Annette Wilkinson

Role of research in occupational therapy clinical practice: applying action learning and action research in pursuit of evidence-based practice.

BACKGROUND  In South Africa, as in many other countries, the development of research capacity in students and their early professional career is regarded as of major importance. Within the context of clinical education for occupational therapy students at the University of the Free State, a lecturer and her students embarked on a collaborative journey while fulfilling the requirements of their undergraduate curriculum. The outcome is a model promoting evidence-based practice (EBP) during service development on a dementia care ward. METHODS The practical use of action learning, action research (ALAR) approach in the clinical context, was used to encourage student engagement in successive small-scale research projects while simulating EBP. The projects ranged from the development of therapeutic multi-sensory environments to compiling activity profiles for identified residents. At the same time, students had the opportunity to experience the value of a scientific approach to practice development, which stimulated their awareness of the importance of research. RESULTS Reflection by the researcher contributed towards more effective ways for compiling project assignments and a formalised approach for assessing projects. Students described personal and professional gains because of participation in projects against the life-changing experience of rendering a service to elderly persons suffering from dementia. The formalised approach guiding thoughts and actions finally assisted in developing a practical process model that could support EBP. CONCLUSIONS The ALAR model contributed towards a scholarship of practice where the students, clinical educator and residents of a dementia unit all experienced the value of research.

The Impact of National Transformation Imperatives and Quality Monitoring on Programme Self-evaluation at a South African University: Lessons learned

In South Africa, the National Plan for Higher Education paved the way for major restructuring and transformation. In addition to employment equity legislation and a new funding formula, quality assurance has been identified as a steering element in the transformation process. The University of the Free State, being a historically-advantaged university, put tremendous effort into the transformation process and tried to respond to national policy priorities without losing its focus on quality and relevance. The self-evaluation instrument developed for the 2002 programme self-evaluation (a pilot project) clearly reflects a transformative character with a strong focus on the systemic development and adaptation of academic programmes. This paper reflects on the influence of external and internal forces on the development and nature of the framework used as instrument, as well as the way in which the implementation of the project was steered to induce reluctant faculty to come on board. Valuable lessons were learned on the way.

Compiling an evidence-based improvement plan for the support of distance-education students at a southern African university

ABSTRACT This article illustrates how an event guide can be used to organise, systematise and prioritise the large amount of findings from an extensive study. The study aimed to enhance student support at a distance-education institute in a Southern African country (Lesotho). In this case study an improvement-oriented evaluation of the strengths, weaknesses and constraints of the current situation at this University was undertaken. Data collection resembled a triangulation mixed-methods design which included questionnaire surveys and focus-group discussions among the students and lecturers in a distance-education programme. A resource inventory was also drawn up. Based on the merged findings, a strengths-weaknesses-opportunities-threats (SWOT) table was drawn up. The findings clearly depicted the difficulties associated with the provision of quality support for distance learners in a developing country with relatively weak infrastructure and few resources. The main purpose of the article, however, is to describe how the findings and the implicated actions needed for improvement were organised to compile an improvement plan by means of an event guide which consists of a series of event tracks. The article not only shares valuable perspectives about improving the support for distance learners in a developing environment, but also introduces a practical way of organising key findings from research in a way that potentially encourages action and implementation, particularly in an area and context where improvement is of critical importance.

Online measurement of student engagement: Reflections on a CLASSE pilot in rural South Africa

Student engagement represents two critical features of institutional quality, namely the amount of time and effort students put into all educationally purposeful activities, and how the institution deploys its resources and organises learning opportunities to encourage students to participate in activities that research studies have shown to be linked to better learning. Institution-wide surveys of student engagement collect data from undergraduate students at universities. The Classroom Survey of Student Engagement (CLASSE) is a classroom-level adaptation that collects data specific to an individual module or classroom. In South Africa, the University of the Free State has taken a leading role in adapting NSSE and conducting large-scale surveys at various institutions. Recently, the CLASSE was contextualised and a first pilot was conducted as part of a teaching and learning project on a small satellite campus of the institution. On this campus a group of staff members have formed a community of practice that works collaboratively to improve their professional skills and ultimately, student learning. The group members have studied and implemented various actions to improve student engagement in their classes. During May 2013, the adapted CLASSE was completed by students and group members who volunteered to participate in an evaluation of the student engagement in their modules. The results of the survey were found very valuable, in spite of the relatively low level of participation by students. CLASSE items in need of further adaptation were exposed. The participating lecturers found the results of great value as the CLASSE analyses clearly revealed areas in teaching and learning where student engagement needed attention. Overall, the project stimulated renewed interest in student engagement. The article also makes a contribution to the conceptualisation of the link between we-learning, student engagement and the use of educational technologies.