Collaboration, Customisation and Care: An Integrated Approach to Programme Design and Delivery

Presenter: Suzanne Goopy

Session Description

Recent growth in the online delivery of global health education reflects a need to support the education and professional development of an expanding global health workforce using innovative, sustainable, and best-practice approaches.

This presentation shares a number of strategies and best practices that guided the development of an integrated global health programme at the University of Edinburgh aimed at mid-career professionals with an interest or experience in global health. Important programme design elements covered include the use of a backward design approach; the breadth and diversity of global health practice; the scope, diversity, and interplay of content areas; and the potential to use student experience and expertise to direct students’ educational development especially where students come together from across diverse disciplinary areas (for example, community development, biomedical science, social science, nursing, and medicine).

Additionally, this presentation offers insights into the central role that overall programme design and development can play in realising integrated and transformative learning opportunities in such a diverse ‘classroom’. This is explored at three levels: 1) Collaboration in the form of support from sister programmes; 2) Customisation via extensive elective options for students; and 3) Care via the use of mentors to support student choices and advancement throughout the programme. Following this approach to programme development has resulted in furthering across-disciplinary discussion and a renewed appreciation of the benefits of finding new approaches to thinking about teaching and learning to meet the needs of an expanding global health workforce.

Developing a Collaborative Interprofessional Programme: challenges and lessons learned

Presenter: Jane Hislop, Peter Hillen

Session Description

The aim of the presentation will be to discuss the challenges and lessons learned in developing a new post graduate IPE programme. In 2019 a new pre-registration, collaborative programme in Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy and Social Work was developed at Edinburgh Napier University. Traditionally, health and social care education has been uni-professional with research suggesting that Higher Education is poor in preparing graduates for integrated working. The aim was that through early interprofessional education (IPE), where students ‘learn with, from and about each other’, students would develop a good understanding of their own as well as other profession’s roles and responsibilities and be better prepared for interprofessional practice. For the team challenges came from agreeing a curriculum where IPE was embedded through meaningful learning experiences. There were challenges in bringing together three professions with disparate theoretical foundations, from biomedical to social sciences backgrounds. Tensions arose between profession specific learning and recognising generic knowledge and skills whilst avoiding curriculum overload. There were challenges in ensuring that students developed confidence in their own professional specific identity, knowledge and skills, at a time when this had not yet developed. In curriculum design, the team reached agreement on commonalities in terms of desirable knowledge, skills and values such as kindness, knowledge of the lived experiences of others and communication skills. These formed the basis of collaborative modules. Early evaluation found that students value shared learning experiences but for some there is frustration with time spent on what they deemed to be less important such as ‘softer skills’ or research skills.

Cultivating effective teamwork through undergraduate interprofessional education (IPE)

Presenter: Kate Leech, Jennifer Tocher

Session Description

Cultivating effective teamwork through undergraduate Inter professional Education (IPE)

“IPE enables two or more professions to learn with, from and about each other to improve collaborative practice and quality of care (CAIPE, 2002). “

At Edinburgh University Medical and Nursing School we have approached our IPE with this ethos in mind. For true collaborative teamwork each member should try to understand and appreciate the contribution made by others within the team.

We have introduced this concept to our undergraduate students from first through to final year with students participating in at least one collaborative teaching session per year until graduation.

The existing IPE has been impacted by COVID 19 with restrictions resulting in the closure of skills facilities during spring and summer and limiting teaching delivery to essential small group teaching only. Despite this we have managed to deliver some of the IPE sessions such as Peer Assisted Learning and Assistantship ward rounds.

We have used this slight hiatus in the IPE programme to assess the best way forward as the challenges of timetabling, large student numbers and complex curricula are managed.

The results derived from this process of re-examination have produced a more focused programme of IPE with some exciting new ideas for online opportunities and re-evaluation of learning outcomes for existing sessions. We plan to introduce an online session (pre face-face teaching) involving a discussion of perceived roles and training for both groups of students. To help facilitate this we intend to use Padlets (virtual notice board embedded in LEARN) and new IPE videos with nursing and medical school representatives recognisable to both groups of students.

We hope our collaborative approach will help to inspire the medical and nursing students and encourage positive working relationships. If they value and respect each other roles they can make this a very achievable goal.