The 18th Annual APT conference UCL/LSE/Imperial The critical challenge for health faculty has been to scale at speed as their students were mobilised into the NHS to respond to Covid-19. For many, there has been a big push to utilising online tools, and technology, rather than pedagogy, has been foregrounded. What theorists can we draw upon to inform our practice as we seek to offer our learners an excellent online experience? This case study critically reflects on the challenges and opportunites working with teams which share ‘humanisation’ values; and considers Vygotskys’ ‘Zone of Proximal Development’(ZPD). The complexity of ‘leading teams as they lead their students’ where both sets of learners required a personalised and point of contact support for their own learning, was responded to by the ‘Corona Virus Teachinar’ initiative. Designed to offer a blend of synchronous and asynchronous peer support, it draw upon Cook et al (2010) work on augmented and mediated learning spaces.

1. A humanising
response to scaling
at speed
John Moran
Ian Donaldson
Debbie Holley (Professor of
Learning Innovation

2. Nursing students
(and staff)
Had to move online even faster
The Professional body changed the
regulations (NMC)
Our third year students called up Easter
2020 to complete their degrees in
practice
They all moved to the NHS to work on
the wards
But had a body of work to complete fully
online
No expertise in online learning – most
staff come from practice
Depiction of the Covid-19 virus from a Nursing Student

3. The Corona
Virus Teachinar
Unit on our VLE
Brightspace

4. Developing theory:
Vygotsky
Lev S Vygotsky (1896-1934) writing a period of social, cultural, historic change in both his
location and discipline – he was unique in seeking a comprehensive approach that would
make possible description and explanation of the higher psychological functions in terms of
acceptance to natural science – did not achieve this objective, but did provide a critique of
theories which claim adult intellectual functions arise from maturation alone;
and suggested the mechanisms by which culture becomes a part of each persons nature
And by claiming that all of the above should be understood in terms of a Marxist theory of
the history of human society and by this laid the foundations for a unified behavioural
science

5. Definition: Zone of
Proximal development
It is a useful concept because the actual developmental level defines functions that have
already matured. The ZPD offer us a way exploring functions that will mature ‘tomorrow’ –
Vygotsky defines these as ‘buds or ‘flowers’ of development rather than ‘fruits’ of
development…the prospective mental development – and this can offer us insights for
education, as our learners are on a journey to acquiring the knowledge of their discipline.
In terms of technology and scaffolding, Vygotskys idea on ‘imitation’ are relevant (p88) as
learners can only imitate what is within their developmental levels – hence modern tools as the
ability for us to ‘scaffold’ assists learners to assess the knowledge and understanding
It is the distance between the actual developmental level as determined by
independent problem solving and the level of potential problem solving under
adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers (Vygotsky 1930/1978
p86)

6. Definition: temporality
“… context as a core construct that
enables collaborative, location-based,
mobile device mediated problem solving
where learners generate their own
‘temporal context for development’ within
the wider frame of Augmented Contexts
for Development (ACD).”
Cook, J (2010). Mobile Phones as
Mediating Tools Within Augmented
Contexts for Development, IJMBL.
Link to paper http://goo.gl/NFWnSZ
In addition to reorganising the
visual-spatial field, the child,
with the help of speech,
creates a time field …he can
act in the present from the
viewpoint of the future (p36)
The ACD ..appears
to act as part of the
substitute for what
Vygotsky calls ‘the
more capable
peer….’

7. The student
experience• A benefit is its easier to plan your life
around online lectures
• Allows us to work around the lectures and
earn some money!
• But you don’t get the same experience
(online)
• Found it useful to be able to watch lectures
back if they are uploaded to Brightspace
• Initially I found it hard to adapt but now I got
used to it and I quite like it ;) . Still missing the
actual physical connection with the tutors I
also miss the fuss and crowds at the
cafeteria in the campus.
• The group work has been really helpful, I
feel like I have a bigger circle of friends
now in my class, which I didn't before. It has
been a great confidence boost.

8. What theories have others drawn upon?
Please add into the chat panel,
and get in touch with Debbie if you are
interested in a syndicated set of blog
posts
We can reach out nationally through the
National Teaching Fellow (NTF) blog

9. Selected
References
Biggins, D., Holley, D. and Zezulkova, M., 2017. Digital Competence and Capability Frameworks in Higher Education: Importance
of Life-long Learning, Self-Development and Well-being. EAI Endorsed Transactions on e-Learning, 4 (13).
Cook, J. (2010) Mobile Phones as Mediating Tools within Augmented Contexts for development. International Journal of Mobile
and Blended Learning, 2(3), 1-12, July-September 2010
Todres, L., Galvin, K. T., & Holloway, I. (2009). The humanization of healthcare: A value framework for qualitative
research. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being, 4(2), 68-77.
Vygotsky, L. (1978). Mind in Society. In: Cole, M., (Ed.) The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge MA:
Harvard University Press.
Waight, S. and Holley, D. (forthcoming 2020) 'Digital Competence Frameworks: their role in enhancing digital wellbeing in
Nursing Curricula' Humanising Higher Education: A positive approach to enhancing wellbeing (Clarke, S and Devis-Rozental,
C eds) Palgrave 2020
Wenger, E., 1999. Communities of practice: Learning, meaning, and identity. Cambridge university press.