Faculty Development

One way of thinking about the teacher’s role in relation to students or trainees is to think in terms of the ‘learning journey’ upon which trainees or students are engaged. We mentioned the idea of planning in relation to a journey earlier in the module and it is a helpful metaphor around which to consider some of the elements of assessing learning or educational needs.

Because learners are working towards a professional qualification in the course of their studies, clinical teachers have to understand what this programme comprises in terms of the defined learning outcomes, content and assessment. So in one sense, the learning needs of students or trainees are already pre-defined in terms of a curriculum, syllabus or programme of study. The curriculum will be written down and each teaching or learning event needs to be relevant to the overall programme. Familiarising yourself with the intended or expected learning outcomes is a vital first step in assessing learning needs and planning teaching/learning activities. We look in more detail at this in the sections on setting learning objectives.

Although each student or trainee on a defined programme (e.g. undergraduate medical course, Foundation programme or specialist training programme) will be following a broadly similar programme of study leading to a common assessment and professional qualification, their individual experiences, learning styles and expectations from the programme will vary. This means that their individual learning needs will also be different and if the teacher is to help each learner achieve the defined learning outcomes, attention needs to be paid not only to the learning programme, but also to the needs and abilities of individuals. So, teachers are involved in assessing learning needs in the classroom, at the bedside or in the consulting room, in both formal and informal ways. But clinical teachers are often also involved in supporting learners in their professional and personal development and in other guidance and supervision activities such as appraisal and career advice.

There are many opportunities for assessing learning needs and setting learning outcomes with learners on a day-to-day basis. Spencer’s article ‘Learning and teaching in the clinical environment’ (2003) describes a range of aspects and activities concerned with helping clinical teachers to optimise teaching and learning opportunities that arise in daily practice, such as planning, using appropriate questioning techniques and teaching in different clinical contexts. Such techniques often involve discussing learners’ performance or understanding, but the techniques are built into everyday practice. 

In this module, we will look at two main aspects of assessing learning needs: in teaching situations and as part of continuing professional development (CPD) or personal and professional development.