Best practice from Tallinn Health Care College

One new trend/ form is a workplace-based training or apprenticeship training. Workplace – based learning (WBL) is an educational strategy that provides students with real-life work experiences where they can apply academic and technical skills and develop their employability. Its value has often been assessed on the viewpoint of students or employers. However, work-based supervisors play as important role as the others. Although supervisor’s role is extremely important, sometimes it seems that supervisors have not yet understood the content of their new role.

We live in a turbulent era. The only stable thing is that everything changes. These changes also affect education, and traditional classroom learning is accompanied with other forms and strategies. One new trend/ form is a workplace-based training or apprenticeship training. Workplace – based learning (WBL) is an educational strategy that provides students with real-life work experiences where they can apply academic and technical skills and develop their employability. It is important and popular form of learning. But its value has often been assessed on the viewpoint of students or employers. However, work-based supervisors play as important role as the others. Although supervisor’s role is extremely important, sometimes it seems that supervisors have not yet understood the content of their new role. Supervising is a new task for them which requires different attitude, new competences, and extra time.

TTHK has offered workplace-based training since 2009. Starting with the new form of learning we soon understood that supervisors require additional attention. In order to find out how supervisors themselves see this new role, we implemented a mini-survey.

The survey implemented in Tallinn Health Care College, Estonia revels that work-based supervisors/ mentors/ tutors at workplace/ organizations are competent practitioners but their pedagogical competences are rather modest. Moreover, supervisors do not define themselves as teachers and although they have to assess, the grades they give to supervisees/ students are formal and include no constructive feedback which is crucial for professional development. “I think that school should still do the teaching stuff.” However, in Estonia 2/3 of the curricula is achieved at the workplace, which means that quite a lot should be taught at work. Here we would like to share some findings from the survey, believing that the supervisors’ problems are universal. And relying on our practice we also give some recommendations.

The number of supervisees per supervisor Relying on the practice of TTHK usually one supervisor has one supervisee. However, we recommend having more, for example three. This number is adequate to manage the process and it also fosters teamwork. Time spent on supervising. When we ask how often they meet their supervisee, the answer is that more than three times, and usually one meeting lasts 24 hours. “We work in the same shift.” “I see her every day.” It shows that they do not consider supervising process as one separate activity. It is not officially planned meeting, but just regular working process. Although they meet their students/ supervisees regularly at work they do not appreciate the need to create special study environment. That kind of situation is confusing to students. They do not see their supervisors as co- teachers. We recommend one meeting once a week, which is just for supervising. This is the time where supervisor and supervisee can talk about learning. Here the supervisor can ask what the supervisee has learnt at school, also look at the outcomes and see which outcomes should be achieved at school and which at work. This cannot be done while they are working. However, supervisors are not willing to arrange these meetings. “How can I ask her to come to the meeting at her free time.” One should remember that the supervisee has different roles and in this case she is not employer but a student and school hours differ from working hours. Information about workplace – based learning Most supervisors get information about the supervising process from the supervisees. They also get information about the school-based coordinator and some even have read the curricula. However, the school-based coordinator arranges different meetings for the supervisor: one at the beginning where the process is discussed and also the outcomes of the curricula are explained. Then there are meetings at the end of each term. Unfortunately, our supervisors are too occupied to attend the meetings. And it is very complicated to find a time that suits every supervisor. We recommend the supervisors to plan these meetings ahead so that both supervisors and supervisees know and can attend. These meetings are important to understand the process. The most difficult items in the supervising process The most difficult for the supervisor process is to find time for supervising, it also includes time for meeting school-based coordinator and learn more about the supervising process. Problematics are also tasks connected with assessment.

They are not used to assessment criteria and they do not want to be a “bad” supervisor. “How can put her a bad mark, we work together.”’ However, they do not fid difficult to motivate students, because the students are already motivated. “My supervisee is very eager and wants to learn everything, every time she comes back from school her eyes shine.” We recommend the school to motivate the organization to find time for the supervisor for supervising and allow them to attend training arranged by the school for the supervisors. Positive aspects But the thighs the supervisors like the most are mainly the possibility to learn new things – teaching the others you learn the most. But also the possibility to meet new challenges and this new role gives an opportunity to get to know with colleague in a totally different way. “It is so fantastic now I know much more about my colleague; I did not know that she has four children – she is such a good and hard working person. “

Conclusion: To sum up workplace-based learning is highly appreciated also by the supervisors, although there are some challenges to overcome.

“Co-operation with my assistant has become better.”
“The study process raised the care workers self-esteem.”
“The theoretical knowledge learnt at school can be immediately applied at work.”

And to overcome these challenges we recommend:
1. Agree on a SPECIFIC time to meet with your supervisor, for example, every Monday at 10:00.
2. Meet at the agreed time.
3. Familiarize yourself with the learning outcomes and the activities required to achieve them.
4. Get to know what the school provides, what the workplace provides.
5. Check if there are tasks that the supervisee doesn’t perform daily:
a. If possible, perform them together with the supervisee;
b. If not possible, find someone within your organization who can assist.
c. If no one is available within the organization, contact the school coordinator to       find a solution – either going to another institution or performing the tasks at the simulation center if available.”
6. At meetings, inquire about what the student has learned – let them speak.
7. Review the internship dairy once a month.
8. Once the activity is completed, and the student has self-assessed, provide your assessment.
9. Meet with the school coordinator once per semester.