Towards Purpose, Clarity and Effectiveness in Training, Teaching and Learning.

  • Jennifer Moon

    Student thesis: Doctoral Thesis

    Abstract

    Three projects are represented in this portfolio. Two involve practical work in the National Health Service and the higher education sector and one is a conceptual study of reflection in learning and professional development. All of the projects had the aim of developing clarity and effectiveness in particular areas of education - professional development, training, teaching and learning.

    The NHS project on professional development in health promotion (UK Professional Development Project in Health Promotion) aimed to improve the ability of those in non-specialist health promotion posts (e.g. nurses and teachers) to educate for health. Contributions of the work towards knowledge are in its concerns for ensuring that short courses have a significant impact on participants particularly through the use of an outcomes-based approach and planned reflective activities.

    The second project concerned the implementation of a credit framework in Welsh higher education. The development of a credit framework increases access to and flexibility within higher education by providing a generally accepted currency for
    learning. The main contributions of this work are in the development of specifications for this currency - guidance for writing learning outcomes and level descriptors.

    Reflection plays an important role in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of learning and the development of reflective capacities is central to the level of learning expected of graduates. The third project is a conceptual investigation of reflection, its interpretation in theoretical, professional and educational contexts and a consideration of how reflection is related to deep and effective learning. This involves the development of a new model of learning and the representation of learning both to elucidate reflection and to find better ways of using it to support the quality of learning at higher levels. There is substantial section on practical activities that encourage reflection in learning, including journal writing. While there are various interests in reflection, there have been few attempts to synthesise the ideas emanating from different disciplines and to relate them to current thinking about learning.

    The portfolio itself consists of the unpublished papers of the first two projects and an overview document that accompanies the portfolio describes the portfolio in the context of their contribution towards purpose, clarity and effectiveness in training, teaching and learning.
    Date of AwardOct 1998
    Original languageEnglish

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