Active blended learning for clinical skills acquisition: innovation to meet professional expectations

Abstract

The standards for pre-registration midwifery education state that the practice-theory ratio of the programme should be no less than 50% practice and no less than 40% theory, adopting a variety of learning and teaching strategies, including simulation. Simulation for skills teaching has been found to bridge gaps between theory and practice, and to positively affect how prepared and confident the student midwife feels to apply knowledge and skills in the practice setting. With changes in regulation under consultation, and an ever more complex clinical environment, it is timely to revisit learning, teaching and assessment strategies in pre-registration education to ensure that they are fit for purpose. The University of Northampton's approach to learning and teaching, termed active blended learning, is a student-centred approach to support the development of subject knowledge and understanding, independent learning, and digital fluency. This involved the modification of a traditional, four-stage, step-by-step approach to teaching clinical skills, by introducing video-assisted technology to prepare students for a summative assessment using simulation. It is anticipated that this innovative approach to the teaching of clinical skills will enhance the ‘toolkit’ of learning, teaching, and assessment strategies appropriate to contemporary midwifery preregistration education.