Susan van Schalkwyk

Focus on first-year success: Perspectives emerging from South Africa and beyond

The first year is an important stepping‐stone in the career of the undergraduate student. Lecturers of first‐year students play an important role in guiding students into this new phase of their lives. Much research has focused on the challenges facing new students, especially struggling, or non‐traditional students. However, to our knowledge, little has been written about the attributes of the lecturers who actively promote student learning during this phase. The contribution of lecturers of first‐year students has tended to be downplayed, especially at ‘research‐led’ universities.

Effective or just practical? An evaluation of an online postgraduate module on evidence-based medicine (EBM)

BackgroundTeaching the steps of evidence-based medicine (EBM) to undergraduate as well as postgraduate health care professionals is crucial for implementation of effective, beneficial health care practices and abandonment of ineffective, harmful ones. Stellenbosch University in Cape Town, South Africa, offers a 12-week, completely online module on EBM within the Family Medicine division, to medical specialists in their first year of training. The aim of this study was to formatively evaluate this module; assessing both the mode of delivery; as well as the perceived effectiveness and usefulness thereof.MethodsWe used mixed methods to evaluate this module: A document review to assess whether the content of the module reflects important EBM competencies; a survey of the students to determine their experiences of the module; and semi-structured interviews with the tutors to explore their perspectives of the module. Ethics approval was obtained.ResultsThe document review indicated that EBM competencies were covered adequately, although critical appraisal only focused on randomised controlled trials and guidelines. Students had a positive attitude towards the module, but felt that they needed more support from the tutors. Tutors felt that students engaged actively in discussions, but experienced difficulties with understanding certain concepts of EBM. Furthermore, they felt that it was challenging explaining these via the online learning platform and saw the need to incorporate more advanced technology to better connect with the students. In their view the key to successful learning of EBM was to keep it relevant and applicable to everyday practice. Tutors also felt that an online module on EBM was advantageous, since doctors from all over the world were able to participate.ConclusionOur study has shown that the online module on EBM was effective in increasing EBM knowledge and skills of postgraduate students and was well received by both students and tutors. Students and tutors experienced generic challenges that accompany any educational intervention of EBM (e.g. understanding difficult concepts), but in addition had to deal with challenges unique to the online learning environment. Teachers of EBM should acknowledge these so as to enhance and successfully implement EBM teaching and learning for all students.

Acquiring academic literacy: a case of first-year extended degree programme students

Abstract The way in which academic literacy is acquired is described in the work of many researchers, some of whom speak of students in higher education serving an apprenticeship during which they become acculturated into the discourse of the discipline. But often weaker first-year students will miss the discipline-specific codes that characterise the discourse, making the process of acquisition more difficult. In this article we report on the findings of an in-depth study that explored the experiences of a specific group of under-prepared first-year students on an extended degree programme in order to determine how they sought to acquire academic literacy - this particularly in view of their having been exposed to a dedicated academic literacy module as part of the programme offering. What emerged was an understanding of students, particularly less prepared students, having to negotiate a series of boundaries in order to assume membership of the larger academic community, on the one hand, as well as the different disciplines, each with its own conventions and discourse, on the other. In this context, the potential of an aligned and integrated academic literacy module to enable such negotiation would appear to have relevance.

Journeys of growth towards the professional learning of academics: understanding the role of educational development

This article foregrounds the iterative journey of a group of educational development (ED) practitioners at a research-led university towards an enhanced understanding of the ED opportunities we offer. Reflecting on the intention of our interventions to facilitate academics’ professional learning, we developed a framework within which the range of growth opportunities we provide might be meaningfully situated. Our objective was to extend our insight into both the journeys that academics follow towards adopting a more scholarly approach to their teaching and our own journeys of growth in ED as well as professionally.

Investing in community-based education to improve the quality, quantity, and retention of physicians in three African countries.

CONTEXT The Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) is a

Patience, Persistence and Pragmatism: Experiences and Lessons Learnt from the Implementation of Clinically Integrated Teaching and Learning of Evidence-Based Health Care - A Qualitative Study

US 130 million program funded by the United States government supporting 13 African medical schools to increase the quantity, quality, and retention of physicians in underserved areas. This paper examines how community-based education (CBE) is evolving at MEPI schools to achieve these goals. METHODS We utilized data from the first two years of site visits and surveys to characterize CBE efforts across the MEPI network and provide detailed descriptions of three models of CBE among the MEPI programs. RESULTS There is widespread investment in CBE, with considerable diversity in the goals and characteristics of training activities among MEPI schools. Three examples described here show how schools are strengthening and evaluating different models of CBE to achieve MEPI goals. In Nigeria, students are being sent for clinical rotations to community hospitals to offload the tertiary hospital. In Uganda, the consistency and quality of teaching in CBE is being strengthened by adopting a competency-based curriculum and developing criteria for community sites. At Stellenbosch University in South Africa, students are now offered an elective year-long comprehensive rural immersion experience. Despite the diversity in CBE models, all schools are investing in e-learning and faculty development. Extensive evaluations are planned to examine the impact of CBE strategies on the health workforce and health services. DISCUSSION The MEPI program is stimulating an evolution in CBE among African medical schools to improve the quality, quantity, and retention of physicians. Identifying the strategies within CBE that are reproducible, scalable and optimize outcomes will be instructive for health professions training programs across the continent.

Introduction: Perspectives on the first-year experience

Background Clinically integrated teaching and learning are regarded as the best options for improving evidence-based healthcare (EBHC) knowledge, skills and attitudes. To inform implementation of such strategies, we assessed experiences and opinions on lessons learnt of those involved in such programmes. Methods and Findings We conducted semi-structured interviews with 24 EBHC programme coordinators from around the world, selected through purposive sampling. Following data transcription, a multidisciplinary group of investigators carried out analysis and data interpretation, using thematic content analysis. Successful implementation of clinically integrated teaching and learning of EBHC takes much time. Student learning needs to start in pre-clinical years with consolidation, application and assessment following in clinical years. Learning is supported through partnerships between various types of staff including the core EBHC team, clinical lecturers and clinicians working in the clinical setting. While full integration of EBHC learning into all clinical rotations is considered necessary, this was not always achieved. Critical success factors were pragmatism and readiness to use opportunities for engagement and including EBHC learning in the curriculum; patience; and a critical mass of the right teachers who have EBHC knowledge and skills and are confident in facilitating learning. Role modelling of EBHC within the clinical setting emerged as an important facilitator. The institutional context exerts an important influence; with faculty buy-in, endorsement by institutional leaders, and an EBHC-friendly culture, together with a supportive community of practice, all acting as key enablers. The most common challenges identified were lack of teaching time within the clinical curriculum, misconceptions about EBHC, resistance of staff, lack of confidence of tutors, lack of time, and negative role modelling. Conclusions Implementing clinically integrated EBHC curricula requires institutional support, a critical mass of the right teachers and role models in the clinical setting combined with patience, persistence and pragmatism on the part of teachers.

Early assessment: using a university-wide student support initiative to effect real change

The first year is an important stepping‐stone in the career of the undergraduate student. Lecturers of first‐year students play an important role in guiding students into this new phase of their lives. Much research has focused on the challenges facing new students, especially struggling, or non‐traditional students. However, to our knowledge, little has been written about the attributes of the lecturers who actively promote student learning during this phase. The contribution of lecturers of first‐year students has tended to be downplayed, especially at ‘research‐led’ universities.

Small victories over time: the impact of an academic development intervention at Stellenbosch University

This paper describes the implementation of a university-wide initiative aimed at providing a holistic view of a students academic standing by conducting early, formative assessment for all first-year students. It tracks the Early Assessment System as a student support intervention at Stellenbosch University and suggests that the system has been instrumental in effecting change across the entire university. The early focus on student success and the establishment of dedicated structures to facilitate such focus have served as catalysts for dialogue around issues of teaching and learning. The coordination of resources across the university to support faculty activities around first-year student learning has set-up powerful collaborations with the potential to influence thinking across the campus. Using Hersey, Blanchard, and Johnsons (2001) ‘participative change cycle’ as base, and drawing on the associated work of Pennington (2003), the successes and ongoing challenges of implementing an initiative of this nature are explored.This paper describes the implementation of a university-wide initiative aimed at providing a holistic view of a students academic standing by conducting early, formative assessment for all first-year students. It tracks the Early Assessment System as a student support intervention at Stellenbosch University and suggests that the system has been instrumental in effecting change across the entire university. The early focus on student success and the establishment of dedicated structures to facilitate such focus have served as catalysts for dialogue around issues of teaching and learning. The coordination of resources across the university to support faculty activities around first-year student learning has set-up powerful collaborations with the potential to influence thinking across the campus. Using Hersey, Blanchard, and Johnsons (2001) ‘participative change cycle’ as base, and drawing on the associated work of Pennington (2003), the successes and ongoing challenges of implementing an initiative of th...

Understanding rural clinical learning spaces: Being and becoming a doctor.

Extended Degree Programmes (EDPs) were introduced at Stellenbosch University in 1995, with a focus on broadening access and improving the success rates of under-prepared first-year students. During the ten years since inception, the programme has assisted over 1,000 students across six faculties. At the start of 2005, staff at the Centre for Teaching and Learning commenced with an in-depth study to determine the impact that the programmes had had on student success in this period. The investigation provided both quantitative and qualitative data from cohort analyses and personal interviews respectively. In a time when national and institutional imperatives have placed the issue of the first-year experience at the top of many higher education agendas, it was felt that such a study should not only be reflective, but should also provide guidelines and directives for restructuring the programmes to meet current challenges. This paper reports on the study, which confirmed the potential of the EDPs to enhance s...