EVALUATION OF PLACEMENT LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES Dr Poppy Turner

Guidelines for the Evaluation of Placement Opportunities Written feed-back please. Handout. Is there anything you want to discuss as a group?

With new understanding of placement learning, we can now use Frameworks and Models for Evaluation for deeper analysis of any problem placements. We will practice with feedback from your own students

Stages of Effective Evaluation of Placement Learning Opportunties 1.Information on employers/host institutions 2.Feedback on students’ perspectives of their placement experiences 3.If feedback is negative, in-depth evaluation 4.Minor problems can usually be remedied 5.Serious negative feedback/ major problems may necessitate termination

Frameworks for analysis = questions to help understanding of placement situations What is the nature of the work? What is the level of supervision or support for learning and learner? What is the role and status of the student in the organisation? What are the learning outcomes likely to be achieved?

Understanding students’ perspectives, from their feedback ASK YOURSELF … What does the student think of their placement work? What do they feel about their supervision or support? What does the student think and feel about their role and status on placement? What does the student say about their learning?

Models = shorthand illustrations of complex placement situations Student’s role/ status and emotions: valued team member (‘like being in a family’), high self-esteem and positive attitude Placement work/activity: varied work with real purpose and/or a challenging research project. Work at the junior professional level Learning outcomes: Knowledge and understanding. Higher skills/ expertise. Creativity, innovation. Growth & development of individual potential. Becoming a professional and/or enriched personal identity Placement situation with HIGH POTENTIAL for learning Culture/environment: good/ appropriate supervision, supportive colleagues, nurturing environment fostering knowledge and understanding, some social life

Now an illustration using negative feedback Student’s role/ status/ emotions: used as cheap labour, general dogs body, not valued, low confidence, low self-esteem (‘I fell apart’) Placement work/ activity: menial, repetitive work, seen as boring. Student’s main activity can become avoidance of an unpleasant boss or appeasement of a moody supervisor Learning outcomes: Low level skills, little increased knowledge. Little opportunity for creativity. Sometimes mis- education (e.g. ‘interesting lab work is an oxymoron’). Decision to leave science on graduation Culture/environment: poor or absent supervision and/or support, competitive or hyper-critical environment, understanding and creativity inadequately fostered, absence of positive social interactions Placement situation with LOW LEARNING POTENTIAL

LET’S PLAY - with your data!! Handout: Frameworks questions and blank model The more you practice with these Frameworks and Models, the more they stick in your mind. Eventually, you will ‘know’ about placement learning and the quality of placement situations by visualising them in your head; you may only need to perform these exercises to explain your thinking to others.

That was a whistle-stop tour of learning – especially placement learning and its evaluation. To discuss further: Feedback please!! Frameworks and Models for Analytical Evaluation of Placement Learning Opportunities