The oar without the boatman’s effort is of no use.

The boatman without an oar also has a big

problem; much like a Field Study student who goes to the field without any clear guide or purpose.

OAR is also an acronym that represents the general pattern of the tasks you might expect to do in
the different episodes. After the desired learning outcome and the map are given per episode, you
will basically: Observe in actual settings or orchestrate a plan, or organize your output Analyze the
experience, and then Reflect on the experience. Observation makes you more keenly aware of and
sensitive to the learner and the learning environment. Orchestrating plans that lead you to create
outputs uniquely your own, taps your problem solving skills and creativity. Analyzing what you
observe and do, trains you to become a critical thinker. Reflecting on you experiences makes you a
lifelong learner.

Motivational Interviewing provides a foundation for assisting individuals with developing the
rationale for beginning change in their lives. This resource provides basic information about the
principles of communicating using motivational interviewing.

Motivational Interviewing: The Basics, OARS

(Adapted from handouts by David Rosengren and from Miller & Rollnick, Motivational Interviewing,
2nd Edition, 2002)

Motivational Interviewing is an “empathic, person-centred counselling approach that prepares

people for change by helping them resolve ambivalence, enhance intrinsic motivation, and build
confidence to change.” (Kraybill and Morrison, 2007)

Open questions, affirmation, reflective listening, and summary reflections (OARS) are the basic
interaction techniques and skills that are used “early and often” in the motivational interviewing
approach.

OARS: Open Questions

Open questions invite others to “tell their story” in their own words without leading them in a
specific direction. Open questions should be used often in conversation but not exclusively. Of
course, when asking open questions, you must be willing to listen to the person’s response.

Open questions are the opposite of closed questions. Closed questions typically elicit a limited
response such as “yes” or “no.” The following examples contrast open vs. closed questions. Note
how the topic is the same, but the responses will be very different:

Did you have a good relationship with your parents?

What can you tell me about your relationship with your parents?

More examples of open questions:

How can I help you with ___?

Help me understand ___?

How would you like things to be different?

What are the good things about ___ and what are the less good things about it?

When would you be most likely to___?

What do you think you will lose if you give up ___?

What have you tried before to make a change?

What do you want to do next?

OARS: Affirmations

Affirmations are statements and gestures that recognize client strengths and acknowledge
behaviours that lead in the direction of positive change, no matter how big or small. Affirmations
build confidence in one’s ability to change. To be effective, affirmations must be genuine and
congruent.

Examples of affirming responses:

I appreciate that you are willing to meet with me today.

You are clearly a very resourceful person.

You handled yourself really well in that situation.

That’s a good suggestion.

If I were in your shoes, I don’t know if I could have managed nearly so well.

I’ve enjoyed talking with you today.

OARS: Reflective Listening

Reflective listening is a primary skill in outreach. It is the pathway for engaging others in
relationships, building trust, and fostering motivation to change. Reflective listening appears easy,
but it takes hard work and skill to do well. Sometimes the “skills” we use in working with clients do
not exemplify reflective listening but instead serve as roadblocks to effective communication.
Examples are misinterpreting what is said or assuming what a person needs.

It is vital to learn to think reflectively. This is a way of thinking that accompanies good reflective
listening. It includes an interest in what the person has to say and respect for the person’s inner
wisdom. Listening breakdowns occur in any of three places:

Speaker does not say what is meant

Listener does not hear correctly

Listener gives a different interpretation to what the words mean

Reflective listening is meant to close the loop in communication to ensure breakdowns don’t occur.
The listener’s voice turns down at the end of a reflective listening statement. This may feel
presumptuous, yet it leads to clarification and greater exploration, whereas questions tend to
interrupt the client’s flow. Some people find it helpful to use some

standard phrases:

So you feel…

It sounds like you…

You’re wondering if…

There are three basic levels of reflective listening that may deepen or increase the intimacy and
thereby change the affective tone of an interaction. In general, the depth should match the
situation. Examples of the three levels include:

Repeating or rephrasing: Listener repeats or substitutes synonyms or phrases, and stays close to
what the speaker has said

Paraphrasing: Listener makes a restatement in which the speaker’s meaning is inferred

Reflection of feeling: Listener emphasizes emotional aspects of communication through feeling

statements. This is the deepest form of listening.

Varying the levels of reflection is effective in listening. Also, at times there are benefits to over-
stating or under-stating a reflection. An overstated reflection may cause a person to back away
from their position or belief. An understated reflection may help a person to explore a deeper
commitment to the position or belief.

OARS: Summaries

Summaries are special applications of reflective listening. They can be used throughout a
conversation but are particularly helpful at transition points, for example, after the person has
spoken about a particular topic, has recounted a personal experience, or when the encounter is
nearing an end.

Summarizing helps to ensure that there is clear communication between the speaker and listener.
Also, it can provide a stepping stone towards change.

Structure of Summaries

1) Begin with a statement indicating you are making a summary. For example:

Let me see if I understand so far...

Here is what I’ve heard. Tell me if I’ve missed anything.

2) Give special attention to Change Statements. These are statements made by the client that point
towards a willingness to change. Miller and Rollnick (2002) have identified four types of change
statements, all of which overlap significantly:

Problem recognition: “My use has gotten a little out of hand at times.”

Concern: “If I don’t stop, something bad is going to happen.”

Intent to change: “I’m going to do something, I’m just not sure what it is yet.”

Optimism: “I know I can get a handle on this problem.”

3) If the person expresses ambivalence, it is useful to include both sides in the summary
statement. For example: “On the one hand…, on the other hand…”

4) It can be useful to include information in summary statements from other sources (e.g., your
own clinical knowledge, research, courts, or family).

5) Be concise.

6) End with an invitation. For example:

Did I miss anything?

If that’s accurate, what other points are there to consider?

Anything you want to add or correct?

7) Depending on the response of the client to your summary statement, it may lead naturally to
planning for or taking concrete steps towards the change goal.

How can experiential learning be applied in the classroom?

Some examples of experiential learning in a classroom setting are field trips, visiting museums, or
cultural institutions. Another example would be through hands-on activities like cooking with
students or making art together. Students designing their own lesson plans or facilitating student-
led discussions about lessons learned from past experiences/events would also be examples of
experiential learning.

What is experiential learning?

Experiential learning is an educational approach that emphasizes personal or practical experience in

the acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes. Students are encouraged to develop a
passion for learning and a thirst for knowledge by engaging in authentic experiences that allow
them to learn what they need to know.

What are the two types of experiential learning?

Experiential learning can be divided into two types: active and passive. Active experiential learning
is where learners are engaged in a process or activity that helps them understand a concept or skill
better. Passive experiential learning is when learners are exposed to an environment that has
already been developed for the purpose of helping them learn something new.

What are the characteristics of experiential learning?

There are four major characteristics that need to be applied for a type of learning to qualify as
experiential. Those characteristics are:

-Concrete experience

-Reflective observation

-Abstract concepts

-Active experimentation

Loss of a Family Member: You notice that one of your students, Julie, has been sitting in the back of
the class and has been much quieter than usual. After class, she lingers by your desk. You decide to
utilize the OARS techniques to find out more.

O- “Hi Julie, how are you doing?”

I’m okay. I haven’t wanted to talk in class much. I don’t know if you noticed but I’m afraid that if I
talk, I’ll cry

A- “Thank you so much for telling me that Julie. It can be really hard to talk about how you feel and
you just did a great job. I had noticed you were a bit more quiet than usual.”

O-”Help me understand, what is making you feel like you might cry?”

My grandma died from coronavirus. And now I don’t know who else will get sick

R- “Julie, I’m so sorry to hear about your grandma. It sounds like that is making you sad and scared”

Yea I’m really sad. But that’s why I can’t talk in class because I don’t want to cry.

S-”Thank you for telling me Julie. It is completely understandable that you would be sad and that it
might be hard to participate the same way you usually would. Would it be okay if I check in with
you at the end of class each day to see how things are going?”

Okay that sounds good.