Authors: Joanna Fox, George Evangelinos, Maurice Wakeham, Roxana Anghel, Peter Durrant, Chris Thurston, Steve Carey

1. A Product and a Process:Modelling Best Practice in Service User and Carer Involvement in FHSC: The Development of e-Learning Technology by an Inter-Disciplinary Action Learning Set Authors: Joanna Fox, George Evangelinos, Maurice Wakeham, Roxana Anghel, Peter Durrant, Chris Thurston, Steve Carey Joanna Fox, George Evangelinos, Maurice Wakeham, Roxana Anghel, Peter Durrant, Chris Thurston & Steve Carey

2. The Background • Extensive literature (Stickley & Bassett, 2007; Warren, 2007; Simons et al, 2007; Repper & Breeze, 2007) recommends that the expertise of people using health and social services and their carers should be at the core of training of health and social care professionals. • The General Social Care Councils in UK mandated the active involvement of service users and carers in the training of social work students (DH, 2002). • Nursing education (Michael, 2008) recommended the involvement of service users with learning disability and their carers in the training of all nurses. Joanna Fox, George Evangelinos, Maurice Wakeham, Roxana Anghel, Peter Durrant, Chris Thurston & Steve Carey

3. Why Involve Service Users and Carers? • ‘...input [makes] teaching “real” for them [students], and [makes] them aware of the impact that social work services and professionals have on people’s lives’ (Anghel & Ramon, 2009, p.9). Joanna Fox, George Evangelinos, Maurice Wakeham, Roxana Anghel, Peter Durrant, Chris Thurston & Steve Carey

4. The Context • The new VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) • Development of staff to utilise e-learning • Development of a resource to support learning and practice about service user involvement • Development of knowledge • Development of pedagogy about e-learning Joanna Fox, George Evangelinos, Maurice Wakeham, Roxana Anghel, Peter Durrant, Chris Thurston & Steve Carey

5. The Aims of the Project The team will form an interdisciplinary action learning set tasked to: • Identify an appropriate web application • Identify the appropriate format for the resource • Identify appropriate content for the resource • Develop a live resource containing documents, websites, literature, podcasts. Joanna Fox, George Evangelinos, Maurice Wakeham, Roxana Anghel, Peter Durrant, Chris Thurston & Steve Carey

6. The Evaluation • Evaluate the process of working in an action learning set • Evaluate the product that we develop through a student survey. Joanna Fox, George Evangelinos, Maurice Wakeham, Roxana Anghel, Peter Durrant, Chris Thurston & Steve Carey

7. What Is an Action Learning Set? • Wenger – ‘Community of practice’ • Reflective process / review process / learning process • Consisting of representatives from FHSC and community representatives • Steering group met over a year 09/10 Joanna Fox, George Evangelinos, Maurice Wakeham, Roxana Anghel, Peter Durrant, Chris Thurston & Steve Carey

8. How Did We Developthe Resource? • Initial ideas – a repository of information with links and podcasts • Developed into using a model based around inquiry-based learning (IBL) Joanna Fox, George Evangelinos, Maurice Wakeham, Roxana Anghel, Peter Durrant, Chris Thurston & Steve Carey

9. The Potential in aVLE • Oliver et al (2009, p.68), ‘The learning activity is based around learners’ exposure and participation to events or incidents of an authentic and real nature. The learning is based around activities that require learners to reflect and take decisions based on the actions and events.’ Joanna Fox, George Evangelinos, Maurice Wakeham, Roxana Anghel, Peter Durrant, Chris Thurston & Steve Carey

10. Evaluation of the Process • Action learning set – this is about learning from each other – did we achieve that? • How do you get buy-in from project team? • Issues: • Project team’s work commitments and time commitments • Tried to communicate via email and via video conferencing– but less response than hoped for Joanna Fox, George Evangelinos, Maurice Wakeham, Roxana Anghel, Peter Durrant, Chris Thurston & Steve Carey

11. Evaluation of Product • Did we stick to our brief? • Pedagogy – learning about the theory of learning and teaching – we managed to learn about the potentiality of e-learning – what about our product? Joanna Fox, George Evangelinos, Maurice Wakeham, Roxana Anghel, Peter Durrant, Chris Thurston & Steve Carey

12. Opportunities and obstacles in blended e-learning • Blended e-learning offers: • The opportunity to change where and when learning takes place • Flexibility in place • Flexibility in time • Opens up a range of media resources • Offers new possibilities as to the activities students can undertake (Littlejohn and Pegler, 2007, p.2) Joanna Fox, George Evangelinos, Maurice Wakeham, Roxana Anghel, Peter Durrant, Chris Thurston & Steve Carey

13. Potentiality • This resource is about how staff and students can utilise it • It has the potentiality to be used in real blended e-learning – active engagement by staff and students – not just a repository of information Joanna Fox, George Evangelinos, Maurice Wakeham, Roxana Anghel, Peter Durrant, Chris Thurston & Steve Carey

14. Developments in e-resource • Sept 10 – Dec 10: Pilot e-resource in a nursing cohort and a social work cohort • Jan 2011 – February 2011: Review feedback and plan to develop resource accordingly • February 2011 – Review developments and evaluate / review feasibility of INSPIRE proposal for academic year 2011/12 Joanna Fox, George Evangelinos, Maurice Wakeham, Roxana Anghel, Peter Durrant, Chris Thurston & Steve Carey

15. References • Anghel, R. & Ramon, S., 2009. Service users and carers’ involvement in social work education: lessons from an English case study. European Journal of Social Work, 12(2), pp.1-15.  • Burgess, H. & Carpenter, J., 2008. Building capacity and capability for evaluating the outcomes of social wok education: creating a culture change. Social Work Education, 27(8), pp.898 – 912 . • Brockbank, A. & Mc Gill, I., 2003. The action learning handbook. Abingdon: Routledge Falmer. • Department of Health. 2002. Requirements for social work training. London: HMSO. • Michael, J., 2008. Healthcare for all: report of the independent inquiry into the access to healthcare for people with learning disabilities.Available at: http://www.officefordisability.gov.uk and http://www.equalityhumanrights.com [Accessed 28 May 2009]. • Littlejohn, A. & Pegler, C., 2007. Preparing for blended e-learning. London and New York: Routledge. • Oliver, R., et al, 2007. Describing ICT-based learning designs that promote quality learning outcomes. In: H. Beetham & R. Sharpe, 2007. Rethinking pedagogy for a digital age: designing and delivering e-learning. Abingdon and New York: Routledge. • Repper, J. & Breeze, J., 2007. User and carer involvement in the training and education of health professionals: a review of the literature. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 44(3), pp.511-519. • Simons, L. et al., 2007. A socially inclusive approach to user participation in higher education. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 58(3), May 2007, pp.246-255. • Stickley, T. & Bassett, T., 2007. Teaching mental health. London: John Wiley and Sons. • Warren, J., 2007. Service user and carer participation in social work. Exeter: Learning Matters. Joanna Fox, George Evangelinos, Maurice Wakeham, Roxana Anghel, Peter Durrant, Chris Thurston & Steve Carey

16. The Project Team • Jo Fox • Roxana Anghel • Michael Flack • Maurice Wakeham • Steve Carey • Debbie Amas • Peter Durrant • Chris Thurston • Andy Stevens • George Evangelinos Joanna Fox, George Evangelinos, Maurice Wakeham, Roxana Anghel, Peter Durrant, Chris Thurston & Steve Carey