We sought to provide an evidence-based and feasible solution for a gap in support and professional development opportunities available for clinical educators. Informed by consultation with research, industry, experts, clinicians, and students, our team created a novel and freely available online resource to provide clinical educator training.
A mixed method design was used to develop, implement, and evaluate the 'Learning-Bytes'. The development and implementation phases were guided by the Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation (ADDIE) model of instructional design. Program development included consultation and co-design with an expert Reference group, current students and educators. Program evaluation included participant engagement and analytics, pre-post surveys and focus groups.
‘Learning Bytes' has been available for over 12 months with strong engagement and positive learning impacts. Over 200 clinical educators from Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Clinical Exercise Physiology, Speech Pathology, Podiatry, Medical Imaging, Nuclear Medicine, Radiation Therapy and Nursing have engaged with the program.
Clinical educators who completed the ‘Learning Bytes’ consistently rated it as easy to use, meeting their learning needs, improving their confidence in clinical education and their perceived confidence in their clinical educator role. More than 60 percent of participants reported they implemented their learning immediately into practice and the majority indicated willingness to take on and support students for the future.
The creation of the 'Learning-Bytes' program provides clinical educator faculty with an accessible and engaging online professional development program developed and implemented using sound pedagogical and theoretical frameworks. The 'Learning-Bytes' is a valuable first step providing a relevant, accessible, and sustainable resource designed to support clinical educator training and development.
The ‘Learning Bytes' program incorporates a series of high-quality learning resources crafted in collaboration with end users (clinical educators and students) and industry. Our team were committed to ensuring diversity in our consultation process and co-design in building the program, using respectful and user-friendly language throughout.
Combined with the program’s novel approach to communication media, including bespoke podcasts, each ‘byte’ module provides relevant and novel resources with clear and compelling reasons that motivate busy clinical educators to engage.
As clinical placement availability becomes increasingly competitive with new tertiary education providers entering the market, the innovative design and delivery of ‘Learning Bytes’ offers something ‘extra’ to clinical educators who supervise health professional students
The flexibility of the ‘ Learning Bytes’ program caters for a range of clinical placement settings and is easily modified and expanded as required, ensuring it is future proof and adaptable for the changing needs of clinical placements and clinical educators.
Work integrated learning
Online learning
