Teaching Clinic Ground Rules

Download the Teaching Clinic Ground Rules

Small Group Reflective Teaching Clinic Ground Rules

Each demonstration clinician must prepare to present a clinical scenario to the peer group. Typically this will involve the student’s interactions with a client, but it may also involve interactions with team members. Include, where appropriate, a brief case history of the client, including initials, age, “diagnosis”, strengths and areas for development and the goals/objectives focused upon to share with each member of the group.

Video and audio clips of clinical practice are welcome, and encouraged, as a presentation format provided the “Release of Video Recordings or Audio Recordings for Teaching Purposes” has been signed by the client and the clinical educator.
Analysis and discussion throughout the Teaching Clinic must be directed to the clinical behaviour of the demonstration clinician, not to that individual as a person.
Observer feedback and discussion must be specific to clinical behaviours, skills and approach, and should have a rationale and some supporting evidence.
All comments made during the Teaching Clinic remain in the room in which they are made.
Participants should ensure turn-taking among themselves.
The Group Monitor monitors the time for each section of the clinic.
The Teaching Clinic is not focused on evaluation (and will not be used to support any evaluations), but on a positive learning environment which is supportive of skill development. As such, positive language is encouraged to set the tone and promote this rule.

Goals of the Small Group Teaching Clinics

Development of skills in a positive learning environment through a structured, collaborative group clinical education method.
Specifically, development of:
- Observational skills
- Skills of balanced, constructive analysis of clinical behaviour, both of self and of others
- Skills in giving and receiving feedback
- Problem-solving/clinical reasoning skills
Modeling of the clinical education paradigm used in placements.
Development of confidence in clinical judgments.
Increase in knowledge beyond the student’s own clinical experience.

Roles

Clinical Educator Facilitator

Facilitates the group process and promotes development of student self-assessment and critical reasoning in relation to developing clinical skills
Monitors and encourages the Teaching Clinic ground rules
Guides participants to fulfill responsibilities
Stimulates discussion and interaction among the peers by asking probing questions to extend student reasoning where appropriate
Leadership role may be adopted by others as comfort and skill grow

Note: SLP facilitators can offer valuable feedback. They are encouraged to provide input during the session, but are encouraged to do so only after the presenting student clinician and student peers have developed and shared their insights and suggestions. Some additional sharing based on clinical experience is also appropriate to enhance insights and learning by the group.

Demonstration Clinician

Presents clinical scenario for group discussion
Prepares learning questions focused on clinical skills applied or needing development, or management of the client more generally
Notes and reports on “take-aways” that arise from the discussion that apply to his or her own SLP clinical practice

Note: In addition to the clinical scenario being discussed, presentation content can also include material that may be of broader interest to peers (e.g., “Here is a unique circumstance and what I learned”).

Caution: This is not intended to be the exclusive focus of the discussion, which should primarily address clinical skills development.

Peers

Observe videotape of session, collecting salient information and forming impressions
Provide feedback to the demonstration clinician
Assist in problem-solving and clinical reasoning around strategies for future sessions

Group Monitor

Observes the group process and provides feedback on roles and responsibilities
Determines if ground rules are followed
Monitors the time for each section of the clinic

Small Group Teaching Clinic Format

Introduction/Review

Review of last session, as appropriate, including sharing of outcomes of strategies
Group monitor reviews ground rules with specific feedback, as required, from previous session

Focus/Planning

Demonstration clinician presents brief case history, objectives/goals
Demonstration clinician shares learning questions in order to elicit specific feedback about clinical and/or professional skills
CE Facilitator may help with the above
Demonstration clinician describes the clinical scenario to the group, or shares a video or audio clip

Problem-Solving/Strategy Development

Self-analysis from demonstration clinician
Analysis of data collected, if any, from peers
Comments/feelings/viewpoints stated with rationale from peers
Balanced/constructive feedback given and rules of effective feedback followed
Problem-solve/clinically reason strategies for future clinical use
CE Facilitator guides and facilitates, doesn’t monopolize
Equal turn-taking expected among team members

Resolution

Demonstration clinician and group determine which strategies may be pursued (not coercive)

Integration/Review

Group discusses what they’ve learned from the process
Group monitor reports on effectiveness of group interactions in terms of all participants and observance of ground rules

The focus for this portion of the Teaching Clinic is on:

accurate observation
analysis
problem-solving/clinical reasoning skills

In a group format to augment the individual clinical education you obtain with your clinical educator(s) in your placement. This is a structured method that allows you to critically examine clinical behaviour and to develop your clinical skills and the process of clinical interaction.

These may include:

planning skills
explanation/modelling/prompting/cueing of assessment/therapy procedures
arrangement and use of therapy materials/equipment
match of materials/procedures to age/interest/ability of client
judgement of adequacy of client's responses
type and schedule of reinforcement
provision of specific/accurate feedback to client
collecting accurate data during session
consideration of response rate
utilization of time
ability to make on-line modifications to meet client's needs
provision of appropriate home activities
goal selection
task selection
treatment strategies
content and manner of verbalizations
balance of client/clinician talking time
clinician's nonverbal behaviour
demonstration of empathy and respect
maintenance of client attention/interest
inclusion of client in planning/evaluation

This allows you to further develop your self-evaluation skills and allows you to modify your behaviour.