Symposium 2: Networked Learning for Life-Long Learning in Swedish Health Care

A Pilot Study

Abstract

A healthy work environment in health care requires that staff feel in control and are provided with self-development opportunities, information and adequate resources, all of which lead to job satisfaction. Lifelong learning for health care staff has received increasing attention as a step towards an attractive workplace and safer care. However, people in working life demand conditions that enable them to participate in educational activities. The aim of this paper is to describe experiences of creating and distributing short, flexible and networked courses in higher education, for health care personnel’s lifelong learning. Following research questions are included: what challenges have been identified by higher education staff when creating flexible courses for lifelong learning based on networked learning? and what, in the course design, was essential for the students networked learning? The project was built on the assumption that knowledge is empowering for staff and patients, and that organizational learning and behaviour is central for quality. The sociocultural theory of learning, which claims that all humans are willing and able to learn, and that people learn when they realize that the knowledge is relevant and important to them, has inspired. One pilot course was developed, and this paper focuses on the preliminary findings for the course “Peer learning”. E-mail, memos and notes were used as data and examined with thematic analysis. The findings showed four themes that answered the aim: identifying courses in collaboration; recruiting and maintaining the participants; learning activities in the course design and improving the course. It was important to have flexibility along with some structure in the course. The three components in networked learning contributed to learning and motivation during the course: relationship between educators, gatekeepers and students, the technology in the digital classroom, and a collaborative engagement. It seems successful working together and networking between the two organizations (university and health care) for a common purpose. The conclusion focuses further on the importance of building a robust network as well as bringing new ideas and needs for lifelong learning from the health care to the university. Further data collection is needed to get additional and deeper insights of health care managers along with workforce experiences and wishes for lifelong learning.