Practical learning: achieving excellence in the human services

January 23-25 2008 Edinburgh International Conference Centre

When clinical is personal and learning is relational

Keywords: connections of self,practice,learning,others

Authors: Mr Jeff Faris (The Family Institute, University of Glamorgan); Mr Billy Hardy (The Family Institute, University of Glamorgan); Mr Kieran Vivian Byrne (The Family Institute, University of Glamorgan)

Abstract:
We have many strands to the teaching and learning culture we attempt to create and recreate here at the Family Institute. We train family and systemic psychotherapists from a wide range of professions. The culture leans toward a community of practice of evolving clinical, learning, professional and personal change. These co-exist and converge at various points during our training courses. This paper highlights the faces of the personal/professional and team learning cultures which we seek to promote through greater cohesion, understanding in the application of ideas in and for practice. We propose that developing these areas of our practice as teachers has benefits our students. Although not always readily visible on a day to day basis this learning culture promotes difference, diversity and complexity and brings collaborative practice to the heart of the work of many of our highly skilled practitioners, who also happen to be for a short time our students.

Contribution:
Our field of training is fairly new in the higher education context.Our constructivist and social constructionist position does not always sit well with other learning training formats.This course and this approach is one way of redressing the balance.

Date: Wednesday 23 January 2008, 1.30-3.00

Venue: Ochil One

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Organised by the Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services in association with PEPE (Practical Experiences in Professional Education).