Learning and Teaching Research

Investigators

• Prof Vicki Waye (Project leader)
• Dr David Gillham (Project leader)
• Ass Prof Wendy Lacey (Project leader)

Funding

University of South Australia
$ 9897.48 (to be completed in 2009)

Project Overview

The Web Resource Appraisal Process (WRAP) is UniSA developed teaching and learning software that guides students in the development of critical reviews of research evidence. This project will explore a novel student centred approach provided by the WRAP to address the teaching-research nexus in the discipline of law. Students of law will use the WRAP as a step by step guide to selectively access database content in the context of research inquiry. Students will be guided by the WRAP to evaluate various sources of information so as to use information to construct logically and compelling cases on questions of legal policy. This will provide students with engaging, flexible learning environments for the development of practice-based disciplinary knowledge. A student centred learning approach will be used where students actively and critically appraise research evidence to construct this knowledge using the WRAP.

Contact

• Dr David Gillham (University of South Australia)

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Investigators

• Dr Sally Dew
• Dr Kay Price
• Dr Merri Paech

Funding

Division of Health Sciences - Learning & Teaching Development Grant
$9,505.00 (2008-2010)

Project Overview

The purpose of this project is to build upon the doctoral research of Dew (2007), and in collaboration with nursing students, clinical facilitators and academic staff, develop and evaluate a learning package aimed at enhancing students' clinical decision-making skills while on clinical placement. Registered nurses in Dew's research identified that knowing who has the information to answer their questions; and then being able to appropriately question this person; are necessary skills to cultivate amongst nurses and therefore nursing students. Where and how this questioning takes place are also important considerations. As participants in Dew's study said, 'the stuff you learn informally is retained better because you relate it to the patient or event'. The experiential learning resource being developed will focus on demonstrating to nursing students how they can create informal learning opportunities to enhance their decision-making skills during a clinical placement. Assisting students to identify and ask those who have the required knowledge to help them, and doing this questioning in acceptable environments and occasions within the clinical context, will optimise their practice-based learning and therefore enhance their confidence to make clinical decisions. The research-based experiential learning resource being developed will assist students to learn how to shift what is currently a passive activity to one in which students are actively involved (they make a conscious choice) in acquiring knowledge and seeking advice.

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Investigators

• Dr Jane Warland
• Morgan Smith
• Dr Colleen Smith

Funding

Division of Health Sciences - Learning & Teaching Development Grant
$9,809 (2009)

Project Overview

This project will provide professional education to members of staff in the pedagogy of online role-play so that they can become resource personnel in the School of Nursing and Midwifery and more broadly in the Division of Health Sciences. In order to learn this pedagogy project staff will produce an online role-play to be piloted in an undergraduate nursing course. Following evaluation the project team will be available to assist other academics in the use of online role-play which may be adapted and integrated into other courses in the nursing and midwifery program as well as through the Division of Health Sciences.

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Investigators

• Tony Azzopardi (Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital)
• Dr Leonie Cox (Queensland University of Technology)
• Dr Carol Grech (University of South Australia)
• Pam Lemcke (Queensland University of Technology)
• Dee May (Ramsay Health Care)
• Ass Prof Robyn Nash (Queensland University of Technology)
• Dr Sandy Sacre (Queensland University of Technology)
• Dr Yvonne Osborne (Queensland University of Technology)
• Ass Prof Elizabeth Parker (Queensland University of Technology)
• Scott Tyler (Princess Alexandra Hospital)

Funding

Australian Learning and Teaching Council
$219,739 (2009 - 2011)

Project Overview

The aim of the project is to improve the quality of the learning experiences of international students in nursing, public health and nutrition and dietetics, both at university and in the clinical setting. There is a range of evidence to support that international students in these disciplines experience difficulties in relation to particular aspects of the acculturation process as it relates to studying at university and practicing in the hospital setting. This initiative will address specific problems that commonly arise and cause confusion, frustration and distress for this group, such as:

• Understanding and using appropriate communication in the Australian health system and workplace setting, including professional terminology;
• Coping with social and cultural adjustments and differences in care practices; and
• Negotiating the systems related to obtaining licenses to practice in Australia.

Specifically, the project team will:

• complete an extensive review of the literature relating to teaching and supporting international students, to identify issues, support strategies and effective approaches;
• consult key stakeholders including international students, learning and teaching support staff, and language support providers, to identify the major issues relating to the support of international students in Australian health courses;
• conceptualise a supportive model and sustainable strategy for culture change in tertiary and healthcare institutions to build resilience and effective workplace functioning in international students;
• develop a framework for capacity-building of staff involved in the clinical facilitation and supervision of international health students;
• develop a web-based resource pack for universities and health care facilities/services;
• embed the resource pack in the health facilities' intranet systems for sustainable access and use and make these resources available online for universities and health facilities across Australia to use and adapt;
• extensively trial the supportive model of enhanced support and supervision across two universities and three large metropolitan health services;
• empower tertiary educators and clinical supervisors to support international students in ways that foster effective and positive learning experiences;
• measure the success of the supportive model in terms of international students' learning outcomes and clinical experiences, course satisfaction, acculturative stress, and attitude of academic and clinical staff to supporting international student

Contacts

• Dr Carol Grech (University of South Australia)
• A/Prof Robyn Nash (Queensland University of Technology)

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Investigators

• Dr Matthew Leach
• Dr David Gillham (Project leader)

Funding

Division of Health Sciences - Learning & Teaching Development Grant
$10,000 (completed in 2008)

Project Overview

Background
Over the past few decades, health professions have witnessed increasing pressure to shift from a culture of delivering care based on tradition and intuition, to a situation where decisions are guided and justified by the best available evidence. While there are concerns that many complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners may be cautious about embracing such an approach, no studies to date have effectively tested this assumption.

Aim
The aim of this study was to identify the skills, attitude, training and use of evidence-based practice (EBP) amongst CAM practitioners.

Study Design
Descriptive postal survey

Methods
Skill, attitude, training and use of EBP were measured using the evidence based practice attitude and utilisation survey (EBASE).

Participants
A randomly selected nationwide sample of 400 system-based CAM practitioners (naturopaths, herbalists, homeopaths and traditional Chinese medicine practitioners) who were practicing in a clinical capacity within Australia, were invited to participate in the survey.

Results
Of the 351 questionnaires successfully dispatched, 126 were returned (35.9%). Most practitioners believed EBP was useful (92%) and necessary (73%) in CAM practice. Whilst the majority of clinicians (>74%) reported participation in EBP activities, albeit infrequently, only a small proportion of decisions were based on evidence from clinical trials, with most practitioners relying on traditional knowledge, textbooks and clinical practice guidelines. A lack of evidence, time, industry support and skills were perceived as barriers to EBP uptake.

Conclusion
Whilst the small response rate limits the generalisability of these findings, the sample was considered representative of Australian CAM practitioners. What this study shows is that even though CAM practitioners may be supportive of EBP, education and training is needed to further improve clinician understanding and application of evidence-based practice.

Contact

• Dr Matthew Leach (University of South Australia)

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Investigators

• Project Team Members
  • Ms Tina Jenkins
  • Dr Jane Warland
  • Dr Liz Horrocks
  • Mr Michael Lewis
  • Ms Skye Bennett
• Project Consultants
  • Ms Alison Sarles
  • Ms Kerry Holm
  • Ms Michelle Cunnew

Funding

Division of Health Sciences - Learning & Teaching Development Grant
$9,481 (2009)

Project Overview

Integral to the practice of nursing is the capacity of nurses to provide an effective clinical handover and it is an expected competency of all registered nurses (ANMC 2006). In 2005 The Australian Council for Safety and Quality in Healthcare (ACSQHC 2005a) commissioned a comprehensive literature review on Clinical Handover and patient safety. This report identified that there was a need to improve clinical handover. Key stakeholders then took part in a workshop conducted in response to this report and identified an "essential need" for training in clinical handover and called for the development of "training packages for clinical handover competencies" (ACSQHC 2005b p8). This project aimed to address that need.

For any student, but in particular for students with English as a second language, there is an increased need to provide appropriate learning resources for them to gain this important competency. The purpose of this project was to promote student engagement, inter-professional communication and disciplinary knowledge by producing an interactive learning resource to facilitate competence in conducting clinical handover. The Clinical handover project developed a multimedia resource based on four work situated clinical handover techniques.

1. Nurse-to nurse
2. Nurse to group of nurses
3. Taped
4. Nurse to Doctor (per phone)

The clinical handover interactive learning tool utilised authentic text and real world examples from a hospital environment. This was facilitated through the collaborative partnership with St Andrew's Hospital. This material provides students with a situated learning experience enabling them to transfer theory into practice based learning. Students are provided with a range of clinical situations and are required to solve problems and make critical analysis decisions.

View the Clinical Handover Video Presentation.

Contact

• Ms Tina Jenkins (University of South Australia)
• Dr Jane Warland (University of South Australia)

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