York St John University www'yorksj'ac'uk

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PLAYING YOUR CARDS RIGHT The Psychology Card
Sort and WBL
Dr Jacqui Akhurst
York St John University www.yorksj.ac.uk
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DEVELOPMENT OF THE CARD SORT

• HEA Psychology Network employability initiatives
  04-05
• Aim to focus on specific skills and attributes,
  gained through undergraduate study of psychology
  (2nd-3rd yr)
• Card Categories
• Cognitive Skills
• Generic Competencies
• Personal Capabilities
• Technical Ability
• Specific Organisational Practice related to
  Psychology
• Generic Career Planning activities.

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Online http//www.psychology.heacademy.ac.uk/Car
dSort/CardSort_Psychology/index.htm
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EVALUATING THE CARD SORT

• Completion of online card sort (February).
• Student feedback on experiences of using the card
  sort.
• Repeated completion of online card sort at the
  end of work placement (June).
• Reflective accounts.

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FINDINGS CARD SORT
Table 1 Cumulative highest Yes Student
Responses to Card Sort items
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FINDINGS CARD SORT

• Table 2 Lowest Yes Student Responses to Card
  Sort items

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STUDENTS COMMENTS (questionnaire 1)

• 64 of students - card sort easy to use /
  understand.
• 67 - skill awareness increased following
  completion of the card sort.
• 12 noted acquiring other skills not in card
  sort writing skills, referencing and those
  related to personality
• 33 - card sort identified skills and knowledge
  previously unaware they had acquired.
• 48 - did not reflect often, but now aware they
  should do so.
• 51 - useful aid to career planning.

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STUDENTS REFLECTIONS

• Common themes
• Many expressed increased confidence after their
  placement
• and feel more confident in some areas listed by
  card sort.
• Other categories commonly identified as having
  changed positively included decision making (7
  students), show sensitivity (8 students), work
  independently (7 students), and picture a job
  (9 students).
• A better understanding of different roles and
  groups, and general understanding of
  organisations and career paths
• feeling more motivated
• knowledge of how to work ethically.

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DISCUSSION RECOMMENDATIONS

• Students perceptions of skills developed in
  psychology / indication of those needing further
  development.
• Study supports ideas about weaving the schooled
  with the everyday
• enhances the dialectical growth of concepts
• and motivating to the student.
• Regarding the cards
• Phrasing of some cards need alteration.
• Possible addition of further card items?
• Immediate feedback to students needs to be
  incorporated.

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CONCLUSION

• Potentially useful tool for programme audits.
• Encourages students reflective practice may be
  used as part of PDP.
• Useful adjunct to WBL.
• Evaluate wider utility by trialling in other
  departments of psychology / other disciplines
  e.g. Health, in the UK.

• Acknowledgements to the Higher Education Academy
  Psychology Network
• for funding this research through the
  Miniprojects fund.
• Ref Akhurst, J. E., Paton, F. (January, 2007).
  The psychology card sort
• researching student development. Unpublished
  paper presented at YSJ.