title: The key to using a learning or skill acquisition plan.
abstract: A learning plan is a tool to guide the development of knowledge, skills and professional attitudes required for practice. A learning plan is an ideal tool for both supervisors and mentors to guide the process of teaching and learning a medical ultrasound examination. A good learning plan will state the learning goal, identify the learning activities and resources needed to achieve this goal, and highlight the outcome measures, which when achieved indicate the goal has been accomplished. A skill acquisition plan provides a framework for task acquisition and skill stratification; and is an extension of the application of the student learning plan. One unique feature of a skill acquisition plan is it requires the tutor to first undertake a task analysis. The task steps are progressively learnt in sequence, termed scaffolding. The skills to develop and use a learning or skill acquisition plan are also learnt, but are an integral component to the ultrasound tutors skill set. This paper will provide an outline of how to use and apply a learning and skill acquisition plan. We will review how these tools can be personalised to each student and skill teaching environment.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine Nursing and Health ScienceFlinders UniversityAdelaideSouth AustraliaAustralia; Sydney Ultrasound for WomenSydneyNew South WalesAustralia.
authors.forename: Delwyn
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nicholls
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine Nursing and Health Science Flinders University Adelaide South Australia Australia.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sweet
authors.affiliation: Northern Women's ImagingHornsbyNew South WalesAustralia; Australian Society for Ultrasound in MedicineCrows NestNew South WalesAustralia.
authors.forename: Sue Campbell
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Westerway
authors.affiliation: Australian Society for Ultrasound in Medicine Crows Nest New South Wales Australia.
authors.forename: Annie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gibbins
keywords: SMART objectives; learning plan; skill acquisition; task deconstruction; ultrasound