Contemporary Issues in Health Professions Education - 0990014

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Module will run

Occurrence	Teaching period
A	Spring Term 2025-26

Module aims

The module aims to:

• Challenge students to reconsider the ideologies and assumptions underpinning current models of curriculum, course and assessment design in Science and Health Professions Education.

• Engage students to examine critically the key discourses and ideologies shaping curricula

• Explore the emergence and the effects of ‘standards’ (as a notion of ‘quality’) in defining science and health professions curricula.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module successful students will be able to:

Knowledge and understanding:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the way in which learning theories shape and underpin curriculum design and use.

• Demonstrate an understanding of contemporary issues impacting upon education and curricula

Cognitive/intellectual skills:

• Critically evaluate the discursive effects of standards on curriculum design and implementation

• Recognise that curriculum models are ideological and theoretical constructs

Professional/practice skills:

• Examine the relationships between course/curriculum design and delivery with the intended purposes in health professions education

Key/transferable skills:

• Undertake complex literature searches and synthesise results with other information sources

Module content

Indicative:

Week 1:

• Module orientation – overview, approaches & key concepts

• Defining a curriculum

• Intro to key issues in health professions education

Weeks 2-3:

• Established and emerging models of curriculum design – key influences and outcomes

• Exploring the purposes of a curriculum.

• Process, product, inquiry, problem- and competence-based models

• Spiral, integrated, blended and traditional curricula models

Week 4:

• Learning in the workplace

• Socio-cultural models of learning – re-inventing ‘apprenticeship’ & situated learning

• The hidden curriculum

Week 5:

• Simulation

• Technology-enhanced learning e.g. virtual technologies

• e-learning & distance learning

Week 6:

• Inter-professional education – the need and how to incorporate it in the both the curriculum and practice.

Weeks 7-8:

• Exploring governance and regulations

• Re-accreditation, audit, CPD models and recognition.

• Professional regulations (e.g. from the HTA, GMC, NMC or GPhC).

• Quality in education

• The future of education

Week 9:

• Diversity and equality in education

• Supporting student learning

Weeks 10 -11:

• Assignment preparation

Group discussions, study days, online tasks, assignments and tutor interactions allow students to build on the content delivered and tailor it for their own health profession. Examples will be drawn upon from across the professions as well as the wider education and workplace psychology literature. Multidisciplinary tutors will help signpost relevance and transferability of principles to students.

Indicative assessment

Task	% of module mark
Essay/coursework	100.0

Special assessment rules

None

Indicative reassessment

None

Module feedback

One feedback tutorial per module either in person, via skype, on the telephone or as arranged to suit the individual circumstances on progress to date, including on-line tasks.

Feedback can also be via peer and tutor response to online posts. Essay feedback using the standardised marking rubric and additional tutor comments.

Indicative reading

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