Reflective Blogs: How do we encourage deeper reflective practice and assess depth of reflection?
Name of lead presenter: Stephanie Wyer (Senior Lecturer, Physiotherapy)
Email address: s.a.wyer@herts.ac.uk
Name of the additional presenter: Lucy Simmons (Senior Lecturer, Physiotherapy)
Department: Allied Health Professions, Midwifery and Social Work (AMS)
Type of presentation: Oral
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Abstract
Reflective blogs were developed for a new 15 credit module within the physiotherapy programme. The students would write in their reflective blogs, reflecting on experiences within the module or on themes within the module. These reflective blogs were then assessed and marked as reflective coursework.
The reason for using this mode of assessment was to encourage deeper reflection by students. Reflective writing by students can sometimes be superficial, Moon discusses four levels of reflective writing (Moon 2013), suggesting that deep reflection is quite rare. The students were in semester B of their final year, therefore encouraging them to be reflective practitioners was important (HCPC 2019). Students sometimes struggle with reflective practice (Eaton 2016), this struggle also extends to tutors teaching in this area.
Students submitted blog entries and were encouraged to do this in stages, therefore reflecting as they went through the learning on the module. Teaching and learning were developed around reflection. There were also logistical reasons for developing this assessment so that students completed it throughout the module as this allowed students not to be overloaded by the addition of another coursework assessment.
The reflective blog was developed on the discussion group facility on canvas, this allowed students to be individually assigned a discussion page for their blogs, this gave them all the functionality of canvas and the ability to post and amend blog entries. The discussion page could be aligned to speedgrader for marking purposes.
Marking reflective work can be a challenge, both for students and staff. Therefore, marking was based on the four-category scheme (Kember et al 2008) using the coursework marking criteria with an increased weighting on reflection.
Challenges included standardising reflection to enable markers to mark but at the same time trying to enable students to reflect in the way that suits them. Research suggests giving the students opportunity to practise reflecting helps (Moon 2013) and on reflection this was the case with our students, therefore we are planning to add workshops to support students in developing their reflective skills in the next academic year.

References

Misfortune Avenue: Educating paramedics through virtual case-based learning on Thinglink
Name of lead presenter: James Wilkinson (Senior Lecturer, Paramedic Science)
Email address: j.wilkinson3@herts.ac.uk
Department: Allied Health Professions, Midwifery and Social Work (AMS)
Type of presentation: Oral
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Abstract
‘Misfortune Avenue’ is a virtual street of patients, where paramedic students can visualise themselves in real-life situations, meet patients from clinical practice as case studies in a safe, online environment and design management plans to practice in simulation. Using Thinglink as a virtual learning platform, users can play along simultaneously in the classroom to support learning of the theory content from the live teaching session. As they discover imaginary patients living in each house on the virtual street, each person represents a realistic clinical scenario, with every patient having different stages to their illness within the case study topic. Students can engage and interact with activities in the classroom, encouraging discussions and situational learning. Scenarios are specifically designed become more complex over the three stages, with patient presentations constructively aligned against Levels 4 to 6, using the indicative content for each academic level to inform this development. The design uses scaffolding of the curriculum to allow students to build an understanding of how an illness might progress through the longitudinal patient journey, created around several patient presentations commonly seen in paramedic practice. As an example of scaffolding within the curriculum, using a social constructivist approach to case-based learning, patient presentations increase in complexity over the academic years and the cross-modular elements of the patient presentations represents most of the curriculum throughout three years in paramedic higher education, combined into one platform. The scope of the platform allows interprofessional working between healthcare workers across the wider health service and encourages learning throughout the continuation of the patient journey, with integration of technology-enhanced learning.

References

Virtual and online learning throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic: The experience of community children’s nursing students.
Name of lead presenter: Professor Mark Whiting (Consultant Nurse, Children's Community and Specialist Nursing, Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust)
Email address: m.1.whiting@herts.ac.uk
Name of the additional presenter: Karen Roberts-Edema QN (Senior Lecturer, Children’s Nursing)
Department: Nursing, Health, and Wellbeing (NHW) and HCT
Type of presentation: Oral
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Abstract
Background: During 2020/21, 11 UK universities held NMC approval to offer the Community Children’s Nursing [CCN] programme (with just 6 running the course). In recent years, universities had been expanding their use of online education with increasing numbers of students completing their programmes via this route (Gregg and Shin, 2021). However, the pandemic required Higher Education Institutions [HEIs] to invest heavily in IT infrastructure to further facilitate online teaching and assessment (Al-Maskari et al 2022). Whilst there is pressure for HEIs to primarily undertake face- to-face teaching (Coughlan, 2021), it is counter-argued that some students prefer the flexibility that synchronous and asynchronous online learning provides. This may be particularly relevant to post-qualification health programmes (such as the CCN course) that are undertaken on a part-time basis alongside practice experience/placements; in addition, these students may need to travel substantial distances to university.
Aim: To gain insight into the experiences of students undertaking the CCN programme at 3 English universities during the academic year 2020-21 when, as a direct consequence of the pandemic, most learning and teaching was delivered using virtual and online methods.
Methods: Data was collected from participants via a survey questionnaire distributed to students by Programme Leaders at the 3 universities.
Findings: 7 survey questionnaires were returned (25% response rate). Participants’ experience of online and virtual learning was generally positive, with benefits to work- life balance and opportunity to re-visit recorded lectures being particularly well regarded. Loss of opportunity for face-to-face engagement with both fellow students and the lecturing team were identified as disadvantages.
Conclusion: This survey found strong student support for the provision of more flexible approaches to learning and teaching. Universities need to consider that failure to offer such flexibility could potentially impact on recruitment and the viability of some courses, particularly those that attract smaller cohorts of students.

References

Unsupervised focus groups: A gateway to the hitherto unheard student voice
Name of lead presenter: Anthony Wheeldon (Senior Lecturer, Adult Nursing)
Email address: a.r.wheeldon@herts.ac.uk
Department: Nursing, Health and Wellbeing
Type of presentation: Oral
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Abstract
What happens when students are left alone to discuss their experiences of learning? On four occasions this researcher gathered small groups of student nurses, gave them a mock bioscience exam paper, asked them to spend 45 minutes discussing how the questions made them feel, and then left them alone with an iPhone recording what happened next. This approach was adopted in recognition of the potential for superficial perspectives that are synonymous with traditional data collection methods. As Seale (2009) contends, there is a power differential between tutor and student which can stifle student expression in interviews and focus groups. Richer data can arguably be found in the conversations students have out of the earshot of tutors (in corridors, refectories, and cafés for example). Canning (2017) refers to such conversations as the irretrievable student voice and it is that unheard voice this research project sought to hear. The use of unsupervised focus groups was not without its challenges, however. With students left to chat freely and with no facilitation their discourse often drifted into unrelated topics. Nevertheless, the role of the qualitative investigator is to find the remarkable in the mundane and analysis of the unsupervised conversations revealed interesting concepts even from dialogue that at first glanced appeared innocuous or unexceptional (Silverman, 2013). The data allowed access to hitherto unheard voices and insight into new concepts associated with the difficulties student nurses experience when trying to master the biosciences. This presentation explores the experience of this researcher in their pursuit of naturalistic conversations, the challenges encountered when collecting and analysing the data, and how the themes generated by the focus groups illuminate and inform nursing’s pursuit of excellence in the learning and teaching of the biosciences.
References

Sharing Good Practice Across Our School

Name of lead facilitator: Dr Cheryl Holman
Email address: c.holman@herts.ac.uk
Names of additional presenters: John Paul Anastasiadis, Karen Roberts-Edema QN & Dr Karen Mills
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Information about the session
In her role as Associate Dean Academic Quality Assurance, Dr Cheryl Holman is required to facilitate the sharing of good practice as part of the Continuing Enhancement Process (CEP). Last year, Cheryl gave a presentation at the HSK Learning and Teaching Conference with a particular focus on increasing inclusivity/responding to diversity because this is an important priority for the school and the conference is an excellent opportunity to show case the good work that has happened. The session was very well-received with value in terms of sharing ideas and sound, quality pedagogical practice. The aim of the session is therefore, to illustrate examples of good practice across the school and especially how individuals and teams have delivered educational innovation so that others may learn and develop their own practice. Members of staff will explain how they implemented an initiative or action that improved the student &/or staff experience. The session will conclude with a discussion of how the examples can be transferred to other situations or programmes.

Placement expansion within Private, Independent and Voluntary Health and Social Care Organisations
Name of lead presenter: Lynn Quinlivan (Principal Lecturer, Adult Nursing)
Names of additional presenters: Jodie McGarry (Senior Lecturer, Nursing Practice Innovation & Expansion), Lindsay Truran (Senior Lecturer, Occupational Therapy), Nicky Kidd (Corporate Clinical Professional Development Lead, HCA) and April Parrot -Carter (BUPA Care Home Manager).
Email address: l.t.1.quinlivan@herts.ac.uk
Department: Nursing, Health and Wellbeing Type of presentation: Oral
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Abstract
The School of Health and Social Care at the University of Hertfordshire has been successful in receiving funding for a placement expansion project within Private, Independent and Voluntary Health and Social Care Organizations for pre- registration students across our health care programmes. The placement expansion comprises two work streams. This presentation will be in two parts , commencing with the expansion of placements across five disciplines and six programmes in Private Hospitals which are part of provider HCA Healthcare UK London provision before moving onto the expansion of placements within Nursing Homes for occupational therapy students within a BUPA nursing home. The team will outline the five -step approach utilized effectively in nursing to expand the placement circuit namely: scope, identify, select, recruit and train. The effectiveness of this approach in ensuring sustainable high-quality learning environments for nursing programmes will be explored, as will the value added to the students lived experience by expanding the allocations from nursing to other disciplines. The presentation will discuss the rationale for the move away from single discipline expansion of nursing with existing providers to include allied health professions programmes within nursing homes. The presentation will conclude with future recommendations for sustainable placement expansion linked to the NHS Workforce plan. The presenters are from the Nursing Placement Expansion Team supported by colleagues from AHP disciplines and 2 external practice partners, Nicky Kidd, Corporate Clinical Professional Development Lead HCA and April Parrot -Carter BUPA Care Home Manager.
References

Placement expansion within a virtual hospital ward
Name of lead presenter: Jodie McGarry (Senior Lecturer, Adult Nursing).
Names of additional presenters: Kalpana Giri Ghimire (Lead Nurse for Virtual Hospital, West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust), Charitomeni Konstantinidou (Practice Education Facilitator, West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust) and Babrah Akanoh (Clinical Nurse Specialist, West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust)
Email address: j.mcgarry2@herts.ac.uk
Department: Nursing, Health, and Wellbeing (NHW) & West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Type of presentation: Oral
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Abstract
The Pre-registration Education team at West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, alongside the School of Health and Social Work at the University of Hertfordshire have identified an innovative placement experience for Student Nurses within the Virtual Hospital. The NHS Long Term Plan and changing commissioning structure provides opportunities for services to work collaboratively to develop models to support people to be cared for in their own homes.
The Virtual Hospital team, working in partnership with integrated care providers provides acute care, remote monitoring, and treatment, to enable patients to remain in their own homes, and to facilitate earlier discharge from NHS bedded services.
Patients who are supported through illness in their home and community are likely to recover better, have more positive outcomes and are less reliant on long-term care (Singh et al, 2022)
Students are supported by highly experienced Band 6 & 7 Nurses, who are passionate about supporting learning and teaching. They can nurse patients both virtually and in person from a wide age range, with a range of respiratory & cardiac pathologies. There are opportunities for students to learn from a range of multi- disciplinary team members and to expand their view on nursing in the modern NHS. Quality teaching time is available with good ratios of nursing staff to students. As the Virtual Hospital model grows, due to its effectiveness, we envisage that this model of supporting students will ensure sustainable high-quality learning environments for nursing students.
At the time of the conference, the first two students will have completed a placement within the Virtual Hospital, and it is envisaged that data will be available in the format of student evaluations to present at conference. The presentation will be delivered by practice partners and UH HEI staff.

References

Creating accessible teaching and learning content – it's everyone’s responsibility.
Name of lead presenter: Sally Humphreys (PhD student CRIPACC)
Email address: s.k.humphreys@herts.ac.uk
Department: CRIPACC
Type of presentation: Oral
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Abstract
Digital accessibility is the ability to perceive, understand, navigate and interact with digital information and is fundamental to all aspects of teaching and learning. It lets people with cognitive, visual, motor or hearing difficulties access digital content such as learning materials or presentations, webpages, electronic documents or multimedia - but it is not just about people with disabilities. Digital accessibility is about making teaching and learning resources at the University of Hertfordshire accessible to all users in as many contexts as possible so that everyone has equal access to information and functionality to consistently reach their full potential.

There is a legal prerequisite for organisations such as the University of Hertfordshire to ensure its websites, intranets and mobile applications meet the accessibility standards by making its content and activities ‘perceivable, operable, understandable and robust’. These are collectively known as the POUR (perceivable, operable, understandable and robust) principles.

But what does this mean in practice and how do we apply it when creating teaching and learning resources?

Making sure that your teaching and learning resources are accessible may seem challenging, but most accessibility and good practice standards can be easily implemented improving everyone’s experience of teaching and learning at UH.

This session will provide a brief overview of how to create digital accessible teaching and learning content underpinned by the POUR principles and current best practice guidelines.

Ecology as a pedagogy: Using teaching from nature to enhance hope and engagement in healthcare sustainability education.
Name of lead presenter: Georgia Twigg (Senior Lecturer, Occupational Therapy)
Email address: g.twigg@herts.ac.uk
Department: Allied Health, Midwifery and Social Work
Type of presentation: Oral
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Abstract
Aim:The aim of this teaching session is to explore enhancing engagement with the difficult knowledge of climate change, and ways of reframing our approach to practice health and social care settings with a focus on ecological sustainability. Climate change presents a pressing and serious public health concern, emerging in real time. The outlook is not positive, and yet as professionals and emerging professionals we have a responsibility to both educate and act. Maintaining hope is crucial to action, and in this teaching session we draw on lessons from nature and mycorrhizal networks to inspire creative problem solving in increasingly turbulent times.
Method: Level 6 Occupational Therapy apprentices are invited to participate in a teaching session focusing on critical thinking and sustainability at both personal and institutional levels. They are then invited to engage in a creative activity as an embodied metaphor for co-production, enacting lessons on reciprocity taken from ecology.
Methods: Five students (three third year, two second year) came on full-time five-week placements at the Musculoskeletal Research Unit. Students undertook a wide range of research activities, e.g., workshops and laboratory visits, attendance at conference/webinars/discussion for a stakeholder meeting, research methods and dissemination. Each student actively led/contributed to a discrete part of KNOWBEST. Students completed written reflections regarding placements. The student on the final placement (JR,) undertook three on-line semi-structured interviews with students from earlier placements (lasting 49-90 minutes). An evidence informed interview guide (including reflection data) was developed (JR and the team). Interview audio-recordings were transcribed verbatim and underwent content analyses (JR) (Hsieh and Shannon, 2005). Co-analyses and interpretation of data, by/with physiotherapy educators experienced in research, supported high-quality data analyses.
Results: The teaching session will take place in Semester A 2023. Students were asked to feedback on new learning that had taken place, the applicability of learning, and perceived relevance of the content. Most felt that it was a positive session, speaking to their interests and concerns. One respondent reported that they felt there were too many topics included in one short session.
Conclusion: Climate sustainability must be integrated into the spiral curriculum in the same way as any other topic in health care education, with relevant aspects of sustainability theory and practice incorporated into appropriate modules, lectures, and tutorials. This will enable integration of the learning and prepare learners to feel equipped to grapple with more complex thinking around sustainability once they reach level 6.

References

Embracing diverse accents in learning and teaching in higher education.
Name of lead presenter: Dr Echo Yuet Wah Yeung (Associate Professor (Research) / Senior Lecturer, Social Work)
Email address: y.yeung2@herts.ac.uk
Name of additional presenter: Dr Godfrey Muchena (Senior Lecturer, Mental Health Nursing)
Type of presentation: Oral
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Abstract
International students (IS) experience many challenges when transitioning from their home country to study in a new learning environment in the UK. Many find it challenging to fully engage in learning activities because they do not speak with a native English accent. This project aims to explore the challenges associated with language issues and develop different strategies to promote an inclusive learning environment for ISs.
The project involved interviews with 20 ISs between July and October 2022 who undertook mental health nursing and social work programmes at the UH. It finds that many ISs encountered accent bullying in the forms of ‘laughing’ and ‘being made to feel stupid’ because of the perception that their English was ‘not good enough’. This created an intimidating and isolating learning experience for them. International students also talked about their own, perhaps unhelpful, attitudes that tended to internalise a linguistic inferiority complex. They felt the need to apologise for and correct their ‘imperfect’ accent. However, they gradually developed different strategies to make their voices heard. They also remarked that having other fellow students and tutors from a diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds helped develop a more inclusive learning environment.
In July 2023, we invited both international and home students to attend a workshop to reflect on the findings of our study and ask them for suggestions to promote an inclusive learning environment. They articulated the need to raise awareness about the complexity and variation of diverse accents among students, tutors and non- academic staff. This could be done by putting in ground rules during initial induction and continuous dialogues about the challenges ISs experienced in different platforms. The key message of the project is to embrace diversity by developing an inclusive learning environment to empower ISs so that they can voice their contribution in their learning journey.

References

Analysing the experiences of undergraduate physiotherapy students transitioning from conventional to e-learning: A phenomenological study

Name of lead presenter: Laura Eccott (Senior Lecturer in Physiotherapy).
Email address: l.eccott2@herts.ac.uk
Department: Allied Health, Midwifery and Social Work
Type of presentation: Poster
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Abstract
The Covid-19 pandemic impacted the delivery of learning and teaching beyond recognition across every level of education globally with an unexpected and rapid transition to online learning (e-learning). This transition had additional consequences for courses that had substantial practical components, such as physiotherapy. As e-learning is likely to continue as the ‘new normal’ for physiotherapy education in the United Kingdom (UK), an understanding of the impact of this change on students is paramount. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of BSc (Hons) physiotherapy students who underwent the transition from conventional (fully face-to-face) physiotherapy education to a blended learning approach where the students attended one two-hour practical session per module, per week with the remaining content (68% of teaching hours on average) delivered via e-learning.
A descriptive phenomenological methodology using online semi-structured focus groups was conducted. Online semi-structured focus groups were conducted with undergraduate BSc (Hons) physiotherapy students enrolled in the 2019/20 academic years and at least one semester of a subsequent academic year.
Ten students were included in two online focus groups. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to develop five themes; ‘The challenges of adjusting’; ‘Flexible learning’; ‘Reduced opportunities to use preferred learning styles and strategies online’; ‘Frustrations with peers and engagement’ and ‘Confidence to apply what has been learned’.
Despite maintaining a level of face-to-face education throughout the national lockdowns, the students’ experiences were comparable to those who moved to complete e-learning internationally. The findings of this study indicate a myriad of challenges, the main ones being the reduced opportunities for kinaesthetic learning and reduced confidence to apply practical skills. These must be addressed to ensure engaging and effective e-learning for future cohorts, further research is needed to develop innovative and creative teaching activities to enhance physiotherapy e-learning.
For the references, see two below that are referenced in the final manuscript submitted to Computers and Education Open.

References

Using High-Fidelity Simulation to Teach End of Life Care Skills to Students Studying the BSc Hons Nursing (Children's) programme: A review of the literature.
Name of lead presenter: Louise McLaughlin (Senior Lecturer, Children’s Nursing)
Email address: l.mclaughlin3@herts.ac.uk
Type of presentation: Poster
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Abstract
Student Nurses are required to develop the ability to care for the child and young person (CYP) at the end of life, yet many qualified nurses lack the skills and confidence to deliver this care (NMC 2018, Gillian et al 2016, Dame and Hoebeke 2016). Therefore, a literature review was undertaken to explore how BSc Hons Nursing (Children's) students can be enabled to gain the affective and effective skills required to look after a CYP at the end of their life. The literature review highlighted that high- fidelity simulation has been used successfully to teach end of life care to nursing students. Students reported they had a better understanding and so felt confident in delivering care at the end of a CYP’s life (Fielding et al 2022, Hamdoune & Gantare 2022). All studies used a pre-brief and de-brief to support students before, during and after the simulation. The pre-brief ensured that a plan was in place if a student became distressed during the simulation (Fielding et al, 2022). A debrief allowed students to reflect on their learning and any emotions that may have surfaced (Sherlin and Quinn, 2016).
Given the increased confidence and knowledge reported by students within the literature reviewed, high-fidelity simulation could be used to teach end of life care to those studying the BSc Hons Nursing (Children’s) programme at the University of Hertfordshire. Initially, students need to be able to demystify palliative care to have a good understanding of what it is. This can then be built on so that communication and emotional intelligence are at the forefront when dealing with end-of-life scenarios. By their final year, students should feel equipped to deal with clinical situations as a qualified Nurse.

References

Experience of Using Non-Native English Accents in Practice Learning

Name of lead presenter: Dr Godfrey Muchena (Senior Lecturer, Mental Health Nursing)
Email address: g.muchena2@herts.ac.uk
Name of additional presenter: Dr Echo Yuet Wah Yeung (Associate Professor (Research) / Senior Lecturer, Social Work)
Department: Allied Health Professions, Midwifery and Social Work
Type of presentation: Poster
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Abstract
Practice learning is an essential element in the training of health and social care professionals. This study aimed to investigate practice learning experiences of international students (ISs) enrolled on Mental Health Nursing and Social Work Programmes. It focussed on the impact of speaking with a non-native English accent on their practice learning. It involved interviews with thirteen social work and seven mental health nursing students.
The results suggest that ISs encounter a plethora of impeding and supportive experiences during practice placements. There is an overarching theme that ISs hold a normalised construct of subordination in the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and proficiencies during practice placements. Language and accents play a significant role in formulating interpersonal relationships, and can lead to understanding, misunderstanding or miscommunication. Accented speech attracts stereotyped impressions between ethnolinguistic groups and influences people’s attitudes and interactions. Acculturation Strategies Framework propounded by Berry (1997) is used here to explain their experiences. Acculturation through assimilation, separation, integration, and marginalisation can lead to voluntarily or involuntarily self-segregation. Accented English-speaking impacts confidence and can be positively associated with not understanding others or not being understood when communicating with placement host staff, service users and their families / carers.
Subconscious bias or complicit behaviour from practice staff can occur when they normalise service user’s discriminatory behaviour towards ISs during practice placements. There are supportive placement hosts, which ISs perceive as promoting solidarity and camaraderie between students and staff from diverse backgrounds. While some ISs were proactive in assimilating to the local accents, others felt this denigrates or erodes one’s identity and culture, and in some cases, assimilation occurred spontaneously.
It is therefore essential that we develop supportive interventions to militate adverse acculturation experiences that ISs may encounter when transitioning into higher education and interact with the wider respective communities during their professional development.

Expanding community placements for Pre-registration Nursing, Occupational Therapy & Physiotherapy Students within Nursing Home Settings

Name of lead presenter: Ally Partington (Lecturer, Placement Expansion Nursing)
Email address: l.mclaughlin3@herts.ac.uk
Name of additional presenter: and Lynn Quinlivan (Principal Lecturer, Practice Placement Lead, Nursing)
Department: NHW
Type of presentation: Poster
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Abstract
Background: Increasing the number of placement opportunities within Primary Care is required to meet both the statutory programme requirements (NMC, 2018a), HCPC (2023) and NHS (2023). Nursing Home placement opportunities for pre – registration nursing students is well established, less so for other pre-registration students. Aim: Identify new areas within the PVIO sectors, particularly health and social care settings, utilizing established five-step approach namely: scope, identify, select, recruit and train. In discussion with existing providers, extend the professional groups from Nursing to include Occupational Therapy within a Nursing Home setting. Process: Adapting UH existing Nursing selection and recruitment framework to include specific placement requirements for other professional groups such as Occupational Therapy to include statutory requirements of other professionals utilizing the subject discipline expertise within the project team. Implementation: Moving away from a traditional model of single field allocations within nursing to multiple fields concurrently has led to a growth in the number of students being exposed to this learning opportunity (Backman et al., 2019). Outcome: Placement expansion has seen an increase in overall capacity and the opportunity to allocate students from other disciplines such as Occupational Therapy. (HCPC,2023) Evaluation: Emerging themes from analysis of Mental Health and Learning Disability students highlight the strengthening of person centred approaches to care and quality learning experiences(Delves-Yates, 2022; NMC, 2018b; Feo et al., 2017).

References

The 2023 HSK COMET project: enhancing inclusivity.

Name of lead presenter: Mariya Shabbir (Inclusive Education Tutor)
Email address: m.shabbir@herts.ac.uk
Department: HSK
Type of presentation: Poster
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Abstract
Our poster presentation reports on a curriculum audit project aimed at enhancing inclusivity in health and social work programmes. This pilot project aimed to assess the inclusivity of different programmes in relation to race, ethnicity, and cultural perspectives, adapt content where necessary and share good practice and learning across programme teams. The programme teams involved included BSc Child Nursing, BSc Radiotherapy & Oncology and BSc Occupational Therapy (Degree Apprenticeship).

Programme staff audited module content of other programmes using checklists. Staff assessed and commented on different aspects related to curriculum inclusivity, assigning an inclusivity score for different categories. The data was analysed to identify common themes and performance across the different categories. Findings highlighted areas of strength including use of diverse images, variation of assessment and teaching and learning approaches to suit different learning needs of students. The project also highlighted areas for development including the need for more diverse case studies and diversity in patient voice and literature and a need to improve the accessibility of teaching resources.

Staff members have reported becoming more aware of inclusivity needs for their respective programmes. As part of ongoing work, programmes have had the opportunity to reflect on the findings, share best practice, implement necessary changes, and create resources within their own teams.

This poster presentation will provide an overview of the project's objectives, describe the methods of auditing module content, discuss key findings and emerging themes, and highlight recommendations and scope for future work in this area.

From online to IRL: making the shift post-pandemic on an occupational therapy degree apprenticeship.

Name of lead presenter: Lindsay Truran (Senior Lecturer, Occupational Therapy)
Email address: l.truran@herts.ac.uk
Department: Allied Health, Midwifery and Social Work
Type of presentation: Poster
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Abstract
The occupational therapy degree apprenticeship began in the height of the Covid-19 pandemic with a delayed January start in 2021. Blended learning with a primary focus on online learning via virtual platforms using interactive tools for engagement became the norm (Öztürk et al, 2022). Since September 2021 however, there has been a gradual shift towards more campus-based teaching, and with it, changes to the delivery of previously online sessions to in-real life (IRL).

Our team have reflected on the benefits on IRL teaching and how these are supported by a need for occupational therapy programs to facilitate active and flexible learning (Brown et al., 2022). Apprentices come with a range of prior academic, life and work experiences so providing a range of teaching activities (asynchronous, individual, group work and interactive tools such as Padlet) is fundamental if we are to respect the diverse learning attributes of the group (Baker, 2019).

The poster will include our reflections on a range of different learning and teaching activities which have been completed both online and subsequently IRL. This includes seeing with more immediacy when a learner has not grasped a concept or skill such as referencing, supporting compassionate group work skills through blended enquiry-based learning, and developing meaningful experiential small group workshops to apply and check understanding.

References

Using podcasting to enhance the experiences of apprentice paramedics in higher education
Name of lead presenter: James Wilkinson (Senior Lecturer, Paramedic Science)
Email address: j.wilkinson3@herts.ac.uk
Department: Allied Health, Midwifery and Social Work
Type of presentation: Poster
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Abstract
Podcasts are being incorporated into more healthcare education programmes, with increasing availability of resources and flexibility to learn whilst on the move being key benefits to this form of teaching. Podcasts are considered valuable tools in education, being entertaining and informative, yet allowing listeners to multi-task during the episodes and use playback functions to aid understanding and revision. Not all students feel podcasts benefit their learning and some feel traditional lectures still best suit their needs. Action research allows an individual to reflect on their own practice, act on feedback and observe changes in their own development, before further reflecting in a continuous transformational cycle.

The creation of new podcast content, as part of this intervention, includes collaboration with other healthcare professionals in multidisciplinary teams, to discuss topics relevant to paramedic practice in mental health and palliative care. Recordings were converted to audio format and shared as podcasts in replacement of a lecture, with 60 students undertaking their paramedic degree apprenticeships with the University of Cumbria. Ethics approval was obtained before data collection. Informed written consent was gained and 21 responses were fully completed. An online survey was conducted which comprised of 12 quantitative five-point Likert questions and two open-ended qualitative questions, relating to key themes identified from the existing literature. Three themes were identified from this research: Overall experience in Higher Education, Accessibility and Quality of podcasts. All participants felt comfortable using the technology involved with podcasts. 15 people (71%) had a generally positive experience with podcast used for this session and 19 people (90%) agreed they preferred podcasts to traditional lectures or PowerPoint. There were also 15 individuals (71%) who were able to complete other tasks whilst listening to the intervention.

References