Nursing Teaching and Learning Principles General Learning Principles
Nursing Teaching and Learning Principles General Learning Principles
The older adult brings to the learning situation, a lifetime of problem-solving skills (this allows him/her to
adapt with a minimum of difficulty).
The older adult may have visual and hearing difficulties that may interfere with learning (check this outyou dont always have to shout!!)
The older adult performs tasks slower because of delays in the CNS for the completion of specific cerebral
processes (there is a decrease in sensorimotor speed; there is not necessarily a loss in capacity to perform
a task.
The older adult shows great care and concentration, and may have to sacrifice speed for accuracy to
minimize the risk of error (the older adults goal is to AVOID FAILURE rather than to gain success.)
Instructions or information should be given in small units (organization and timing tend to take longer, if
input arrives too quickly, there is difficulty processing it. Therefore, sensory overload.)
Demonstrations enhance explanations and facilitate comprehension (if a person can see, hear, and then
do, he/she will learn better).
Learning Principles for the Child
A young child can become interested in almost any topic or idea which is presented in a meaningful way.
A childs first teachers are the parents-always include them in the teaching situation when it is appropriate
to do so.
The most natural learning atmosphere for a young child isPLAY!! Play activities can combine simple
teaching techniques with the natural tendency of a child to socialize and to have fun.
Children respond favorably to positive reinforcement and reward (smile, verbal praise, well done! Gold
stars, stickers).
Learning sessions should be kept casual and without pressure on the child to learn or to perform.
Young children learn best when taught either on a 1:1 basis or in small groups) where they can work freely
and independently at their own pace).
Learning, if it is to be effective, must be properly timed. A child cannot perform a skill if his/her sensory,
muscular and neural systems are not ready yet.
Children need opportunities to practice newly-learned ideas or skills over and over again. (Repetition is
necessary to increase the childs understanding of a concept, or to increase his/her skills.)
All children, regardless of background, have these needs:
a. acceptance and approval.
b. success in whatever they attempt.
c. to grow and learn at their own pace.
Children learn through their experiences, both concrete ones (directly experienced) and vicarious ones
(books, films, less directly experienced).
Planning for learning should include a continuous reassessment of the childs behavior and needs.
The child needs assistance in keeping his/her attention on the material to be learned and especially in
directing his/her attention to the most important things to be learned.
Mistakes should generally be minimized. (Praise success.)
PRINCIPLES.981
Set up a graded learning program that moves from more to less structure, from less to more
responsibility and from more to less direct supervision, at an appropriate pace that is challenging yet not
overloading for the student.
Develop rapport with the student to optimise your approachability and encourage asking of questions
and exploration of concepts.
Show interest in the student's thoughts and opinions. Actively and carefully listen to any questions asked.
Lead the student toward inquiry before supplying them with too many facts.
Provide regular constructive and specific feedback (both positive and negative),
Review goals and acknowledge goal completion
Encourage use of resources such as library, journals, internet and other department resources.
Set projects or tasks for the student that reflect their interests and which they must complete and "tick
off" over the course of the placement. For example: to provide an in-service on topic of choice; to
present a case-study based on one of their clients; to design a client educational handout; or to lead a
client group activity session.
Acknowledge the preferred learning style of the student. A questionnaire is provided below that will
assist your student to identify their preferred learning style and to discuss this with you.
Adults like to be given opportunity to use their existing foundation of knowledge and experience gained
from life experience, and apply it to their new learning experiences. As a clinical educator you can:
Find out about your student - their interests and past experiences (personal, work and study related)
Assist them to draw on those experiences when problem-solving, reflecting and applying clinical
reasoning processes.
Facilitate reflective learning opportunities which Fidishun (2000) suggests can also assist the student to
examine existing biases or habits based on life experiences and "move them toward a new understanding
of information presented" (p4).
Adult students become ready to learn when "they experience a need to learn it in order to cope more satisfyingly
with real-life tasks or problems" (Knowles,1980 p 44, as cited in Fidishun, 2000). Your role is to facilitate a
student's readiness for problem-based learning and increase the student's awareness of the need for the
knowledge or skill presented. As educator, you can:
Provide meaningful learning experiences that are clearly linked to personal, client and fieldwork goals
as well as assessment and future life goals.
Provide real case-studies (through client contact and reporting) as a basis from which to learn about the
theory, OT methods, functional issues implications of relevance.
Ask questions that motivate reflection, inquiry and further research.
Ask the student to do some reflection on for example, what they expect to learn prior to the experience,
on what they learnt after the experience, and how they might apply what they learnt in the future, or how
it will help them to meet their learning goals.
Provide some choice of fieldwork project by providing two or more options, so that learning is more
likely to reflect the student's interests.
"Students really benefit from regular 'teaching sessions' - time spent going through assessments such as how to
do a kitchen assessment, and having in-services presented on specific topics - such as Cognition or Perception"
" I find they understand more about a topic when it is directly relevant to the work context. This is invaluable as
it ties theory to practice." S. Bartholomai, OT clinical educator, Ipswich Hospital (personal communication,
May 31, 2007)
5. Adults are practical
Through practical fieldwork experiences, interacting with real clients and their real life situations, students
move from classroom and textbook mode to hands-on problem solving where they can recognise first hand how
what they are learning applies to life and the work context. As a clinical educator you can:
Clearly explain your clinical reasoning when making choices about assessments, interventions and
when prioritising client's clinical needs.
Be explicit about how what the student is learning is useful and applicable to the job and client group
you are working with.
Promote active participation by allowing students to try things rather than observe. Provide plenty of
practice opportunity in assessment, interviewing, and intervention processes with ample repetition in
order to promote development of skill, confidence and competence.
"I like to encourage students to select and use a clinical model, such as Chapparo and Rankin's OPM, to apply
to practice. It helps students to identify what performance components (e.g. endurance, tone, organisational
skills) they want to assess for example, in a dressing task. This helps to reinforce why OTs do things, and how
the link to occupation differs from other disciplines." (S. Bartholomai, personal communication, May 31, 2007)
6. Adult learners like to be respected
Respect can be demonstrated to your student by:
Taking interest
Acknowledging the wealth of experiences that the student brings to the placement;
Regarding them as a colleague who is equal in life experience
Encouraging expression of ideas, reasoning and feedback at every opportunity.
It is important to keep in mind that the student is still developing occupational therapy clinical practice skills.
However, with the theory and principles of adult learning in mind, you can facilitate the learning approach of
the student to move from novice to more sophisticated learning methods. This facilitates greater integration of
knowledge, information and experience; the student learns to distinguish what is important when assessing and
working with clients; how to prioritise client needs, goals and caseload; when rules can be put aside and
how/when the approach to occupational therapy practice and professional communication emerges from strict
modelling of behaviour into a unique therapeutic and professional expression of self.
(Fidishun, 2000; Lieb,1991)