Context The use of peer support as a faculty development technique to improve clinical teaching is uncommon in medical education, despite the benefits of situating learning in the workplace. The authors therefore conducted a broad search seeking theoretical and empirical literature describing peer support strategies for clinical teachers in health care workplaces. This included descriptive and non‐experimental studies that are often excluded from reviews. The review aimed to identify and assess existing initiatives and to synthesise key challenges and benefits. Methods An integrative literature review was undertaken (2004–2017), based on searches of eight international electronic databases and targeted manual searches. Key concepts, elements and models were mapped using an iterative, constant comparative method. An evaluative framework, drawing on previous research, informed conclusions regarding the quality of evidence. Results From a pool of 5735 papers, 34 met the inclusion criteria. The majority referred to studies conducted in the USA (59%) and in the medical profession (71%). Analysis revealed a trend towards using a collaborative model (56%), voluntary participation (59%), and direct workplace observation by a peer clinician (68%). Design features of the peer support strategy were commonly reported (65%), with half providing outcome measures (56%). Few papers reported on process evaluation (15%) or evidence of programme sustainability (15%). Despite logistical and time‐associated challenges, benefits accrued to individuals and the workplace, and included improved teaching practices. Embedding the peer support strategy into routine organisational practice proved effective. Conclusions The results indicated that a workplace‐based peer support model is an acceptable and effective faculty development strategy for health care clinical teachers. Conceptualising workplace‐based peer support via a sociocultural model that acknowledges the significance of educational design, peers as collaborators and the importance of workplace context and culture is emphasised. Future research should focus on clarification studies informed by contemporary models of faculty development, in which factors impacting the health care workplace are considered.

While educational design research promotes closer links between practice and theory, reporting its outcomes from iterations across multiple contexts is often constrained by the volumes of data generated, and the context bound nature of the research outcomes. Reports tend to focus on a single iteration of implementation without further research to determine the generalisability of the outcomes to new contexts. This paper outlines a retrospective analytical approach used to capture the significant design features of an online orientation resource implemented in one university context, and then adapted for further exploration, design and evaluation at a second contrasting university. The educational problem studied was how to support health science students to overcome barriers of transitioning to online distance study. A conjecture mapping process aligned to the three phases of educational design research provided a framework to review the outcomes at the first university. This guided the research at the second university, including choice of the data sources during implementation. This process enabled the researcher to undertake a comparative analysis and evaluate the extent of generalisability of the resource to the second university, leading to refined design principles and a framework that illustrates the student transition process.

<span>Few institutions have reported research on students' </span><em>use</em><span> of orientation programs designed for mature students returning to study in contemporary learning environments now regularly amalgamating distance and online strategies. We report within a design-based research framework the student experience of</span><em>GetLearning</em><span>, the third stage of an innovative online orientation program. Integral to the design is active student engagement with activities to extend their skills whilst still supported in a risk free environment. Analysis included observations of the patterns of student activity, students' responses in evaluation instruments, our reflections, and identification of the limitations to deployment of such orientation programs. We also provide a set of design principles to guide further development work and research.</span>

Postgraduate coursework is now delivered to a largely mature age study population, in what may be an unfamiliar mix of online and distance learning to many students. This paper reports on a novel approach to student orientation in this new environment. Orientation is conceptualised as a process of transition between the domain of everyday life and the domain of academic study over a period of time commencing prior to enrolment and continuing into formal studies. A schema addressing three dimensions (interpersonal, technical and reflective) was constructed and operationalised as a staged orientation plan (GettingOnTrack). Students are able to move through the three stages participating in activities which align with their needs before, during and after enrolment. This builds on critical concerns reported in earlier literature, highlighting the need for an extended time line and authentic learning tasks in a risk free environment.

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