Mini-projects
Reports and summaries from the HSAP funded Mini-project scheme, a range of research and development projects in both academic and practice based contexts.
- Reward and recognition policies and practices within Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, April 2008
- The project was established as a feasibility study to identify the methodologies and resources for evaluating the impact on student well-being of staff rewards and recognition policies and practices within Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETLs). ISBN: 9780955634321
- Competence in Practice Based Calculation: Issues for Nursing Education, December 2002
- Competence in mathematical calculation skills required for clinical nursing practice has been presented as a pre-requisite to nurse registration. However many studies present a picture of lack of proficiency within both the student population and registered practitioners. Drawing upon literature on the learning and teaching of quantitative skills from within and outside nurse education and practice, critical issues are identified, discussed and recommendations to improve practice suggested. The strength of the evidence linking achievement in calculation tests with subsequent clinical practice is examined, alongside the demographic and cultural variables that may influence learning, teaching and assessment. The nature and role of mathematics learning within the pre-registration programme and in clinical practice is considered. The value of context in mathematics learning in professional settings is explored, and the rationale for the recent advocacy of outcomes-based approaches to assessment is critiqued from the perspective that these may fail to identify, and may potentially stifle, the development and application of knowledge.
- A Critical Review of Evaluations of Interprofessional Education, October 2002
- This critical review of evaluations of interprofessional education, based on a systematic review of Medline, CINAHL and the British Education Index has revealed much about the nature and outcomes of interprofessional education, the evaluation of interprofessional education, and the dissemination of findings from evaluations of interprofessional education. The review was conducted by a multidisciplinary team (section 4.2) that engaged in a lengthy, reflexive and iterative process of discussion, challenge, piloting, checking and modification to create shared understandings and rigorous procedures (chapter 5).
- Interprofessional Education Today, Yesterday and Tomorrow (Revised edition), June 2005
- The Learning and Teaching Support Network for Health Sciences and Practice commissioned this review from the UK Centre for the Advancement of Interprofessional Education (CAIPE) to help teachers2 engage effectively in interprofessional education. The paper reviews arguments for shared learning for health and social care professions in the Government workforce and training strategy – collaboration, substitution and accelerated career progression – noting concern expressed by universities and their teachers to clarify ends and means. Current issues are then approached from an historical perspective, tracing the development of interprofessional education since the sixties as one of several movements from which it is distinguished with difficulty. Developments that prompted interprofessional education include the formation of primary care teams, the introduction of care in the community, investigations into child abuse and, later, strategies to effect change and quality improvement. Examples are given of work and college-based interprofessional education before and after qualification designed to modify attitudes, secure common foundations and competency-based outcomes.
- Breaking Bad News: An Interdisciplinary Educational Development Pilot Project For Students of Nursing and Midwifery, February 2003
- The following report explores the findings from an interprofessional teaching and learning curriculum innovation, which took place within the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, and Pharmacy at the University of Manchester during January 2002. This pilot study encouraged medical and nursing students to learn specific communication skills associated with ‘breaking bad news to patients and relatives’ over two half-day sessions. During this time, the students practiced the skills within an interprofessional learning context. These educational processes were augmented by the use of simulated patients. For this reason, the evaluation strategy examined not only whether the students considered the educational approach useful or threatening but also how they felt about working with simulated patients. The innovation was also evaluated in detail in order to establish whether integrating the medical and nursing curriculum in this way would be feasible and beneficial for future healthcare students.
- Collaborative Teamwork Skills: How Are They Developed Through Interprofessional Education And Are They Applicable in the Practice Setting, October 2003
- This project examined students’ perceptions of the contribution made by an interprofessional university-based module to skills and understanding of collaborative teamworking on placement. The project focused on first year occupational therapy and physiotherapy students participating in an interprofessional module during their first term at university prior to clinical placement.
- A Qualitative Investigation to Explore the Development of Team Working Skills in Undergraduate Physiotherapy Students in a Small Group Setting, January 2003
- It is becoming increasingly important to train our future health care workers to work in teams. Physiotherapists have to work much more frequently within a multi professional team-working context with their patients and other health care workers. This research project was planned and undertaken to reflect this changing and important agenda. Focus groups were undertaken in February and May 2002. Fifty first year students who are enrolled on the BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy programme at Leeds Metropolitan University discussed their experiences of group working while completing a Year One module assessment task. There were 10 groups of 5 students. Fifty students participated in the discussions, which were taped. The issues addressed via the semi-structured framework of questions focussed on: 1 The students’ Belbin roles as a starting point (Belbin, 1993) 2 The level of reflexivity within their team 3 The students’ experiences of working together in small work groups 4 The strategies they employed to complete the group assessment task and maintain team satisfaction, cohesion and reflexivity
- Putting Post-Registration Nursing Students On-line: Important Lessons Learned from a Small-Scale Study, January 2005
- The use of information technology in health care has the potential to impact upon patient care, by improving the accessibility of health information for all, and by increasing the use of telecommunication and telemedicine applications. It is important that nursing students, and nurses currently working in health care settings, develop the skills required to make maximal use of these technological developments. The challenge facing nurse educators is to appropriately incorporate technology into teaching to facilitate student learning and, to assist and enhance the preparation of nursing students to meet the demands of professional nursing practice. This paper analyses the use of a web-site providing electronic resources and discussion forum for part-time post-registration nursing students on a degree course.
- Inter-Professional Computer Assisted Learning, February 2003
- The following paper reports the evaluation of a project using information technology within the delivery of a post-graduate module on inter-professional collaboration. The need for such a project stemmed from current discussions in higher education regarding the potential of electronic means of delivering learning and teaching and, simultaneous, discussions in healthcare regarding the capacity of ICT to facilitate professional collaboration. A concern that the educational application could overemphasise the content and information transmission aspects of technology led to the design of a module in which interactive learning, dialogue, and reflection, were central. This evaluation report describes the nature of students’ usage of computer-mediated communication within this inter-professional module, their opinion of the utility of this form of learning and a personal reflection on the tutor’s role.
- Learning to use the Internet as a Study Tool: How do Available Resources Meet Student Needs and Priorities, April 2005
- The Internet can be an excellent study resource, and is increasingly being used by higher education students in the health science and practice areas. The major disadvantage of using Internet based resources is the problem of locating good quality information from within the vast amount of information available. There were two main aims of this project. One was to identify the resources that are available to help students develop the skills that they will need to be able to effectively use the Internet as a resource during their studies. The second was to identify the elements of a study guide that were of importance to the students and produce a tool to help them select appropriate sources of guidance.
- An Evaluation of Web Based Problem Based Learning for an Interprofessional Graduate Entry Programme for Medicine, Nursing Radiography and Radiotherapy, April 2005
- This report summarises the findings and conclusions of a mini-project funded by the Subject Centre for Health Sciences and Practice. The project aimed to evaluate the perceptions of students and facilitators using web-based technology to support PEBL (Problem Enquiry Based Learning) in a Graduate Entry Programme (GEP) for nurses and medical students. In practice, many difficulties arose with implementing the online resource and therefore this report describes the practical experience of those managing the online resource and offers some recommendations to others who may be involved in similar activities. The report outlines the area under investigation, describes how the student and facilitator experience was evaluated and the methods used and identifies some of the main project challenges. It then goes on to describe how these were addressed and identifies the key findings from the project. A discussion section relates the findings and experiences to the literature and offers some recommendations for others involved in implementing online learning.
- Summaries
- An Investigation into the Perception that Undergraduate Students have of Supernumerary Status in Northern Ireland Focusing upon its Definition, Operationalisation and Effect: A Realistic Evaluation, January 2004
- The evaluation set out to answer realistically three questions: (1) What did students understand by the term supernumerary status? (2) How was supernumerary status implemented in their placements? (3) What effect did supernumerary status have on the students involved?
- An Evaluation of Online Training in the NHS Workplace, with Potential Messages for the NHSU, March 2004
- Between August 2002 and August 2003 the Biomedical Online Learning project designed, developed and tested seven modules for healthcare scientists. The aims were to increase their academic qualifications in the field, to support their learning of state of the art laboratory techniques, and to evaluate whether an online mode delivery would be able to service training requirements in the healthcare sector. There was a comprehensive partnership arrangement guiding the development and implementation of this project involving 16 NHS Hospital Trusts, the Public Health Laboratory Service (now part of the Health Protection Agency), and the University of Greenwich, funded by the five London Workforce Development Confederations and the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Workforce Development Confederation. The evaluation of the project involved data gathering during the development of the modules, including an author WebCT training day. Data on students were first collected at the orientation day. Other data were gathered, typically through interviews, from the authors and tutors. Students’ interactions with WebCT, for example, how often they used WebCT and for how long, were recorded within the software. Each module included response sections for each topic where students completed a questionnaire online, and following their final assessment task students participated in a group interview. Data were also gathered through email surveys of training officers employed by NHS Trusts.
- How do Diverse Groups of Learners in the Health Sciences Respond to a New Virtual Learning Experience, January 2006
- Aims of the project In the original proposal, the stated aims of this research were to: · ‘Investigate learners' responses to their first exposure to a new learning experience in a VLE · Examine learners' attitudes to the VLE as an effective learning environment through the project · Compare and contrast attitudes to a VLE in two different physiotherapy programmes.’
- Development of an Online Sociology of Health and Illness Module for a Number of Health Professional Courses, February 2004
- The sociology of health and illness is a key component to many health professional courses taught throughout Higher Education Institutions in the UK. This study aimed to firstly produce on-line teaching material in the sociology of health and illness, ensuring that students from a range of courses and levels could access appropriate material. Secondly, to explore students’ views on the material, their performance with the material and to explore any student group differences. Finally, it aimed to explore if any variables could predict success and engagement with an on-line module.
- Exploring Learning and Teaching Ethics in the Nursing Curriculum, June 2006
- The aim of this project was to identify core ethics content, learning and teaching methods and process of facilitation in the United Kingdom pre-registration nursing curriculum. A questionnaire was devised to address the following themes: number of students, types of programmes leading to registration, learning and teaching methods, where ethics is taught in the programmes, shared learning, assessment, types and qualification of lecturers and subjects taught. Using a purposive sampling technique, questionnaires were sent to 61 institutions providing pre-registration nursing education where a named contact involved in teaching ethics was identified. Completed questionnaires were returned from 47 institutions (75% response rate).
- A 'Good Practice' Tool for Mentors, September 2004
- Previous national research by Pope et al (2003) revealed that mentors needed more structured support to fulfil their role as supervisors and assessors in the range of practice settings. A good practice tool for mentors has been developed at the University of Surrey. The purpose of this research was to test the tool with trainee mentors employed locally and revise it for possible wider application. It is envisioned that this tool will complement current evaluations of practice settings. Used as part of the audit process, the tool has potential to stimulate dialogue around good practice in teaching and learning in clinical settings. The overarching aim of the study was to map the perceived support needs of those undertaking mentor preparation and use these perceptions to inform the development of a good practice tool for use in educational audit and clinical areas.
- A Study to Evaluate First Year Student Nurses Use of a National Adult Numeracy Resource to Develop Key Skills for Nursing Practice, March 2005
- Nurses use maths in many aspects of their work, and the application of number is recognised as a key competency for nursing (Nursing and Midwifery Council NMC, 2002). A key example of the impact of failure to calculate effectively relates to medicine error, which constitutes a critical international issue for health care (Department of Health, DoH 2004). Whilst errors result from a complex range of reasons, and there is a need to examine entire systems rather than focus upon the actions of individuals, (DOH 2001, Leape et al, 1995); weakness in numerical calculation is evident. It is an important element in both actual errors that cause harm, and in near misses within the health care setting (DoH 2001, DoH 2004). Pre-registration nursing programmes attract students from a range of practical and educational experiences and backgrounds and their maths skills reflect such diversity. It is argued that a variety of learners need a range of options in order to meet needs related to their mathematical learning and application in nursing. Given, as the Moser report (Department of Education and Employment, 1999) suggests, as many as 40% of the UK adult population have some numeracy problems, there is a need to determine an appropriate level of entry and support for student nurses. This project was developed in response to local findings that one third of students failed to meet minimum requirements in the School’s baseline mathematic assessment on entry to the Diploma in Nursing. The project evaluates one initiative established between a School of Nursing and a College of Further Education. Student nurses in their first semester of their Diploma in Nursing course who had failed to meet a successful criteria of 70% in the School Assessment were offered the opportunity to review their Mathematics skills using Adult Numeracy Resources (ANR) or a traditional intervention including group tutorials. An evaluative mixed method approach was used to determine whether the students outcomes and perceptions differed according to the support received.
- How Effective are Student Research Projects in Equipping Them to be Evidence-based Practitioners? A Comparison of Systematic Reviews and Empirical Studies, January 2005
- In light of recent changes in the nature of research projects in the BSc in Occupational Therapy at Coventry University, this study explored the extent to which research projects met the aims espoused in the course document. It also explored the extent to which undertaking systematic reviews and empirical studies equipped students to be evidence-based practitioners kinds of projects influenced students’ use and understanding of research evidence within their first year of practice. Thus this study sought to unpack: 1. The purpose of research projects 2. The implication of the recent shifts toward new forms of research projects on practice 3. The effectiveness of research projects in equipping students to be evidence-based practitioners in their first year of practice.
- Using a Think-aloud Protocol to Evaluate an On-line Resource for Nursing Students, November 2005
- Computer-based learning, or e- learning, is increasingly being employed in educational settings and the health professions are no exception to this trend (see Adams, 2004). This is in part a response to the Dearing Report (1997) which emphasised the growth of technology in higher education and in part due to the need to teach increasing numbers of student with decreasing resources (Maye, 1998). The recent white paper, The Future of Higher Education, also advocated an increase in elearning in order to provide more flexible learning opportunities in the context of widening participation (DFES, 2004), and a national e-learning strategy has recently been published (DFES, 2005). Our study aimed to address some of these evaluation issues by using an alternative methodological approach - a think-aloud protocol - in which students were observed using an on- line resource. We also aimed to add to the more general e-learning research literature by considering the ways and extent to which using this resource enhances student learning. In this report we therefore contribute to both the methodological and e- learning debates, by providing both empirical data and personal reflections on our experience of using a think-aloud protocol to evaluate an e-learning resource for student nurses.
- Adjustments for Disabled Students in Healthcare: Development of a National Web Resource of Case Studies, July 2007
- The project’s aim was to develop a UK-wide web resource of case study information regarding adjustments made to prevent discrimination against disabled students (and potential students) in the allied health professions (AHPs), nursing and midwifery. This was to be achieved through the following objectives: Objective 1: Identify information that the target users would find useful with regards to adjustments Objective 2: Develop and pilot an online template for submitting case study information, a website and a search facility Objective 3: Populate the web resource with UK-wide submissions for a single profession and submissions from one Higher Education Institute (HEI) for a range of professions The project leader moved from Queen Margaret University College Edinburgh to the University of the West of England Bristol during the course of the project and both institutions were therefore closely engaged with its development.
- The Development of a Distance Supervision Protocol for Allied Health Profession Students on Practice Placements in Non-traditional Areas, February 2006
- A small scale research project was funded by the Higher Education Academy (formally LTSN) to explore and evaluate the use of role emergent practice placements for allied health profession students at the School of Allied Health Professions (AHP), University of East Anglia. The aim of the project was to evaluate and develop a protocol for the distance supervision of students in role emergent placements i.e. placements which do not routinely employ a profession specific supervision. The diversification of practice placement experience would reflect the current trend of inter-agency and crosssectoral working and additionally increase the number and range of placements available to AHP students.
- Graduate Primary Care Mental Health Workers: the process of introducing the role into primary care trusts, October 2006
- Amidst widespread concern that the demand for mental health care resources will continue to outstrip supply, the NHS Plan (2001) made provision for 1000 new Primary Care Mental Health Workers tasked with: • providing brief evidence-based therapeutic interventions and self-help; • strengthening the information base of mental healthcare services available to clients and promoting this knowledge amongst clients and within the community; • assisting in the development of practice-based information systems, audit and outcome measurement. The introduction of this role was intended to address a number of issues in the provision of mental health care. First, the new role, located within primary care trusts, was to help facilitate the transition towards primary care becoming the major arena of community mental health care rather than providing a limited ‘gatekeeper’ function, guarding access to specialist mental health services available within secondary care. Secondly, it was intended to ameliorate inter-professional conflict in mental health care by avoiding the inclusion of the new workers in any existing professional category nor creating a new professional category for them. Thirdly, the role was intended to facilitate the supply of basic therapeutic interventions of demonstrated effectiveness, particularly cognitive behaviour therapies. Fourthly, the role was intended to help cement partnership between health services, social services and the voluntary sector. And fifthly the role was intended to help reduce the stigmatisation of mental illness in the community.
- Online Courses in the Therapies Survey
- A survey (funded by Learning and Teaching Support Network, King's College London) to identify the online courses in therapy education was conducted. The population surveyed was schools of Radiography, Podiatry, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy and Speech & Language Therapy in the UK. The survey was intended to answer the following questions:- • What online course are available? • What online course are planned? • What barriers and bridges are there to creating online courses? • Which packages are used to create online courses? • What is the potential for online courses to therapists? • How do online courses evaluate?
- The Identification of Core Topics of Health Care Ethics that can be Taught through Inter-professional Education, March 2003
- The aim of this project was to identify core topics of health care ethics that could be taught through an inter-professional approach to pre-registration education. Five nominal group technique workshops were undetaken with academic teaching staff from different professional disciplines to explore core topics. Seven core topics of health care ethics that are common across all disciplines were identified. However each discipline identified applications of these topics which were specific to students in their individual clinical setting, rather than to a mixed pre-registration inter-professional context. In addition, participants in all workshops identified the need for case studies used in teaching and learning to be specific to the clinical setting encountered by the student. There is evidence that students have difficulty in transferring knowledge from one context to another. In view of this, an interprofessional approach to health care ethics teaching to a group who do not encounter shared clinical ethical difficulties may be inappropriate. It is naive to expect a student to discuss confidentiality in relation to occupational therapy practice and relate these principles to mental health. While there are core topics of health care ethics that are relevant across all professional fields, caution should be taken when seeking to integrate these into an inter-professional pre-registration programme. It is suggested that inter-professional learning in pre-registration health care ethics should focus on facilitating learning in the clinical area with students who share similar ethical encounters, in which case the learning will be truly inter-professional.
- Implementing Clinical Supervision for Complementary Therapy Clinical Tutors: An Evaluation, February 2003
- The overall aim of the project was to implement and evaluate a framework for clinical supervision within a complementary therapy setting. The aims of the clinical supervision process were to: 1. To provide a safe place to reflect upon issues which arise from teaching in the Polyclinic 2. To facilitate interdisciplinary learning and promote excellence in healthcare 3. To support clinical tutors to develop both personally and professionally 4. To safeguard standards of practice 5. To develop congruence between theory and practice by mirroring what students are doing in their Health and Society course 6. To develop the reflective skills of the clinical tutors 7. To model reflective learning, one of the core aims of the undergraduate scheme
- Student Nurses’ Interpersonal Skills – an Exploration of Teaching, Research and Practice Issues. A Report of a Mini Project Funded by the LTSN Centre for Health Science & Practice. January 2004
- At a time when doubts are raised regarding the quality of interaction between nurses and patients (Bowles et al 2001) there is an increased awareness of the importance of communication skills teaching and for effective evaluation of student nurse performance in this area (Booth et al 1999). With this in mind a study was conceived to explore the interaction between student nurses and patients, and whether the methodological approach – that of conversation analysis (CA) - provides a viable approach to study this type of interaction; with a particular eye on the teaching and assessing of interpersonal skills within an undergraduate adult nursing programme. There were four main areas of enquiry that this study was interested in: 1. to assess the effectiveness of conversation analysis as a means of evaluating student nurse communication skills 2. to better understand the dynamics of student nurse-patient interaction through the analysis of naturally occurring clinical data 3. to attempt to gauge patient’s evaluation of student nurse interaction. 4. to explore whether the data collected during this study could be used as an educational resource within the interpersonal skills training of pre-registration nurses.
- Evaluating Interprofessional Education: A Self-Help Guide, February 2005
- The guide has two aims: 1. To help people wishing to evaluate interprofessional education to plan and conduct studies that are achievable within a given context and provide robust results. 2. To provide an outline of key aspects of the evaluation process and direct readers to supplementary resources.
- An Evaluation of the Validity of Assessment Strategies Used to Grade Practice Learning in Undergraduate Physiotherapy Students, October 2005
- The overarching aim of the study on which this report is based, was to explore the validity of assessment strategies used to assess practice-based learning within an undergraduate physiotherapy programme in the UK. As far as we are aware, one of the assessment strategies, a clinical reasoning viva (CRV), is unique to the programme and we specifically wanted to establish whether or not its use was valid. Our findings provide evidence and support the recommendation that continuous assessment of observed performance should be accompanied by another form of assessment, preferably oral in nature, which specifically tests students’ reasoning skills and thinking ability. We conclude by suggesting on the basis of our findings that rigorous assessment if well conceived need not be too demanding on busy clinicians but extremely worthwhile in motivating both students and educators and increasing the credibility and profile of professional practice. We urge colleagues to resist being pressurised into adopting quick fix or light touch solutions to the assessment of practice-based learning and to consider the complexity of validity and the challenges it poses for finding the ultimate assessment tool.
- Final report on Reusable Learning Objects in a Post-registration, Nurse Prescribing Course (ROWEN), August 2006
- Evaluations from students on a non-medical prescribing course and concerns from tutors about the students’ level of understanding of pharmacology concepts were addressed by developing a series of web based reusable learning objects (RLOs). These are small chunks of highly visual, multimedia elearning. RLOs were gradually introduced to successive cohorts to reinforce the face to face sessions. For these students many of whom had not studied biology for many years, the value of the RLOs was in their highly visual explanations and being able to go over the material time and again until it was understood. Student feedback about each RLO and learners’ perceptions of their understanding of the pharmacology concepts in successive cohorts were measured using questionnaires. Students were also asked to give an example of how the learning about pharmacology had impacted on their practice in the clinical setting in the questionnaire and in follow up telephone interviews. Learning effectiveness was measured by comparing examination scores between the cohorts. When RLOs were available on a pharmacology concept no learners rated their understanding as bad or very bad and the distributions describing how well the students understood the concepts shifted to the right (towards well/verywell) in successive cohorts as more RLOs were introduced to the course. Results reported in this study show that the RLOs have been reused at number of levels. Telephone interviews (n=10) one year after students had completed the course revealed that 50% had used the RLOs again having returned to nursing practice and 50% had recommended the RLOs to other colleagues. There is evidence from online feedback forms that the RLOs are being used by many institutions.
- Towards a Methodology for Evaluating Joint Programmes, November 2008
- In response to user demand for holistic care and government policies promoting interprofessional working, joint programmes have been in existence for 20 years although there has been little systematic evaluation to demonstrate their value. This two year explorative study aimed to pilot tools for the evaluation of joint Mental Health Nursing and Social Work programmes. The tools were designed to investigate the outcomes of training by examining the knowledge, behaviour and attitudes of students with respect to interprofessional working and mental health at the beginning and at the end of the 2nd year of their training programme using questionnaires, focus groups and OSCEs (Objective Structured Clinical Examinations). The outcomes of the joint programme were compared with the outcomes of two uni-professional programmes – one in mental health and one in social work. All starters on the three programmes in September 2006 were invited to participate. Questionnaires and focus groups were implemented for all participants at T1 (2007) and T2 (2008) but OSCEs were only applied once at the end of the first year and only for the mental health nurses and joint programme students.
- Critical Thinking Disposition – Counts and Matters in Post-registration SCPH Nurse Education, September 2007
- This study investigated critical thinking disposition in students undertaking distance learning preparation for specialist community public health nursing. It was predicated on the belief that critical thinking is essential for Specialist Public Health Nursing (SCPHN) practice and that the achievement of critical thinking outcomes depends on an understanding of students’ critical thinking disposition. A methodology for quantitatively assessing and qualitatively exploring critical thinking disposition was tested. Findings of lack of total disposition, and specifically limitations in the truth seeking and systematicity dispositional elements in SCPHN students may be related to confidence, gender and professional socialization, work cultures and work-life balance issues. Addressing deficits requires a collaborative approach that involves students as active participants to counter barriers and build the confidence to question experience, concepts, self and others. Test results can be used as a platform for discussion that provides critical thinking orientation and a basis for reflection on skills and disposition. Conceptualizing critical thinking and exploring disposition and its determinants may provide a valuable reflective experience for educators.
- Needs/Experiences of Dyslexic Students & Support in Clinical Practice - May 2008
- Employers are required to not only eliminate discrimination and harassment, but also to promote equity as well as engage in activities that promote the inclusion of disabled people (DOH, 2002; Disability Rights Commission, 2004). The NMC (2006) also requires those who provide programmes ‘to apply local policies in accordance with the Disability Discrimination Act (1995) for the selection and recruitment of students and employees with disabilities’. Evidence of how the students will be supported in both academic and practice is also required by the NMC (2006). Therefore good knowledge of the needs and experiences of dyslexic students and how best they could be helped when in clinical practice is needed. However, there is little evidence from the nursing and midwifery fields to suggest that nursing and midwifery students with dyslexia have established support networks in clinical practice. The aims of the study was therefore to explore the experiences and needs of nursing and midwifery dyslexic students in clinical practice, and ways in which staff could support those students to help draw some guidelines on how best the needs of those students could be met whilst in clinical practice.
- Evaluating Student Learning in an Interprofessional Curriculum: the Relevance of Pre-qualifying Inter-professional Education for Future Professional Practice - January 2008
- The focus of this study was qualified health and social care professionals’ views about their experience of pre-qualifying interprofessional education (IPE). Adult nurses, midwives, physiotherapists, and social workers were interviewed. Our main findings were: • Most (but not all) participants had found IPE in the academic environment useful. Many had only really started to appreciate its worth once they experienced its relevance to their own professional practice. • Participants’ experiences of interprofessional learning and working on placement had varied considerably. • Mentors’ support and encouragement for students’ engagement in interprofessional working was considered invaluable. • When compared with data from studies in which students were interviewed about the same pre-qualifying IPE initiative, professionals and students expressed very similar views. • Participants who had experienced pre-qualifying IPE demonstrated a more sophisticated understanding of relevant issues and contributing factors, and appeared to be more aware of the impact of poor interprofessional working on care delivery, than participants without such experience. • Suggestions for enhancing pre-qualifying IPE included broadening the professional mix of IPE groups and soliciting input from professionals, service users and carers in the academic environment; and learning with students from different professions, engaging in interprofessional activities, shadowing practitioners from other professions and including specific interprofessional competencies in learning outcomes while on placement.
- Development of a programme to facilitate interprofessional simulation-based training for final year undergraduate healthcare students, August 2008
- Students have few opportunities to practise alongside students from other disciplines. Simulation offers an ideal context to provide them with concrete experience in a safe and controlled environment. This project was about the development of a programme to facilitate interprofessional scenario-based simulation training for final year undergraduate healthcare students and explored whether simulation improved trainees’ knowledge of other healthcare discipline’s roles and skills.
- Using Web Based Multimedia, Simulated and Virtual Practice to Assess Students’ Professional Practice Skills - March 2008
- This report outlines the findings and experiences of the project funded by the Mini grant awarded by the Higher Education Academy Subject Centre for Health Sciences and Practice. This 18 month project focus was to identify what observable characteristics and features of student performance could form valid and reliable criteria for formative and/or summative assessment purposes. Within the context of pre-registration nursing education, the grant supported the collection and analysis of a variety of data in order to achieve the overall aim of the research. Simulation is being used increasingly to provide students and practitioners with opportunities to develop their clinical skills (Alnier, 2006) and to experience scenarios that may not be available to all students within clinical practice (Watkinson et al., 2004 and Gobbi et al., 2004). Audio video/digital facilities are now available in many simulation suites providing both ‘live’ and ‘retrospective’ video captured data of student performance during simulation. The potential to use these data to analyse student performance has yet to be determined.
- Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of an e-Learning Module in Evidence-based Healthcare Practice, August 2008
- The module was launched in semester two with a start date of 5th Feb 2007. The students were closely monitored, with evaluation before students started the module and on its completion. Module milestones in detail were as follows: 1. Module description was defined, submitted and approved by the Faculty Course Approval Sub-committee and the University of Ulster Teaching and Learning Committee. 2. A teaching fellow in evidence-based practice was recruited in August to work on development of module content and evaluation tools. 3. Module content was developed and converted into an eLearning format for the online module. 4. eTutor(s) were interviewed and hired in preparation for 5th Feb module start. 5. Students were informed of the module and asked to note interest; a total of 10 students participated in the pilot. 6. Students completed a pre-module questionnaire in preparation for the module start. 7. Module assessments and deadlines were chosen consisting of three assignments submitted throughout the semester. 8. Institute of Biomedical Sciences accredited the module as part of the MSc Biomedical Sciences programme and for continuing professional development. 9. Module began on the 5th Feb 2007 10. Lecture content was released weekly and assignments were submitted at end of weeks five, eight and fourteen. Students were given regular feedback. 11. Students completed a post-module evaluation and retook the pre-assignment questionnaire to assess changes in attitude and ability.
- An Evaluation of Students Online in Nursing Integrated Curricula (SONIC) Resources Across a Faculty of Health & Social Care, January 2008
- This report summarises the findings and conclusions of a mini-project funded by the Health Sciences and Practice Centre of the Higher Education Academy. The aim of the project was to implement the Students On-Line in Nursing Integrated Curricula project (SONIC) materials across pre-registration programmes and widen the evaluation of the usefulness of the resource enriched scenarios, to include students from nursing, radiography, and occupational therapy.
- Promoting Independent Skill Acquisition in Practical Allied Health Education: A Student-centred Approach in Neuromusculoskeletal Physiotherapy (Pre-registration), September 2008
- A mini project, funded by the Health Sciences and Practice Subject Centre of the Higher Education Academy (HEA), was undertaken at the School of Health Professions and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Southampton between January 2006 and October 2007. The project aim was to develop a method of teaching and learning that would enhance skill acquisition and motor learning of Neuromusculoskeletal psychomotor skills in year 1 BSc (Hons) physiotherapy students. The research team comprised the module coordinator for the year 1 Neuromusculoskeletal module within the BSc (Hons) physiotherapy programme and the School learning technologist, both based at the School of Health Professions and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Southampton.
- A virtual Practice Community for Student Learning and Staff Development in Health and Social Work Inter-professional Education; Changing Practice Through Collaboration, August 2008
- Interprofessional education (IPE) has been widely advocated and developed as a means to encourage effective collaboration in order to improve public sector services. An IPE curriculum was introduced at Bournemouth University from 2005 for all nursing branches, midwifery, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, operating department practice and social work students (n=600). Challenges of this ambitious and large scale project included facilitating meaningful interprofessional learning while balancing structural complexities of professional body requirements and the logistics of large student numbers and multi-site teaching. A web-based simulated community was created, known as Wessex Bay, as a learning resource to facilitate interprofessional learning around case scenarios. An evaluation of student and staff experiences of IPE over two years, focusing principally on the use of technology in the education process was implemented. Student and staff data were collected via e-surveys, focus groups and open-ended questionnaires with additional feedback from external reviewers specifically on Wessex Bay. Qualitative data were subjected to thematic analysis. Whilst the findings are not claimed to be representative, they provide a rich insight into student and staff experiences of technology enhanced learning in IPE. The evaluation of the findings highlighted three issues; the level of student and staff knowledge and skill in using learning technologies impacted significantly on learning; there was a need to capitalise on the use of web-based learning resources by increasing interactivity within the scenarios; and finally student and staff experiences of the learning resources was enhanced by a positive learning culture to facilitate creative use of materials.
- Scoping e-Learning: Use and Development in Health Sciences and Practice (Year 1), January 2008
- This study funded by the HEA HSAP subject centre aimed to survey e-learning implementation in health sciences and practice disciplines throughout the UK. Its objectives were to: • explore issues influencing implementation and use by both early and late adopters • identify barriers to implementation and good practice • review the employment of e-learning within curricula representing a range of teaching models
- Involving Users and Carers and Other Key Stakeholders in the Development of Curricula for the Care of Older People, August 2008
- This project commenced as a result of a fortunate collision of events: a local review and revalidation of the Learning Beyond Registration (LBR) modules and pathways of study primarily aimed at qualified nurses, and the invitation for bids for funding for Higher Education Academy Health Sciences and Practice (HEA) mini-projects looking at involving users and carers in curriculum development. The review and revalidation presented an opportunity to re-evaluate the care of the older person pathway in the light of contemporary issues, one of which was the incorporation of user and carer perspectives within the modules. It is recognised that the involvement of users and carers plays a key role in maintaining the overall quality of health and social care (Brooker, 1997) with participation in education programmes for health care professionals being recognised as an essential component within this process (Wood and Wilson-Barnett, 1999). The possibility of funding from the HEA offered a timely opportunity to develop a structured review of the programme of study that had user and carer involvement as a central element. A proposal was developed which followed on from, and added detail to, consultations with approximately 100 members of the public undertaken as part of a review of the School’s Diploma in Nursing course (Laverty et al 2005, Rush and Cook, 2006). The aim of the project was to enable older people and their carers to influence the development of nurse education curricula so that it both explores issues in a manner that addresses their concerns and reflects contemporary challenges in the delivery of quality care. The objectives were: • To identify the issues that users and carers consider should be addressed in the LBR modules • To develop the curricula in a manner that incorporates these findings • To develop sessions and train speakers to facilitate teaching sessions • To use the findings to influence the content of other relevant courses 2 This paper offers an overview of the conduct and findings of the project. Following a review of policy and literature relating to the involvement of users and carers in the development of both health and social care services and related professional education, there will be a discussion of the methods used to gain an understanding of the perspectives of local older people and their carers concerning getting older, providing care for an elderly friend or relative and receiving health and social care services. There will then be a presentation of the findings of this project before consideration is given to the way in which a group of interested volunteers decided to implement this within the health care for older people LBR modules. The paper will end with a discussion of student and participant evaluation of the work so far and an outline of planned future action.
- In Our Shoes: A User and Carer Led Teaching Module, September 2008
- This Mini Project has been funded by the Health Sciences and Practice Subject Centre of the Higher Education Academy (2006-2007) care services are to develop partnership working with people using their services in line with these recent policy initiatives, and Tew, Gell & Foster (2004) describe how this may involve users and carers in a range of activities, including: • direct delivery of learning and teaching • course / module planning • programme management • recruitment & selection of students • practice learning • student assessment • course evaluation • joining courses as participants Involving users and carers at all levels of education sends a powerful message to the professionals they train about the value and importance of hearing and attending to the voices of those using their services.
- Exploring the Needs of Service Users Involved in Planning and Delivering Mental Health Services and Education, September 2008
- This study was funded by the Health Sciences and Practice Subject Centre of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) to explore the needs of mental health service users (including carers), who may wish to become more involved in mental health nursing education and service delivery. There is a strong national drive towards involving service users in mental health curriculum and service delivery and the pedagogical underpinnings of service user involvement has been the focus of this study. The project, with the support and advice of service users, students and colleagues designed and implemented a data gathering exercise that included semi-structured focus groups and talking wall events (see appendix 1). This allowed for a creative and wide variety of responses from service users and carers on what they identified as needs or requirements in place for them to become more involved in education and services. An ethno methodological analytical approach was used to identify some of the taken for granted assumptions that were considered important within the culture of mental health research, services and education. These were identified following analysis as Universality, Diversity and Recovery.
- Listening to Users and Carers who have Limited Communication Capacity or Skills, January 2008
- This project aimed to enable students to reflect on the human factors central to effective communication using the power of story telling by disabled people and their carers. Disabled people, especially those with different communication needs, are some of the most marginalised groups in health and social care provision. Their views are rarely sought. Their additional support needs mean they are seldom included in patient/user groups who teach pre-registration health and social care students. Safe and effective services depend on successful interactions not only between professionals and users and carers but also between members of interprofessional teams. Interprofessional education is a key context for communication skills as they are a core professional requirement. This project used research methods to build on prior experience of working with users and carers, by working with groups of disabled people, parents and carers to design, deliver and evaluate a learning event for interprofessional student groups. The intended outcome was a one-day learning event.
- Design and Evaluation of the Contexts of Participation Interactive Resource, April 2009
- This report outlines the design and evaluation of an interactive resource, Contexts of Participation: The Critical Thinking tool. The tool originated within occupational therapy education in a higher education institution and funding was obtained from the HEA (Health Sciences and Practice) to develop the interactive resource as a mini‐project. The resource was designed in conjunction with a web developer and was evaluated in a two‐stage process with a small group of selected evaluators. The evaluators represented service users, students, clinicians and educators. At the initial evaluation suggestions were made for future development and following improvement and further development a final evaluation was carried out using a questionnaire and focus group. The questionnaires were analysed and compared to the initial evaluation to determine progress. The transcribed focus group was subjected to a three‐stage analysis to draw out key themes. Evaluations suggested that the project was successful in producing a good initial product which met the aims of being useful, credible, appealing, coherent and accessible, help develop theory and be transferable across disciplines. There is still scope for improvement and some work needs to be done before it can be disseminated to other institutions as a finished product. There is potential for collaboration to develop the resource for use in research. There is also potential for further development of the resource into a major project.
- The Impact of Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD) on the Progression and Retention of Student Nurses, January 2009
- People with dyslexia have patterns of strengths and weaknesses that may predispose them to adopt certain occupations. In the general population, estimates of prevalence vary from 2% to 15%; between 4% and 10% of the workforce is dyslexic, including nurses (N IACE 2005; Sanderson-Mann 2005). If they are in the professions, dyslexic adults are less likely than non-dyslexics to be involved in professions such as science, computing, management and finance and more likely to be involved in people-oriented professions such as nursing (Taylor 2003), perhaps because of their own experience of ‘feeling different’ (Eliason 1992). The principle aim of the study was; 1. To identify undiagnosed rates of SpLD 2. To deliver targeted study skills support 3. To encourage students to access mainstream support mechanisms 4. To assess the impact of screening and intervention
- A qualitative study of first year paramedic students entering higher education. April 2010
- This project tracked a cohort of students providing valuable insights into the unfolding of their first year experience on a new full-time Paramedic Science course. The course is an important development for paramedic science, the NHS and Higher Education (HE) in Wales and occurs against a background where there is increased awareness of the importance of students‘ first year experience as a predictor of student retention, performance and overall satisfaction with the HE experience. However, it has also been documented that students of subjects allied to medicine (SAM) have a lower level of engagement with fellow students and faculty during the first year compared to other types of students. These lower levels of engagement have been linked to poorer student outcomes whilst SAM students have previously been identified as experiencing difficulty coping with the academic demands of HE courses. In an attempt to understand more about the first year experiences of this under-researched group of students this study aims to explore the ways students relate to their ability to carry out the first year of the course with other activities which are central to their personal lives. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews (n=12) and a 75 item survey questionnaire (n=45) which explored how students adjusted to life as university paramedic students. Both qualitative and quantitative data give a rich insight into the first year experiences of paramedic student and how these experiences relate and compare to ―best practice‖ documents produced by HE and healthcare bodies. The study‘s findings strongly suggest that paramedic students perceive themselves more as paramedics rather than university students and that their sense of ―belonging‖ on the course is contingent on their ability to identify and affiliate not with the campus community but the paramedic community. Although the strong sense of affiliation with the paramedic profession appeared to largely result in positive outcomes it may have also led to students‘ evident frustration with some curriculum content (e.g. sociology, ethics) which they perceived to be only marginally relevant to the day-to-day job of a paramedic. Together with the demands of managing a busy timetable this perceived ―irrelevance led to the paramedic students working out ways to render the course more manageable. For example, students employed the strategy of ―selective negligence first identified in medical students where students do not attempt to absorb all the information they feel deluged with, instead they employ most effort in areas directly linked to module assessments and the day-to-day skills of paramedic practitioners.
- National Research and Development Project on Healthy Universities, January 2009
- This report presents the findings of a National Research and Development Project, undertaken by the Healthy Settings Development Unit at the University of Central Lancashire and funded by the Higher Education Academy Health Sciences and Practice Subject Centre and the Department of Health. The aim of the project was to scope and report on the potential for a national programme on Healthy Universities that could contribute to health, well-being and sustainable development. The project comprised four strands: Literature Review: A rapid review of relevant academic and policy-related literature conducted in order to clarify theory, scope practice and distil key contextual issues. HEI-level Research: Comprising an overview audit and follow-up mapping and consultative research, this strand of the project provided an overview of Healthy University activity across English HEIs, generated in-depth data from a purposive sample of universities and explored perspectives on the potential development of a national programme on Healthy Universities. National-Level Stakeholder Research: Using semi-structured interviews with nine key national stakeholder organisations, this strand of the project mapped current health-related roles and responsibilities and explored views regarding the potential development of a national programme on Healthy Universities. Joint Action Planning and Reporting: In addition to reporting interim findings at relevant conferences and events, an interactive workshop was held with members of the English National Healthy Universities Network to present findings, validate data, inform the action planning process and secure further buy-in.
- Scoping e-Learning: Use and Development in Health Sciences and Practice (Year 2), March 2009
- This second year of research, funded by the Higher Education Academy Health Science and Practice subject centre (HEA HS&P), built on the findings of the survey and case study visits completed and reported on in year one of the study (Moule et al 2007). The first report presented the results of the survey of 25 HEIs and four case study visits, two to ‘early adopter’ and two to ‘late adopter’ sites. It found that nearly all HEIs had a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) in use as an information management system and repository. There was limited employment of the wider range of available interactive features of the VLE, such as discussion boards and e-portfolios. A small number of ‘champions’ were experimenting with the use of mobile and Web 2.0 technologies. The second year of study aimed to: 1. Explore those factors facilitating and inhibiting the exploitation and use of elearning in ‘late adopter’ sites identified in the survey responses in year one. 2. Provide support in exploring strategies that might address these, based on the evaluation of ‘early adopter’ sites in year one and drawing on the guidelines developed during years one and two 3. Further develop the guidelines based on ‘early’ and ‘late adopter’ experiences explored in years one and two 4. Support and enable wide sharing of good practice in the development of elearning through a conference event 5. Disseminate
- Interprofessional Learning: Exploring the Benefits of Engaging Students in Online Peer Mentoring, February 2010
- This report disseminates the findings of research which was conducted under the auspices of the Health Science and Practice Subject Centre, Higher Education Academy with the aim of exploring the benefits of engaging students in online peer mentoring within an interprofessional learning initiative. The project aimed to explore how student engagement in learning is optimised by peer mentoring and to determine what the mentors gained from the experience. The relationship between student engagement and peer mentoring is under researched and is widely applicable across all institutions and disciplines. The project involved twelve Year 3 students taking responsibility for facilitating online interprofessional discussion forums for a proportion of Year 1 and 2 students in the context of the Interprofessional Learning Pathway at Coventry University. The aim was to discover how effective Year 3 students were in facilitating online discussion forums promoting interprofessional learning (IPL) of Year 1 and 2 students and to explore the impact of facilitating online forums on student facilitators‟ cognitive, personal and instrumental development. The objectives of the project also included an evaluation of a facilitation training course adapted for the student facilitators and identifying key factors in provision of optimal support for peer mentors.
- Sound Mind and Body – A Case Study, June 2010
- The Disability Rights Commission (DRC, 2007) identified that legislation and guidance for entry to the health, education and social work professions does not reflect the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA, 2005). Universities are also concerned about the non-specific guidance received from the professional regulatory bodies resulting in Universities and Occupational Health Services pre-judging the ‘fitness to practise’ capabilities of students at the application stage or on entry to the course. Uncertainty of what the term ‘disability’ means may result in applications from potential student’s who not consider themselves as disabled. Consequently disclosure is problematic; some may genuinely not disclose a condition because of their perceptions of that condition or may not disclose for fear of not being accepted onto their chosen course. At Edge Hill University there have been several cases of non disclosure and lack of awareness of what is a disability, causing the student to have problems in practice settings. Informal discussion with these students indicated a lack of awareness around disabilities, disclosure and the requirements around ‘fitness to practise’. This study, therefore, aims to explore the information that prospective students with a disability need regarding ‘Fitness to Practise’ before applying for courses in health with professional registration.
- To examine undergraduate nursing students’ views on the value of clinically based research screencasts on their intention to engage with research and the research of others. August 2010
- The main purpose of this project was to develop authentic, locally-based clinical research screencasts and then evaluate their use in a blended learning course on research methods with undergraduate nursing students. The rationale for using the screencasts was to show students’ the relevance of research to practice, and thereby strengthen their intentions to engage with appropriate research literature. The project also incorporates the use of an electronic voting system (clickers) in a quiz format to assess student knowledge and understanding following every teaching session. An additional objective of the project was to enhance the research capabilities of an experienced lecturer but new to research, and a third year nursing student who had expressed enthusiasm to be involved in a research project. This exploratory study did show a statistically significant difference between students’ intentions to engage with research and research literature following exposure to both the quantitative and qualitative screencast interventions. However, this result although statistically significant, cannot be relied upon as the limitations described in the previous section do reduce confidence in the findings. In the overall evaluations the students valued the screencasts as a teaching device, recognising that they did demonstrate the importance of research to clinical practice. The ‘clickers’ were also highly rated by the students as a fun way to cement their understanding of the teaching sessions without exposing them to the group for their lack of knowledge. However, the ‘clicker’ quiz results did not show differences between the pre and post intervention understanding or knowledge of the topic area discussed in the teaching sessions. This result indicates that the screencasts did not improve understanding or retention of research in the short-term, but the study did not evaluate longer-term knowledge retention, which may have demonstrated a difference. In conclusion, this project does indicate that it would be profitable to further test the use of screencasts as an integrated part of a blended learning programme on research methods with a much larger sample of students using an experimental approach with a control group for comparison. This comparison could also evaluate the use of local and generically produced research screencasts. In addition, this study has been a practical framework for facilitating professional development through the participation and reflective accounts of a student nurse and lecturer inexperienced with research project administration.
- Executive summary – Exploring the learner experience of ePortfolios for formative and summative feedback in healthcare education. January 2011
- Susi Peacock, Dr Sue Murray, Alison Scott. Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh.
- Randomized controlled trial to test the effectiveness of a referral prioritization decision training tool for student occupational therapists. December 2010
- The aim of this research was to test the effectiveness of a decision-training aid on novices’ referral prioritisation capacity. A double-blind, parallel-group, longitudinal, randomized controlled trial was conducted. The participants were occupational therapy students on pre-registration programmes in the UK. Recruitment was conducted via email and respondents were randomly allocated to control (N=81) or intervention group (N=84). Participation and data collection occurred via the World Wide Web. Each participant individually gave a prioritisation rating to the referral sets at baseline, immediate post-test and at 2-week follow-up with the intervention and placebo being given after baseline testing. The intervention comprised of written and graphical descriptions of the expert consensus standard for referral prioritisation in this field. The participants and the data analyst were blind to group allocation. To measure prioritisation rating capacity, raw prioritisation ratings were conducted by correlating the participants’ ratings with the experts’ ratings of the same referrals at baseline, immediate post-test and at 2-week follow-up. No differences between control and intervention were found at baseline on either rating capacity or demographic characteristics. The mean correlation of prioritisation scores were very similar: the control group showing p= 0.25 and the intervention group p= 0.23. At immediate post-test, the intervention group had improved their rating capacity as compared with the experts to rp= 0.58, whereas the control group had deteriorated slightly to rp= 0.16. At 2 week follow-up the intervention group had maintained the training effect with rp=0.49. Independent sample t-tests were conducted to test for statistically significant results between the mean correlation scores. At baseline, there was no statistically significant difference shown in the mean correlation of the prioritisation ratings between those of the control and intervention group (t=-0.95, p=0.34, df=163, CI=-0.07,0.023). At immediate post-test, a statistically significant difference was found between the scores of the control and intervention group (t=11.9, p<0.001, df=163, CI=0.34,0.47). The effect size, using Cohen’s d, was r = 0.7 which is classified as a medium effect (Cohen 1988). At post 2-week follow-up the statistically significant difference was maintained (t=7.68, p<0.001, df=146, CI=0.21,0.36). The results of this study indicate that the decision-training aid had a positive effect on the referral prioritisation capacity of the novices. As demand far exceeds service capacity, decision training could be used to improve novices referral prioritisation capacity thereby ensuring services are provided according to consensus standards. Web based decision aids can be made freely available and hence could become a useful adjunct to the education of novice health professionals.
- ELSIE: E-learning Support for Inter-professional Education in Health and Social Care - 20/03/2007
- “E-learning Support for Inter-professional Education in Health and Social Care” (ELSIE) was a 12-month project (October 2004 – October 2005) funded by Health Sciences & Practice Subject Centre to create and evaluate reusable learning objects (RLOs) to support interprofessional education. Project partners are Universities’ Collaboration in e-Learning (UCeL), University of Cambridge, Homerton School of Health Studies and University of Nottingham School of Nursing. The aim of this project was to develop a series of interactive and engaging web-based reusable learning objects (RLOs)1 featuring animations to enhance understanding of dynamic and complex concepts; interactive exploration of inter-professional issues; and video clips of case vignettes to support the facilitation of inter-professional learning through problem-based learning. The video clips are supported with text materials and the RLOs are universally available on the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning in Reusable Learning Objects (RLO-CETL) and Universities’ Collaboration in eLearning (UCeL) websites for maximum visibility.
- Health and social work students and carers evaluating multimedia resources for people with communication disabilities 2008
- A Health Sciences and Practice Interprofessional Education mini-project by Robert John. The aim of the project was to provide an interprofessional experience which enables health and social work students working with carers focus on innovative multimedia communication methods for use with people with severe disabilities.
- To Identify and Disseminate a Shared Model of Best Practice for Student Practice Placements so to Enhance Student's Learning
- This document sets out clear standards by which placement should be organised and delivered. Emphasis is placed on the partnership between the institution and the placement provider which ensures that students have access to practical learning opportunities and providers have access to competent and work-ready recruits.
- Executive Summary: Promoting the life stories of older people in nursing care homes: A collaborative writing project between student nurses and care home residents
- Karen Spilsbury, Ros Brownlow, Lizzi Linklater, Iain Barr, September 2011
- Professionalism dilemmas in work based learning: personal incident narratives of dental, nursing, pharmacy and physiotherapy students
- Exploring personal incident narratives (PINs) about professionalism dilemmas narrated by dental, nursing, pharmacy and physiotherapy students
- Promoting the life stories of older people in nursing care homes: A collaborative writing project between student nurses and care home residents.
- Creative writing as a way of ‘transforming’ how student nurses think (and feel) about older people
- Evaluating a strategy to assist undergraduate healthcare students to gain insights into the value of interprofessional education experiences from recently qualified healthcare professionals
- Mini-project Final Report by Stella Howden
