# Presentation: 606064

## How to Facilitate a Laboratory SkillsSession

***Demonstration and hands-on practice***

## Objectives

**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 **

## Process for Teaching Lab Skills

**Present content**
**Conduct Exercises**
**Set up for practicals**
**Facilitators demonstrate lab skills, procedures, tests, etc.**
**Participants discuss procedure**
**Participants practice and receive feedback from facilitators**
**Participants discuss practice session**

## Components for Demonstrating  Lab Skills

**Brief overview of the entire procedure**
**(can include video demonstration)**

**Demonstration of individual steps in the procedure**

**Question & answer regarding the procedure**

**Hands-on practice by participants (facilitators monitor progress  & provide feedback)**

**Notes:**
Describe every step at the same time that you do it. Also describe the results after the step.
Move slow enough so participants can follow what you are doing
This is slower than normal
Anticipate pitfalls, common mistakes, or possible barriers
Teach participants to avoid those mistakes
Discuss work-around to those barriers

## Prepare to Teach

**Know the content**
**Lab procedures you are going to teach**
**Instructional sequence and exercises**
**Know your participants**
**Level of laboratory skills**
**Factors that may hinder learning**
**Possible on-the-job challenges**
**Determine pre-requisites ****(How “basic” do you need to be?)**
**If possible have extra laboratory personnel available during the demonstrations (to help demonstrate) and the hands-on practice session to observer participants. The smaller the ratio of instructor to participant the better.**

**Notes:**
Know the content
Practice to become an experienced at the procedures you are teaching
Rehearse and become familiar with all the instructional exercises in training
Know 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?)

## Prepare to Teach (cont.)

**Secure facility (wet vs. dry room)**
**Determine number of small groups and room layout**
**Have all necessary supplies, materials, and equipment ready**
**Use a checklist to identify what is needed**
**Keep appropriate instructor/participant ratio**
**Create job aids for quick reference during practice and back at work**

**Notes:**
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 (may also be called dirty room) for lab/bench work.
Determine # of small groups and room layout
So that participants can see demos and facilitators can observe participants easily
So that participants 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.).  
Keep appropriate instructor/participant ratio 
A general rule of thumb is one instructor for every 4-6 participants.  
Arrange for additional trainers and/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).

## Estimate Time for all Activities (THIS IS IMPORTANT)

**Presenting content (theory)**
**Conducting exercises**
**Set up for the laboratory practicals**
**Demonstration**
**Practice**
**Discussions**
**Clean-up**

## Training Tips for Demonstrating a Lab Procedure

**Demonstrate one procedure at a time followed by hands-on practice **
**Make sure everyone can see the demonstration**
**It may be necessary to do 2 or more demonstrations in small groups so everyone can see **
**If possible have several trainers demonstrate the procedure simultaneously in small groups**
**Repeat steps as necessary**
**Show each step slowly and methodically**

## Training Tips Demonstrating a Lab Procedure (cont.)

**Talk out loud as you perform each step**
**Keep explanation brief and clear**
**Repeat important information**
**If you repeat the procedure, do exactly the same thing each time**
**Refer to job aids if available**
**Point out commonly made mistakes**

## Training Tips for Demonstrating an HIV Rapid Test

**To prevent participants from testing themselves**
**Do not keep test kits out when practicing finger pricking**
**When practicing HIV tests do not keep lancets out **

## Facilitating Hands-on Practice

**Provide clear instructions on the following - **
**Time **
**Work station assignment and set-up**
**Materials and supplies**
**Process**
**Remind participants of lab safety procedures**
**Monitor progress throughout practice and provide assistance and ****feedback**
**Provide optional practice session at a later time for people who need additional practice**

## Facilitating Hands-on Practice (cont.)

**Divide participants into small groups to practice the laboratory procedure**
**One participant practices the skill**
**One participant is the patient (if so required to practice the skill)**
**One participant observes and provides feedback**
**They switch roles so that each participant has the opportunity to practice the skills**

## Manage Time During the Hands-on Practice Session

**Keep participants on task **
**Walk around the room and check to see if they are following the instructions **
**Ensure that all tasks are completed**
**Keep exercise on time**
**Remind participants when certain tasks need to be completed**
**Let them know when they have only 5 minutes left and when it is time to stop.**

## Example: Teaching Fingerprick Procedures 

- ** ****Video ****overview ****of the procedure**
- ** ****PowerPoint ****step-by-step review**** of the procedure**
- ** ****Instructor-led ****live**** demonstration (done in small groups)**
- **  ****Hands-on practice**** of the procedure (in groups of 3)**

## Example: Teaching HIV Rapid Test Procedures

- ** ****Video ****overview**** of the procedures**
- ** ****PowerPoint ****step-by-step review**** of the procedures**
- ** ****Instructor-led ****live**** demonstration (done in small groups)**
- ** ****Hands-on practice of ****individual tests**** on ****known**** ****samples **
- ** ****Hands-on practice of ****multi-test**** ****algorithm with ****blind**** ****samples**

## Anticipate Possible Training Challenges

| Challenges | Solutions |
| --- | --- |
| Inadequate number  of supplies | Using a checklist can help insure enough supplies are available |
| Expected results not achieved | Validate all samples used for demo and practical sessions prior to conducting the start of the workshop |
| Inadequate workspace | Check out the space in advance. 
Also, instruct participants to only bring appropriate job aide/procedure into the laboratory, as binders and notebooks will occupy too much space |
| You notice participants testing themselves, e.g., HIV rapid testing  | Instruct participants to not test themselves during training.  Use only the samples provided for testing |

## Anticipate Possible Training Challenges

| Challenges | Solutions |
| --- | --- |
| Not enough time for everyone to practice | Estimate before the training the time needed for all aspects of the traing
Plan for and provide optional times for participants to practice (before and/or after class, during lunch, or breaks) |
| Some participants are slow to gain the skill |  |
| Inadequate workspace | Check out the space in advance. 
Also, instruct participants to only bring appropriate job aide/procedure into the laboratory, as binders and notebooks will occupy too much space |
| You notice participants testing themselves, e.g., HIV rapid testing  | Instruct participants to not test themselves during training.  Use only the samples provided for testing |

## Have a Back-Up Plan!!

**Bring extra supplies**
**Allow extra time for participants who need more practice (at the end of the day, early in the morning)**
**Be prepared for problems with the room set-up**

## Review

**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 **