Traditionally students were not the active agents and learning was based on listening and observing but over the decades medical education has showed the transformation by focusing on the learning product by means of “Authentic learning” which is best practiced by providing quality learning experience to the students. Authentic learning is learning by practicing and working on real life problems, it engages learners by providing opportunities of solving real-world complex problems and finding out solutions.
This way it also gives them open platform to practice skills and knowledge relevant and real to the workplace situations and learn it at same time by giving them insights of the complexities and ambiguities of real life. For example: Nutritionist – Assign your students to predict potential health problems based on specific dietary habits. Detective- Asking students to solve the mysterious case based on the given scenario2.
The concept of authentic learning plays a significant role when the practice-based profession comes into picture like the healthcare professional particularly in Physical therapy education. A student’s foundational learning can take place in practicum spaces which resembles closely to health care setting than a lecture hall encouraging them to develop more holistic approach in patient care. In general aspect this might look like using 3-D models to gain visual aspect of real structural and functional anatomy and physiology of the body, performing dissections on cadavers to understand the various muscle and nerve supplies and basic mechanism of movements, providing students with case study and asking them to identify the health-related issues and design an intervention program.
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This may include role paly exercises and participating in virtual communities of practice too or simply giving students problems or conditions to develop and enhance their problem-solving skills and clinical reasoning. For example: A 60 years old male patient walks into your clinic complaining of knee and back pain, has history of fracture of right knee 1 year back and was operated for it. Identify short term and long-term goals for the patient and develop an intervention program.
Along with mastering in the vast academic knowledge of healthcare field students are also expected to be efficient in complex clinical skills which involves real patients. The patients come with real health issues and emotions where the cost of error is high therefore demanding for the professional, confident and highly skilled healthcare provider. This new trend of authentic learning thus places a broad implication for clinical setting.
Mock clinical spaces designed to replicate variety of clinical settings allows students to gain comfort and develop skills by using healthcare equipment, protocols and work settings in a realistic environment for example asking students to perform passive stretches and manual muscle testing on their peers can be the best way to teach them different types and proper techniques of stretching and manual muscle testing without their need to memorize it, practicing blood pressure measurements on simulated arm or on peers where students get opportunity to learn proper handling of equipment’s along with enhancing their skills. Replicated physical therapy centers includes gyms with exercise equipment, handrails, steps, ramps, exercise mats necessary for the training program.
The present change in the educational reform has become evident to me student with two of courses:
- First – PT 591- Teaching Approaches and Strategies for Physical Therapists
So, the course focuses on the development and implementation of teaching approaches and strategies for the classroom and clinic where we as students are expected to be able to create objectives, assessments and educational strategies to be able to teach in class. So, the authentic experience of teaching in real world (in front of real students) was provided by creating this simulated class environment.
- Second- HLP 525- course will review common exercise testing and PA assessment methods, and outline exercise prescription recommendations for healthy and clinical populations.
Authentic experience of planning individualized exercise program was given by providing with a mock case study with various conditions to each student. Where we had to risk stratify the patient for cardiovascular disease, recommend goals, plan exercise program for 3 months and maintenance phases and outline the general plan for monitoring the progress of the patient.
References
- Authentic Learning: Teaching for “Real Life”. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.envisionexperience.com/blog/authentic-learning-teaching-for-real-life
- (2018). Retrieved from https://www.edglossary.org/authentic-learning/
- (2018). Retrieved from http://www.ls3p.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/AlliedHealthBooklet-eLibrary.pdf
- Conn, J., Lake, F., McColl, G., Bilszta, J., & Woodward-Kron, R. (2012). Clinical teaching and learning: from theory and research to application. The Medical Journal of Australia, 196(8), 527. doi: 10.5694/mja10.11473
- Toy, S., McKay, R., Walker, J., Johnson, S., & Arnett, J. (2017). Using Learner-Centered, Simulation-Based Training to Improve Medical Students’ Procedural Skills. Journal of Medical Education and Curricular Development, 4, 238212051668482. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/2382120516684829
