Sessions Erna Möller - KI's Educational congress 2022

Enhancing clinical teachers’ preparedness to support students emotionally

Jenny Flygare

Background: Our previous studies have shown that medical and nursing students experience a range of emotionally challenging situations during their undergraduate education, mainly during work based education. Interestingly, the experiences were quite similar in both student groups. The situations included meeting severely ill or demanding patients, dilemmas regarding patient treatment, becoming overwhelmed with emotions in patient encounters or witnessing unprofessional behavior among healthcare professionals. These situations generate feelings of uncertainty concerning the students’ own capabilities and regarding the unclear expectations of them as students in the health care team.

Aim: The aim of this project is to enhance clinical supervisor’s preparedness to support students experiencing emotional challenges during their work based education.

Method: A module concerning students’ emotions during clinical placements was introduced into the interprofessional course “Teaching and Learning in Higher Education for Health Care Professionals”, 7,5 ECTS. Vignettes presenting authentic emotionally challenging situations experienced by students were presented to the course participants. The vignettes were written based on our previous qualitative research on student experiences and from assignments by previous course participants. During follow-up discussions, the participants reflected on the situations in relation to their own experiences. In addition, one of our previously published articles on emotional challenges experienced by medical students was discussed.

Results: Specific questions in relation to the module concerning students’ emotional challenges were added to the course evaluation. Above sixty percent of the participants agreed to a high or very high extent that their awareness of what students can experience during work based education had increased, and that they had reflected on how to support students in such situations.

Conclusion: The results indicate that addressing student’s emotions during professional development of clinical supervisors may enhance their preparedness to support the students in emotionally challenging situations during work based education.

Att göra en webb-baserad peer learning guide - process, resultat och metod

Helena Brodin

Background: Peer learning, where students learn from and with each other, is used as a pedagogical method during workplace-based learning. A lot of students at Karolinska Institutet encounter this approach during their learning on clinical placements/fieldwork. There are courses and workshops offered both from KI and other institutions on Peer learning as a pedagogical method for supervisors to use with students, but as an addition to these it was considered valuable to have a webb-based and updated guide to the method- something supervisors could reach easily from anywhere and get inspired by.

In making the Peer learning guide the ambition has been to show the variation of supervisors, professions and workplaces that use peer learning but also the varied ways of how to use the method. In the Peer learning guide this is showcased through short, on the location recorded, films as well as specific written learning activities generously contributed from supervisors themselves. The Peer learning guide also offers a basic background chapter and an extensive list of further reading.   

Aim: The aim was to develop a webb-based guide for Peer learning designed for and with supervisors of students involved in workplace-based learning. The guide is meant to be accessible and to promote the use of peer learning as well as showing its varied areas of use. 

Method: The method used when developing this guide can be called a cooperative approach where supervisors in Region Stockholm and pedagogical developers at The Unit of Teaching and Leaning, KI, have worked together in creating the material also having the added input from representatives of the different Institutes of Higher Education of nursing in Stockholm.  

Results and conclusion: The result is a webb-based guide for supervisors, which is ready to be launched and used in the autumn of 2022. The way of working to develop the guide as well as the guide itself is something that could be presented either in an oral presentation format or workshop setting at the KI educational congress 2022. 

How To Get Students Onboard? - A Qualitative Study of Physiotherapy Students’ Experiences of supervisors preparedness 

Malin Sellberg

Problem: Students’ experiences of the clinical learning environment (CLE) are crucial to learning and affect the development of their professional skills. To further explore our previous results from a quantitative questionnaire study that showed high ratings among physiotherapy (PT) students regarding the CLE and clinical supervision specifically, the present study aimed to explore physiotherapy students’ experience of supervisors preparedness for supervision during their first clinical placement.

Aim: To explore physiotherapy students’ experiences of supervisors’ preparedness for supervision.

Method: Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 physiotherapy students. The interviews were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. We employed the constant comparative method to create categories firmly grounded in the participants’ experiences. The current study was informed by communities of practice, which views learning as a social process in which participation is crucial and students learn by sharing in activities.

Results: The analysis resulted in one latent overarching theme - A coherent whole throughout the placement. The students described that the supervisors were prepared for the initial meeting and wanted to establish a relationship with the students. The students described the beginning of the clinical practice as entering a new world. Anxiety about possibly arriving late was alleviated by the supervisors’ prearranging clear, easily found meeting places, such as a reception area or café at the hospital.

The students noted that a well-organized initial meeting laid a foundation for their relationship with the supervisor. Most supervisors booked fewer patients on the first day and prioritized a scheduled personal meeting with their student. Furthermore, they gave students information about the ward, routines, and types of patients on the ward, which better prepared the students for their practice. The supervisors also presented the learning outcomes and other information provided by the university and, with the students, discussed the latter’s expectations, prior experiences of health care, and potential worries.

Conclusion: The physiotherapy supervisors were prepared for student arrival, which laid a foundation for students relationship with their supervisor. Being welcomed and provided with a possibility to get to know the supervisor is fundamental for students learning in the clinic. Having the relation established, students worries decreases and they can focus on learning.

Peer learning during workplace-based education at a biomedical laboratory science programme

Jenny Flygare

Background: Peer learning is an educational method where students learn from and with each other, often in pairs. The method has been implemented in various health education programs. This project aimed at investigating how peer learning affects the students' learning and the role of the supervisors during workplace-based education at the biomedical laboratory science program.

Aim: To investigate how peer learning during workplace-based education at the Biomedical laboratory science programme affects the students’ learning and the role of the clinical supervisors

Methods: Before the clinical placement, a meeting with supervisors was held to inform about peer learning. Written information was sent to the students. Structured peer learning activities for reciprocal peer tutoring and learning including feedback were designed and used for different laboratory methods. The students were encouraged to set a daily goal relating to the intended learning outcomes and their prior knowledge and skills in a logbook. Reflections using Gibb’s reflective cycle served as a basis for discussions with supervisors and contributed to the assessment of the students’ performance. After the clinical placement, students and supervisors participated in semi-structured interviews analyzed by thematic analysis.

Results: Preliminary results imply that peer learning encouraged critical thinking and responsibility among students and increased the amount of practical training. For supervisors, peer learning promoted a higher degree of flexibility and enabled them to become more supportive and reflective as compared to the traditional master-apprentice model.

Conclusion: Peer learning is a method that is suitable for both students and supervisors in a clinical laboratory. The method contributes to students being more active and self-directed and supports the supervisors to take on a role as reflective teachers. They can assist the students to develop their practical and theoretical skills by observation and discussion.

Konsekutiva examinationer – en ny väg till ett kontinuerligt lärande?

Johanna Granhagen-Jungner

Bakgrund: Utbildningsprogrammen inom hälso- och sjukvård på Karolinska Institutet har höga krav att utbilda studenterna inom sina respektive huvudämnesområden samt i vetenskap, evidens och beprövad erfarenhet, etiska spörsmål, teamarbete, samhälleliga aspekter m.m. Denna bredd, mångfald och ämnesfördjupning återspeglas med all tydlighet i kursplanernas kursmål. Kursmålen styr således utbildningen utformning och är de mätbara garanterna att studenterna efter avslutad kurs har tillskansat sig den kunskap som kursen utlovat. Mätbarheten av de uppnådda kursmålen sker genom examination. Ett traditionellt kursupplägg brukar bestå av studieuppgifter och en avslutande slutexamination.

Detta upplägg medför dock risk för att studietid, engagemang och kunskapsinhämtning ackumuleras till slutet av kursen, d v s inför slutexaminationen. För att råda bot på detta utvecklade vi inom ramen för ett pedagogiskt kvalitetsprojekt ett nytt examinationsförfarande, dvs ett konsekutivt examinerande. De konsekutiva examinationerna (sk. delexaminationer) går ut på att studenterna examineras successivt under kursens gång. I delexaminationen kombineras en läraktivitet med en examinerande del. På så sätt har kurserna således ingen stor avslutande slutexamination.

Syfte: Att genom konsekutiva examinationer stödja lärprocessen och öka studenternas motivation till ett kontinuerlig lärande.

Metod: Utvecklande av konsekutiva examinationer, i kurserna kallade delexaminationer, bestående av en del läraktivitet med nära koppling till aktuella kursmål och en del examination av tillhörande kursmål. Tydlig information via inspelad video till studenterna att kursens kursmål examineras konsekutivt genom hela kursen. Viktningen av delexaminationerna är gjord genom beräknad tidsåtgång per delexamination. Det vill säga i våra kurser gäller cirka fyra delexaminationer per 7.5 hp. Respektive delexamination tar c:a 2.5 veckor (50 % studietakt) att genomföra. Utvärderingen av delexaminationerna gjordes via studenternas kursvärdering under läsåret 21/22. I kursvärdering har följande specifika frågor ställts: Jag upplevde att kursens konsekutiva läraktiviteter och examinationer (så kallade delexaminationer) var ett stöd i mitt lärande. Svarsalternativen var en 5 gradig Likert-skala med följande alternativ: I mycket liten grad, i liten grad, delvis, i hög grad, i mycket hög grad. Därefter följer två öppna frågor om delexaminationens styrkor och hur delexaminationerna kan förbättras.

Resultat: Av de åtta (n=8) kurserna som gick under HT21 utvärderade studenterna delexaminationerna med ett medelvärde på 4.2. Studenternas kommentarerna i de öppna frågorna beskrev i huvudsak 1) att delexaminationerna öppnade upp för stor variation av läraktivitet och lärosätt, 2) delexaminationerna förtydligade den röda tråden i kursen, 3) delexaminationerna understödde successiv fördjupning av reflektionsnivå och kunskaper, och 4) delexaminationerna kräver kontinuerligt engagemang i kursen och är tidseffektiva.

Konklusion: Användande av ett konsekutivt examinerande i form av delexaminationer är utifrån både ett pedagogiskt perspektiv och ett studentperspektiv ett effektivt, nyanserat och stimulerande sätt att både uppnå och examinera kursmålen.

Unique individual examination in a distance course

Henrike Häbel

Background: The course 2609 Basic Course in Medical Statistics – a distance course is offered to all doctoral students at Karolinska Institutet. It is held as an online distance course to give participants the opportunity to attend no matter where and when. The course aims to introduce basic statistical methods and fundamental principles of statistical inference. It also offers basic skills that involve hands on data analysis using statistical software. The course is spread over two consecutive weeks and uses the learning management system Canvas. The course follows a blended design with two face-to-face contacts, one at the beginning and one at the end of the course. The latter comprises of two seminars on studies within the field of medical research. The seminar day is a strength of the design as it offers an excellent platform both for formative assessment and feedback. It is also part of the digital examination as an interactive summative assessment of recognizing and critically examine the statistics used in two discussed studies. Limitations of the previous design were a lack of feedback experienced by the students and using computer-based quizzes as the individual part of the digital examination.

Whereas this assessment method might be suitable to assess performance (can the student produce the correct answer), it lacks the ability to truly evaluate whether each student individually has understood what they have produced and can statistically reason around the answer. Aim: Develop a unique individual examination in a distance course that is flexible and of high quality, limits fraud, has a large educational impact, and is user-friendly with the possibility for interaction and feedback for the students.

Method: We chose to be more specific about feedback opportunities, add office hours on Zoom and online polls for self-assessment. The computer-based quizzes are kept as formative assessment. Most importantly, we developed a new and unique written hand-in assignment. For achieving the largest possible utility and high quality, a trade-off between educational impact and cost effectiveness in terms of grading time needed to be found. We found that free text questions are crucial for evaluating statistical understanding. The more free text questions are included in the assignment, the better the ability to interpret and statistically reason will be assessed, but also the more time it will cost.

Hence, we included only two to three free text questions, where the students are asked to write at most three to four sentences. The submission is only allowed for a limited amount of time to counteract fraud. A further measure for limiting fraud is to provide each student with their own random dataset to work with and a random selection of questions (stratified after topic). Computer software is used to create these individually combinations of datasets and examination questions and to automate the production of answers to facilitate the grading.

Results/Conclusion: The new individual examination is more unique and cost effective when compared to live online examinations or completely unique sets of examination questions per student.

Teaching Students to Use Sources Correctly and Effectively – Not to Avoid Plagiarism

Anna Borgström

Plagiarism has become an increasingly hot topic in higher education, and numerous resources have been launched to avoid plagiarism. However, many of these resources mainly focus on what students should avoid rather than what they should actually do, and they emphasize rules rather than understanding. These resources often leave students insecure.

In this talk, I will share my experiences teaching students on the master’s and doctoral level about effective source use as a writing instructor at KI university library Academic Writing Support and as the developer of a module on source use.

The module is part of the mandatory introduction for newly admitted doctoral students at KI, and consists of some 15 short videos, texts and links. In addition to the experts on the topic (writing instructors and research librarians), several key figures participated in the making of the module: the president of KI, a KI professor and six doctoral students. Everyone shared their best advice on how to use sources correctly and effectively.

While the module defines plagiarism and outlines its consequences, its focus is not disciplinary. Instead, the module emphasizes the principles of proper and effective source use as well as helps students understand the rationale behind these principles and how they can best hone their source use skills throughout their studies.

Investigating the research connection in the education at LIME

Madelen Lek

Every year, The Committee for Education at Karolinska Institutet (KI) allocates funding to the departments to support the research connection of their programmes and courses. The funding is based on how much education that is performed at each department on a yearly basis. At the department of Learning, Informatics, Management and Ethics (LIME), individuals that are active in education have been able to apply for this funding through the Education Committee. The funding has been allocated to support shorter education projects according to set selection criteria. However, this might not be the best way to support the subject specific as well as the pedagogical research connection in the educations at LIME.

The current project aims to investigate how the research connection funding from KI, can best be used to strengthen the research connection in all undergraduate and graduate education at LIME.

In this project, research connection in education is defined according to the four perspectives described by the KI Faculty Board in 2021. The perspectives are - students, teachers, the main area and content of the education, and the use of research in teaching and learning. The methods that are used in the project are semi structured interviews with the Programme Directors for the three global Masters Programmes (Bioentrepreneurship, Health Economics, Policy and Management and Health Informatics) that are located at LIME as well as a survey that has been sent to all course leaders. In addition, relevant questions from the exit polls are included in the analysis and the yearly report of LIME is used as a guiding document.

The results from the study are expected to help strengthen the research connection in all education at LIME.