External summary

This part-time flexible programme is delivered entirely online, and the majority of students continue to practise as full-time clinicians and clinical educators at the same time. It is modular, so students can study for one, two or three years for a Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma or Masters in Clinical Education respectively. The programme aims to provide a thorough grounding in education for those involved in the education of healthcare professionals at all levels, including undergraduate and postgraduate education and continuing professional development.  The programme is aimed at individuals involved in healthcare education such as doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, pharmacists, dental practitioners, other allied health professionals, veterinary educators, and biomedical or social scientists who teach in medical, veterinary, dental or other healthcare education. 

Educational aims of programme

The aim of the programme is to promote high quality clinical education by helping participants reflect upon and share insights about their practice, to understand and apply educational theories and evidence from the literature, and to help participants develop a good solid foundation in clinical education and educational research upon which they can continue to build their own academic career.

The programme will help participants learn sufficient knowledge and skills to deliver, develop and research high quality clinical education in their own discipline, and will encourage and support the development of collaborative and scholarly attitudes towards clinical education.

After completing the MSc in Clinical Education, graduates will understand how to:

• Plan, deliver and evaluate teaching for undergraduate and postgraduate students at the levels of programme, course and individual session

• Teach individuals, small groups and large groups using a range of methods, in a wide variety of learning and teaching situations

• Teach and learn in online and blended environments

• Assess students formatively and summatively (including written, practical and oral and electronic formats)

• Critically evaluate their own teaching practice and appraise others

• Access and critically evaluate the educational literature

• Plan, conduct and critique a research project in clinical education

Graduates will be also be able to:

• Describe and discuss contemporary theories and issues in clinical education, at a national and international level (e.g. academic conferences)

• Recognise, evaluate and make an appropriate response to policy associated with clinical education

• Critically appraise situations and circumstances pertaining to clinical education with reference to appropriate theories and literature

• Recognise, reflect upon and respond to their own educational needs and the needs of others

• Take a lead responsibility for clinical education within their professional area

Programme outcomes: Knowledge and understanding

Every clinician has a responsibility to ensure they are competent and up to date and must therefore be an effective learner.  Almost all clinicians at different stages in their careers will be responsible for teaching others, so they must also be effective teachers.  There is a whole section on Teaching and Learning in the GMC document ‘Good Medical Practice’ (GMC 2006, available online: http://www.gmc-uk.org/guidance/good_medical_practice), aimed at all practicing doctors.  Similar themes can be found in policy documents and guidance for other allied health professions and veterinary medicine.

The clinical professions have a long tradition of apprenticeship learning and mentoring, with senior members of each profession being responsible for developing novice practitioners in training.  Professionalism and professional self-regulation in Clinical Education has been recognised as fundamental to sustaining and developing the best professional practice.  In recent years, however, there is increasingly an expectation that those assuming particular responsibilities for teaching clinicians should have themselves undertaken formally-recognised training and accreditation in clinical education.  The once-common adage ‘See one, do one, teach one’ is losing ground – especially because of the potential risk of this approach to patient safety.  Clinical education is becoming increasingly complex, more informed by a considerable body of academic literature, and more of a scholarly vocation in its’ own right.  Clinical education is being scrutinised by politicians, the public and the media in a way in which it never was in the past.  Quality Assurance, accreditation, appraisal and governance are terms firmly established in the lexicon of clinical practice, and it is largely the clinical educators who must ensure that expectations in these areas are met; through:

• Valid and reliable appraisal, assessment and accreditation procedures, which are essential for public and professional confidence

• Effective teaching methods that underpin the ethos of the clinical community and promote appropriate attitudes, skills, knowledge and professional values

• Support for self-directed learning, which promotes a professional community where individuals are able to be self-sustaining in maintaining high standards of professional competence and performance

• The Professionalisation of Education Management, which has enabled the development of high quality professional training and performance

Programme outcomes: Graduate attributes - Skills and abilities in research and enquiry

The programme contains a course on Research in Clinical Education which must be completed by all before starting the dissertation year. The learning outcomes for this course are:

• Plan, design and conduct a piece of original research sufficient to write the MSc dissertation 

• Produce a paper for publication

• Critically appraise the theoretical and philosophical frameworks that underpin educational research and align proposed methods and methodology appropriately.

The purpose of all six written assignments is to enable the student to unite tacit and propositional aspects of a key concept of clinical education through a series of small-scale research activities, case study or reflective processes.  Completing the 6 assignments will rehearse the skills required to write the Dissertation and present academic work for conferences or for publication.

The programme will help participants learn sufficient knowledge and skills to deliver, develop and research high quality clinical education in their own discipline, and will encourage and support the development of collaborative and scholarly attitudes towards clinical education.  The entire third year of the programme focuses on supporting students to undertake an original piece of research in clinical education that demonstrates their ability to undertake an investigation under supervision.  It is assessed by means of a 15,000-word dissertation.  The learning outcomes of this third year, and the programme overall, include the ability to:

• Access and critically evaluate the educational literature

• Plan, conduct and critique a research project in clinical education

• Describe and discuss contemporary theories and issues in clinical education, at a national and international level (e.g. academic conferences)

• Recognise, evaluate and make an appropriate response to policy associated with clinical education

• Critically appraise situations and circumstances pertaining to clinical education with reference to appropriate theories and literature

• Recognise, reflect upon and respond to their own educational needs and the needs of others

• Take a lead responsibility for clinical education within their professional area.

Programme outcomes: Graduate attributes - Skills and abilities in personal and intellectual autonomy

The aim of the programme is to create a varied and stimulating learning environment. The approach will be predominately that of constructivism allowing individuals to scaffold new knowledge on existing experiences and discuss this with in the peer group.

Students general find this approach more enjoyable and satisfying that traditional teaching methods. It encourages greater understanding and allows development of lifelong learning skills that they can immediately apply to their real world context.

We will encourage student discussion and debate through group work exercises, wikis and discussion boards. This results in a deeper more reflective learning that improves engagement of students and endorses a feeling of ownership over their educational experiences. 

Peer learning will also be encouraged and supported ensuring ‘positive interdependence’. In addition to improving understanding of a given subject this promotes team working and allows them to assume leadership roles, acquire conflict-managing skills, discuss and clarify concepts, and develop social skills that enhance their learning outcomes beyond that of the given task.

Programme outcomes: Graduate attributes - Skills and abilities in communication

Students will gain experience in information technologies, writing, reading (literature evaluation) and information literacy through our programme and more specific research skills (covering referencing, plagiarism, statistics, writing, planning, proposal creation etc.). These modules are being created in conjunction with the university transferable skills department and librarians. Students will also develop skills in group/ team working, negotiation and peer-discussion and learning. They will be able to better self-direct their own learning, which will be of benefit well beyond the MSc course. In addition they will develop organisational and time management skills.

Contribution to group discussions, formative exercises and attendance are not specifically assessed, although will be noted and may be used to aid the Board of Examiners in making decisions about borderline candidates.   Each assignment also includes marks for understanding of other clinical education contexts from group work, and thus will indirectly assess group participation and engagement.

Programme outcomes: Graduate attributes - Skills and abilities in personal effectiveness

Combining work and study can be challenging. Students will develop effective skills in workload prioritisation and forward planning.  The online tutorials will also help foster nascent skills in developing and challenging academic arguments.

Programme outcomes: Technical/practical skills

Students will be exposed to the underlying theory which underpins effective teaching practice.  Studying in an online environment will allow the development of skills in information gathering, evaluation and management.  Teaching methods will vary depending on the subject matter, but will incorporate a wide range from traditional to cutting edge.  Both relevant textbooks and journals will be available electronically through the library, and combined with interactive on-line real-time tutorials (which are recorded for review), recorded lectures, discussion boards and a wiki to encourage group and peer learning.  Participating in these learning activities ensures all students are able to access and use a wide range of technologies and practical tools which are also useful for research and continuing professional development for practice.

Programme structure and features

The MSc in Clinical Education is a distance learning programme of part time study that will run over 3 years.  The first two years run in a rolling programme and so either the ‘Year 1’ or ‘Year 2’ courses may be studied in the first year.

Progression

Candidates must gain the given number of credits required for a degree award.  Credits required are as set out in the Scottish Qualifications Framework and incorporated into University’s Curriculum Framework.

Passing courses and the academic year of study:

• Candidates must have been examined in and passed courses as prescribed in the Degree Programme Table for the relevant year of that programme. 

• The minimum pass mark for each course (or assessment element which must be passed to show attainment of the learning outcomes) is 40%.  This is applicable to Postgraduate Certificate and Diploma level.

Progression to the dissertation:

• The minimum pass mark for each course (or assessment element which must be passed to show attainment of the learning outcomes) is 50%.  This is applicable to the Masters level.

Standard Progression (where students aim to exit with a Masters, for those on a full-time programme)

The main progression point is after taught elements of the programme have been assessed:

Achievement of 50% or more in each taught element = progression to Masters Dissertation

Achievement of 40% in each taught element, but failure to achieve 50% or more in the same = Diploma or Certificate award

Achievement of 50% or more in Masters Dissertation= Masters award

Failure to achieve 50% or more in Masters Dissertation = Diploma award

Incremental PGT Progression (where students can exit with an award at various stages, for those on a part-time programme):

Achievement of 50% or more in each taught element = progression to Masters Dissertation

Achievement of 40% in each taught element, but failure to achieve 50% or more in the same = Diploma or Certificate award

Achievement of 50% or more in Masters Dissertation= Masters Award

Failure to achieve 50% or more in Masters Dissertation = Diploma award

The table below shows the exit points for those on a 3 year part-time programme.

Teaching and learning methods and strategies

Each course has clearly documented learning outcomes as indicated above.

Modes of study

An online educational environment known as ‘The Forth Suite’ has been chosen for the delivery of the lectures and tutorials of this MSc programme.  This is actually a very powerful server situated in Edinburgh’s George Square running Adobe Connect software.  The use of this technology for online postgraduate study is being pioneered by the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine (CMVM) specifically because it allows rich interactive visual, audio, textural and graphical modes of communication. 

This innovative approach offers a number of advantages:

• Location: Students and tutors may participate in the programme from computers connected to the internet located anywhere in the world.

• Time: There is considerable flexibility in how and when students access the system.  Interaction with tutors, course materials and other students has the advantage of being both synchronous (i.e. real-time for tutorials) and asynchronous (i.e viewing pre-recorded lectures and tutorials). In addition, time required for an individual’s interaction with archived course materials can be planned to suit that particular individual’s needs.  Teaching and learning materials are available online, 24 hours per day, throughout the academic year.

• Socio-cultural: the synchronous online video tutorials are considered an essential part of the learning process.  As well as learning the formal course content, students interact extensively with tutors and fellow students in more informal ways – facilitating learning through socialisation, role-modelling and allowing much better student support than is possible in traditional distance-learning programmes.

• Multimedia: This mode of learning uses a range of media - including audio-visual and text-based materials, the Forth Suite, e-library and online learning archives - appealing to those with a wide range of preferred learning styles.

The styles of online teaching and learning in a typical course will include:

• Asynchronous audio and text based learning resources prepared by tutors (background reading and directed self-learning materials).

• Interactive, synchronous presentations to all students, using video, audio and text-based materials (essentially a lecture through an electronic medium).

• Asynchronous discussion boards for shared learning

• A repository of online text-based materials under licences arranged by the university library.

• 1 to 1 real-time tutorials and meetings with Dissertation project supervisors

Each week begins with one or more lectures which frame a particular topic and context, and introduce key concepts students can explore further in the literature and tutorial.  The lectures are pre-recorded and asynchronous, and last about half to one hour.  Following this, students are encouraged to visit the repository of learning materials (self-directed learning) and contribute to the discussion boards where they share their thinking with other students.  Later in each week there is a real-time interactive online tutorial in which students and tutors share information, discuss key issues, identify learning needs and gaps and benefit from the interaction of the group.

Course material will be delivered online by formal teaching in the Forth Suite.  The first six weeks of each course start with one or more formal pre-recorded lectures which can be viewed online at a time convenient to the student.  Later in each week there will be an online interactive, video-tutorial where students and a tutor work together in real-time.  Normally this runs for one hour between 5 and 6pm or 6 and 7pm on Tuesday or Thursday evenings (see timetable on page 6).  Students are expected to attend the live tutorials sessions.  Students also use self-directed learning, peer-discussion boards (online), peer presentations and other online activities to help them engage with the course materials.

Assessment methods and strategies

Around two weeks into the beginning of each first and second year course you will be given the title of an assignment, to be completed in your private study time.  Each assignment should be 3000-5000 words.  At the end of the 8-week course the written assignment will be uploaded in ‘pdf’ format for marking.  Provisional marks (pending ratification by the Board of Examiners) and feedback from tutors on each assignment will be given confidentially to each student two to three weeks later.  Students may choose to make their assignment available for others to read if they wish after (not before!) they have received their provisional marks.  Please pay close attention to the University’s Plagiarism regulations in this regard.

Contribution to group discussions, formative exercises and attendance are not specifically assessed, although will be noted and may be used to aid the Board of Examiners in making decisions about borderline candidates.   Each assignment also includes marks for understanding of other clinical education contexts from group work, and thus will indirectly assess group participation and engagement.

Visual interpretation of the assignment

Purpose

The purpose of the written assignments is to enable the student to unite tacit and propositional aspects of a key concept of clinical education through a series of small-scale research activities, case study or reflective processes.  Completing the 6 assignments will rehearse the skills required to write the Dissertation and present academic work for conferences or for publication.

Relationship with the courses

The written assignment is the principal assessment method for the Certificate and Diploma.  One piece of work will be required for each 20-credit course, making a total of three pieces of work for the Certificate and three further pieces for the Diploma.

Career opportunities

The Careers Service aims to expand the horizons of students and recent graduates of the University, enabling them to make informed career decisions in order to progress towards high personal and professional achievement and a fulfilling future.

Further information is available from: http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/careers/home

Other items

Opportunities for placement or overseas study- this is an online MSc programme which will be made available to a global audience. It will therefore not offer placements for overseas students but allow then to participate on-line from their own country without the need to travel to the UK.

Library and IT facilities- On-line computing and library resources will support the programme, and we in negotiation about the purchase of specific e-book content and the development of modules relating the literature review.

Marketing- We will use generic marketing tools such as pamphlets and brochures to distribute at appropriate conferences and events. We will also consider advertising in appropriate professional journals, and use on-line advertising and targeted emails to appropriate groups in the UK where possible. The programme website is being developed to facilitate student and donor interest. The programme team is liaising closely with the CMVM Marketing Officer to ensure that promotional materials and efforts are optimised and fit with the broader CMVM strategy and to guide our ongoing advertising efforts.