Expansive Learning.

Abstract

Chapter six explores the concept of ‘expansive learning’ taken from Fuller and Unwin’s (2003) research of apprenticeships where they identified a ‘restrictive- expansive continuum’ that classified the type of learning environment presented in the work place. Crucially, expansive learning encouraged a supportive environment for students to learn higher level skills such as dialogue, problem solving and reflexive forms of expertise. Supportive and collaborative learning environments can instil confidence in the student to develop and the supervisory role (or previously the mentor) is significant to this. The chapter theme of expansive learning is led by the goal to discover what teaching and learning processes can assist all levels of clinical staff in supporting students to move effectively, and in a well-supported way, to the expertise or ‘graduateness’ (Eden, 2014) required at registration and beyond. This was an important foundation of the recent NMC (2017) review. Chapter 2 and 3 have already demonstrated the potential educational role of unqualified staff and peer students who previously have not been officially recognised for coaching learners in practice. With focused and explicit support for their learning, students’ placement experience can be ‘supercharged’ so their learning advances quicker and with greater impact on their long term professional development (Morley, 2018). A model of coaching that emerged from the research study is also presented. Current emphasis in practice learning is placed on the assessment of measurable clinical skills rather than the students’ ability to join these skills holistically in professional practice (Morley, 2015). The ability to be able to teach this type of integration of student performance into the busy clinical practice is more akin to the fluidity of ‘coaching’ rather than ‘teaching’ and this is explored fully within the chapter.