Peer Learning on Fieldwork Placements

Abstract

I Placements with a ratio of one fieldwork educator to two or more students have potential benefits l for students and educators as well as for placement organisers, who have difficulty finding enough fieldwork experiences for students. A questionnaire was distributed to 14 students who had been on a 1:2 placement together, in order to find out what they perceived had been the advantages and disadvantages of this experience. Their responses were largely positive, giving enhanced learning and peer support as the main advantages. The most commonly cited disadvantage was added stress, which could occur if the two students were not compatible. It is recommended that this type of placement should be used more frequently, although it is Important that strategies should bẽ mPIOyed by fieldwork educators to exploit the full potential of the learning experienc_e_. _

A systematic review of peer teaching and learning in clinical education

“…Martin and Edwards (1998) and Yates et al. (1997) using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis, both reported on learning opportunities.…”

An integrated literature review of undergraduate peer teaching in allied health professions

“…Physiotherapy has investigated PAL slightly more often, but most of the research was grounded in the work of one researcher at a specific institution of higher learning. This limited literature acknowledges the need for more research on the topic, as the majority of findings in other health professions [1,2,[4][5][6] and the reviewed articles indicate that the value for staff, clinical placements and students' positive experiences outweigh the challenges.…”

“…increased student numbers, teaching professional skills in a clinical setting, increasing focus on group training, and challenges with clinical supervision and placements. The literature indicates that in allied health professions PAL is under-researched, [3] a view shared by Sevenhuysen et al [4] Martin and Edwards [5] added that although the benefits of peer learning have been well documented in the educational literature, it is less so in health professions education. PAL in allied health professions is not as well documented as in medicine and nursing, although common principles are relevant for most clinical training courses.…”

The use of Danielson's Framework in developing a new fieldwork training setting for 3rd year occupational therapy students from the University of the Western Cape

“…In the context of establishing the new fieldwork setting where there was no clinician the CSF had to fulfil a dual role. As the supervisor student ratio was 1:6 the students had to be disciplined about making and keeping individual appointments, and as Martin and Edwards 18 suggest, make use of peer learning opportunities. Students were able to take more responsibility for their own learning, provide emotional support to each other and began to feel that they could discuss their ideas and make use of the suggestions and feedback provided by their peers.…”