"Facilitating a Laboratory Skills Session"

Handout

**Objectives**

At the end of the unit, participants will be able to:

-   Describe how to prepare for a laboratory skills session

-   Describe how to demonstrate a laboratory procedure

-   Discuss how to conduct a hands-on practice session

-   Anticipate the challenges that might occur and possible solutions

**Prepare to Teach**

Preparing to teach a laboratory skills session is very similar to
preparing for any other workshops. There are, however, a few additional
things you need to do.

> **Know the content**
>
> Practice with necessary equipment and supplies until you become
> familiar with the laboratory procedures you are teaching. In addition,
> rehearse and become familiar with all the instructional exercises in
> training.
>
> **Know your participants**
>
> Gather information so you can answer these questions about your
> participants:

-   What are their prior experiences, knowledge, and skills in the lab?

-   What are the factors that may hinder their learning during training
    (negative attitude, fear, etc.)?

-   What are some possible challenges they may encounter on the job when
    performing the lab procedures?

-   What can you do to help them overcome those barriers?

> **Determine pre-requisites**
>
> Prerequisites are the assumptions you make about the participants'
> prior skills. It establishes your starting point (for example, are you
> going to teach fingerprick or pipetting before the HIV rapid test
> procedures?).
>
> **Secure facility**
>
> Consider setting up two rooms adjacent to each other.

-   One serves as the dry room (or clean room) for slide/video
    presentation, lecture, or group discussion.

-   The other one serves as the wet room (also called dirty room) for
    lab/bench work.

> **Determine \# of small groups and room layout**
>
> Based on the total number of participants and instructors available,
> determine the number of small groups and workstations required that
> will be optimal for both demonstration and hands-on practice. Given
> the facility space, you can also plan the room layout. The ultimate
> goal is to:

-   Allow participants to see the demonstration clearly and the
    facilitators to observe participants easily

-   Allow participants to get enough space and time for practice

> **Gather all necessary supplies, materials, and equipment**
>
> Make sure you have enough sets of supplies, materials, and equipment
> (including the right kind of specimens, if required) for your
> demonstration, for participants' hands-on practices, and some extra.
> Use a checklist to help coordinate everything needed for the training
> (equipment, software, supplies, training materials, technical
> assistance, etc.). A sample checklist is provided for your reference
> on the next page.
>
> **Keep appropriate instructor/participant ratio (1:6)**
>
> A general rule of thumb is one instructor for every 4-6 participants.
> However,

-   Arrange for additional trainers or assistants to help during the
    hands-on practice sessions if possible.

-   You may want to increase the ratio if your participants are very
    inexperienced (for example, one instructor per 2 participants).

> **Create job aids**
>
> A job aid may be a form or worksheet used by participants to record
> the laboratory results. It may also be a handout showing the
> laboratory procedures graphically. Participants may use this as a
> quick reference during the hands-on practice and back at work.

# Sample Checklist

# [Materials and Supplies]{.underline}

+---------+-------------------------------------------+----------------+
| -       | **Materials and Supplies**                | **\#           |
|         |                                           | required**     |
+---------+-------------------------------------------+----------------+
|         | 70% Alcohol or methylated spirit swabs    |                |
+---------+-------------------------------------------+----------------+
|         | Cotton gauze or wool                      |                |
+---------+-------------------------------------------+----------------+
|         | Sterile Lancets                           |                |
+---------+-------------------------------------------+----------------+
|         | Sharps bin or disinfectant jar for        |                |
|         | lancets                                   |                |
+---------+-------------------------------------------+----------------+
|         | Sharps container                          |                |
+---------+-------------------------------------------+----------------+
|         | Timer (stopwatch, clock, or wrist watch)  |                |
+---------+-------------------------------------------+----------------+
|         | Markers, Pens                             |                |
+---------+-------------------------------------------+----------------+
|         | Biohazard stickers/labels                 |                |
+---------+-------------------------------------------+----------------+
|         | Plastic bags for biohazard waste          |                |
+---------+-------------------------------------------+----------------+
|         | Transfer or precision pipettes            |                |
+---------+-------------------------------------------+----------------+
|         | Pipette tips                              |                |
+---------+-------------------------------------------+----------------+
|         | Band-Aids or plasters                     |                |
+---------+-------------------------------------------+----------------+
|         | Gloves                                    |                |
+---------+-------------------------------------------+----------------+
|         | Aprons or laboratory coats                |                |
+---------+-------------------------------------------+----------------+
|         | Paper towels                              |                |
+---------+-------------------------------------------+----------------+
|         | Soap or hand sanitizer for hand washing   |                |
+---------+-------------------------------------------+----------------+
|         | Disinfectant e.g. Jik, Chlorox            |                |
+---------+-------------------------------------------+----------------+
|         | Spray bottle for disinfectant             |                |
+---------+-------------------------------------------+----------------+

**Components in Teaching Lab Skills**

There are five components in teaching laboratory skills.

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------

> **Quick overview of the entire procedure** may be done by a video or
> live demonstration. The purpose is to provide a big picture. **A
> question and answer session** will follow. If done in front of the
> entire class, all questions from the participants can be heard and
> answered at the same time.
>
> **Demonstration of individual steps** should be done in a small-group
> setting so everyone can see the steps clearly. Consider setting up
> multiple demonstration stations if you have enough instructors. An
> alternative is to repeat demonstration in a small-group setting
> several times. In this case, you need to consider alternate activity
> for participants who are not watching the demonstration.
>
> Demonstrate one procedure at a time followed immediately by **hands-on
> practice. Debrief** at the end of the practice session to review key
> learning points and answer any questions participants may have.

**Tips for Demonstration**

Below are some tips for demonstrating laboratory procedures:

-   Make sure everyone can see you

-   Show each step slowly and methodically. Move slowly enough so
    participants can follow what you are doing -- this is slower than
    normal.

-   Talk out loud as you perform each step, but keep explanation brief
    and clear. Describe every step at the same time that you do it. Also
    describe the results after the step.

-   Refer to job aids if available

-   Point out commonly made mistakes. Anticipate pitfalls, common
    mistakes, or possible barriers and teach participants to avoid them.
    Discuss work-around to those barriers.

-   Repeat steps as necessary

-   If you repeat the procedure, do exactly the same thing each time

**Tips for Hands-on Practice**

Below are some tips for conducting hands-on practice.

-   Prior to the hands-on session, make sure you set up the workstations
    beforehand. Have supplies readily available and neatly arranged at
    the workstations as you would have them arranged at your own lab.

-   Provide clear instructions regarding 1) total time allowed for the
    practice, 2) who will be assigned to which team and workstation, 3)
    materials, supplies, and specimen panels required for the hands-on
    session, and 4) where to dispose of bio-hazardous waste.

-   If participants come from a variety of background and experience,
    consider pairing the more experienced with the less experienced.

-   Remind participants of lab safety procedures

-   Monitor progress throughout practice and make sure participants
    follow the right procedure. Provide as much personal feedback and
    assistance as possible.

-   Consider providing optional hands-on session for people who need
    additional practice.

Two examples are provided below. Each illustrates how a laboratory
procedure is taught.

+-----------------------------------+----------------------------------+
| **Example 1**                     | **Example 2**                    |
+-----------------------------------+----------------------------------+
| **Teaching Fingerprick            | **Teaching HIV Rapid Test        |
| Procedures**                      | Procedures**                     |
+-----------------------------------+----------------------------------+
| Video overview of the procedure   | Video overview of the procedures |
|                                   |                                  |
| PowerPoint step-by-step review of | PowerPoint step-by-step review   |
| the procedure                     | of the procedures                |
|                                   |                                  |
| Instructor-led live demonstration | Instructor-led live              |
| (done in small groups)            | demonstration (done in small     |
|                                   | groups)                          |
| Role play: Rehearsing             |                                  |
| finger-pricking a client (in      | Hands-on practice of individual  |
| groups of 3)                      | tests on known samples           |
|                                   |                                  |
| Hands-on practice of the          | Hands-on practice of multi-test  |
| procedure (in groups of 3 --      | algorithm with blind samples     |
| client, tester, observer)         |                                  |
+-----------------------------------+----------------------------------+

**Anticipate Possible Training Challenges**

+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------+
| > **Challenges**            | > **Possible Solutions**               |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------+
| Inadequate number of        |                                        |
| supplies                    |                                        |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------+
| Expected results not        |                                        |
| achieved                    |                                        |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------+
| Inadequate workspace        |                                        |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------+
| You notice participants     |                                        |
| testing themselves, e.g.,   |                                        |
| HIV rapid testing           |                                        |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------+
| Other challenge:            |                                        |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------+
| Other challenge:            |                                        |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------+

**Review**

Can you answer the following questions?

-   How do you prepare to teach a laboratory skills course?

-   How do you demonstrate a laboratory procedure?

-   How should you conduct a practice session?

-   What are some challenges that might occur and what are some possible
    solutions