Judy McKimm

ABC of learning and teaching: Web based learning.

Many of us use the internet or the “web” (world wide web) as a source of information. In medical education, the web is increasingly used both as a learning tool to support formal programmes and as a means of delivering online learning programmes. What can educators do to ensure that the potential of the web is used effectively to support both their own learning and that of their students? Much of the literature on web based learning shows that one of the main barriers to the effective use of teaching materials is the technology (for example, poor access, slow downloading) rather than the design of the learning materials themselves. Some of these issues are discussed later in the article, but it is vital that teachers take on expert help with technical issues in the planning, design, and delivery of web based learning programmes. Through programming and the use of “plug-ins” (programs that can be downloaded from the internet), designers can produce interactive course materials containing online activities (such as self assessments), animations, and simulations. These can improve learning and are often more enjoyable and meaningful for learners. #### Glossary E-conferencing —Use of online presentations and discussion forums (in real time or stored as downloadable files on a website) to avoid the need for participants to travel E-learning —Learning through electronic means, such as via the web (see world wide web), an intranet, or other multimedia materials HTML (hypertext markup language) —The language used to create web pages. HTML files can also contain links to other types of files including wordprocessed files, spreadsheets, presentation slides, and other web pages Hyperlinks —Links in web pages that enable the user to access another web page (either on the same or a different site) with just one mouse click Internet— A global network of computers divided …

What is clinical leadership…and why is it important?

Background:  The ‘invitation’ for clinicians to participate in leadership practices, previously considered the province of the professional health service manager, is driven by a number of international policy and professional agendas. This article, the first in a short series, considers definitions and theories of clinical leadership and management, and explores leadership roles and responsibilities of the clinician in terms of levels of engagement. Recent developments in the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), the largest health care organisation in the world, are used as illustrations of how theory has informed clinical leadership development.

Developing a global health practitioner: Time to act?

Although many health issues transcend national boundaries and require international co-operation, global health is rarely an integral part of the medical curriculum. While medical schools have a social responsibility to train healthcare professionals to serve local communities, the internationalisation of medical education (e.g. international medical students, export of medical curricula or medical schools) makes it increasingly difficult to define it as ‘local’. It is therefore necessary to produce practitioners who can practice medicine in an ever-changing and unpredictable world. These practitioners must be clinically and culturally competent as well as able to use their global knowledge and experience to improve health and well-being, irrespective of where they eventually practice medicine. Global health practitioners are tomorrows leaders, change agents and members of effective multiprofessional teams and so need to be aware of the environmental, cultural, social and political factors that impact on health, serving as advocates of peoples rights to access resources, education and healthcare. This article addresses some of the difficulties of developing global health practitioners, offering suggestions for a global health curriculum. It also acknowledges that creating a global health practitioner requires international collaboration and shared resources and practices and places the onus of social accountability on academic leaders.

Clinical leadership development requires system-wide interventions, not just courses

Background:  This is the third article in a series on clinical leadership and medical education. In the first two articles in this series we looked at the nature of leadership and examined professional outcomes, standards and competency frameworks from around the world that describe what it is we are trying to instil in medical students and doctors in postgraduate training. In this article we explore current trends in leadership development and describe broad approaches to clinical leadership development, highlighting those strategies that are likely to be more (or less) successful.

Leadership development for clinicians: what are we trying to achieve?

Background:  The role of all health practitioners is changing as a result of social, technological and demographic shifts, and clinicians are increasingly required to participate in leadership activities. Worldwide, there are emerging examples of policy agendas, professional standards and competency frameworks and approaches to leadership development for clinicians.

Prepared for practice? Law teaching and assessment in UK medical schools

A revised core curriculum for medical ethics and law in UK medical schools has been published. The General Medical Council requires medical graduates to understand law and ethics and behave in accordance with ethical and legal principles. A parallel policy agenda emphasises accountability, the development of professionalism and patient safety. Given the renewed focus on teaching and learning law alongside medical ethics and the development of professional identity, this survey aimed to identify how medical schools are responding to the preparation of medical students for practice in the future. Questions were asked about the location, content and methods of teaching and assessment of law in undergraduate medical education. Examples of course documentation were requested to illustrate the approaches being taken. A 76% response rate was achieved. Most responding schools integrate law teaching with medical ethics, emphasising both the acquisition of knowledge and its application in a clinical context. Teaching, learning and assessment of law in clinical attachments is much less formalised than that in non-clinical education. Coverage of recommended topic areas varies, raising questions about the degree to which students can embed their knowledge and skills in actual practice. More positively, teaching does not rely on single individuals and clear descriptions were offered for problem-based and small group case-based learning. Further research is required to explore whether there are optimum ways of ensuring that legal knowledge, and skills in its use, form part of the development of professionalism among doctors in training.

The policy and the practice: early-career doctors and nurses as leaders and followers in the delivery of health care.

There are increasing calls, from a range of stakeholders in the health sector, for healthcare professionals to work more collaboratively to provide health care. In response, education institutions are adopting an interprofessional education agenda in an attempt to provide health professionals ready to meet such calls. This article considers the nature of and interaction between professional and personal identity, power relations and leadership and followership in relation to the work practices of junior doctors and novice nurses and suggests ways in which understandings from these considerations might influence the educational preparation of students for these professions.

Collaborating in healthcare delivery: exploring conceptual differences at the “bedside”

Abstract Calls for greater collaboration amongst health professionals and for programmes to support this are not new, nor are they likely to diminish. While various interventions have been adopted to improve collaboration, the literature suggests that these have neither been well-informed with a strong conceptual base nor have they accounted for the context in which the health professionals work. In this study, interviews of senior doctors and nurses in two hospital-based services explored experiences of interprofessional collaboration and the processes involved. A framework based on activity theory was used to analyse the data. The data suggest a dichotomy between nurses as collectivist, protocol and systems-driven and doctors as individualist and autonomy-driven, although this played out differently in each service. Unless such complexities and contextual factors are addressed in the preparation for collaboration it will continue to fall short.

Web‐based faculty development: e‐learning for clinical teachers in the London Deanery

Background:  The London Deanery has provided a web‐based resource for supporting the educational development needs of clinical teachers since 2002. This forms part of a range of resources supporting the professional development of clinical teachers and postgraduate supervisors. Following a review in 2007, the deanery commissioned a series of new e‐learning modules designed as an introduction to clinical teaching.

Twelve tips for providing effective student support in undergraduate medical education

Abstract Medical students often require high levels of specialised institutional and personal support to facilitate success. Contributory factors may include personality type, course pressures and financial hardship. Drawing from research literature and the authors’ experience, 12 tips are listed under five subheadings: policy and systems; people and resources; students; delivering support; limits of support. The 12 tips provide guidance to organisations and individual providers that encourages implementation of good practice and helps them better visualise their role within the system. By following the tips, medical schools can make more effective provisions for the expected, diverse and sometimes specialist needs of their students. Schools must take a proactive, anticipatory approach to provide appropriately for their entire student body. This ensures that students receive the best quality support, are more likely to succeed and are adequately prepared for their medical careers.