Workplace-based learning

Learning in the workplace is a mode of learning that is commonly used in clinical professional education. Key aspects of workplace-based learning include:

• students observe established practitioners doing the work
• students sometimes have opportunities to do some professional tasks (appropriate to their abilities and subject to constraints of professional practice / registration Boards, depending on discipline)
• when students do professional tasks, they are typcically 
  • supervised
  • given feedback on their performance
  • allowed opportunities to improve.

Supervision is a key responsibility of the clinical educator and involves:

• observation of student practice, clinical reasoning, planning and handover tasks
• giving educationally relevant and useful feedback that guides the student in improving and developing their abilities
• assessing student performances.

The AMC has a useful collection of resource pages on workplace-based assessment.