Allies in Learning: Critical-Reflective Practice On-line with Allied Mental Health Practitioners

Abstract

This paper is a reflection in action using personal examples of student feedback to guide teaching. In 2003, a post-graduate course was developed at Victoria University in New Zealand for occupational therapists and social workers employed in the mental health services. The aim of the programme is to provide opportunities for on-the-job learning while recruiting and retaining a skilled allied mental health workforce. The programme is publicly funded for students as part of a national workforce development strategy for mental health professionals. In this article, I reflect upon my first year as co-ordinator of the programme in 2007–2008. Due to my background as a social worker and my familiarity with social work theories of practice, I focus on my theories of teaching from a social work perspective while returning to reflect on themes for the student cohort as a whole. The programme is delivered using distance methods supported by nine days of on-site learning throughout the academic year. A problem-based learning (PBL) approach delivered on the Internet platform, ‘Blackboard’, enables students to study from their workplaces. The conceptual model of teaching evolved is a process of ‘creative attunement’ to the learner's world. I conclude by providing examples of the key elements of my teaching/learning model as a ‘work in progress’.

Keywords:

• Mental Health
• E-learning
• Learning
• Students
• Training