In this Unit, you will be invited to explore additional factors that influence your trainee’s learning. His emotions, stress level, motivation, sense of self-efficacy and his prior knowledge all deserve further scrutiny.
Emotions play a crucial role in academic success .
They will influence several cognitive abilities, such as attention, abilities to problem-solve and store information .
Have you noticed that your trainees’ learning is variable?
On a particular day, your trainee may be inspired, enthusiastic and engaged, while the next day he will be going through moments of frustration and disengagement .
Instructions:
"Stress is the non-specific response of the body to any demand for change"
This demand may be real or perceived . Stress can be good or bad. Good stress is controllable and may help stimulate the trainee. Bad stress can lead to the trainee feeling uncomfortable and losing control, thus affecting his health and happiness .
Let’s remember that a placement is often the most stressful period of a student’s academic journey.
Can you identify three sources of stress for the trainee?
During this period, the trainee experiences several changes. He may be exposed to numerous demands, such as :
In very stressful situations (where demands are significant or in an evaluation context), the cognitive charge becomes too substantial and the trainee’s attention is affected . Some authors claim that selective attention is enhanced in stressful situations, while others come to opposing conclusions . This divergence can be explained when the source of stress is further examined.
The two following situations portray the stress experienced by two trainees participating in the same intervention.
Instructions: Click on Patrick and Catherine to see more information.
Patrick is experiencing stress related to accomplishing a task that he finds complicated (such as doing a social intervention in a crisis situation or reanimating a patient).
Impact on attention and memorization
Patrick’s attention focuses on the source of stress, the action he needs to accomplish. Thus, he will store information surrounding the intervention in his long-term memory (LTM) .
During the same intervention, Catherine experiences stress related to the fear of being judged by the supervisor (doing a social intervention in a crisis situation or reanimating a patient).
Impact on attention and memorization
Catherine’s attention is focused on the supervisor’s reaction, rather than on the patient. Her attention is directed toward the source of stress, which is the evaluation context. She will store information about her experience with supervision in her LTM . For example, she may remember the feedback she received, the supervisor’s attitude and reaction, as well as the sense of being judged in front of other people.
Activity: How to help Myriam manage her stress?
Instructions:
Myriam is experiencing a lot of stress this week, because you have agreed that some of the interventions that will take place next week will be formally evaluated.
What can you do to help Myriam?
Why focus on the trainee’s motivation?
At work, we all have to take on tasks that we don’t really want to do. Our instinct is often to delay, even though we know that we have the skills to do it.
Although an individual may have the skills required to accomplish a task, it is his desire to act (his motivation) that will lead him to act . In fact, motivation is the driving force behind learning and is associated with academic success . Indeed, motivation fosters the trainee’s involvement in placement-related tasks and enables him to fully invest himself in achieving his objectives .
"Motivation is the hypothetical construct used to describe the internal and/or external forces that generate the activation, direction, intensity and persistence of the behaviour"
Therefore, motivation does not only refer to reasons for a trainee to act, but also to the persistence of this behaviour .
This definition uses the notions or external and internal forces, which refer to intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Are you familiar with these concepts?
Activity: What is intrinsic and extrinsic motivation?
Instructions: Click on the symbols to know more about intrinsic and extrinsic motivation
It may be difficult to draw a distinction between a trainee’s intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Deci & Ryan’s theory of self-determination clarifies the particularities and nuances that distinguish the types of motivation and regulation .You are invited to consult the following animated scheme to find more information about this model.
Download the printable version of What is the impact of self-determination on learning?
Instructions: Click on the colored box to see a description of each element.
In your role as supervisor, you can support your trainee in the development of his self-determination and progress toward intrinsic motivation and regulation by:
As the trainee’s behaviours are increasingly self-determined, his motivation will be internalized and his learning will be more effective and long-lasting.
Activity: Identifying the trainee’s type of motivation
Instructions:
1. Watch the following video by clicking on the 
button. A new window will open.
2. To close it, click outside of the video.
3. Click on 
to turn on the “Subtitles/closed captions (c)” and select your language in the “Settings” 
.
4. Determine the trainee‘s type of motivation and internalization.
5. Click on if you want to review the structure.
You may have noticed a similarity between Raphael (extrinsic motivation and identified regulation) and Laurence (intrinsic motivation and intrinsic regulation). These two trainee’s motivation is more autonomous and self-determined. Their learning will be more long-lasting. In general, a trainee who has high intrinsic motivation will learn more effectively .
Marissa and Marie-Ève are similar in terms of motivation: it is non-autonomous and non-self-determined. Their motivation is controlled by their supervisor.
In order to increase a trainee’s motivation, his internalization and self-determination must be enhanced.
To answer this question, think about a trainee that you (or a colleague) supervised, who lacked motivation. What did you (or what would you have done if you were in your colleague’s position) to motivate him? Write your answer below:
What would you do differently after reading about self-determination? What new strategies would you put in place?
Do your strategies:
If you answered positively, you are mobilizing your trainee’s inner forces, and you are stimulating an autonomous motivation and self-determination .
You can stimulate your trainees’ self-determination in many ways , for instance by:
Instructions: Cick on each element for more detail.
You can:
You can:
You can:
You can:
You can relieve your trainee’s anxiety in order for him to adapt more easily to his environment
Activity: What are the benefits of stimulating your trainee’s self-determination?
Motivational beliefs, also called "metamotivations", refer to an individual’s introspection ability in terms of his abilities and motivational functioning in different disciplines. If these motivational beliefs are positive, they often support learning. Conversely, if they are negative, they hinder learning. Thus, because of his positive emotions and motivation, the trainee makes sense of his knowledge and develops an internal context that is conducive to the development of his competencies .
There are several types of motivational beliefs :
Developed by Bandura, the concept of perceived self-efficacy (PSE) refers to an individual’s belief in his ability to complete tasks, rather than in his aptitude to complete them. These beliefs will guide the individual in his choice of activities and environment. They also play a crucial role in a person’s commitment and performance .
PSE is a predictive factor in terms of the trainee’s ability to practice an intervention and develop his professional competencies .
As a supervisor, can you think of elements that may help you increase your trainee’s ability to successfully accomplish placement-related tasks?
Compare your answer with Bandura’s theory and identify commonalities.
Instructions:
1. Mastery, active or prior experience (previous performance, success and failure)
Mastery experience is one of the most important and influential sources in terms of personal belief in self-efficacy. A trainee who performs a task successfully will build his belief in his self-efficacy. The opposite is also true. When a trainee faces a task-related failure, it feeds his belief in his incompetence .
What can you do to develop your trainee’s perceived self-efficacy?
You can:
2. Vicarious experiences or indirect experiences (modelling, age, social comparison)
This type of learning is based on observing a person who has a competency level that is considered similar, as well as modelling of an attitude or behaviour .
A trainee who has similar characteristics (e.g., age or gender) is more likely to be a source of information that improves the trainee’s PSE .
What can you do to develop your trainee’s perceived self-efficacy?
You can:
3. Verbal persuasion (feedback and encouragement)
This type of learning comes from suggestions, advice and comments provided by other people. They help strengthen the trainee’s belief in his abilities and capacity to successfully carry out a task .
Beliefs generated through verbal persuasion have less impact when they are the sole source of self-belief, as the individual is not carrying out the task.
Outcomes are influenced by the trainee’s perception of the resource person . This person must be considered credible .
What can you do to develop your trainee’s perceived self-efficacy?
You can:
4. Emotional and physiological states
When a trainee fails to successfully carry out a task, his emotional and physiological states can lead him to question his skills in adopting the adequate behaviour or accomplishing the requested task. This phenomenon can lead to failure. Signs of stress or fatigue can also be linked to poor performance .
Conversely, if a trainee is not troubled by his emotional and physiological states, he will be more likely to believe in his success .
A positive or negative mood will also influence the PSE, either positively or negatively .
What can you do to develop your trainee’s perceived self-efficacy?
You can: :
Deep breathing: consists in taking deep breaths (slowly, through the nose, letting the belly fill with air) followed by deep exhalations .
Meditation: consists in paying attention and concentrating on one thing to reach a state of calm and serenity (word, mantra, object) .
Visualization: consists in imagining a positive and pleasing action .
Don’t forget to click on all 4 numbers!
The opportunity to successfully practice abilities in a clinical setting is the most important source of information in terms of perceived self-efficacy .
The trainee will use the four learning sources to develop his self-efficacy.
Mastery and vicarious experiences are sources that most influence the sense of self-efficacy .
The trainee’s interpretation, understanding and building of new knowledge is based on what he already knows (prior knowledge) .His prior knowledge is the most influential factor on his learning .
How can you activate your trainee’s prior knowledge?
Several strategies will allow you to activate your trainee’s prior knowledge. The following text provides an overview of a few strategies, while the animation demystifies the activation process of this knowledge.
Several support strategies or tools, explored earlier in this workshop, will help you activate your trainee’s knowledge, for instance:
To foster the transfer of new knowledge into different situations (thus promoting the activation of knowledge in the future), the supervisor can provide examples of concrete applications and explain to the trainee in what conditions and contexts this new knowledge may prove useful (clienteles, settings) .
Did your answer identify some of these strategies? Which tools do you deem most relevant in your supervisory context?
Which one of these strategies do you see as a priority? Why?
Your trainee’s emotions greatly impact his learning. By creating a trusting climate, where the trainee feels comfortable enough to express his opinions or make mistakes, you will optimize the development of his competencies and self-determination.
The more behaviour is self-determined, the more motivation is autonomous and internalized. When the trainee’s motivation is intrinsic, his learning is more effective and long-lasting. You can stimulate your trainee’s self-determination by exploring and integrating his beliefs and values into placement learning activities.
Some motivational beliefs, such as self-efficacy, will promote the trainee’s success. Several strategies will allow you to support the trainee in developing his perceived self-efficacy, by acting on four sources:
Finally, as a supervisor, you play a key role in activating your trainee’s prior knowledge and developing his ability to transfer his learnings in other contexts. The proposed strategies will help you in this matter.
Continue to Unit 4Name: Caroline Borris
Professional discipline:
Occupational therapist
Employer: Consortium national de formation en santé
(CNFS) – Volet Université d’Ottawa et Université d’Ottawa
Mailing address:
200, Lees Avenue (room E100-B), Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5
Email address caroline.borris@uOttawa.ca
Telephone number:
613-562-5800, ext. 8521 or 1-877-221-CNFS
Office hours: 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday to Friday
Professional information: My name is Caroline Borris, Coordinator of training projects at the CNFS – Volet Université d’Ottawa. I hold a master’s degree in education with a focus on training healthcare professionals and a Bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy. Here is a brief overview of my professional experience.
I worked for ten years in hospital centres, providing occupational therapy services to an adult and senior clientele with physical or cognitive disorders. Throughout these years, I supervised several trainees. In addition, I worked for four years as coordinator of interprofessional training in rehabilitation, and as teaching coordinator in the context of a national research project on mobilizing vulnerable seniors in Ontario.
Since 2004, I have been involved in teaching at college and university levels, in the master’s programs in occupational therapy and physiotherapy.
You can access the workshop at any time you are available, from the starting to the end date indicated in the training calendar. The workshops are held three times during the year.
No, you do not have to finish the training you started. However, in order to obtain a certificate, you will have to pass successfully the final exam, have accessed the content of the various units and done the activities offered within.
This workshop could require approximately seven (7) hours of work. However, this time could vary from one learner to the next.
You are invited to take an exam comprised of multiple choice questions in order to validate your knowledge. If you need to, you can look at the content of the workshop during the exam. You must pass the exam in order to obtain a certificate.
You can make two (2) attempts to pass successfully the exam. Once you have finished the exam, you must click on the “Submit Exam” button, at the bottom of the pate. A message will appear indicating if you have passed or failed the exam. A 60% mark is necessary to pass the exam. Should you fail the exam, you will then be allowed to take it a second time.
In order to obtain a certificate for your participation, you must get a mark over 60% on the final exam, you must have accessed the various units, and done the activities provided in these units. The CNFS will provide a certificate to those participants who comply with the criteria. After having successfully completed the final exam, your certificate will be available online in you CNFS account, under the tab “Mon Cheminement” (My path).
Technical support is available free of charge during the University of Ottawa’s regular office hours, throughout the duration of the workshops. Please fill in this form for that purpose.
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