First impressions are lasting according to the old adage, and this rings true for the professional practice experience offered to a student. Both student and preceptor need to undertake some preparation prior to the beginning of a placement. This ensures a smooth start and sets the stage for an understanding of preferred teaching/learning styles, good communication - especially around feedback, and clarity in roles and expectations of both the student and preceptor. This module uses several video vignettes, an interactive quiz, and provides questionnaires that can be downloaded for use.

Regardless of whether you are a student or preceptor, productive engagement in any placement will be strengthened and enhanced when well-defined and operationalized learning objectives are developed that consider past clinical placement experience, placement specific opportunities, and the specific skills to be acquired. This module will outline the steps required to write a well-developed learning objective while considering the strategies, supports, resources and proof required for successful achievement. Video instruction, the completion of quizzes, and the review of examples will support learners in writing their own clinical placement learning objectives.

Whether a placement is one week or two months long, the preceptor and student get to know each other well. This close working relationship creates an excellent opportunity for the preceptor to teach, observe and share information with the student to help improve their performance, as well as allowing students to provide suggestions to the preceptor on their teaching approach. The preceptor’s role is to observe the student learn and try out new skills and provide feedback to help improve their performance. This module will increase preceptor and student comfort level with giving and receiving feedback. Through the use of videos, activities and tools, learners will come away with simple strategies to incorporate feedback into daily practice environments in which education occurs.

Clinical reasoning is a critical component of health professional practice. Students benefit from deliberate guidance from teachers and preceptors across their educational program. For seasoned clinicians this module unpacks the steps of clinical reasoning and provides strategies for teaching this to students. This module provides an introduction and/or review of key definitions. A model of clinical reasoning is introduced. Two video cases are presented to give participants an opportunity to apply the steps in clinical reasoning. Several quizzes reinforce the key concepts of the module.

Developing your capacity to reflect in and on practice is one of the most important dimensions of successful professional practice and the development of expertise. The aim of this module is to take you, the health care professional and student, on the journey of incorporating reflection into your own professional practice. This journey incorporates new insights and types of reflection such as anticipatory reflection, reflection-in-action, and retrospective reflection that will guide you along the path of reflective practice. The module explores the purpose and benefits of being reflective, especially as it relates to contemporary healthcare practice. Several video scenarios and quizzes are incorporated to assist you in learning about the tenets of reflective practice as well as ways to integrate reflection into your practice.

Conflict is inevitable within human relationships and is often essential in order to help us learn and grow. It is important that students and preceptors possess the skills to be prepared to mitigate and properly manage conflicts. This interactive learning module will help preceptors and students understand conflicts within preceptor-student relationships as well as develop strategies to recognize, prevent and manage conflicts. As well, this module will discuss lateral violence such as bullying, put down's and verbal abuse that often occurs on placements and review assertive communication skills.

The formal evaluation can be a daunting event for both student and preceptor. Yet, this process often has a lasting impact on the student’s development both professionally and clinically. It is also a defining moment that will stay with students when they look back on their placement experience. This module will walk students and preceptors through all the steps of the evaluation process, helping them to plan, prepare for and carry out an effective evaluation meeting. It also provides strategies to assist the faltering or failing student. Practical tips and tools will be provided to turn this closing task of the placement into a positive and rewarding experience all around.

An important aspect of the relationship between two health care professionals is the ability to learn from one another. Successful transfer of knowledge can be accomplished between professionals of equal or differing statuses by clearly setting up expectations and roles. This module will help set the stage for developing strong learning relationships by outlining the roles of individuals within coaching partnerships between health care professionals of varying levels. Specific language and strategies for effective teaching are also discussed to facilitate success in coaching. Special thanks to our guest contributor for this module, Dr. Richard Ladyshewsky.

The Optimizing the Learning Process module provides additional perspectives to help students and preceptors understand strategies that can be used at various points in the learning trajectory of students. As well, the module includes a bonus feature on resume preparation and portfolio building – key components to a successful career launch. Several videos, interactive exercises and quizzes are presented to participants.