14. Evaluating the Learning Experience

CHAPTER 14. Evaluating the Learning Experience

Chapter Aims
The purpose of this chapter is to explore strategies for evaluating the quality of the learning experience for students and your success as a mentor. After reading this chapter you will be able to:


• Explain why evaluation is important.


• Identify strategies for evaluating the student experience in practice.


• Identify your own strengths and weaknesses as a mentor.



Why evaluation is important


Just as it is important to evaluate the care you deliver to patients and clients it is also important to evaluate the quality of a student’s learning experience with you, not only to determine whether they had an effective learning experience themselves but also whether you were effective in your role as a mentor. You might question whether you can have one without the other, but feedback from students suggests that they can achieve their learning objectives despite having a mentor who has been unsupportive or ineffective. However, where students have a good mentor (and we’ll discuss what makes a good mentor later) there is no question that their learning will be enhanced. Evaluation therefore will enable you to improve your mentorship skills and so the learning experience for future students.


When to evaluate


Evaluation is often seen as something that takes place at the end of a programme or in this case a placement. However, evaluation should be ongoing, you certainly wouldn’t wait until the end of a patient’s stay to evaluate whether your care had been effective, nor should you with a student!

Just as you give feedback at regular intervals to your student it is also helpful to get feedback from them on the support you and other staff are providing them and whether their objectives and learning needs are being met. This gives the student an opportunity to raise any concerns which can be managed rather than waiting until the end when it is too late. Sometimes you may not be able to change what the student is unhappy about but the fact that you have asked and listened will go a long way with the student and it will have identified something that the placement can work on for the future.



The student’s experience of the placement


Students are required by the university to evaluate their experience in practice and this contributes to the university quality assurance processes. Student evaluation is undertaken by the university and should be fed back to the placement providers at regular intervals. There is no standard evaluation tool, so each university will have a different approach to this and the type of questions they ask. If you have never seen the evaluations of your area by students you should first check with your manager whether they have received them and failing that contact the link lecturer attached to your area who should be able to provide you with a copy or show you how to access them if available on-line. The areas that the questions are likely to cover are:


• preparation and orientation to the placement


• mentor support


• learning opportunities and experience


• assessment process


• learning climate (what the area is like overall for learning).






























































































Table 14.1 Sample student evaluation form for practice placements
Based on the Student Evaluation form at Thames Valley University.

Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree
Preparation and orientation
I was orientated to the placement including, fire regulations, health & safety issues, resuscitation equipment policy & routines on my first day



Preparation and orientation
The practice area was expecting me



Mentor and teacher support
I was allocated a mentor at the start of my placement



Mentor and teacher support
My mentor welcomed me, was friendly and approachable and treated me as an individual



Mentor and teacher support
My mentor was keen to support and facilitate my learning



Mentor and teacher support
My mentor was knowledgeable about my course and the assessment scheme



Mentor and teacher support
I worked with my mentor a minimum of 40% of the time



Mentor and teacher support
Planned absence of my mentor was covered with a co-mentor



Mentor and teacher support
My mentor provided a menu of learning opportunities and helped me to organize the learning experiences



Mentor and teacher support
I was made aware of the contact person from my university and how to contact them



Learning in practice assessment
I was guided in clarifying the learning objective for the placement



Learning in practice assessment
I had opportunities to observe skilled practitioners delivering care



Learning in practice assessment
I had opportunities to participate in delivery of care under guidance and supervision



Learning in practice assessment
I received regular feedback on my performance



Learning in practice assessment
The learning opportunities were structured and coordinated to help me develop competencies



Learning in practice assessment
I had opportunities to discuss and reflect on issues relating to practice and theory



Learning in practice assessment
I had opportunities to attend teaching sessions where available, undertake visits and meet other practitioners relevant to the placement area



Learning in practice assessment
Practice assessment criteria were explained to me



Learning in practice assessment
The assessment process and completion of documentation was appropriate and timely



Learning climate
Learning opportunities available were relevant to my learning outcomes



Learning climate
The staff attached great importance to the learning needs of students



Learning climate
All staff including students feel part of the health care team



Learning climate
There was a range of learning resources available in this placement



Learning climate
I was able and encouraged to ask questions



Learning climate
The provision of care reflects respect for privacy, dignity, cultural beliefs and evidence-based practice



Learning climate
The patient care needs really are given first priority



Learning climate
This was a good unit for my learning





The quality of the placement as a learning environment



Educational audits


Universities are required by the NMC to undertake an educational audit of all areas that they use for student placements. The rationale for this is to ensure that the placement has sufficient resources to support the number of students who will be placed there at any one time and that it can provide the appropriate learning opportunities to enable the students to meet specified learning outcomes (i.e. your placement may be appropriate for students at any point on a programme or only appropriate for a specific part of a programme). However, an audit also enables the university and practice to identify specific areas in a placement that the staff there may need help and support to maintain, improve or develop to ensure the quality of the learning environment for students as well as for identifying areas of good practice that can be disseminated to other placement areas.

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Jun 15, 2016 | Posted by in NURSING | Comments Off on 14. Evaluating the Learning Experience

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