Teaching Philosophy

and

Strategies

My teaching philosophy is inspired by constructivist epistemology and Knowles et al.'s ‘andragogy in practice’ that describes the six core principles of learning. I believe meaningful learning is grounded in learners' prior experiences and within their social and cultural context. It is a two-way process where a teacher and a student co-construct knowledge. The role of a teacher is to foster a collaborative teaching-learning environment that supports and empowers learners to acquire specific knowledge and skills to practice. Self-directed, self-reflective, problem-based, and team-based learning approaches inspire, motivate, and engage students in a continuous meaningful learning process. My teaching philosophy is based on five key elements 1) understanding learners; 2) embracing the uniqueness of learners; 3) supporting theory to practice connection; 4) fostering safety and compassion, and 5) making learning fun. (Please see Figure 1 at the end of this page for the illustration of the key elements of my teaching philosophy and relevant teaching strategies to apply these beliefs to practice)

Understanding Learners

I believe spending the first few minutes of the class learning about students, sets the foundation for the rest of the semester. It helps me design and modify teaching strategies for the course. It allows me to understand the types of learners, their context, preferences, and motives for attending the course. Therefore, at the start of my course, I assume the role of an observer. I make an effort to understand the ways my student’s perceptions are fabricated via language, gender, culture, and other ideologies.

Embracing the uniqueness of Learners

The belief that every individual is unique, has something valuable to contribute and we all learn and express ourselves in different ways allows me to incorporate EDI (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) practices in my teaching. I envision a student as a self-directed being who is autonomous and able to abstract and reflect on his/her learning. Knowles et al (1998) indicated that the self-concept of a learner is positively associated with autonomy. The more autonomous and self-directed adults are the more meaningful experiences they will get out of the learning process. I think of myself as a "guide on the side" rather than the "sage on the stage" (Lattuca, 2006, p. 355).

Supporting Theory to Practice Connection

I believe learning is embedded within context. In nursing, the connection of theory (content) to practice (context) is essential to develop critical thinking and effective decision-making. Adults are contextual learners, thrive in environments that foster learning within the context (Knowles et al.,1998). Construction of knowledge takes place in social and cultural contexts, therefore; I believe it is important for a teacher to relate theory to practical examples within nursing as it allows students to articulate theory and see its application in a variety of contexts.

Fostering Safety and Compassion

Safety and compassion are the key components of nursing practice. In nursing, students deal with many situations in which their or their patients’ safety can be at risk. I strive for fostering an environment of safety and compassion. As a clinal instructor, I have supervised many students in lab and clinical settings for their skills demonstration. For many students, administering their first injection is a nerve-racking experience so for some patients too, therefore, my focus is always on performing a skill with safety and compassion.

Making Learning Fun

I believe humour is an important part of life and it should be integrated into learning. People retain better when the experiences are enjoyable. Lucardie (2014) mentioned three main benefits of having fun while learning that I have also witnessed in my teaching practice. Fun encourages attendance, increases concentration, and supports group cohesiveness. It also creates a non-threatening and comfortable environment in which students feel safe to take risks, try new things and express their creativity.

Figure 1: Illustration of the key elements of my teaching philosophy and relevant teaching strategies to apply these beliefs to practice.

Teaching Strategies

Understanding Learners -Strategies

To understand students, I usually start my first class with an ice-breaking exercise. I provide them with a list of questions that helps me understand their preferred name and pronouns, learning style, personality, expectations, and reasons for attending the particular course or joining the nursing profession in general. I share my expectations, course learning outcomes, and a path to achieve these outcomes. I also make a point to communicate that their suggestions and creative ways of achieving these outcomes are welcome. Understanding students is not limited to the first meeting. It is an ongoing process and strategies such as reflection, one-one discussion, and encouraging them to share experiences with the group also help unfold students' perceptions, their prior experiences, and preferred approaches to learning.

Embracing the Uniqueness of Learners -Strategies

I use UDL (Universal design for learning) framework, self-directed learning approaches, and reflective practices to embrace the uniqueness of my learners. I believe these approaches create a safe and engaging environment that is supportive of EDI (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) practices in teaching and learning.

UDL framework (see figure 2) allows me to design course instruction, materials, and content that includes the maximum number of learners by offering a variety of ways to get to the same learning outcomes. I use the UDL framework to provide multiple means of engagement, representations, and expressions. For example, I try to offer similar content in different formats such as written, audio, and video. I also assess and evaluate content through different means such as pre and post online games, written assignments, pre-reading quiz and student-led presentations.

Self-directed learning approaches focus on the process in which learners take control of their learning by setting up their learning goals and pace. I use several self-directed learning strategies. For example, sharing a list of topics and offering students the option to sign up for the student-led presentation topic and date based on their interest and pace. To create equal and on-demand access to learning material, I create a shared Google folder for the course where students and I share relevant material. Students can access this shared folder throughout the course based on their learning goals, interest and preferred style. One of my favourite strategies, to embrace their uniqueness, is reflective practice. It improves their self-concept and allows me to see the situation from their perspective and learn ways to support them better

Supporting Theory to Practice Connection- Strategies

Context-based strategies activate the process of thinking and allow learners to experience the outer world in a non-threatening environment. It supports the co-construction of new knowledge, deconstruction of misconceptions, and/or reconstruction of existing knowledge. Strategies such as simulation, case studies, role plays, videos, skills demonstrations, concept maps, reflective practice, and sharing real-life experiences allow students to learn the application of the same concept within different contexts and in conjunction with other concepts.

Fostering Safety and Compassion - Strategies

Adult learners evaluate the effectiveness of solutions in light of their experience, prior knowledge, and consequences (Knowles et al., 1998). Problem-based learning approaches, a subset of context-based learning, provide opportunities for trial-and-error learning in a safe environment. It allows students the opportunity to explore alternatives to a problem until they reach an answer that suits their reality. It is a way of transforming knowledge rather than transferring knowledge. The problem-based approaches that I use are case studies, role plays, and scavenger hunts. Compassion is also as important as safety. To foster compassion, my favourite activities are acting as a patient in the skills lab, sharing personal or a co-worker’s real-life experience, and reflecting after the skill performance on a real patient. This permits students to see the skill beyond ‘a task that needs to be mastered’ and focus on the compassion and caring aspect of the skill.

Making Learning Fun - Strategies

I have used lots of strategies depending on the class size, type, and platform. Some of the strategies that I have used are jeopardy (online and in-person), NCLEX card-based games, Kahoot (an online game-based learning platform), Zoom polls, and nursing charades. in content-focused courses, I usually take a few minutes break, before transitioning to the next topic, for a fun activity so students can rejuvenate and concentrate better.

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