Appropriateness of action learning in the physical and virtual spaces: a discussion
Abstract
Paramedics are autonomous health professionals who must graduate into the workforce with complex problem-solving skills, an ability to exercise critical thinking, and clinical reasoning skills to challenging situations, if they are to practise safely. Face-to-face action learning (AL) has long been acknowledged for contributing to the development of such skills, by providing a platform for structured thinking, group working, and a tool for developing participant's ability to ask insightful questions (
This discussion paper provides an introduction and background to action learning (AL), virtual action learning (VAL) and explores the appropriateness of these paradigms as a tool for embedding reflective practice and problem-solving skills among undergraduate student paramedics.
Today's paramedic practitioners are no longer the stretcher-bearers known only for providing transportation taking patients to the nearest physician. By today's standards, paramedics act autonomously in the community, providing a range of healthcare treatments or referring patients to additional community services wherever necessary. For paramedics to practise safely, they must not only have an advanced understanding of acute and chronic medical conditions and treatment options, but they must be reflective practitioners who can apply advanced problem-solving skills in the most demanding of circumstances.
Action learning is attributed to the British researcher Reginald Revans, who during his time as a research student at Cambridge University in the 1940s (Revans, 1982), worked alongside a talented group of scientists, and observed how they shared experiences and reflected upon their work (Trehan and Pedler, 2011). When Revans later went on to work for the UK Mining Association, he adopted a similar technique to those which he had observed with his research colleagues, and asked coal workers what they saw, heard and did. Simply by listening to the coal miners, he noticed an increase in productivity of around 30% (Revans, 1982), which was a big success for the industry.
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