International Journal of Healthcare Simulation

Background:

Starting a new hospital and university partnership Postgraduate Certificate in Healthcare Education (first cohort 2020) during a global pandemic has proven challenging. With a significant reduction in healthcare education and little face to face learning for students to either observe or participate in, alternative strategies were identified. The validity of observation of pre-recorded teaching material has been shown to be an effective method for education outside of the healthcare sector [1]. Examples within healthcare include the latest edition of the Advanced Trauma Life Support course which uses a facilitated debriefing of a video of a simulated trauma team [2]. In addition to providing examples of how to teach, we also wanted to provide material for students to evaluate the techniques used, engagement with learners, and the extent to which equality, diversity, and inclusivity were considered.

Methods:

Funding was obtained to support filming of a multi-professional simulation, the debriefing, and subsequent interview with participants and faculty. In addition, films were produced of a small group teaching tutorial and an interview with an experienced medical educator. The recordings were used to support programme delivery, either as provocations, teaching points, or as part of assessments.

Results:

The materials proved invaluable to, for example, interrogate with the students, best practice in teaching approaches, unpick the subtly of debriefing skills, hear and understand the lived experiences of different professional groups, and have the opportunity to then revisit this material at ever deeper levels.

Following observations made by students of the education interventions they observed, later sessions in the programme were adapted to specifically address tensions that were identified about interprofessional conflict.

Conclusion:

Use of pre-recorded educational interventions provided stimulating, relevant, and thought-provoking material to initiate conversations about methods of delivering medical education, explore underlying pedagogy, and reflect on the effectiveness from the perspective of the learners. We believe to have achieved maximal benefit from the recorded material. Review with students in the presence of an experienced educator allows more in-depth integration of the material. Whilst provocations can be provided with an online offering, face to face facilitation allows more exploration of the subsequent discussion that ensues.

References

1. Geertshuis S, Liu Q, Rix N, Murdoch O, McConnell M. Learning by watching others learn: the use of videoed tutorials in undergraduate business education. Higher Education Pedagogies. 2021;6(1):156–174.

2. American College of Surgeons. Committee on Trauma. ATLS®: advanced trauma life support student course manual. 2018.