NUR09714 Learning Teaching and Assessment Strategies-Learning Styles

A second year student will be coming to a mentor’s work area for a 5 week placement. The mentor has been informed that the student had been underachieving in their previous placement. Discuss how the mentor would develop learning, teaching and assessment strategies to support the student to achieve a successful outcome. Utilise /refer to the module content, the learning opportunities and resources in the practice area and further reading, to develop your discussion. Conclude your discussion with how the learning gained would apply to your future practice as a mentor’.

Explore the literature related to under achieving students and the consequences of failing to fail the student. Identify the common behaviours of underachieving students Explore the literature related to the role of mentor in clinical practice and the unique relationship with their mentee.

Discuss the range of learning styles and the ways in which learning styles can be identified. Ascertain why learning styles are key to learning, teaching and assessment.Specify your mentees learning style and apply to your discussion and analysis. 

Determine how knowledge and application of learning theories in your role as mentor can enhance student learning. Demonstrate how you would apply theory to mentorship.   

Explore the literature to consider how the clinical environment impacts on the student learning experience Provide evidence of SWOT analysis and how you make use of this in practice.  This can relate to clinical learning environment. Consider objective setting during the initial interview using a SMART approach This section should emphasise the value of accurate record keeping.Consider the use of an action plan to demonstrate accurate record keeping  (how to make the student succeed).

Identifying an underachieving leaner

Underachieving may be defined as giving back results lower than expected. Therefore, when a leaner performs lower that what is expected of him or her that may be termed as underachieving. Surprisingly, to identify an underachiever one must be familiar with the students capability hence can flexibly identify when she or she performs contrary to what is expected. Hence identifying an underachiever a teacher should compare pervious result to the current ones thus establishing the leaners poor results. Furthermore, assessment tests play an important role in identifying an underachiever since when leaners are engaged in assessment tests they assess a leaners capability. On the other hand, attitude can help a teacher identify an underachiever this is possible when a teacher compares present attitude to the previous thus noting a negative change. Continuous underachieve from a student can result to poor grades, bad attitude towards school, and at extreme points may result to school drop-out. Sometimes it may be difficult to notice underachievement in students when their results after assessment seem average but rebellion, demotivation, and lack of concentration can aid a teacher to notice underachievement in a student. However, there is need to take relevant action when you notice poor performance in a student to help build the student’s skills.  

Role of a mentor in the underachieving student

When there is continued underachievement in a student need to refer the student to a mentor is necessary who have been seen to play an important in helping a student performance. The mentor will then formulates an action plan to aid improve the students’ performance (Kilgallon & Thompson, 2012, p. 43). This may include motivation programs which will help encourage the learner despite his or her underachieving. When a leaner is motivated they are encouraged not to doubt their ability since very one is capable. Motivation will also help increase a leaners capability since their self-esteem is built thus they are able to achieve more. Therefore, a mentor may act as a motivator encourage the under achieving leaner to improve in their academics.

  Secondly, a mentor may invite the leaner to conducts more of several written or verbal self-assessment feedbacks on their daily progress. Despite, adopting programs which will aid in assisting the leaner need to assess progress is very important. This is because assessing the progress will guide the mentor on whether they should change the method their using (Holley & Joseph, 2013, p. 53). On the other hand, when the assessments are done improvement can be easily noted. As a result the mentor may identify if the leaner is well equipped with relevant knowledge thus he or she may quite the mentorship program.

Furthermore, a mentor acts as a person of reference when the leaner needs help. A mentor is then expected to be a friendly and open person because he or she acts as the person of reference (Hanson, 2011, p. 45). When the leaner has a difficult time at school or needs more guidance on a particular area the mentor should be the first option. Therefore, a mentor should be readily available hence institutions advices that a mentor should be more of relative oriented. On the other hand, if a mentor does not have sufficient skills on what a leaner is asking about they should take up the responsibility to research more thus been of benefit to the leaner.

Moreover, a mentor should be able to identify appropriate learning opportunities thus meeting their objectives. Normally, the key objective a mentor in an underachieving student is to guide the student on how he or she may improve in academics. Therefore, a mentor should adopt learning opportunities or rather the enough time needed to discuss more on how to improve in academics (Manzey, 2010, p. 33). Hence the mentor is expected to set aside time when the two will be meeting to address various grievances thus leading to an improvement in the students’ performance. When identifying the appropriate opportunities the mentor is also expected to plan for the next meeting and also give the student briefings on what they will discuss next time to keep the student psychologically prepared.

Learning styles and their application to learning, teaching, and assessment of students

Learning styles are very important in institution since they aid determine the understanding of a student. However, the styles may be several in numbers but a teacher should be able to identify the best fit thus adopting the style for teaching (Fox, 2013, p. 61). On the other hand, application of learning styles id determined by the level of education the learning styles used in lower grades are not expected to be used in higher level of education such as universities. Furthermore, the styles used in assessment of students have remained a challenge to the world since when a society about a certain assessment style it has become expensive to change the style. Therefore, some assessment styles have resulted to boredom since they have been used for so long. Generally, learning styles may be referred to as the way and individual leaner tries to learn. They include how learning is approached and how information learnt is utilized.

They are several learning styles their application to learning, teaching, and assessment of students which include auditory learning. This is the most common learning style since it involves learning mainly through hearing. Auditory learning may be termed as the first style of learning introduced to us as early as our infant years (Smilkstein, 2011, p. 41). This is evident since mothers have continued to talk to children even before they acquire the talking skills. Through this learning style we are all able to communicate what since we have continued to learn through the auditory style. Nevertheless, the auditory keeps improving since when we start school other learning styles are introduced. However, in auditory our lower grade teachers are seen to emphasis more on a specific learning style known as the receivers learning style. The receiver’s styles include memorizing concepts. It’s a very common style since teachers often reinforce the style to favour understanding of some concepts and to some point even reward learners who are best in memorizing. Surprisingly, what most of use leant using this style can still be remembered up to date since the style emphasizes more on memorizing concepts. However, the style has continued to face various challenges in higher education levels since it might not be effective in higher levels of education.

Secondly, students use visual style for learning which is characterized by learning mainly through seeing. This is mostly common in colleges and high schools where students are introduced to practical learning and extends to university depending on the areas of specialization (Pritchard, 2017, p. 73). Visual learning style includes teaching with experiments thus the students are able to learn through seeing. Furthermore, visual learning is known to be the most effective since its characterized by remembering what a student actually saw. Visual learning is the learning style that has created utmost satisfaction to students since they can easily experiment what they have been taught. Scholars often further classify this style to be the detective style since it involves more of experiments and trial and error. The detectives style is a method common in higher education levels which is characterized by investigating what is been taught. Through this style the leaners are enhanced with more skills since they do the bigger part themselves improving their skills. Due to trial and error the style has continued to enhance acquiring of knowledge since students involve themselves in trial and error until they are able to achieve an experiment’s aim.

Kinesthetic is also another common learning style which is characterized by learning through doing. The visual style and kinesthetic may be similar in some ways but in kinesthetic is mostly characterized by leaners doing the learning by themselves. This style of learning may require a student to be highly motivated hence applied in higher levels of education since leaners at that point are self-driven and do not require supervision to leaner (Coates, 2007, p. 15) Mostly the learning style is common in universities where students are required to do various researches by themselves without the help of a teacher. Scholars often characterize the kinesthetic style to a generating style. This is characterized by leaners making personal decision of what they to learn. They then look for opportunities themselves to learn the skills this type of learning is common in technical skills.

Application of learning theories

The learning theories are simply conceptual frameworks which tend to describe how knowledge is processed, absorbed, and retained during learning. They are three learning theories namely andragogy/pedagogy, cognitive, and behavioral theories. The theories are applied depending on the nature of the students and their academic level (Dochy, 2011, p. 45). Pedagogy or the andragogy theory is characterized by underlying principles and values that influence approaches to teaching, learning, and assessment. The theory is characterized by giving serious considerations to students thus involves thinking about long term learning outcomes. The theory application aids in rising contemporary forms of learning, teaching, and assessment thus has been made popular by interactive and digital teaching.

Secondly, cognitive theory is a theory that is significant in overcoming many negative aspects of personality. According to this theory there is a belief that cognitions will always precede emotions therefore, changing our thoughts. The cognitive theory has been applied often in treatment thus enabling various assessment techniques hence their nature of quick assessments on an individual’s functioning (Gillies & Ashman, 2003, p. 34). Furthermore, the theory has gained popularity due to its nature of positive results in both professional and pop psychology arenas.

On the other hand, behavioral theory is known to have greater impact on researches addressing treatment and assessment of behavioral problems (Ivancevic & Reid, 2015, p. 33). For instance, clinical groups have been seen to use this theory on persons with mental retardation hence their effectiveness in clinical observation. When such facilities apply such theories their aim is to change behavior thus the approach has continued to be applied by clinical groups.

Importance of clinical learning environment

Learning environment is very important to consider when setting up an institution. Have you ever imagined learning at your job place like nurses or doctors? This has improved their performance since as they learn their not only able to put in practice what they leaner but also gain experience (IGGULDEN, 2009, p. 63). As a result clinical learning environment has been encouraged to be in hospitals to facilitate the leaners effectiveness to their area of work.

Strengths

There are unplanned experiences which might not be applicable in classrooms. While leaners are also in a clinical environment they are well integrate to agency routines and feel a sense of belonging (Walsh, 2014, p. 68). Furthermore, the students are able to acquire feedback on their performance hence are able to assess the areas that they need to improve. On the other hand, most clinical leaners work part time thus there are able to earn income while they are still learning.

Weaknesses

Despite the numerous advantages of a clinical environment the environment has several weaknesses. When students practice what their taught they end up messing up as a result causing worsening of a patient’s health. Such cases of trial and error have been common when students perform experiences with patients. On the other hand, some unexpected experiences has resulted to a shock to the students thus some end up resulting to alternative courses hence at some point clinical environment should be discouraged.   

Opportunities

 Clinical learning environment has continued to offer its students numerous opportunities. Students learning in their work environment may end up securing a job at the same hospital. Therefore the clinical environment has offered employment opportunities to nursing students (Walsh, 2014, p. 73). Furthermore, the clinical environment has offered opportunities for real life experiences. Nurses may apply directly to a patient what they learnt. For example, a nurse may apply conduct a first aids that he or she was taught earlier in the day.

Treats

When students are placed in a clinical environment they face discrimination since they are discriminated due to the fact that they lack experience. Furthermore, the students face discrimination when patients reject been treated by personnel without sufficient experience as a result the students have continued to be discouraged in such learning environments. Leaner are also treated improperly by their instructors. For instance, when a student makes a mistake the doctors often reprimanded them right at the patient’s bed as a result the patient does not trust the student again.

Promoting learning in practice

   When students learn and get to practice what they are been taught these has helped them to be equipped with the relevant knowledge that is required in the job industry. Such experiences also aid in ensuring that what is taught is implemented in real life experiences. Moreover, practice helps build confidence since a student will be comfortable applying the same knowledge in the work industry (Carnwell, Buchanan, & Carnwell, 2009, p. 34). Therefore, debates have arisen on whether assessment to promote learning practice is necessary.  

To promote student success in their academic leaners then need to be encouraged to effective collaboration. Collaboration may be via small group discussions which will aid students understand and retain materials. Group discussions also improve communication skills as a result increasing awareness of their classmates as learning resources. Furthermore, peer instruction exercises which include solving question paired with group discussion will result to success.

Nevertheless, your personal efforts as a student play a significant role to ensure that we perform in our learning institutions (Daniels, Edwards, Engestro?m, Gallagher, & Ludvigsen, 2013, p. 45). Students who are have self-awareness and emotional intelligence will always perform better in their academics compared to other students. Furthermore, the practice of critical thinking, direct questions, and reflection helps compose a leaners skills thus they are always performing. With these skills the student can now involve in group works to create a better understanding of concepts taught.  However, frequent chats with your personal mentor will also aid keep a student motivated and always on toes of what is expected of them when they are their learning institutions. Despite the various strategies to ensure that there is success in learning institutions assessment tests determines how effective the strategies  were and the teachers from the assessment test are able to adjust accordingly thus favoring the leaner.

Furthermore, planning for the assessments is very important to enhance their effectiveness. This may include a mentor organizing for assessments in terms of initial assessments, midway assessments, and final assessments. When the mentor plans for assessments in such a manner their can comfortably identify improvement and decide when they should move to the next assessment test. The initial assessment should be given by the mentor immediately he or she starts mentor sessions with the student to ascertain that the student is really an under performer.  The mentor is then expected to continuously do midway assessments which should be several in numbers depending on the response of the leaner. When the mentor is fully satisfied by the result he or she is subject to do final assessment which generally should be though to ascertain that the student has fully gained from the mentorship and can comfortably continue with his or her studies without supervision.  

Conclusion

In conclusion, despite adopting various learning, teaching, and assessment strategies an individual student makes the personal decision on whether or not to improve their performances. On the other hand, learning and teaching should be continuous and sometimes should keep varying to pick the best of fit method which students adopt with. Nevertheless, students should be motivated that the importance of learning is not only to pass assessment tests but also apply what they are being taught in real life situations. Leaners should also be advised not to wholly depend on the teachers but should also research more on themselves to help create more understanding. Furthermore, most learning institutions have been seen to use only one assessment method which is mainly assessment tests. The tests have created boredom in students thus need to frequently change their assessment styles. Moreover, the tests have been seen to create content mastery only for the sake of exams and forgotten soon after the exams. Therefore, students end up not applying what was taught in real life situations.

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