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Learning Set Adviser

The Learning Set Adviser’s goal is to develop a small self-facilitating learning community, as a medium to long-term project. This is a part-time occupation, which requires attentive care for a few hours each month. As well as attending learning Set meetings, the Adviser is required to monitor and participate in e-mail discussion every week, attend to some administrative matters, and perform preparation and follow-up tasks.

The Learning Set Adviser’s Roles

Bureaucrat - dealing with the many rules, regulations and procedures of The University of Sydney and Collaborating Partner, ensuring that these are communicated to and understood by members of the Learning Set.

Liaison - a role concerned with making sure that information flows to and from the Set with all appropriate people, and that people in the University and Collaborative Partner are informed of relevant progress.

Mentor – Learning set members often require guidance on aspects of their work. The Set Adviser must be able to guide and counsel across a wide range of issues, problems and requirements. Over time, this role will be shared with other members of the Set.

Innovator - sometimes the Set Adviser may need to throw possible ideas into the Set discussions, as well as suggested approaches and alternatives as to how they might tackle a particular piece of work or problem.

Friend – All members of the Set, including the Adviser, should be someone members can talk to, someone who can provide help, support and a smile from time to time, to deal with stress, frustration and depression that some busy professionals undertaking study experience. The Set Adviser's role is to set an example, provide friendly help, and encourage Set members to ask for and provide that help to each other.

Motivator - in addition to providing the "cup of tea and sympathy", the Set Adviser must also help some members to jerk themselves out of the despondency and despair they may have reached and give them prods and probes to keep up their motivation.

Negotiator - from time to time Set Advisers have to negotiate on behalf of members with the University Faculty and the Collaborative Partner, and on behalf of the University with members.

The Set Adviser is Not:

Expert: The Learning Set Adviser is not expected to be a content expert. Academic staff teaching each Unit of Study provides this expertise.

Tutor: The Set Adviser is not expected to provide direct tuition to Set Members, though it is appropriate for the Adviser to locate appropriate services, and refer students to them.

Tasks

The Learning Set Adviser aims for a long-term relationship with a learning set that becomes a self-facilitating and supportive learning community. In particular the Set Adviser is asked:

To model facilitation and encourage the Set to become self-facilitating.
To view the set as a system, nurturing the Set as a whole, as well as the members.
To encourage the Set and members to set clear goals and objectives.
To help the Set reflect on task, process and learning achievements.
To help the Set understand what is happening in the present.
To encourage the Set develop strategies for the use and sharing of its time.
To confront the Set, or individual members, to identify unresolved problems.
To help the Set recognise positive forces for growth and development.
To help the Set plan for improvement.
Assist the Set to identify learning resources inside and outside the Set.
To encourage members to share the management roles in the Set (chair, timekeeper, recorder, etc).
To encourage the Set to make agendas and maintain records of Set meetings.
To advise Members on administrative procedures and access to resources.
To advocate with the University and Collaborative Partners for the Learning Set and its members.

Additional Tasks

On occasions Learning Set Advisers may be asked to undertake additional tasks. In some Units of Study they may have a role in assessing work completed by members. In others they may have to arrange local supervision of examinations, or provide other services.

Skills

A Set Adviser uses a range of skills that are not the same as those which used in most teaching or training roles. The skills required are

Modelling
Questioning
Confronting
Encouraging
Supporting
Empowering

Desirable Qualities

Breadth of experience, e.g. a wide understanding of professional life, in health, social and related fields.
Experience of action learning, experiential learning, action inquiry or similar processes.
Experience or knowledge of resources that the Set can draw upon, such as library and information services, a network of experienced people in particular fields.
Highly developed personal skills, including those required for facilitating.
Availability. Even when the Set Adviser is not present at the Set Meeting, he or she should be reasonably available by e-mail.
Agreement skills – for example, the Set Adviser should be able to set up contracts at the end of one Set meeting regarding what each individual member would do between that time and the beginning of the next Set meeting, and what they will bring to that next Set meeting.
Counselling - being able to take on a non-judgemental approach to the issues and problems faced by the Set and by individual associates.
Confidentiality – respecting he privacy of set members, respecting personal information that is shared in the Set, and sharing information appropriately with the University and Collaborative Partner.
Being responsive to the Set and being sensitive to its needs and requirements.
Adopting a low profile - the Set Adviser should not to be too much the centre of stage, or be involved too much in discussions. Set Members should be empowered.
Administrative capability – to be the link between the people in the Set and University Faculty and administration. If this goes wrong the entire development of the Set activities and group processes can be put at risk.
Records Enforcer - ensuring that members maintain appropriate records of Set meetings, and giving some guidance on how to do that.
Setting the environment - establishing a secure environment in which Associates can ask insightful and probing questions.
Flexibility – Ability to balancing the different roles.

Preparation

A Learning Set Adviser will have a qualification at least equivalent to that which the students in the learning set are seeking, but not necessarily in the same discipline or field of study. For example, an Adviser to a Learning Set for Master of Health Science by Coursework students should hold a Master degree, and have completed significant coursework at postgraduate level. The Master degree of the facilitator does not have to be in Health Sciences

In the Faculty of Health Sciences facilitated learning program each Learning Set Adviser undertakes a 6-credit point one-semester Unit of Study called “Facilitating Learning” (or provides evidence of having completed equivalent study). As well as the relevant content, this Unit of Study provides the Learning Set Adviser with valuable experience in the student role. It may be undertaken before or concurrent with their first Semester as a Learning Set Adviser.

In his or her first semester in the role, a new Learning Set Adviser will advise a learning set in which all the members are new students enrolled in a Unit of Study called ‘Reflective Inquiry in Practice’. This Unit of Study assists in the formation of effective learning sets.

Support

Learning Set Advisers should participate in a ‘meta-learning set’ (a learning set of learning sets). In the Faculty of Health Sciences a virtual learning set, known as ‘Olset-m’, is conducted by e-mail, with the Offshore Facilitated Learning Coordinator in the role of adviser. The purpose of Olset-m is to assist learning set advisers in their task of developing self-facilitating learning sets. Members of Olset-m may have an opportunity for face-to-face meetings with the Offshore Facilitated Learning Coordinator once or twice each year.