Situated Coaching: A Response to the Urgent Call for Transformation in Education

Description/Overview: It is well known that challenging people to engage in solving problems is a strong pedagogical strategy. For clinicians, clinical problem solving situates learning in the context of a patient’s problem which commonly creates a strong instance of learning. Research shows that learners absorb much more than just theory. When presented with real life situations or problems, learners face authentic issues, approach it with seriousness, explore multiple possible solutions when searching for good answers, and can imaginatively solve problems. This kind of learning requires and compels higher levels of thinking and reasoning and it results in higher retention. Situated learning provides greater benefit in two additional conditions. One, learning is further improved when learners come together in interactive dialogue, that is, in communities. Learning is richer and reinforced when communities of learners work together, challenge each others’ perceptions and thinking, and can arrive at better informed decisions. Second, learners reap greater benefit when someone more knowledgeable and more experienced coaches their thinking (a situated coach). Situated coaching, as presented in this session, explores the combination of learning in communities while being coached by very knowledgeable and experienced educators. Knowing why learners develop better and learn more does not assist in knowing how to perform as a situated coach and how to transform education that provides situated learning, challenges for problem solving, and communities of learning. This session demonstrates and details how to perform as a situated coach and create communities of learning. Participants will learn by doing. Multiple ways of coaching for situated learning will be demonstrated to include small and large groups of learners. Situated learning in communities offers an additional advantage. During open and lively dialogue, the clinical thinking of the learners becomes visible. As educators move between groups, they can assess what content the learners are drawing from, whether the science is well understood, how learners use knowledge in their thinking to problem solve, whether knowledge is used appropriately and in context, and so on. Over time, educators can evaluate the development of clinical thinking and reasoning in individuals as well as in the whole group. The session will provide a strong alternative to traditional lecture methods.