Enhancing Health and Social Care Placement Learning through Mobile Technology

Abstract

Health and social care students spend up to 50% of their course in practice. Placements are distributed across a wide geographical area and have varying degrees of IT access and support. Consequently, students may feel isolated from peers, academic staff, and resources required for effective learning. Mobile technology has considerable potential to enhance the learning of these students. This paper presents the development and implementation of the Centre for Excellence in Professional Placement Learning's mobile learning project and the principles that both drove and emerged from this work. Handheld devices were matched to students' pedagogic need. Principles covered areas such as pedagogy, partnership working, technology, inclusivity, evaluation, and research. Collaboration across sectors and institutions and an understanding of professional cultures and contexts were seen as key in instigating and embedding mobile learning to support students on placement.