According to Center for Teaching and Learning of University of Minnesota, a teaching and learning

philosophy is a self-reflective statement or conception of ones beliefs in teaching and learning.

(2010). This is also a way to communicate goals as an instructor and a learner. Being a learner and at
the same time given/will fortunately be given some opportunities to share or impart knowledge to
younger generations of nursing profession, I wanted to produce a learning society more than
producing a literate society at the same time develop the intellect, serve social needs, contribute to
the economy, create an effective work force and promote a particular social or political system.
Moreover, I wanted to develop intelligence and character both from being a learner and an educator.
My teaching and learning philosophy includes the most important aspect for me which is to focus
more on what the learner does more than what the educator does. Learning process should be
learner-centered. According to Thomas Shuell, student centered teaching is built on the assumption
that what the student does is actually more important in determining what is learned than what the
teacher does (2014). Having such concept in mind, this will provide an innovative way of learning
and teaching such as engagement and active learning approaches. With the application of such
concept, communication is the key, as an educator or a learner one must be able to express or
communicate his/her objective, expectations and work together toward the common objectives and
goal so that each and everyone who is part of the learning process may it be the educator or the
learner will be prepared.
In terms of teaching and learning philosophy one must also be open with the idea that there is no
such thing as universal or constant strategy or technique that will be applicable to everybody in terms
of teaching and learning. In addition, there is no such thing as the most effective method, all of these
methods or strategies of teaching and learning are effective in varying degrees and in different types
of learners because each and every learner is unique and has his/her own way of learning method.
Learning process itself must always include innovation and flexibility such as including the usage of
different strategies and techniques that will be applicable in different instances and that will work
well in different types of learners.
I wanted to start my teaching and learning philosophy with the objective of being able to understand
and apply the basic and fundamental content of a particular course at the same time I want to develop
critical thinking, facilitate acquisition of life-long learning skills and develop problem solving
strategies. Aside from that I also want to learn and at the same time impart knowledge about
leadership because leadership is no longer about powerful people directing others rather leadership is
about fostering collaboration, working towards common goals which also one of the few things that I
seek to create in my teaching and learning environment. Another thing that I wanted to be part of my
teaching and learning process is what I call innovation with the usage of digital literacy. Digital
literacy is the ability to use digital technology to locate, review, utilize and create new information.
(Belshaw, 2007). Unlike teaching leadership skills, which can be abstruse and subjective in nature,
improving students digital literacy is generally a much more concrete process, with a wide variety of
tools readily available. In fact, for many educators, the difficulty in teaching some of these skills may

stem from a lack of knowledge by the educators themselves relative to their pupils. Because of this, it
is not only vital for instructors to ensure they incorporate digital literacy into their lessons in order to
connect with their students, but that they keep up to speed and engage in lifelong learning themselves
as well. Going along with this, creatively incorporating digital learning into lesson plans and
maintaining student interest is also highly important. Moreover, communication should also be part
of the learning environment. Fundamentally, regardless of language or medium, truly effective
communication is about openly and honestly sharing information in a way that creates mutual
understanding between all parties involved about the others thoughts, intentions and ideas, whether
they agree or not and at the same time, help learners to overcome language barriers and
communication problems. In this case, active listening is one of the fundamental skills to develop.
However, open dialogue should also be practiced in lieu with listening. At the end, as an educator,
one must also be able to contribute to a learners intellectual growth, new perspectives and reexamine
ideas and assumptions that shape the production of knowledge among the learners. And at last, as a
future nurse educator, I also wanted my learners to be globally competent and to be fully equipped
with cognitive and psychomotor skills fully furnished with the right attitude.

In order to achieve goals and objectives incorporated in my teaching and learning philosophy,
different strategies should be considered, these strategies may work or not work in different instances
and at some varying degrees.

Lecture is a form of talk given to someone or a group of people. (Cambridge Dictionary, 2015)
It is the most widely used instructional strategy since Im elementary until I reached College or
tertiary level and this also serves as an important way to communicate information because it
provides a way to communicate large amount of information to many listeners and learners.
However, this strategy minimizes feedback from the learners and this assumes unrealistic level of
student understanding and comprehension and this often disengages learners from the learning
process and this causes information to be forgotten.

Case Method is a method of instruction that presents observation and analysis of problems under
study and often calls upon the students to render practical help. (Merriam Webster Dictionary, 2015).
It is a strategy that provides an opportunity for learners to apply what they learn in the classroom to

real life experiences. I have experienced using this strategy during my training years in tertiary level
and post graduate programs through having a hospital duty and community immersion and this has
proven to be an effective way of both disseminating and integrating knowledge.

Discussion is the act of talking in a group of people. (Merriam Webster Dictionary, 2015). This is
one of the strategies that have been widely used in Graduate School. The usage of this strategy made
me feel nervous at first but it has helped me developed confidence and verbal and communication
skills aside from the course topic that is being discussed. Obviously, a successful class discussion
involves planning on the part of the instructor and preparation on the part of the students. Instructors
should communicate this commitment to the students on the first day of class by clearly articulating
course expectations. Just as the instructor carefully plans the learning experience, the students must
comprehend the assigned reading. This type of strategy enhances confidence and skill in expressing
ideas and thought at the same time fosters active listening. This could also be an ideal gauge on
whether the learner really did understand the topic and was able to comprehend it. Brainstorming is
another example of discussion, in such case learners may be reluctant to speak out in a group setting
like what I have experienced the first time that this learning strategy was introduced to me but this
kind of strategy is an open sharing activity which encourages learners to participate.

Cooperative Learning refers to a group of students working in teams on a project under conditions
in which certain criteria are satisfied. (Felder & Brent, 2006). It is a kind of strategy that could also
foster creativity and innovation and at the same time strengthen camaraderie and team work.
Developing a seminar related to the course can be a good example of cooperative learning. However,
this also requires team learning, people or learners who are used to be independent in learning and
accomplishing tasks should be well guided in this type of strategy. Moreover, time is also essential in
achieving learning goals through cooperative learning.

Debate is a strategy that engages learners in a combination of activities that causes them to interact
with the curriculum. (Merriam Webster Dictionary, 2015). This encourages participants to think
critically and strategically about their own and their opponents position. This can also be useful in
evaluating learners knowledge, social skills in working with others, contextual understanding,
speaking and listening as well as researching skills. This is very applicable to learners who were used
to cooperative, collaborative learning.

Simulation is an imitative representation of a functioning of a certain system. (Merriam Webster

Dictionary, 2015). It is a strategy that I have experienced during return demonstration of nursing
skills during my college years. Simulations are instructional scenarios where the learner is placed in a
"world" defined by the teacher. They represent a reality within which students interact. A simulation
is a form of experiential learning. It is a strategy that fits well with the principles of Student-Centred.
Simulations promote the use of critical and evaluative thinking. Simulations promote concept
attainment through experiential practice. They help students understand the nuances of a concept.
Students often find them more deeply engaging than other activities, as they experience the activity
first-hand, rather than hearing about it or seeing it. However, resources and time are required to
develop a quality learning experience with simulations. Assessment of student learning through
simulation is often more complex than with other methods. Simulated experiences are more realistic
than some other techniques and they can be so engaging and absorbing that students forget the
educational purpose of the exercise. If the simulation has an element of competition, it is important to
remind the learners that the goal is not to win, but to acquire knowledge and understanding.
It is important to use both subjective and objective parameters in measuring the knowledge, skills
and attitude of the learners towards understanding the fundamental and complex concept of the
course and achieving the learning objectives and goals.

References:

Belshaw, D. (2007, January 25). Definition of Digital Literacy from the book of the same name
Paul Gilster. Retrieved June 29,2015 from http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2007/07/25/definitionsof-digital-literacy-from-the-book-of-the-same-name-by-paul-gilster/

Lecture [Def. 1]. (n.d.). Cambridge Dictionary.

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/lecture

Retrieved

June

29,

2015

from

Felder R. & Brent R. (2006, October 6). Turning Student Groups into Effective Teams. Journal
of Student Centered Learning, 2(1), 9-34.

Case Method [Def. 2]. (n.d.). Merriam Webster Online. In Merriam Webster. Retrieved June 29,
2015 from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/case%20method

Debate [Def. 1]. (n.d.). Merriam Webster Online. In Merriam Webster. Retrieved June 29, 2015
from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/debate

Discussion [Def. 1]. (n.d.). Merriam Webster Online. In Merriam Webster. Retrieved June 29,
2015 from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/discussion

Simulation [Def. 3]. (n.d.). Merriam Webster Online. In Merriam Webster. Retrieved June 29,
2015 from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/simulation

Shuell, T. (2014, February). Cognitive Conceptions of Learning. Review of Educational

Research, 56 (4), 411-436.

University of Minnesota. (2010, September 8). Writing your Teaching Philosophies. Center for
Teaching and Learning. Retrieved June 29, 2015 from
http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/teachlearn/tutorials/philosophy/

Clinical Teaching and Supervision Prelims

Submitted to: Dr. Josephine M. De Leon
Submitted by: Jennifer Rhae J. Lim, RN