Applying Learning Theories to Practice in Health and Social Care

This assignment provides a comprehensive overview of learning theories and their application in the health and social care sector. It discusses different domains of learning, including cognitive, affective, and psychomotor, and analyzes how theories of learning, such as Bloom's Taxonomy and Kolb's Learning Cycle, relate to the development of understanding and skills. The assignment includes a case study analyzing Elma's learning process using Kolb's cycle. It also explores various learning styles using the VARK system and Honey and Mumford test, examining factors that influence effective learning development and strategies for supporting learning in the workplace. Furthermore, it addresses barriers to learning faced by staff and service users, methods for identifying individual learning needs, and approaches to support and evaluate learning interventions. The aim is to enhance the quality of healthcare services by understanding and applying relevant learning theories and strategies.

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................3
TASK1: ESSAY...................................................................................................................................4
AC1.1 EXPLAIN HOW DIFFERENT DOMAINS OF LEARNING APPLY TO LEARNING IN HEALTH
AND SOCIAL CARE........................................................................................................................4
AC1.3 ANALYSE HOW THEORIES OF LEARNING RELATE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF
UNDERSTANDING AND SKILLS IN HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE....................................................5
TASK 2: CASE STUDY........................................................................................................................7
AC 1.2 DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH LEARNING CAN OCCUR......................................................7
TASK 3: ESSAY WRITING...................................................................................................................9
AC2.2 CONCEPTS OF LEARNING STYLES......................................................................................9
AC2.1 FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE EFFECTIVE LEARNING DEVELOPMENT................................10
AC2.3 USE THE VARK SYSTEM OR HONEY AND MUMFORD TEST TO ASSESS YOUR OWN
LEARNING STYLE........................................................................................................................11
AC2.4 VARIOUS INFLUENCES THAT AFFECT YOUR OWN LEARNING IN RELATION TO THE
LEARNING THEORY....................................................................................................................12
AC3.1 DESCRIBE THE FACTORS THAT YOU NEED TO CONSIDER IN YOUR WORKPLACE
LEARNING PLAN.........................................................................................................................13
AC3.2 PRESENT RELEVANT TEACHING STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT THE LEARNING OF OTHERS IN
YOUR WORKPLACE....................................................................................................................13
AC3.3 SUGGEST A STRATEGY FOR DELIVERING AND ASSESSING LEARNING IN HEALTH AND
SOCIAL CARE WORKPLACE.........................................................................................................14
AC4.1 EXPLAIN THE BARRIERS TO LEARNING BY YOUR STAFF AND THE SERVICE USERS IN THE
CARE HOME THAT MAYBE EXPERIENCED AT WORK.................................................................15
2

AC4.2 DESCRIBE THE DIFFERENT METHODS YOU MAY USE TO IDENTIFY THE LEARNING NEEDS
OF YOUR STAFF OR SERVICE USERS...........................................................................................16
AC4.3 AFTER IDENTIFYING THE INDIVIDUAL LEARNING NEEDS IN STEP 5, HOW WOULD YOU
SUPPORT THE INDIVIDUAL LEARNING NEEDS AND EVALUATE THE APPROACHES YOU USED TO
SUPPORT....................................................................................................................................17
CONCLUSION.................................................................................................................................19
REFERENCES...................................................................................................................................20
3

INTRODUCTION
Learning is a continuous process which runs life-long and involves a variety of planned and
unplanned experiences. The current assignment explains the learning process in the health and
social care sector. Different types of learning styles will be discussed out of which one’s own
preferred style can be chosen. Different domains of learning are also discussed in the report.
Having knowledge of all these theories, strategies can be made to provide healthcare services
according to the individual needs of the service users. The assignment also discusses the
learning needs of healthcare workers to ensure effective delivery of services in the workplace.
The healthcare workers face some barriers to providing quality healthcare; the assignment will
also discuss these barriers to learning and ways to overcome these barriers.
4

TASK1: ESSAY
INTRODUCTION
In health and social care sector, the healthcare workers face different challenges, these
challenges can be better dealt if a knowledge base can be developed. In the current report,
various theories of learning are discussed and how these theories can be applied to provide
better healthcare is discussed.
AC1.1 EXPLAIN HOW DIFFERENT DOMAINS OF LEARNING APPLY TO LEARNING
IN HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE
Benjamin Bloom defined three domains of learning to classify the educational learning. The
three domains are cognitive, affective and psychomotor domain (Adams, 2015). The first
domain is applied in traditional education systems. These three domains are explained below:
COGNITIVE DOMAIN
This is the knowledge-based domain and is divided into six levels which are remembering,
understanding, applying, analysing, evaluating and creating. To acquire knowledge some facts,
terms and concepts need to be remembered as it is, while some facts need to be understood by
comprehending the basic concept and stating the basic ideas of the theory. Applying is the
process of solving some specific problems based on the knowledge acquired by learning. In
analysing, the interrelation of one concept with some other concept is established. Synthesizing
involves making the concept better by applying the knowledge and innovating new ways to
improve the quality, and in evaluating the feasibility of ideas in various external applications is
assessed.
AFFECTIVE DOMAIN
This domain is the emotion-based domain and involves five levels namely, receiving,
responding, valuing, organizing and characterizing. This domain describes the reaction of
people based on emotions and ability to feel the state of others by keeping themselves in their
5

place. The lowest level is receiving where the student pays attention to learn something. In
responding state, the student starts reacting (Cannon and Feinstein, 2014). In valuing stage the
student understands the value of knowledge gained. Organising involves collecting different
ideas learned and applying them in real life situations. The characterising is the state of
acquiring abstract knowledge.
PSYCHOMOTOR DOMAIN
This is the action based domain. In this learning domain, students learn the practical
applications of the theories learned. They also learn to manipulate various tools. The first state
is the perception in which inner sensory signals are used to make judgments. For example, a
chef decides the slow down the flame by smelling and tasting the food. The guided responses
may also be required for performing some difficult tasks. By applying trial and error method
proficiency is achieved by practice. By continuous practice, accuracy in performance can be
achieved and the tasks are performed with proficiency and confidence. Adaptation is equally
important to modify the existing patterns according to the requirement of the systems or to
solve a specific problem.
AC1.3 ANALYSE HOW THEORIES OF LEARNING RELATE TO THE
DEVELOPMENT OF UNDERSTANDING AND SKILLS IN HEALTH AND SOCIAL
CARE
The Bloom's Taxonomy of learning explained three types of learning domains which are
associated with knowledge, emotion and sensory experience. In addition to this, Humanistic
and behaviouristic theories are also studied to improve the quality of services in health and
social care sector. Health and social care organisations work with an aim to provide a healthy
lifestyle to the patients by providing healthcare services according to the need of individual
service users (Kim, et al. 2012).
The Bloom's model of learning is used by the healthcare professional to improve the learning
process of healthcare professionals. This model provides a list of basic learning activities which
6

need to be taken by healthcare professional before starting a structured learning process. The
knowledge domain is important to know the basic safety guidelines and knowledge regarding
healthcare services. The next skill is the affective domain which emphasises on learning the
knowledge and applying it in real life situations. In healthcare, this skill is helpful in
understanding the problems of service users and design systems to solve these problems in
minimum possible time. The third domain in the model is based on the ability to perform tasks.
CONCLUSION
In the current report, different learning domains are explained which can be used to initiate a
learning process in the healthcare professionals. By applying these theories, services can be
more interactive. Creating a knowledge base and learning skills makes a positive impact on the
quality of health and social care services.
7

TASK 2: CASE STUDY
The present case study explained the case of Mr Smith who is 90 years old and is not able to
hear. Elma is a healthcare worker and faced some problems while communicating with Mr
Smith. Later, she found that Mr Smith is able to communicate through lip reading and when she
changed the position of his sitting and started taking a pause while converting; Mr Smith was
comfortable in communicating. In the present case study, the case of Elma will be analysed with
reference to the Kolb’s learning cycle.
AC 1.2 DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH LEARNING CAN OCCUR
Kolb’s learning cycle explains different steps in learning and creation of knowledge by
transforming the experience.
Figure 1: Kolb’s Learning Cycle
[Source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/590323463626681993/]
8

1. Concrete Experience: This is the first step of the learning cycle, with our experience
regarding basics of job we start performing the job. As in case of Elma, she started a
conversation with his patient having an experience of working as a.
2. Reflective Observation: Reflection is the process of analysing what went healthcare
provider wrong and why things didn’t work as they were planned. (Kolb and Kolb, 2012)
3. Abstract Conceptualization: Conceptualisation is the process of doing a logical analysis
of a problem and planning to perform better.
4. Active Experimentation: In this stage, the testing of the hypothesis which is adopted is
done. We learn from our experiences and give it another try, and the learning cycle
continues.
At what stage of Kolb’s Learning Cycle did Elma start her learning?
Elma's learning process was started in the second stage, the reflecting observation. Elma
discovered that she is not able to communicate properly with Mr Smith and discussed the
matter with one of her co-workers. This is a process of reflection. In which an individual tries to
find the reasons for not being successful in performing a task.
What did she do in respect of each of the subsequent stages of the Kolb’s Learning Cycle?
In the first stage of Kolb's learning cycle, Elma used her experience in the healthcare to
communicate with Mr Smith but was not able to communicate because she was not facing Mr
Smith so that he can see her lips and understand her words. In the second stage, she reflected
upon this situation and reached to the third stage of abstract conceptualization, where she
planned to improve the communication process. In the fourth stage of active experimentation,
Elma implemented the idea and communicated successfully with Mr Smith.
9

TASK 3: ESSAY WRITING
INTRODUCTION
In the present report, different types of learning styles will be discussed which can help
healthcare workers to choose the most preferred style according to their personality. The
learning pattern of every individual is different from other. To understand these styles two
models are discussed, Kolb’s model and Honey & Mum ford test, which uses a questionnaire to
understand different learner types.
AC2.2 CONCEPTS OF LEARNING STYLES
The learning style of each individual is unique. To understand different learning styles of
workmates, boss, parents and clients, the VARK method can be used, which is an assessment
method used to understand the learning process of individuals. VARK model suggests that there
are four styles of learning- visual, aural, read/write and Kinaesthetic, which are explained
below:
Visual learners
These types of learners understand thing better by seeing them. Graphic displays like graphs,
charts, handouts and videos are very helpful in interpreting the things better.
Auditory learners
These kinds of learners can understand a concept better by hearing the information. Reading
out information helps them to understand better.
Reading and Writing learners
Such learners prefer to read the information and write down some imp[ortant information for
better remembrance of facts.
Kinaesthetic learners
10

Kinaesthetic or tactile learners learn thing better by touching them and taking a hands-on
experience of things. These types of learners enjoy activities like cooking, painting and
woodworks.
AC2.1 FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE EFFECTIVE LEARNING DEVELOPMENT
In similar situations, some individuals are able to learn better while some are not able to grasp
the concept. There are a number of factors which influence the learning process such as
motivation, culture, communication and past experience, these factors are explained below:
Motivation
The motivation for learning may come from inside. An individual gets motivated by his seniors,
family members or other people who are performing better and this motivation help him learn
better.
Culture
The culture is associated with the family values and upbringing of an individual. Some cultures
have a greater emphasis on gaining knowledge and learning new things which greatly helps an
individual to gain better knowledge.
Communication
The communication of knowledge also makes an impact on the learning process. Some teachers
and trainers have better skills to communicate their ideas to the learners and they are able to
teach a concept quickly to the student.
Past experience
Past experience of an individual help him to understand the basic requirements of the job and
thus his learning process become fast.
11

AC2.3 USE THE VARK SYSTEM OR HONEY AND MUMFORD TEST TO ASSESS
YOUR OWN LEARNING STYLE
Assessing his own style can help a healthcare worker to device ways in which better services
can be provided to the patients which are having different needs. For assessing one's own
learning style, VARK system and Honey and Mumford test are useful, which are explained
below:
VARK SYSTEM
VARK System proposes four types of learning styles and by understanding these styles
healthcare workers can determine their own working style and improve the learning process.
The first style discussed in the VARK theory is Visual style, in which healthcare workers are able
to learn better by visual mediums like graphs, hand-outs and videos. The second style is the
auditory style in which learners are able to understand a concept easily by hearing
(Prithishkumar, et al. 2014). The third style is reading and writing in which the learners find it
more convenient to learn a concept by reading it. The fourth are kinaesthetic learners who
learn better by touching things.
HONEY AND MUMFORD TEST
This test uses a questionnaire to determine the learning preferences of healthcare workers.
This assessment helps in selecting the learning experiences that suit the style of an individual
and they can have an idea regarding learning style of other team members also. On the basis of
score obtained in the questionnaires four types of learning styles are concluded which are
activist, reflector, theorist and pragmatist.
VARK ASSESSMENT FORM
VARK assessment questions are given in the assignment. 30 questions are there which are
based on the personal choices of food, travel and leisure etc. The answers to these
questionnaires have to be given from three options, and my answers were mainly A's.
12