Comments on: Liz Wager: Training and the placebo effect http://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2008/05/13/liz-wager-training-and-the-placebo-effect/ Just another blogs.bmj.com weblog Sat, 11 Oct 2008 01:58:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Angela Hook http://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2008/05/13/liz-wager-training-and-the-placebo-effect/#comment-2417 Angela Hook Thu, 29 May 2008 08:10:02 +0000 http://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2008/05/13/liz-wager-training-and-the-placebo-effect/#comment-2417 I was interested to read your post - particularly in light of the fact that we are just about to launch an MSc Advanced Occupational Therapy here at University of Salford to be delivered totally on-line. We have taken a good two years in the development of this and the points you raise are pertinent. We have acknowledged the need for interaction - both within a learning environment and in the more social aspects of being a student and to this end we are not just facilitating learning of an individual - but we will be facilitating and encouraging a virtual learning community where the cohort will be encouraged to engage in activities that require discussion, collaboration and networking. Their learning will then be transferred to their current work environment where they can also collaborate with colleagues etc. In terms of the social side - we are exploring many avenues for virtual social space and will be asking students to consider blogs, Facebook and Second Life as possible areas for a virtual coffee and to maintain an on-line presence. Of course, as you mention, no learning experience is infallible and I'm sure that we will have many issues to resolve, but it is quite exciting nonetheless to be one of the first within the health professions in the UK to offer an entire programme online. I was interested to read your post - particularly in light of the fact that we are just about to launch an MSc Advanced Occupational Therapy here at University of Salford to be delivered totally on-line. We have taken a good two years in the development of this and the points you raise are pertinent. We have acknowledged the need for interaction - both within a learning environment and in the more social aspects of being a student and to this end we are not just facilitating learning of an individual - but we will be facilitating and encouraging a virtual learning community where the cohort will be encouraged to engage in activities that require discussion, collaboration and networking. Their learning will then be transferred to their current work environment where they can also collaborate with colleagues etc. In terms of the social side - we are exploring many avenues for virtual social space and will be asking students to consider blogs, Facebook and Second Life as possible areas for a virtual coffee and to maintain an on-line presence.
Of course, as you mention, no learning experience is infallible and I’m sure that we will have many issues to resolve, but it is quite exciting nonetheless to be one of the first within the health professions in the UK to offer an entire programme online.

]]> By: Simona Brown http://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2008/05/13/liz-wager-training-and-the-placebo-effect/#comment-2416 Simona Brown Fri, 16 May 2008 21:35:26 +0000 http://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2008/05/13/liz-wager-training-and-the-placebo-effect/#comment-2416 At first I thought of an invaluable opportunities of training where I would be offered guidance, emotional and material support and feed-back about my performance. Even if no training experience is perfect, surely the live experience is to be preferred? But in the same time, I also thought of endless hours dedicated to compulsory training, when I felt that I would be better off on my own in the library. The reality is both reactions are specifically related to the quality of the process and its capacity to achieve the learning objectives. I think that the value of an educator lies both in offering selective and relevant information and in emitting inspiring energy. Faith in the process of training is a factor its effectiveness as it is connected to motivation and operant conditioning. It is also related to the learner’s confidence in delivering the newly acquired skills. At first I thought of an invaluable opportunities of training where I would be offered guidance, emotional and material support and feed-back about my performance. Even if no training experience is perfect, surely the live experience is to be preferred?

But in the same time, I also thought of endless hours dedicated to compulsory training, when I felt that I would be better off on my own in the library.

The reality is both reactions are specifically related to the quality of the process and its capacity to achieve the learning objectives. I think that the value of an educator lies both in offering selective and relevant information and in emitting inspiring energy.

Faith in the process of training is a factor its effectiveness as it is connected to motivation and operant conditioning. It is also related to the learner’s confidence in delivering the newly acquired skills.

]]> By: Andrew Walker http://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2008/05/13/liz-wager-training-and-the-placebo-effect/#comment-2415 Andrew Walker Fri, 16 May 2008 12:57:15 +0000 http://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2008/05/13/liz-wager-training-and-the-placebo-effect/#comment-2415 A few weeks ago I led my fisrt workshop at the European Medical Writers Association meeting in Barcelona. The feedback from the delegates was largely positive in that most of them found it instructive and stimulating. That in itself was gratifying. What was unexpeted was the effect that the experience had on me, the trainer. I returned to work rejuvenated, full of new ideas and strategies fro dealing with the challenges of working in multidisciplinary teams. Thus I support your observation that in teh context of training, humans respond best to human contact but would like to add that the benefits can work both ways! A few weeks ago I led my fisrt workshop at the European Medical Writers Association meeting in Barcelona. The feedback from the delegates was largely positive in that most of them found it instructive and stimulating. That in itself was gratifying. What was unexpeted was the effect that the experience had on me, the trainer. I returned to work rejuvenated, full of new ideas and strategies fro dealing with the challenges of working in multidisciplinary teams. Thus I support your observation that in teh context of training, humans respond best to human contact but would like to add that the benefits can work both ways!

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