Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE IHC3014

 
TITLE Learning in Practice

 
UM LEVEL 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course

 
MQF LEVEL 6

 
ECTS CREDITS 10

 
DEPARTMENT Faculty of Health Sciences

 
DESCRIPTION The ability of an organisation to 'learn' is essential for the success within a competitive knowledge economy. Through this study-unit, students will learn the ways in which individual professional practitioners learn in practice in order to contribute to the organisations’ knowledge. Understanding practical knowing and knowledge through the various theories of learning as well as different ways in which learning takes place is essential. Every practitioner holds knowledge that is both theoretical and practical in order to function within the professional role.

This knowledge is learnt formally, informally and incidentally, and develops over time. Much of this knowledge is learnt in the field, thus the clinical learning environment is crucial in ensuring that good and effective learning is taking place. Through gaining an understanding of the various theories of learning, students are informed about the above.

Study-Unit Aims:

To aim of this study-unit is to enable practitioners to understand the impact of learning in practice and how this enhances the development of individual practitioners as well as the organisation as a whole and in turn contributes to improved health care delivery.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Knowledge & Understanding:
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- Understand the importance of learning in practice through one's career;
- Describe the components of an effective learning organisation;
- Identify factors that enhance or inhibit the ability for individuals to learn in practice;
- Describe the process of human learning;
- Discuss how learning influences the learning of the professional practitioner.

2. Skills:
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- Identify the need for learning;
- Efficiently and effectively address the need in an appropriate way;
- Evaluate the effect of learning and of addressing a learning need;
- Access, retreive and utilse evidence that is relevant to the topic of study;
- Demonstrate personal organisation in studying and completing the study-unit;
- Demonstrate an ability to think and write critically;
- Demonstrate effective communication skills.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings:

Main Texts:

- Senge, P.M. (1994). The Fifth Discipline: The art and practice of the learning organisation London: Doubleday Business

Recommended texts:

- Argyris, C. & Schon, D.A. (1996). Organisational Learning II. Massachusetts: Addison-Wesley.
- Koloroutis, M., Manthey, M., Felgen, J., Person, C., Kinnaird, L., Wright, D., Dingman, S. (2004).
- Relationship-based care: A model for transforming practice. Minneapolis MN: Creative Health Care Management.
- Vella, J. (2002). Learning to listen, learning to teach. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Reading List:

A reading list for each topic will be provided on Moodle each week.

Key Journals:

- Adult Education Quarterly
- Organisation Studies
- Organisational Research
- Nursing Management – UK
- Trans: A Journal of the Humanities & social sciences
- Quality in Primary Care
- Contemporary Nurse. A Journal of the Australian Nursing Profession
- Development in Practice
- BMC Family Practice
- Studies in education of adults.

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Lecture

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Assessment Due Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Online Moderated Discussions and Postings SEM1 No 30%
Assignment SEM1 Yes 70%

 
LECTURER/S Anna Cini

 

 
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints.
Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

https://www.um.edu.mt/course/studyunit