louise o'connor lsbu mar. 20081 collaborative learning in partnership louise o’connor london...

Louise O'Connor LSBU Mar. 2008

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Collaborative Learning in Partnership

Louise O’ConnorLondon South Bank University

March 2008


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“It’s all good in the end. This Unit drags you out of your comfort zone by the throat and batters you with learning.” Student quote


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Focus of Study & Workshop Plan

First stage of two-part study

Undergraduate BA Social Work & BSc Nursing and Social Work (learning disabilities)

Focus on teaching & learning of ‘Partnership

& Participation’

Overview & Background Research project

Collaborative task Reflections? Initial findings Questions / Themes


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Partnership - a dangerous liaison? (Preston-Shoot 2007:670)

Original Module & assignment (essay)

Involvement in SCIE Knowledge Review (2006)

Missed opportunities?

06/07 Piloted group learning activity

Students + lecturer reflection & feedback on pilot and assignment

What does it mean? How can we teach this?


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Revised Module aims: Maximise collaborative inter / intra-

professional learning Explicit emphasis on: - group work theory and skills - personal and experiential

learning Effective collaboration necessary to

achieve outcome Group & individual elements ‘Intrinsic motivation’ (Mc Dowell, 2001)


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Learning Process & Assessment Tasks

Group task (40%) Random groups Identified self-directed

study periods Exploration of key themes

related to partnership Application to case

scenario Group presentation and

group mark

Individual Task (60%)Produce posterCriteria included : understanding of

partnership and participation analysis of anti-oppressive

aspects reflection on learning

process & group experience identification of personal

skills


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Study – Stage 1: Key Questions

Impact of an innovative learning and assessment process?

Contribution to students’ collaborative and individual learning?

Skill and knowledge development (within and across professional boundaries).


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Workshop Small Group Task

Task:1. Introductions, name & role.2. Plan a group presentation called ‘The

Strengths and Limitations of Service User Involvement in Social Work Education’

3. Identify 3 key areas of theory / research that will inform the presentation

4. 3 weeks to prepare; present in CCCU 31 March

5. Develop basic plan to achieve task


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Workshop Task

Consider: How would you plan this as a group? Assume your normal ‘day job’ / roles

continue. How can you collaborate? What needs to be thought about? What challenges or difficulties might

arise?


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Reflection: Stop & Think!

How did you: share information about

yourselves? negotiate plan? agree communication? agree roles? negotiate practicalities identify possible challenges?

Did everyone have a voice?

Secret fantasies?


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Study – Stage 1: Data Two cohorts of employment based (EBR) undergraduate

social work students (social care posts, attend part-time) Mature, experienced & ethnically diverse: EBR 06 – 17 students EBR 05 – 20 students Taught jointly – 12 week module

Questionnaire (Likert Scales) & Focus group

Stage 2 – 50 Social Work & 25 Nursing / Social Work students

(May 08)

37


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Respondents: 14 White / White British 10 Minority Ethnic 4 Ethnicity not indicated Age 25-57. (Mean 42) 18 female 8 male 1 disabled

28 questionnaires completed

1 focus group


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Views on Personal Learning‘I learn more when ..’(1 strongly disagree 5 Strongly agree) I experience challenge

or tensionI am involved in small group discussions


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Skill development: Time management Team work Communication Negotiation Personal awareness Reflection Presentation Assertiveness Use of IT Researching literature

Group task improved skills in all areas

Range – 70-92%


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Improve Skills in Interprofessional Practice?


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Understanding of Theory / Literature:

Group dynamics* Groupwork models Partnership Participation Anti-oppressive practice* Applying theory to practice*

Group task improved skills in all areas

Range – 64 –77%

* Increase in ‘Disagree’ / ‘Don’t know’


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Focus Group - analysis in progress

Initial themes: Strong emotions and behaviours

experienced in groups

Complexity of process

Learning achieved


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Questions raised by Preliminary Analysis: Facilitation of groups to enhance learning and

conflict resolution? – or will this prevent learning?

Relevance of identities within and across professional boundaries?

Impact of physical location on behaviour / identities?


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Qualitative Data Main benefits? Student quotes:

‘putting partnership skills into practice – clarifying roles, challenging each other, developing shared responsibility..’

‘working with difference i.e. colleagues’ perspectives, attitudes & ways of working .. helped me to accept these and share my ideas..’

‘Learning to manage group dynamics and the complexities involved’..


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Qualitative data Main drawbacks? Student quotes:

‘personalities & levels of participation … although this exists in the workplace managers and supervisors are there to support the group’..’

‘not being able to complete tasks to my own

agenda, timeframe..’

‘it does not always show the difficulties that occurred and the learning that took place’

Group conflict …. it got nasty and personal..


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Focus Group Themes:Tension, safety, control …

‘It was very difficult .. Lots of tensions, lots of ‘storming’ all the way through..

‘Two cohorts .. power dynamics going on..’

‘There was a feeling … “them and us”…’

Maybe they felt it was a safe environment .. the university .. a lot of stuff came out.. they would not have been said in workplace ..’


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Focus Group Themes: professional boundaries / identities

'they would be disciplined for some of the things that were said…

‘work is safe because you know there is some sort of redress…’

‘in work … always difficult professionals .. [but] always someone higher managing that…’


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Correspondence to Louise O’Connor [email protected]

Senior Lecturer in Social WorkFaculty of Health & Social Care, London South Bank

University


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ReferencesBarr, H. Interprofessional education, Today, yesterday and tomorrow. A Review. Learning &

Teaching Support Network for Health Sciences & Practice, CAIPE.

Jackson, c. (2007) Motivating learning through innovative assessment http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/eds/presentations/conference_2007/caroline_jackson.ppt Accessed

online 20 Jan 2008

McDowell, L. (2001) Students and innovative assessment. York: LTSN Generic Centre [available online] www.heacademy.ac.uk

Preston-Shoot, M. (2004) Responding by Degrees: Surveying the Education and Practice Landscape. Social Work Education Vol. 23, No. 6, December 2004, pp. 667–692

Race,P, Brown, S, Smith, S. (2005) 2nd Ed. 500 Tips on assessment. London: Routledge.

Taylor, I, Sharland, E, Sebba, J, Leriche, P, with Keep, A & Orr, D. (2006) The learning , teaching and assessment of partnership work in social work education. Knowledge Review 10. Social Care Institute for Excellence

louise o'connor lsbu mar. 20081 collaborative learning in partnership louise o’connor london...

Documents

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