Those who can (and do) teach: Developing Simulations to Bring Practitioners and Students Together(1st)

Despite students having some ideas about the occupations they may enter upon graduation, unless the course is vocational in nature, they may not have the opportunity to understand the realities of their chosen profession, the qualities required, and the opportunity to discover whether the occupation is the right fit for them. Academic departments may have staff with practitioner experience in their teams, but there can be anxieties about the currency of their applied knowledge and experience. By bringing existing practitioners into the classroom to take students through a simulated learning experience, both students and practitioners are able to benefit. However, the focus tends to be on the benefits for students. This chapter will explore from practitioners’ perspectives, the benefits and challenges for teaching on a simulation module. Benefits include: reciprocity; pride in their expertise; opportunities to develop their own skills; and supporting the pipeline of future recruits. The chapter also outlines some challenges for delivering simulated learning, with pragmatic recommendations and considerations for academic staff who may wish to adopt such an approach.