Evaluation of the Use of Action Learning Sets in Undergraduate Physiotherapy Education

The aim of this evaluation was to evaluate the impact of Action Learning Sets (ALS) in the practice education of 1st year undergraduate physiotherapy students.

Rationale: The increasing workload demands placed on NHS physiotherapists is dissuading many from accepting full-time students. The University of Worcester have successfully employed an innovative practice placement model with students attending placements on a part-time basis each week throughout the academic year. In tandem, students attend weekly ALS. These sessions aim to enable students to develop reflective and problem solving skills, relate theory to practice and provide students with a safe and confidential place to reflect on issues arising on placement.
ALS are a flexible way to give students the opportunity to actively participate in a transformative learning process, learning from experience and enhancing their future practice. In addition, their use facilitates the development of core reflective and communication skills required by the HCPC and CSP.

During ALS sessions students take it in turns to discuss experiences from practice and invite their peers to help them reflect, problem solve and produce an appropriate action plan. This action plan is then implemented and discussed at a later session.

ALS are frequently used in clinical practice, however, there is little documented about their use in undergraduate physiotherapy.

The first year of this new initiative has been evaluated through: student questionnaires, staff and student focus group data and formal feedback strategies. The results of this feedback demonstrate both positive and negative aspects associated with ALS use.

The use of ALS in undergraduate physiotherapy education presents a number of challenges to staff and students; however it does appear to be a useful tool for encouraging the development of reflective skills.