245
Moderation of written work 152,
3089
Modernising Nursing Careers:
Setting the Direction (DoH,
2006) 9
Modules 201, 222
Motivation 367
for continuing professional
development 4412
as instinct 378
as needs and drives 3841, 40
Piagetian theory and 18
Motor skills 735
see also Psychomotor skills
acquisition 745, 3712
components of procedures 89
dimensions of 74, 889
teaching 36771, 368, 3689
Multi-speak in groups 2601
Multidisciplinary working 451,
452
Multiple-choice tests 282, 2837
Multiple-completion tests 283
Multiprofessional working
4512
National Health Service see

NHS
National Institute of Clinical
Excellence (NICE) 490, 4923
National Professional Standards
Framework (HEA, 2006)
1601
National Service Frameworks
(NSFs) 401
National Vocational
Qualifications (NVQs) 130,
298, 341
Natural language mediation
(mnemonics) 61
Neary, M
approach to learning contracts
33
on learning outcomes 185
Needs
Maslows hierarchy of 3941,
40, 51
as motivation 38, 41
opponent-process theory 389
505
9780748797660_Q_Nursing.indd 505
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Index
New NHS, The: Modern,
Dependable (DoH, 1997) 490
NHS
developments in 810
Knowledge and Skills
Framework 10, 486
NHS Improvement Plan 8, 401
NICE (National Institute of
Clinical Excellence) 490,
4923
NMC see Nursing Midwifery
Council
Non-verbal communication
during lectures 228
Norm-referenced assessment 269
Norms
group 237
Note-taking 229, 3234, 324
systems for 3245, 324, 325
Notes, teachers 196
NSFs (National Service
Frameworks) 401
Nurse lecturers see lecturers
Nursing Midwifery Council
(NMC) 2
and assessment 265
Code of Professional Conduct
(2004) 378, 397, 458
and educational programmes
133, 134, 162, 1623
post-registration education
and practice (PREP)
standards (2006) 34, 459,
4802, 481
principles for clinical
supervision 360
principles for practice learning
351, 352
standards for mentors 378,
3789
Standards for the Preparation
of Teachers of Nurses,
Midwives and Specialist
Community Public Health
Nurses (2004a) 45
Standards of Proficiency for
Pre-registration Midwifery
Programmes of Education
(2004c) 67, 7
Pre-registration Nursing
Education (2004b) 56,
6, 297
Specialist Community
Public Health Nurses
(2004d) 78, 8
Nursing Midwifery Order
(2001) 2, 133, 162
Nursing models 110, 125
Nursing profession,
developments in 28
Nursing Standard 483
NVQs (National Vocational
Qualifications) 130, 298, 341
Object permanence 18
Objective tests 2812
analysis of objective-test items
2878
classification of 2823
guidelines for writing 2837
Objectives
behavioural objectives model
of curriculum 11121
curriculum as 107
Objects, categorization of 812
Observation, assessment by
298301, 345
Observational learning theory
98100
Occupational socialization
3423
OHPs (overhead projectors)
20910
OLF (Open Learning
Foundation) 168
One-to-one clinical supervision
361, 3613, 362
One-to-one teaching
opportunistic 2045
with patients and clients 404,
404
Online campus 21718
Online public access catalogue
(OPAC) 31819
Open learning
context 1656
development 459
defining 1634, 1645, 164
managing 1747
1712, 4778
tutors role 1724
Open Learning Foundation
(OLF) 168
Open University 165, 167
Open-book examinations 281
Operant conditioning 935
educational applications 978
prototype of learning 84
Opponent-process theory 389
Opportunistic teaching 2045,
363
Overhead projectors (OHPs)
20910
Pairs exercises 244

Papers, presenting at conferences
477
Parallel-form reliability 271
Parkinsons disease 4068
Patient-teaching
about support groups 415,
416
examples of 40611
expert patient programme 412
399402
issues and context 3968
strategies for 4026
Pattern recognition 60
Pavlov, Ivan P.
classical conditioning 912
PDP (personal development
planning) 465, 4858
see also Continuing

Pedagogy 279, 28, 386
Peer assessment
lecturers 148, 148, 463
students 290
Peer support see Clinical
supervision
Perception 623, 119, 119
Performance indicators (PIs)
1456
Periodicals 319, 329
citing journal articles 322, 322
refereeing journal papers
4767
writing for professional
journals 4745
Person-environment fit theory
348
Personal development planning
(PDP) 465, 4858
see also Continuing
Personal tutoring 3803
learning contracts 386
mentorship for tutors 3867
tutor-student conflict 3845
using reflection 383
PGCE (Post-Graduate Certificate
in Education) 421, 423,
42930, 430
Phenomenology 22
Photocopying 212, 474
Piaget, Jean
theory of cognitive
development 1819
PIs (performance indicators)
1456
Placements see Workplace
settings
Placements in Focus (ENB/DoH,
2001) 354, 380
Plagiarism 305, 3334
Plans and planning, teaching
183, 1834
classroom organization 2024
defining purpose of teaching
session 1845
drafting a plan 1967,
198200, 201
explanations 18991
lectures 2256
for opportunistic one-to-one
teaching 2045
for patients, clients and their
families 403
questions 1916
schemes of work 201, 202
strategy selection 1889
subject matter selection 1868
Portfolios 50
student 2945, 383
teacher 4302, 431
Pose, pause and pounce
technique 195
Post-Graduate Certificate in
Education (PGCE) 421, 423,
42930, 430
Post-registration education 107,
125, 341
Post-registration education and

practice (PREP) standards
(2006) 34, 442, 459, 4802,
481
Practice educators 5, 138,
48890
Practice learning teams 355
Practice settings see Workplace
settings
Pre-operational stage of
Pre-registration education 3,
107, 125, 341
practice placements 297, 354
standards of proficiency 57,
6, 7, 297
student support 3889
Preceptorship 357, 359, 378,
382
Predictive validity 270
Prejudice and use of ICT
resources 207
PREP (post-registration
education and practice)
standards (2006) 34, 459,
4802, 481
Presentation of assessment work
279, 306
Presentations by students 2923,
293, 326
Probationary periods for new
lecturers 427, 428
Problem-setting 444
Problem-solving 70
brainstorming 252
groups 247, 2478
and information-processing
712, 247
and insightful learning 701
problem-based learning 72
reflection and 444
synetics 2523
Procedural knowledge 58, 73,
85
Process model of curriculum
1213
Process model for human
resources development 2930
Profiles 294
see also Portfolios
Programmed learning 956
Programmes and courses
see also Curriculum; Flexible
learning
evaluation 1501
monitoring 1556, 155
review 156
validation 1368, 1545
Project 2000 curriculum 3801
Projective techniques to assess
attitudes 304
Projects, group 24850, 2889
Propositional code theory of
memory 589, 59
Propositional learning 77
Propositions 58, 64, 88
Psychoanalytic theory 378
Psychomotor skills
see also Motor skills
demonstrating 2313, 2312
educational objectives 119,
11920
microteaching 259
506
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Index
Psychosis, supporting patients
with 40910
Publication, writing for see
Punctuation 279
Qualitative assessment 268

Quality Assurance Agency
(QAA) 157
and assessment 151, 265
guidelines for distance
learning 177
guidelines for institutional
audit 15860
objectives 157
verification of programmes
157
Quality assurance (QA) 1412,
1434
and accountability 144
concepts used in 1456
defining quality 1423
external monitoring 15662,
1623
institutional 1526, 1534,
155
learning 1778
programmes/courses 1502
and teaching 1469, 148, 149
Quantitative assessment 268
Questioning-assumptions essay
275
Questions and questioning
1912
classification of questions
1924, 193
making more effective 1956
and opportunistic teaching
2045
purpose of 192
using with patients, clients
and families 4034
Racism and ICT resources 207

RAE (research assessment
exercise) 12, 46770, 470
Rating scales
attitude measurement 302,
302, 3034, 304
descriptive of behaviour 299,
299300
Readers and study guides 169
Reading skills 3223
Recapitulation during lectures
229
Reception learning 76
References, citing and listing
279, 3212, 321, 322
Referrals, student 305
Reflection 383, 443
and adult learning 36, 50
and appraisal 462
assessment and learning from
294
development 442
critical incident analysis
3667, 4956
nature of 443
personal tutoring and 383

reflective diaries 3656
reflective scepticism 67
Schns approach 36, 4436
in small-group and
23940, 291
strategies for teaching
reflective practice 44651
Reflective learning style 42
Reflective observation (RO) 35,
42, 43
Rehearsal and memory 57,
3278
Reinforcement
educational applications 95,
978
operant conditioning 945
social learning theory 99
Reliability and assessment 270,
274
Remembering 61
Repetition during lectures 229
Representational learning 76
(RAE) 12, 46770, 470
Research Governance Framework
for Health and Social Care
(DoH, 2005) 4701
Research and scholarly activity
(RSA) 390, 432, 467, 467
governance 4701, 471
writing for publication 4728
Revision for examinations 323,
3345
RO (reflective observation) 35,
42, 43
Rogers, Carl R.
approach to education 245,
27, 125, 165
client-centred therapy 24
Role-play 2456, 255, 2557,
256
Roles
social 2367
team 2378, 237, 238
Rote learning 76, 77
RSA see Research and scholarly
activity
Rubiks cube puzzle 70
Rules 878
Saving Lives: Our Healthier

Nation (DoH, 1999) 400
Schedules of reinforcement 94
Schemas 18
Schemes of work 201, 202
Scholarship 468
Scholarship skills 279, 27980
Schn, Donald
approach to reflective practice
36, 4436
Sculpting 292
Second-marking 308
Securing our Future Health:
Taking a Long-Term View
(Wanless Report, 2002) 401
Seen papers 281
Self-actualization 24, 401
Self-assessment 28990, 4968
lecturers 148, 148

students 269, 28990
SWOT analysis 4968, 497,
498
Self-concept 344
Self-direction 23, 30, 31, 32,
440
Self-fulfilling prophecy 3445
Self-help groups 415, 416
Self-reinforcement and study
327
Self-testing 328
Semantic differential rating
scale 304
Semantic knowledge 58
Seminar groups 246
Seminar presentations 326, 326
Sensation 63
Sensorimotor stage of cognitive
development 1819
Sensory memory 567, 60
Serialist learning strategies 43
SES box steps method 2523
Severs, M. and Pearson, C.
Learning to Manage Health
Information (1999) 2067
Sexism and ICT resources 2078
Shaping 94
Shared learning 4524
Short-answer tests 283, 287
Short-term memory 56, 57, 60
Sigman, A.
on humanistic psychology 27
Simulations 2545
Skills
see also Intellectual skills;
Motor skills; Study skills
acquisition 3712
Skills for Health 9
Skinner, B.F.
operant conditioning 935
Slide projectors 212
Small-group teaching
assessment and evaluation
2902
basic classification of 24550
common difficulties 2602
and experiential learning 234,
2356
and experiential taxonomy
240, 240, 241
fostering relationships in
2445
group dynamics 2369
group size 234
patients, clients and families
404
physical environment 2413,
242
projects 24850, 2889
psychological environment
2434
purpose of small groups
2345
reflection in 23940
techniques 25060, 251
Snowball groups 251, 291
Social learning theory 98100
Social roles 2367
Socialization 3423
Sociometry 291
Special needs, students with

13941, 306
Speech in lectures 2278
Spider diagrams 330, 331
Split-half reliability 271
S-R (stimulus-response) theory
918
Standards 145, 146
see also Quality assurance
HEA National Professional
Standards Framework
1601
information learning
technology 205
Standards for the Preparation of
Teachers of Nurses, Midwives
and Specialist Community
Public Health Nurses (NMC,
2004a) 45
Pre-registration Midwifery
Programmes of Education
(NMC, 2004c) 67, 7
Standards of Proficiency for Preregistration Nursing Education
(NMC, 2004b) 56, 6, 297
Specialist Community Public
Health Nurses (NMC, 2004d)
78, 8
Stenhouse, Lawrence
process model of curriculum
1213
Step-by-step discussion groups
247
Stereotyping 2078
Stimulus-response (S-R) theory
918
Stress 347
coping with 34951
effects upon individuals 348
mentors and decrease in 379
nature of 3478
sources in the workplace 349
Structured impressionistic
marking 278
Student-centred assessment 269
Students
assisting their effective
learning 4551
behaviour 424, 425
curriculum and 107, 108
evaluation of the curriculum
151
evaluation of teaching 149,
149
feedback to 75, 266, 27981
humanistic approach and 26
and ICT 21516, 217,
21718
learning styles 415
and lectures 227, 228, 229
note-taking 229, 3235, 324,
325
and open, distance and
flexible learning 165, 166,
1724, 176, 178
perception of assessment 265
portfolios 2945, 383
and reflection 446, 449, 450,
451
shared learning for 4524
507
9780748797660_Q_Nursing.indd 507
10/4/07 14:46:14
Index
and small-group teaching 243,
2602
with special needs 13941,
306
support for 25463, 37780,
3889
in the workplace 341, 3456,
348
Study guides 169
Study leave 459
Study skills 316, 440
assignments 32834
citing and listing references
3212, 321, 322
examinations 3345
group discussion and seminars
3256
learning styles 317
levels of study 316, 31617
library use 31719
literature search and review
31920, 320
note-taking 229, 3235
planning to study 3267
reading skills 3223
strategies for effective study
3278
Subject assessment panels 311
Subject matter 186
curriculum and 107, 109, 110
notes 196
selection for teaching session
1868
sequencing 201
structure of 812
teachers knowledge of 186,
226
Subject-centred groups 247
Submission of assessments 305,
3067, 306
Summative assessment 268, 269
Summative feedback to students
2801
Supervision see clinical
supervision
Supervision contracts
clinical supervision 362, 362
student-personal tutor 385,
385
Support groups 415, 416
Support mechanisms
link lecturers 358, 38790
mentorship 359, 37780
personal tutoring 3807
placement support systems
3547
for students with disabilities
1401
Surface approach to learning
434, 50, 317
SWOT analysis 4968, 497, 498
Syllabus-bound and syllabus-free
students 445
Syndicate groups 246, 248
Synetics 2523
Syntax 279
Synthesis
assessments requiring 2756
educational objective 115,
116, 117, 193, 193
Systematic desensitization 97
TAT (thematic apperception

test) 304
Taxonomies 114
educational objectives 11419,
115, 11618, 11920,
1923, 193
experiential 240, 240, 241
Teachable Language
Comprehender (TLC) 59
Teacher-centred assessment 269
Teacher-expectancy effect 345
Teachers
see also Lecturers; Tutors
humanistic approach 26
in practice settings 3589,
48890
role in small-group teaching
2445
subject-knowledge 186, 226
Teaching 183
of critical thinking 689
demonstrations 2314, 2312
environment 2024
experiential learning and 35
explanations 18991, 191
Gagns theory of instruction
901
human development and 19,
20, 212
humanistic approach 25, 256
ICT and 20518
and learning 1467
learning style theories and 45
lecture method 22230
models of 110, 1245
opportunistic one-to-one
2045, 363
patients, clients and their
families 396416
planning for 183, 1834
plans 1967, 198200, 201
purpose of a teaching session
1845
quality of 1479, 148, 149
questions and questioning
1916
schemes of work 201, 202
small-group 2345, 23962
strategies selection 1889
subject matter of a teaching
session 1868
support mechanisms 37790
theories of learning and
7980, 83, 957, 100
work-based 343, 36372,
48890
Teaching Quality Enhancement
Committee (TQEC) 160
Teamwork 2378
see also Groups
practice learning teams 355
Television, use of 214, 232
Tennant, M.
reconstructed charter for
andragogy 32
Test-retest reliability 270
Textbooks 223, 329
see also Books
Thanatos 37, 38
Thematic apperception test
(TAT) 304
Theory-practice gap 381, 386
Thinking 63
see also Reflection
concepts 64
critical thinking 659, 247,
325
intuition 70
problem-solving and decisionmaking 703
propositional thought 64
Time management, students 51,
3267
TLC (Teachable Language
Comprehender) 59
TNA (training needs analysis)
48990, 489, 490
Token economy 95
TQEC (Teaching Quality
Enhancement Committee) 160
Training needs analysis (TNA)
48990, 489, 490
Transfer of skills/learning 75,
81, 2545
Transmission model of teaching
124, 222, 223
True-false item tests 283, 287
Trust and small-group teaching
243, 244, 292
Tuckman, Bruce
on group development 2389
Turnitin 334
Tutorial groups 246
Tutors
see also Lecturers; Personal
tutoring
and email 217
learning 167, 1724, 175,
176, 178
Tyler, Ralph
on curriculum 111
Word-association tests 304

Word-processing 333, 333
Working memory (short-term
memory) 56, 57
Working Together, Learning
Together (DoH, 2001) 10, 438
Workplace settings 341
assessment in 152, 297301
auditing 351, 352, 353
development in 48098
group dynamics and 3425
learning environment 3412,
3457
lecturer-practitioner role
35863
perception in 63
placement support systems
3547
stress in 34751
teaching and learning
strategies 36372
Worksheets 211
Workshops, flexible learning
1667
World Wide Web 217
books 4723
conference papers 477
copyright and copying 212,
474, 477
journals 4747
materials 172, 4778
writers block 4734
Writing skills for coursework
32933

Learning in Colleges (FEFC,
1998) 207
Validation
of curriculum 134, 1368
of programmes and courses
1545
Validation submission documents
1345, 134
Validity and assessment 270, 271
essays 274
objective tests 282
Value added 145, 146
Values 118, 119
Verbal exposition 224, 228
Verbal learning 88
Vicarious learning 98100
Video-conferencing 214
Video-recordings 214, 292
Vocabulary learning 76
voice, lecturers 227
Wanless Report (2002) 401

Ward managers 345
Watson, John B.
classical conditioning 923
Whiteboards 2089
508
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10/4/07 14:46:14

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What are the main parts of the book?

What are the main parts of the book?

What are some of the new features discussed in the book?

What are some of the new features discussed in the book?

The fth edition of the best-selling textbook has been extensively restructured and refocused to reect

$ .  )     

For your lifelong learning solutions, visit www.cengage.co.uk

Quinns Principles and Practice

Quinns Principles and Practice of Nurse

2007, Cengage Learning EMEA

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

Quinns Principles and Practice_TP-CP.indd 2

Preface to the fifth edition

1. Introduction: Nurse education in the university and the

Part One: The

2. Adult learning theory

3. Perspectives on teaching and learning

Cognitive theories of learning and instruction

Part Two: Learning,

teaching and assessment

4. Curriculum theory and practice

5. Planning for teaching

Assessment of student presentations to an audience

8. Teaching study skills

Part Three: Specific

9. Teaching in the clinical setting

10. Teaching support mechanisms

11. Teaching patients, clients and their families

Part Four: Continuing

12. Preparation for an education post

13. Lifelong learning

14. Continuing professional development:

15. Continuing professional development:

to the fifth edition

The focus of this book is education within nursing, midwifery and

instrumental ideology of nursing curricula

Nurse education comes under the overall umbrella of post-compulsory

in the nursing profession

Perhaps the most significant development affecting the nursing profession

The Nursing Midwifery Council

The principle function of the NMC is to:

in the nursing profession

Fitness for Practice (UKCC, 1999)

The common foundation programme has been reduced to one year.

Outcome competencies have been developed to identify standards for

A portfolio of practice is now used to demonstrate students fitness for

The curriculum utilizes a range of teaching and learning methods.

The FfP document acknowledged that pre-registration programmes must

Fit for Purpose (competency based) can function competently in

The NMC (2006) post-registration education and practice

the PREP (practice) standard;

The continuing professional development (CPD) standard requires a

undertake at least five days or 35 hours of learning relevant to practice

maintain a personal professional profile of learning activity.

Standards for the Preparation of Teachers of Nurses, Midwives

flexible modes of delivery;

credit for prior learning;

Standards for the preparation of lecturers

communication and working relationships;

in the nursing profession

$ . )