Professional Experience Placement

In recent blogs I have mentioned strategies to engage Gen Y students and the attributes of social and solitary learners during professional experience.  Chislett and Chapman (2005) have provided the Visual, Auditory, kinesthetic (VAK) learning styles self- assessment questionnaire which is an assessment tool that can give a broad indication of preferred learning style(s).

This learning style model suggests that people have a preference for visual, auditory or kinesthetic learning.  For example, a student who likes observing demonstrations or uses phases such as “show me” may be a visual learner. Someone who prefers “tell me” or likes listening to instructions may learn through listening. Those students who like to touch, feel or “do” may learn kinesthetically or by physical experience.

Learning styles provide an insight into different ways students construct knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours. Various models (Chislett and Chapman 2005; Arhin and Cormier 2007) have been developed to explain how students learn. Each have merit and are useful for acknowledging that students have different needs based on the way they learn. It is the role of the clinical supervisor is guide and support students in enabling them to construct knowledge in a supportive  environment.

If you have any comments regarding learning styles and clinical supervision you are welcome to post them here.