Ladyshewski (2002) and others acknowledge the benefits of “reciprocal peer coaching” where pairs or groups of students work together under the guidance of one clinical educator.
“Peer Assisted learning in clinical education is a form of indirect teaching in which you, the clinical instructor/supervisor, structure problems and then organize the students to work them out.” (Ladyshewski, 2002)
Peer coaching provides a safe place for students to explore solutions as they examine clinical problems and their own clinical performance. The result is enhanced self-confidence and the development of higher level thinking, social interaction and communication skills. This process “helps students to wean themselves away from considering supervisors as the sole source of knowledge and understanding.” (Ladyshewski, 2002)
Ideas for the Clinical Educator:
When implementing peer coaching ideas, it is important to be clear about how the process will work: i.e., what is each student’s responsibility? how will individual performance be evaluated? what is the process students will follow if they run into difficulties? Once ground rules are established, here are some ways you could include peer coaching in your clinical teaching:
- have pairs of students observe each other and provide feedback to each other
- have students do a joint assessment of a client or clients, come up with management goals and write a report
- assign a pair of students to work with one client or treatment group
- develop a clinical project that will be carried out by a pair or group of students
What strategies do you find work well with different learners? Let us know
References:
Ladyshewsky, R. (2002). Enhancing Clinical Reasoning through Reciprocal Peer Coaching. Collegeof Health Disciplines Interprofessional Clinical Educator Workshop, Vancouver, B.C.
Ladyshewsky, R. (2000). Peer assisted learning in clinical education: A review of terms and learning principles. Journal of Physical Therapy Education. 14:2.
Lincoln, M. & McAllister, L. (1993). Peer learning in clinical education. Medical Teacher, 15,1,17-25.