participatory approach to curriculum development: enhancing final year student success

1. Participatory approach to curriculum development: enhancing final year student success Anne Coufopoulos Margaret Coffey

3. Approaches to HP include: Bottom up is when the agenda is set by people identifying issues they perceive as relevant�as opposed to Top down is where the agenda is set by health promoters Constant tension between the two approaches & whether to aim to change society or individual behaviour Consider how these two opposing philosophies apply to curriculum development?

4. Background Health Promotion in the UK in the 21st century is a new 3rd year module. The aims are to: Identify the main theoretical principles underpinning the practice of health promotion Critically examine a range of health promotion activities using case studies Address the challenges facing health promotion in response to demographic changes in the 21st century Develop appropriate skills to design and evaluate health promotion interventions

5. In order to enable students to achieve these aims: We adopted an innovative design in respect of assessment We adopted best practice approaches in health promotion to enable students to enhance curriculum development

6. Rationale for assessment A key theme of the Higher Education Academy Conference 2006 �Enhancing the student learning experience� was the use of �innovation to support the student learning experience�. Throughout the conference the need to spend more time reflecting and engaging with the students, rather than in the delivery of material was stressed.

7. Assessment (1) We split the first assessment into two parts. The first part of the assessment (10%) asked students to critically evaluate one health promotion theoretical model. This piece of assessment was designed to improve students� critical analysis skills before undertaking the larger part of the assignment, which was to critically evaluate health promotion in respect of a topic area (which would include critically evaluating more than one health promotion model). We then spent a session reflecting on the strengths and limitations of this piece of work, in order that students could learn from this, and incorporate this knowledge into their larger assignment.

8. What did the students say?

9. Assessment (2) The second part of the assessment comprises the development of a Health Promotion Resource Again we split this into two parts: Project Plan (1,500 words) which includes: Evidence of background reading and research Critical discussion of the rationale & evidence base for the chosen resource Logical and clear plan indicating the development of the resource, including the identification of the target group

10. Assessment (3) Health Promotion resource: This could take the form of a poster, video, DVD, CD rom, leaflet, education pack, training pack or drama production. This was designed to develop student skills and competences, which will equip graduates to function effectively in the labour market, following advice from the Health Promotion Development Manager � Wirral PCT

11. �Crossing the finishing line� In true health promotion style we assessed student needs �near the finishing line� to help the students to engage more fully in their own learning. Needs assessment (in HP) is defined as: �A systematic collection of information and data, which enables the health professional to identify, analyse and priorities the health needs and potential health needs of a given population in order to design and implement appropriate programmes of care� (Naish 1992, cited in Scriven & Orme 2001, pg. 54).

12. How did we do this? Crossing the finishing line�individual and group evaluation Rationale: �Being true to the central tenets of health promotion means that an appropriate approach to evaluation is one that does not, at the very minimum, contribute to disempowerment and at best, empowers� (Springett 2001, p.144)

13. What did the students want? Sessions that responded to perceived �gaps� in their knowledge relating to theory, namely: Behaviour change models The empowerment model They also wanted: a facilitated workshop on their resource The opportunity to conduct a �mock� presentation Peer assessment �encourages student autonomy and higher order thinking skills. �aims to improve the quality of learning and empower learners� (Bostock, 2000)

14. How did we respond? A theoretical lecture�surprisingly!!! A facilitated workshop A �critical� mock presentation�.using a critical framework to enhance discussion

15. Rationale In this spirit, and the spirit of bottom up, participatory approaches to health promotion (or in this case learning), we wanted to mirror the philosophy of HP, i.e. Health promotion is the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve their health and: Formative evaluation enables students to increase control over, and to improve their Learning.

16. Anecdotally Attendance at these sessions was good (considering the pressures on 3rd year students towards the end of term) Students welcomed the opportunity to share resources and ideas, and design their own curriculum Students and lecturers welcomed formative evaluation of this module� Summative evaluation awaited!

17. Thanks for listening Any questions?