Learning climate refers to the prevailing mood, attitudes, standards, and tone in the clinical or classroom environment. A negative climate can feel hostile, chaotic, and out of control. A positive climate feels safe, respectful, welcoming, and supportive of learning. The good news is that climate doesn’t just happen—it’s created! There are things faculty and preceptors can do to deliberately shape the climate into a positive learning environment. We have included resources below with ideas for structuring and conducting learner orientations to the clinical and office environment; considering the physical and emotional environment; the importance of effective communication and establishing expectations; and more.
Just In Time
These Just In Time resources are ideal if you only have a couple of minutes to start finding out about Learning Climate & Orientation of the Learner.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=ajqRgC4LSyo
Orienting a Student to your Office
Source: Innovations in Medical Education
Two scenarios contrasting the right and wrong way to orient a new medical student to your office and practice.
Additional Resources:
A method to prepare students for patient encounters.
Learn to distinguish supportive patient-centered teams from those that need improvement, and how to implement them in your own environment.
Deeper Dive
If you have more time to invest, these Deeper Dive resources are longer and/or more in depth so you can gain a deeper understanding of Learning Climate & Orientation of the Learner.
This is an accordion element with a series of buttons that open and close related content panels.
Creating an Optimal Learning Environment – Reducing Student Mistreatment (video)
Creating an Optimal Learning Environment – Reducing Student Mistreatment
Includes some older research and cases to consider. The section between 6:11-23:09 is recommended.
Presenter(s): Pat McBride MD, MPH; Rosa Garner
Teaching Masters Program: Learning Climate (video)
Teaching Masters Program: Learning Climate
Presentation 1 of 7 in educational aspects of clinical teaching series. Focuses on the learning climate which considers the physical and emotional environment in which the teaching is happening. Examines what it is and how to influence learning climate. Key components covered include: stimulation, learner involvement, respect/comfort and admission of limitations.
Presenter(s): Jeremy Smith, MD
See accompanying handout: Learning Climate (pdf)
Teaching Masters Program: Communication of Goals (video)
Teaching Masters Program: Communication of Goals
Presentation 3 of 7 in educational aspects of clinical teaching series. Focuses on communication of goals, the explicit establishment of teachers’ and/or learners’ expectation for the learners. Key components covered include: establishment of goals, expression of goals and negotiation of goals.
Presenter(s): Jeremy Smith, MD
The Benefits of Precepting Introductory Students (pdf)
The Benefits of Precepting Introductory Students
The Journal of the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin. 2017 May/Jun. 20(3): 23-7.
Discusses strategies to optimize a student’s experience who is shadowing. Although it describes a program for pharmacy students, the strategies apply to all disciplines and clinical settings.
Part of the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin’s “Preceptor Development Series“.
Setting Expectations: An Educational Monograph for Community-Based Teachers (doc)
Setting Expectations: An Educational Monograph for Community-Based Teachers
Outlines a timeline and delineates comprehensive ways to develop expectations for both the learner and teacher.
Smartphone Usage During Patient Care: Implications for Clinical Education – Clinical Affiliate Online Journal Club (link)
Smartphone Usage During Patient Care: Implications for Clinical Education–
Clinical Affiliate Online Journal Club
The usage of technology, specifically smartphones, may be perceived as mainstream technology by health care professional students but older patients may find the use of smartphones to be a distraction and foster a sense of disconnectedness from the health care provider. Discover and consider further how health care professional preparation programs handle the issue now, and how they must in the future.
Presenter(s): Sue Wenker, PT, PhD, MS