The scope of contemporary physiotherapy practice is a critical factor in determining the appropriate educational preparation for physiotherapists now and into the future. The world-wide shift from secondary to primary healthcare has, and... more
The scope of contemporary physiotherapy practice is a critical factor in determining the appropriate educational preparation for physiotherapists now and into the future. The world-wide shift from secondary to primary healthcare has, and is, continuing to result in new and different ways of working. It is crucial that curricular changes reflect these developments. In this study a qualitative approach using Biggs 3P's - Pressage, Process and Product model to discuss curriculum design. The aim of the study was to explore the perspectives of both national and international physiotherapy educators/practitioners in primary healthcare, on the key elements required in physiotherapy education programmes to prepare future primary healthcare practitioners. Snowball sampling was used to identify experts in education and/or primary healthcare practice. Semi-structured interviews were conducted using an interview guide based on the Biggs 3P's model. Twelve participants were recruited from Ireland (n = 2), the UK (n = 4), Canada (n = 3), New Zealand (n = 2) and Australia (n = 1) using snowball sampling. Interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Themes identified included; understanding the philosophy of physiotherapy practice, cultural competence, inter-disciplinary team working and communication skills. Contextual factors and teaching and learning strategies were discussed. There is an urgent need for physiotherapy education programmes to adopt the concept of primary healthcare as the basis for the physiotherapy curriculum and illuminate key components for consideration.
Research Interests: Primary Health Care, Health Care, Medical Education, Qualitative Research, Medicine, and 13 moreThematic Analysis, Curriculum, Humans, Female, Male, Theoretical Models, Public health systems and services research, Snowball Sampling, Professional Competence, Physical Therapists, Cross Sectional Studies, Physical therapy specialty, and Interviews as topic
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Patient care is complex and demands that health professionals work together effectively. Interprofessional education (IPE)1 encourages collaboration by educating students from different professions together. This study examined the... more
Patient care is complex and demands that health professionals work together effectively. Interprofessional education (IPE)1 encourages collaboration by educating students from different professions together. This study examined the effectiveness of IPE in terms of changing students’ perceptions of teamwork, professional identity, role, competency and autonomy, and the need for interdisciplinary co-operation. Two multidisciplinary cohorts (n=51 and n=48) of health science students (medicine, diagnostic imaging, nursing and physiotherapy) elected to participate in an interprofessional problem based learning module (PBL). The module included problems addressing areas of professional identity and cases requiring a multidisciplinary team approach. Evaluation was undertaken using the Readiness for Inter-Professional Learning Scale (RIPLS) and the Interdisciplinary Education Perception Scale (IPES). Regarding the RIPLS, both cohorts reported significant (p<0.05) improvements in their pe...
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With the introduction of modularisation, UCD has moved to a learning outcomes based approach to ensure that curriculum design evolves from a more teacher-centred (content) to a more student-centred (learning) focus. Identifying learning... more
With the introduction of modularisation, UCD has moved to a learning outcomes based approach to ensure that curriculum design evolves from a more teacher-centred (content) to a more student-centred (learning) focus. Identifying learning outcomes enables both the teacher and students to clearly identify what a student is expected to have achieved or have made progress towards achieving on completion of a module. This short guide is designed to facilitate module coordinators in writing appropriate learning outcomes
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Student engagement in the first year of university has received considerable attention by higher education researchers and policymakers internationally (Krauss et al 2005; Nicol, 2009). UCD's current Strategic Plan to 2014 has... more
Student engagement in the first year of university has received considerable attention by higher education researchers and policymakers internationally (Krauss et al 2005; Nicol, 2009). UCD's current Strategic Plan to 2014 has prioritised fostering early and lasting student engagement. Arising from the plan, the University's Focus on First Year strategic project was initiated and an important part of this initiative included a focus on assessment in the First Year. The main objectives of this activity were to evaluate how first year assessment practices were supporting student engagement and to make recommendations for enhancement. In order to design an institutional framework to enhance assessment in the First Year, theoretical data and evidence of current institutional practice were gathered and critically evaluated. Four specific methodologies were used: a comprehensive literature review; institutional data analysis of First Year assessment; case-studies of institutional ...
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Supporting students through the development of their learning to learn (L2L) skills is one approach to supporting transition to higher education. The literature highlights that the most successful approach is to embed these skills into... more
Supporting students through the development of their learning to learn (L2L) skills is one approach to supporting transition to higher education. The literature highlights that the most successful approach is to embed these skills into the curriculum, which requires a systematic and co-ordinated staff approach. However, as our institution’s BA programme had multiple pathways, it was difficult to attempt to systematically embed this approach, therefore we were faced with the challenge of having to pilot a ‘stand-alone’ module. The module was designed based on an extensive review of the literature. 331 1 st year students were part of a pilot study. The results, from an action research mixed methods approach, highlighted that the students had mixed views on the relevance of the module. The most relevant theme was ‘time-management’. The students performed well on the module, but were they were less satisfied with it than their other modules. The discussion highlights the debate surround...
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A review and reform of the structure, outcomes, assessment and remediation strategies for first year, and in particular the first semester, to support the transition from second-to third-level and to adapt to the different needs of diff... more
A review and reform of the structure, outcomes, assessment and remediation strategies for first year, and in particular the first semester, to support the transition from second-to third-level and to adapt to the different needs of diff erent students; The further development of approaches to engage and support students, especially in their first year, including small group learning, peer-mentoring, academic advice and mentoring, specific supports for the development of transferable skills and information literacy, and general welfare supports
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How to guide for teaching staff. 'Blended learning is a flexible term, used to describe any and all varieties of teaching where there is integration of both face-‐to-‐face and online delivery methods. Although in existence for over... more
How to guide for teaching staff. 'Blended learning is a flexible term, used to describe any and all varieties of teaching where there is integration of both face-‐to-‐face and online delivery methods. Although in existence for over ten years, Chew (2010, p. 2), citing earlier work, found that “researchers and practitioners consider that blended learning is currently embryonic in its development”. Debate about the meaning of the term is still ongoing'.(Partridge, Ponting, & McCay, 2011, p2).
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The large class context can present a challenge to engaging students in their learning and staff often struggle to achieve this engagement in an efficient manner. The role of the lecture as the primary source of content in this context is... more
The large class context can present a challenge to engaging students in their learning and staff often struggle to achieve this engagement in an efficient manner. The role of the lecture as the primary source of content in this context is being increasingly challenged due to the growing use of the on-line environment as both a source of information and an opportunity for student engagement. Persistent budget cuts to Irish higher education institutions over the past number of years has resulted in higher staff-student ratios and in some cases a reduction in traditional face-to-face tutorial allocations. Consequently there is a need for a research-informed approach to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the design of the blend of face-to-face and on-line learning opportunities in large classes. In 2013, UCD Teaching & Learning initiated a project to investigate the international and national best practices in blended module design for large classes with a view of implementing ...
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Peer-Assisted Tutoring, a form of Peer-Assisted Learning (PAL) or Supplemental Instruction (SI), has been sustainably introduced to the curriculum for a 4-year, professionally-accredited degree programme in Chemical Engineering at... more
Peer-Assisted Tutoring, a form of Peer-Assisted Learning (PAL) or Supplemental Instruction (SI), has been sustainably introduced to the curriculum for a 4-year, professionally-accredited degree programme in Chemical Engineering at University College Dublin. Small-group, peer-assisted tutorials (PATs) are currently associated with two core (compulsory) 3rd Year modules: (i) Unit Operations, (ii) Computational Methods in Chemical & Bioprocess Engineering. For Unit Operations, the PATs provide 3rd Year students (the Tutees) with regular opportunities to work together, solving lecturer-defined problems, related specifically to the course material. For Computational Methods, the Tutees work both individually and collectively on computer-based implementation of numerical methods for the analysis of Chemical/Bioprocess Engineering systems. In both cases, the PATs are facilitated by 4th Year students (the Tutors). The system is now in its third year of operation and has been warmly received...
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Developing valid and reliable approaches to assessment that are efficient with staff and students’ time can be a challenge in today’s higher education institutions. Knight (2000) describes the tension between developing valid complex... more
Developing valid and reliable approaches to assessment that are efficient with staff and students’ time can be a challenge in today’s higher education institutions. Knight (2000) describes the tension between developing valid complex assessments and the time and economic resources associated with ensuring reliability in assessments. The learning styles, multiple intelligence and inclusive learning literature supports the use of a range of different types of assessments to suit the different learners, yet how can staff do this in a systematic way that doesn’t exhausted themselves and the students in the process? This before they consider increasing the level of formative assessment, i.e. giving feedback to students (Juwah et al, 2004). One solution to these dilemmas is to take a programme-wide approach to assessment, ensuring that over the duration of a full programme students will: have adequate opportunity to be assessed in different ways; receive on-going feedback on their progres...
Developing valid and reliable approaches to assessment that are efficient with staff andstudents’ time can be a challenge in today’s higher education institutions. Knight (2000)describes the tension between developing valid complex... more
Developing valid and reliable approaches to assessment that are efficient with staff andstudents’ time can be a challenge in today’s higher education institutions. Knight (2000)describes the tension between developing valid complex assessments and the time andeconomic resources associated with ensuring reliability in assessments. The learning styles,multiple intelligence and inclusive learning literature supports the use of a range of differenttypes of assessments to suit the different learners, yet how can staff do this in a systematicway that doesn’t exhausted themselves and the students in the process? Keenan and O’Neillin a study on assessment practices in University College Dublin found that staff and studentoverload was a significant feature of assessment practices (Keenan & O’Neill, 2008). Thisissue can be confounded by an additional need to consider increasing the level of formativeassessment, i.e. giving feedback to students (Juwah et al, 2004). One solution to these dilemm...
Peer-Assisted Tutorials (PATs), a form of Peer-Assisted Learning (PAL), were introduced to a conventional 4-year honours degree programme in Chemical Engineering. PATs were designed to support students in becoming more self-directed in... more
Peer-Assisted Tutorials (PATs), a form of Peer-Assisted Learning (PAL), were introduced to a conventional 4-year honours degree programme in Chemical Engineering. PATs were designed to support students in becoming more self-directed in their learning, to develop student confidence in tackling Chemical Engineering problems and to promote effective group work. They were implemented as part of a core undergraduate module (Unit Operations). For each PAT, 3rd Year students (Tutees) worked together in groups of 5-6, led by a trained Peer Tutor, a 4th Year student who had previously taken and passed the Unit Operations modules. PATs were well-structured, with each session involving two parts: (i) review of a previously assigned homework problem and (ii) introduction and group discussion of a new homework problem. PATs were evaluated on the basis of feedback from both Tutees and Tutors. PATs attracted high participation rates and yielded high levels of Tutee and Tutor satisfaction, in terms...
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Assessment overload in higher education has received much attention in recent years. Discussions around this topic can relate to both staff and students’ assessment load. However, the term ‘overload’ is complex and contested and the... more
Assessment overload in higher education has received much attention in recent years. Discussions around this topic can relate to both staff and students’ assessment load. However, the term ‘overload’ is complex and contested and the solution to reducing assessment load is not as simple it first seems. There can be a reluctance to reduce assessment. This short conversation piece explores this topic and presents some ongoing actions to address this challenge at national and institutional level.
... Lorraine Fisher University College Dublin, Ireland lorraine.fisher@ucd.ie ... The graded assignment consisted of student groups building websites, using a variety of hosting services including www.geocities.com / uk.geocities.com. ...
Curriculum sequencing is central to promoting a coherent student experience. Yet in the higher education context, the concept and practice of curriculum sequencing have not been fully explored. This research examined how seven programme... more
Curriculum sequencing is central to promoting a coherent student experience. Yet in the higher education context, the concept and practice of curriculum sequencing have not been fully explored. This research examined how seven programme teams approached the issue of sequencing across two Irish higher education institutions. A phenomenological approach was used to explore actions, challenges, and enhancers to sequencing. The three key themes emerging were: developing a collective philosophy; communicating the sequencing clearly; and developing strong building blocks. Ideas are presented on how academic developers can work with academic staff to improve sequencing in their curricula.
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Student populations have become increasingly diverse in the past decades, but Higher Education Institutions have not been evolving their assessment practices at the same rate. This study used a sur...
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Giving students a choice of assessment methods is one approach to developing an inclusive curriculum. However, both staff and students raise concerns about its fairness, often described as its equity. This study investigates their... more
Giving students a choice of assessment methods is one approach to developing an inclusive curriculum. However, both staff and students raise concerns about its fairness, often described as its equity. This study investigates their perceptions of the fairness of the procedures and outcomes of this approach to assessment, in nine modules in a University setting. Using a tool validated as part of the study, students’ views on procedural fairness were gathered (n = 370 students). In addition, seven module co-ordinators were interviewed. A seven-step approach to the design of the approach was used. The results demonstrated that students were satisfied that their assessment choices were fair in levels of support, feedback, information and, to a lesser extent, student workload and examples of assessment methods. In exploring fairness of the outcomes, the students’ grades were not significantly different between the two sets of choices. However, based on staff interviews, the overall grades were higher than previous cohorts and higher than average for current student cohorts in the institution. The discussion highlights some of the complex issues surrounding fairness (equity) using assessment choice and, in addition, the paper refers to some practical tools for its implementation.
Research Interests: Psychology and Education
The scope of contemporary physiotherapy practice is a critical factor in determining the appropriate educational preparation for physiotherapists now and into the future. The world-wide shift from secondary to primary healthcare has, and... more
The scope of contemporary physiotherapy practice is a critical factor in determining the appropriate educational preparation for physiotherapists now and into the future. The world-wide shift from secondary to primary healthcare has, and is, continuing to result in new and different ways of working. It is crucial that curricular changes reflect these developments. In this study a qualitative approach using Biggs 3P&amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s - Pressage, Process and Product model to discuss curriculum design. The aim of the study was to explore the perspectives of both national and international physiotherapy educators/practitioners in primary healthcare, on the key elements required in physiotherapy education programmes to prepare future primary healthcare practitioners. Snowball sampling was used to identify experts in education and/or primary healthcare practice. Semi-structured interviews were conducted using an interview guide based on the Biggs 3P&amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s model. Twelve participants were recruited from Ireland (n = 2), the UK (n = 4), Canada (n = 3), New Zealand (n = 2) and Australia (n = 1) using snowball sampling. Interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Themes identified included; understanding the philosophy of physiotherapy practice, cultural competence, inter-disciplinary team working and communication skills. Contextual factors and teaching and learning strategies were discussed. There is an urgent need for physiotherapy education programmes to adopt the concept of primary healthcare as the basis for the physiotherapy curriculum and illuminate key components for consideration.
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Purpose: To explore final-year physiotherapy students' perceptions of primary health care practice to determine (1) aspects of their curriculum that support their learning, (2) deficiencies in their curriculum, and (3) areas that they... more
Purpose: To explore final-year physiotherapy students' perceptions of primary health care practice to determine (1) aspects of their curriculum that support their learning, (2) deficiencies in their curriculum, and (3) areas that they believe should be changed to adequately equip them to make the transition from student to primary health care professional. Methods: Framework analysis methodology was used to analyze group opinion obtained using structured group feedback sessions. Sixty-eight final-year physiotherapy students from the four higher education institutions in Ireland participated. Results: The students identified several key areas that (1) supported their learning (exposure to evidence-based practice, opportunities to practise with problem-based learning, and interdisciplinary learning experiences); (2) were deficient (primary health care placements, additional active learning sessions, and further education and practice opportunities for communication and health prom...
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Developing valid and reliable approaches to assessment that are efficient with staff and students’ time can be a challenge in today’s higher education institutions. Knight (2000) describes the tension between developing valid complex... more
Developing valid and reliable approaches to assessment that are efficient with staff and students’ time can be a challenge in today’s higher education institutions. Knight (2000) describes the tension between developing valid complex assessments and the time and economic resources associated with ensuring reliability in assessments. The learning styles, multiple intelligence and inclusive learning literature supports the use of a range of different types of assessments to suit the different learners, yet how can staff do this in a systematic way that doesn’t exhausted themselves and the students in the process? This before they consider increasing the level of formative assessment, i.e. giving feedback to students (Juwah et al, 2004). One solution to these dilemmas is to take a programme-wide approach to assessment, ensuring that over the duration of a full programme students will: have adequate opportunity to be assessed in different ways; receive on-going feedback on their progres...
This chapter should help you to answer the question stated above by presenting practical, evidence-based strategies that facilitate students to achieve “conceptual integration” in their discipline knowledge base. We will discuss three... more
This chapter should help you to answer the question stated above by presenting practical, evidence-based strategies that facilitate students to achieve “conceptual integration” in their discipline knowledge base. We will discuss three strategies that we have found to be particularly helpful in integrating discipline knowledge in a single-module PBL context. This chapter explores our experiences with a PBL module on education theories in a Postgraduate Diploma in University Teaching and Learning that was taken by a group of academic staff. We will draw specifically on both our research study of this group (O’Neill & Hung, 2010) and a theoretical model (Hung, 2006) in order to suggest practical strategies that you can use to help students make strong connections in their learning.
Student engagement in the first year of university has received considerable attention by higher education researchers and policymakers internationally (Krause et al 2005; Nicol 2009). UCD’s current Strategic Plan to 2014 has prioritised... more
Student engagement in the first year of university has received considerable attention by higher education researchers and policymakers internationally (Krause et al 2005; Nicol 2009). UCD’s current Strategic Plan to 2014 has prioritised fostering early and lasting student engagement (UCD 2010). Arising from the plan, the University’s ‘Focus on First Year’ strategic project was initiated and an important part of this initiative included a focus on assessment in the First Year (UCD Teaching and Learning, 2011). The main objectives of this activity were to evaluate how first year assessment practices were supporting student engagement and to make recommendations for enhancement. In order to design an institutional framework to enhance assessment in the First Year, theoretical data and evidence of current institutional practice were gathered and critically evaluated. Four specific methodologies were used: a comprehensive literature review; institutional data analysis of First Year asse...
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A key priority of University College Dublin’s (UCD) Education Strategy (2009- 2014) is ‘to foster early and lasting student engagement’. A central strand of this was a strategic Assessment ReDesign Project. In 2011/12, the project was... more
A key priority of University College Dublin’s (UCD) Education Strategy (2009- 2014) is ‘to foster early and lasting student engagement’. A central strand of this was a strategic Assessment ReDesign Project. In 2011/12, the project was implemented in with five programmes, with the Deans leading the process and involving all their first year Module Coordinators. The project methodology centred around three full-day facilitated workshops with these Programme teams. A programme mapping tool was used to reflect on gaps/overlaps in the programme and actions plans were devised for first year assessments. In evaluating the Deans’ and Module co-ordinators’ views, the Deans in particular valued the opportunity to take a programme overview and to a lesser extent the changes made to first year assessment. The coordinators highlighted a significant intention to reduce assessment overload and to develop assessment for learning activities in their first year modules. In summary, findings from this...
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Students have always been diverse in their approaches to learning; however, higher education has not always provided opportunities for them to play to their strengths. With changing student populations and an increasingly student-centered... more
Students have always been diverse in their approaches to learning; however, higher education has not always provided opportunities for them to play to their strengths. With changing student populations and an increasingly student-centered approach to learning, we need to reconsider what we mean by ‘diversity’ and how we encourage all students to play to their strengths. This has often been described as either an inclusive learning or universal design approach (Waterfield et al, 2006; Rose & Meyer, 2002). A key element in this consideration is how we strategically use assessment as a means to embrace this diversity and, as a result, to empower students in their learning. One such inclusive assessment approach was used in a state-funded project in University College Dublin, Ireland, by providing choice of assessments within a range of different University courses (O’Neill et al, 2010; O’Neill & Galvin, 2011). In each of these courses, all students were presented with a choice of two a...
This paper begins by reviewing some of the different models of third-party observation of university teaching that can be found in the literature. Having analysed these, it argues that—if ‘peer’ is taken to indicate equality of... more
This paper begins by reviewing some of the different models of third-party observation of university teaching that can be found in the literature. Having analysed these, it argues that—if ‘peer’ is taken to indicate equality of status—only one is genuinely a model of peer-observation. It proposes an alternative categorisation of third-party observations of teaching dependant on who controls the information
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Chapter XIII Online Communities of Inquiry in Higher Education Ann Donohoe School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems, University College Dublin, Ireland Tim McMahon Centre for Teaching and Learning, University College Dublin,... more
Chapter XIII Online Communities of Inquiry in Higher Education Ann Donohoe School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems, University College Dublin, Ireland Tim McMahon Centre for Teaching and Learning, University College Dublin, Ireland Geraldine O'Neill Centre for ...
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Assessment is a key component of the occupational therapy intervention process. Standardized assessments provide objectivity to this process. It is important that, in addition, these assessments reflect the client-centred philosophy of... more
Assessment is a key component of the occupational therapy intervention process. Standardized assessments provide objectivity to this process. It is important that, in addition, these assessments reflect the client-centred philosophy of the profession. This article addresses key issues regarding the use of standardized assessments, and reports on the results of a study investigating the assessment practices of a group of Irish occupational therapists. The purpose of this article is to identify the attributes of standardized assessments and to question their place within the practice of occupational therapy. Occupational therapy philosophy stresses the importance of a client-centred approach to intervention, where the client's problems, needs and priorities are determined by the client or by the therapist in collaboration with the client or care giver. Many of the current standardized tests lack this client-centred approach. This article looks at current assessment practices among a group of Irish occupatio...
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Peer-Assisted Tutorials (PATs), a form of Peer-Assisted Learning (PAL), were introduced to a conventional 4-year honours degree programme in Chemical Engineering. PATs were designed to support students in becoming more self-directed in... more
Peer-Assisted Tutorials (PATs), a form of Peer-Assisted Learning (PAL), were introduced to a conventional 4-year honours degree programme in Chemical Engineering. PATs were designed to support students in becoming more self-directed in their learning, to develop student confidence in tackling Chemical Engineering problems and to promote effective group work. They were implemented as part of a core undergraduate module (Unit Operations). For each PAT, 3rd Year students (Tutees) worked together in groups of 5-6, led by a trained Peer Tutor, a 4th Year student who had previously taken and passed the Unit Operations modules. PATs were well-structured, with each session involving two parts: (i) review of a previously assigned homework problem and (ii) introduction and group discussion of a new homework problem. PATs were evaluated on the basis of feedback from both Tutees and Tutors. PATs attracted high participation rates and yielded high levels of Tutee and Tutor satisfaction, in terms...
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... Please follow the link if you wish to visit the database now ... improve quality: finding your way through the muddle of competing conceptions, confusion of practice and mutually exclusive intentions. ... [Taylor & Francis Online]... more
... Please follow the link if you wish to visit the database now ... improve quality: finding your way through the muddle of competing conceptions, confusion of practice and mutually exclusive intentions. ... [Taylor & Francis Online] View all references, p. 222) quoting the UK lecturer's union ...
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Page 1. Case Studies of Good Practices in Assessment of Student Learning in Higher Education Geraldine O'Neill Sylvia Huntley-Moore Phil Race (Editors) ...
In a time where quality assurance mechanisms and University policies appear to be handed down centrally from the University, it would seem important that Universities redress the balance in order to engage and give ownership on teaching... more
In a time where quality assurance mechanisms and University policies appear to be handed down centrally from the University, it would seem important that Universities redress the balance in order to engage and give ownership on teaching and learning issues to academic staff working closely with the students. The assessment of student learning is one such area where we need