Category: Curriculum
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The Oxford tutorial: Interesting ideas for learning
Earlier this year, I tried a new approach in my Professional Ethics class. I start the class by introducing a concept that is relevant to the students’ professional development in the context of our ethics module. I link the concept to something current and relevant that we could anchor the weeks topic to. For example,…
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Groupwork and introverts
I really enjoyed this presentation on TED, particularly this line: “… the transcendent power of solitude“. Being an introvert doesn’t mean someone who is shy or reluctant to engage with others. It describes a person who has a tendency to turn inward mentally, feeling more energized by time spent alone. As teachers who are preparing…
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Proposal abstract: Case-based learning in undergraduate physiotherapy education
Abstract for a project I submitted earlier this week for ethics clearance. During 2012 – 2014 we converted one of our modules that runs in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th year levels from a lecture-based format to a case-based learning format. We are now hoping to have a closer look at whether or not the…
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Abstract: Student Success and Engagement project
Our faculty has implemented a 3 year research project looking at improving Student Success and Engagement in the faculty. The project is being coordinated across several departments in the faculty and is the first time that we are collaborating on this scale. I will be using this blog as a public progress report of the project,…
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Presentation on an open, online course
Last year I ran an open online course in Professional Ethics, in collaboration with Physiopedia. Earlier today, I presented the process of designing and implementing that course at a conference on Transforming Education through Technological Innovation, hosted by Stellenbosch University. I really enjoyed the morning and thank the event coordinators for inviting me to present.…
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Between Cape Town and Khartoum
Earlier this month I spent a week in Khartoum as part of an international exchange programme between the following organisations: University of the Western Cape (my institution in Cape Town) Ahfad University for Women (Khartoum) Comprehensive Community Based Rehabilitation in Tanzania Bergen University (Norway) FK Norway The project is an attempt to facilitate the exchange…
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Small group teaching
This is the first draft of an articles that published in my Clinical Teacher mobile app. Introduction Small group learning is one of several educational strategies used to promote student learning, as it promotes a student-centred approach in the educational context (as opposed to a teacher-centred approach, in which the teacher determines the objectives, content…
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Case-based learning
Introduction It is useful to think of case-based learning (CBL) as a teaching method that uses a set of events unfolding over time to stimulate an activity (Shulman, 1992). In clinical education cases make use of clinical narratives to create an authentic learning activity. CBL represents an approach to unstructured learning that can nonetheless be…
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Interview: The use of technology-mediated teaching and learning in physiotherapy education
I was recently asked to do a short interview by Physiospot, on the use of technology-mediated teaching and learning in physiotherapy education. As it turns out, the bulk of the interview relates more specifically to a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, rather than the use of technology. However, I think that this makes it potentially…
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Digital University Symposium at UWC
Earlier today I was lucky enough to be able to attend a symposium on “the digital university” as part of a celebration of 20 years of the Cape Higher Education Consortium (CHEC). The event was hosted by the University of the Western Cape and included presentations from representatives at all four member institutions. Unfortunately I…
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Theoretical underpinnings of PBL
Schmidt, H.G. (1993). Foundations of problem-based learning: Some explanatory notes. Medical Education, 27: 422-432. This paper presents the theoretical premises that underlie decisions to use PBL as part of an approach to develop critical thinking. A key premise is that knowledge cannot be transferred, as in a lecture. The learner has to “master it”. An…
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Developing empathy in clinical education
This post was originally written for the Clinical Teacher iPad app, and can be downloaded there as well. Introduction Empathy is the ability to understand the emotional context of other people and respond to them appropriately. It has been identified as the cornerstone of the clinician-patient relationship and is recognised as one of the most…
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Clinical reasoning: Identifying errors and correcting
Yesterday I attended a presentation on clinical reasoning by Professors Vanessa Burch (University of Cape Town) and Juanita Bezuidenhout (University of Stellenbosch). Here are the notes I took during the presentation. How does CR work? How do errors occur? Do clinician educators contribute to errors? Can we identify students with CR difficulties? Can we improve…
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David Hirsh seminar – Longitudinal integrated clerkships
How to build longitudinal Integrated Clerkships to fit context: Practical tools for modern pedagogy (Prof. David Hirsh, Harvard Medical School) Last week I attended a seminar by Prof. David Hirsh from Harvard Medical School, where he discussed the implementation of the Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship (LIC) in their programme. Here are my notes from the seminar.…
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PHT402: What is the value of a human life?
This is my fourth contribution to a series of weekly posts related to the #pht402 Professional Ethics course. This week’s topic is specifically about torture, but the general principle concerns the rights of the individual vs the rights of society, as well as asking about the relative value of a human life. I’m going to…
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PHT402 online course accreditation
The #pht402 Professional Ethics course has just been accredited by the South African Society of Physiotherapists and Health Professions Council of South Africa for 6 Level 2 Ethics CPD points. If you are a South African physiotherapist and would like to take part in the course, please register here before 9th August. Over the past…