Graduate Diploma Research Articles

Queen's University Faculty of Health Sciences.

Queen's University Faculty of Health Sciences.

Academics’ Experiences of a Post Graduate Diploma in Higher Education (PGDHE) Programme: A Case of One University in South Africa.

The Post Graduate Diploma in Higher Education is widely accepted as a standard qualification that inducts and orients academics for their roles as university teachers. It equips academics with pedagogical knowledge and competencies thereby helping them to cope with the learning needs of academically under-prepared and diverse group of students. Research, conducted in South Africa and elsewhere, has shown that in order to be effective facilitators of learning, academics need to have a good blend of the knowledge of their disciplines as well as the knowledge of teaching and learning. This study sought to examine the experiences of a group of academics of studying the PGDHE. The sample for the study comprised 15 academics purposively selected from the 20 academics who had recently qualified with the PGDHE programme from one university in South Africa. The research used a qualitative methodology to collect information from the participants through an unstructured questionnaire. The major finding was that the PGDHE empowered academics significantly in their roles as university teachers and participants felt the programme should be made a pre-requisite for one’s appointment as a university teacher.

A Cross-Sectional Survey of Practice Patterns and Selected Demographics of Respiratory Therapists in India.

Respiratory therapy was introduced to India in 1995. Respiratory therapists (RTs) work alongside doctors in hospitals. Of the 993 universities in India, a few have bachelor's or master's programs in respiratory therapy, but no studies have examined the demographics, geographical spread, or skills used by these RTs. This study assessed the demographics and services offered by RTs in India. This was a cross-sectional study based on a survey administered on paper, by telephone, or online. RTs were selected by convenience sampling from institutional databases and from WhatsApp groups of RTs in India, as well through snowball sampling of co-workers. A link to the online survey was shared on the author's personal social media channels. Of the invited RTs, 465 consented and participated; of those, 237 answered all questions. Of the 237 respondents completing the survey, 73% had bachelor's degree, 16.5% had a master's degree, 4.6% had a diploma, 2.5% had mixed qualifications, 1.7% had post graduate diploma, 0.8% had a certificate, 0.4% had a master of business administration degree, and 0.4% had a PhD degree. Almost all (96.6%) worked as an RT or in a job that required respiratory therapy knowledge. Although individuals may have had multiple job roles, 77.6% worked as a hospital staff RT. The least frequently performed competencies were recommending diagnostic procedures, using evidence-based principles, initiating and conducting patient and family education, and administering home care and pulmonary rehabilitation; the most frequently performed competencies were support oxygenation and ventilation, ensuring infection control, and maintaining a patent airway. Most subjects were employed in south India and had a bachelor's degree. They worked as staff RTs with a focus on the acute care environment. Pneumonia, asthma, COPD, and ARDS were the most commonly managed diseases. Competencies such as recommending procedures, planning and providing pulmonary rehabilitation, and administering home-based care were the least frequently performed.

INNOVATION IN A CAPSTONE COURSE IN YOUTH WORK

Capstone courses often focus on applied learning, typically practicum experiences such as internships. However, students do not always benefit as much as they could from their internships because teaching and learning resources are not used optimally. This paper explores the use of project-based learning in a capstone course of the Graduate Diploma in Youth Work program at Concordia University that includes an in-class seminar and an internship in a human services agency. Using the principles of context authenticity and cognitive apprenticeship from the Authentic Situated Learning and Teaching (ASLT) framework, we examine the experiences of two cohorts of interns (24 students in all). An analysis of their final papers and participation in a focus group, as well as the results of the university’s course evaluation, suggests that the ASLT framework contributes to the transfer of learning in a professional setting. Furthermore, the use of the psychoeducative model to structure active pedagogies in a youth work capstone course provides a means for planning therapeutic activities and organizing intervention programs that help develop competencies to work in diverse settings.

Tracking the policy literacy journey of students in a postgraduate diploma course in disability and rehabilitation studies

Health and/or rehabilitation practitioners have to interact with policy decisions. Ideally, they need to be able to understand policies and to engage with them, however, practitioners are often not aware of policies and of how to engage with them. As a post graduate unit with a mandate to develop programmes that respond to practice needs, this article reports on the development of a policy analysis module as part of the Post Graduate Diploma in Disability and Rehabilitation Studies. In this article we report on the development of the module, the approach taken, and on student responses to the module. The course journey of enrolled students is narrated, highlighting the encouragement of student engagement and peer feedback as key to improved learning and understandings in higher education. Facilitators’ use of didactic approaches that centre students and participatory learning seem equally important for meaningful learning.

The Role of Indigenous Knowledge Practices Within Transformative Reconciliation

This métissage explores scholarly relations among local Indigenous communities, school districts, teacher-learners and Simon Fraser University’s graduate diploma program titled Indigenous Education: Education for Reconciliation. Through our collective attending to the role of Indigenous knowledge practices and making within transformative reconciliation, a powerful resurgence of Indigenous ways of knowing and being emerged. This resurgence came about through participatory pedagogies of making and through the sharing of Indigenous knowledges, cultural practices, ceremony and language revitalization. The focus on Indigenous knowledge practices, circle processes and artmaking, as well as Indigenous worldviews, knowledges and perspectives, provided an enactment of rigorous resurgence and transformative reconciliation (Ash et al., 2018). Opportunities to be involved in Indigenous making and land practice with Indigenous Knowledge Holders provided occasions for teacher-learners to embody and embed Indigenous pedagogies and “two-eyed seeing” (Bartlett et al., 2012) within their educational practice. Throughout the program, teacher-learners were invited into Indigenous making, creative and critical conversations, exploring circle pedagogies, participatory processes, place-based explorations and intercultural dialogues with Indigenous Knowledge Holders and Elders. The teachers acknowledged and experienced Indigenous protocols and ceremonies, and they actively explored Indigenous teachings through Indigenous participatory pedagogies. An emphasis was placed on creating authentic Indigenous-learning pathways and to do so in relation to knowledge practices within a particular place, peoples and their unique cultural ecology. This Indigenous Métissage (Donald, 2012) weaves together narrative threads into a story of collaboration between teacher-learners and Knowledge Holders. They stand as a family stands, together to share and give witness to the profound learnings that have emerged from the journey.

Kadın Doğum Kliniklerinde Çalışan Sağlık Profesyonellerin Perinatal Kayıp ve Yas ile İlgili Görüşleri

Araştırma, tanımlayıcı niteliktedir. Sağlık profesyonellerinin “Perinatal Kayıp ve Yas” ile ilgili görüşlerinin belirlenmesi amacıyla yapılmıştır. Araştırma, Eylül 2019-Kasım 2019 tarihleri arasında bir devlet hastanesi ve şehir hastanesinde kadın doğum ve yenidoğan kliniklerinde çalışan ebe ve hemşireler ile yapılmıştır. Araştırmanın örneklemini araştırmaya katılmayı kabul eden ve veri toplama formunu dolduran toplam 52 sağlık profesyoneli oluşturmuştur. Araştırmanın verileri “Kişisel Tanıtıcı Bilgi” ve “Perinatal Kayıp ve Yas İlişkin Görüş Formu” ile toplanmıştır. Verilerin değerlendirilmesinde Mann-Whitney U testi ve Kruskal-Wallis H testi kullanılmıştır. Araştırmada, ebe ve hemşirelerin tamamının kadın (%56.7), tamamına yakının evli (%90.4) ve yarısından fazlasının hemşire (%69.2) olduğu belirlenmiştir. Bunlardan %5.8’inin lise, %19.2’sinin ön lisans, %71.2’sinin lisans, %3.8’inin lisansüstü mezunu olduğu saptanmıştır. Ebe ve hemşirelerin en fazla 20 yıl ve üstü çalışma yılına sahip olduğu bulunmuştur. Mezuniyet öncesi gebelik kayıpları ve perinatal yas konusunda eğitim alma durumu incelendiğinde, ebe ve hemşirelerin yarısına yakının eğitim aldığı (%46.2) ve katılımcılar alınan eğitimin kısmen yeterli (%32.7) olduğunu ifade etmişlerdir. Araştırmada katılımcıların en çok “Perinatal kayıp; erken/geç fetal ve yenidoğan ölümlerini kapsar”, “Perinatal kayıp sonrası, ebeveynler yas süreci yaşayabilir” ve “Perinatal kayıp, kadının fiziksel sağlığını olumsuz etkileyebilir”, “Perinatal kayıp, kadının psiko-sosyal sağlığını olumsuz etkileyebilir”, “Perinatal kayıp yaşayan ebeveynler, sağlık çalışanları tarafından duygularını anlatmaları için cesaretlendirilmelidir” ifadelerine katılmışlardır. Araştırmada ebe ve hemşirelerin PKYGF puan ortalamalarının 39.69±5.65 (aralık:26-51) olduğu belirlenmiştir. Ebe ve hemşirelerin perinatal kayıp ve yasa ilişkin bilgilerinin orta düzeyde olduğu saptanmıştır.

A Review of Influencing Factors for Selection of Engineering Pathway for Women – A Case Study of Females Studying Engineering at Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec), New Zealand

Females are underrepresented in engineering cohorts in New Zealand. The lack of female participation in engineering fields at the tertiary education level has been a barrier for diversity and equality in both the industry and academic professions. A recent study by Docherty et al. [11] noted girls coming to engineering at Canterbury University, New Zealand are more likely to be from a single sex school and this phenomenon can be due to cultural reasons. They identified that future work is needed to look at the cultural changes in New Zealand which could potentially mitigate the gender bias.However, we first need to identify a range of contributing factors (including cultural issues) for the lack of diversity in engineering schools in New Zealand. By identifying these factors, we can then propose and implement necessary remediation actions to address the lack of female participation in engineering. Common influencing factors for female participation in STEM and selection of engineering pathways were found during a review of literature and included parental and teacher influences, self-efficacy, perception and attitude, gender stereotypes, and peer and media influences. We believe that New Zealand context in terms of how it influences female study and career pathway to engineering has not been well studied and documented to date. The objective of this research is to identify the main factors and cultural issues that contribute to low female participation in engineering studies in New Zealand. We carried out individual and focus group interviews on both domestic and international female students at Wintec enrolled in the Diploma, Bachelor of Engineering Technology and Graduate Diploma programmes in Civil Engineering. The interviews helped us to understand our students’ perspectives around the factors that influenced their study decisions. We used the collected data to identify patterns and generate themes. n the New Zealand context, we found, barriers to selection of engineering pathway for females include the school system; lack of career and subject choice guidance available to students at school, lack of promotion of the profession, and society’s perception of engineers as being masculine - “a tradie working in a workshop”. For our international students’ participants, it appears that the school system in their country directed them (regardless of gender) to maths and engineering study pathways if they showed talent in these areas and engineering is a highly regarded profession.

Preservice Teachers as Document Detectives

Literacy today relies on a readers’ ability to analyse text critically. This case study investigated preservice teachers’ critical analysis of media text containing visuals and representations. In particular, the analysis focused on mathematical factors that impact on readers’ interpretation of diverse visuals. Data was gathered from the 23 preservice teachers, enrolled in the Graduate Diploma program at one Australian university. They participated in a series of mathematics learning sessions focused on the critical analysis of a selection of media items. The paper argues that the ability to critically analyse graphs and visuals relies on mathematical knowledge and that the ability to critically analyse such representations is a necessary component of mathematical literacy and everyday literacy. Mathematics teachers require well-developed critical analysis competencies to enable them, and ultimately their students, to critically analyse representations in everyday text. The paper illustrates that drawing on diverse visuals from the media can be productively used to develop critical analysis competencies.

Pharmacy education and practice in Syria: Past, present, and future

AbstractSyria, a country with a strong rooted pharmacy history is still following a traditional pharmacy curriculum in its public and private institutions. The rising number of pharmacy graduates is putting pressure on an already weakened pharmacy job market with the majority of graduates still pursuing careers in retail pharmacy. This report sheds light on the development of pharmacy education and practice in this country. It provides a review of the curriculum content, the level of experiential training, and the current available practice venues. Existing graduate diploma available in public universities can be restructured to provide a Pharm D program. Existing residencies need to be revisited to include more clinical competencies that cover different pharmacy specialties. Pharmacists need to prove they are competent for the local authorities and other health care professionals to recognize the need for their clinical services and create new career venues and role recognitions. A clear legal framework to redefine the role of pharmacists as health care providers and their scope of practice need to be advocated by pharmacists associations and adopted by the Syrian authorities.

Giving Voice to Values Ethics Education Legal Educators Seminar delivered by Dr Liz Curran On-line for Association of Law Teachers UK, Presentation Slides

Giving Voice to Values (GVV) is basically a tool kit for people to feel empowered to have difficult conversations when their ethics, values, or something wrong is being urged. This is very pertinent for any profession (e.g. lawyers nurses) when a course of action might risk error, breach of ethics and responsibilities, regulations or patient/client harm. My colleague at ANU, Viv Holmes, was one of the first to adapt Mary Gentile (the pioneering architect of GVV – see resources section) into a legal context. I, Viv, Anneka Ferguson and Pamela Taylor- Barnett have consistently taught it in the Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice using Gentile’s tools for seven years at ANU. I have, in recent years also been using it in the professional development of lawyers and more recently for nurses and nursing students.This seminar was for legal educators across the UK. It explains Giving Voice to Values and why it helps to do it? It makes the connection between it and good, safe practice and mental well being and improved organizational responses. It discusses the Approach & Methodology, the Tools and some outcomes. It also flags some higher education and professional development training work I have been doing where I have been adapting GVV in different disciplines and contexts and my desire to evaluate it to build an empirical foundation for it.

Factors Correlated With Quality Of Patient’s Handover In Inpatient Room Of The Hospital

Background: Communication failure during handover is the main cause of the patient's injury and is the root cause of 65% of the sentinel incident. Bad handover is assumed to have correlation with clinical diagnosis inaccuracies, delay in diagnosis, delay in laboratory tests, treatment errors, inconsistent or misinterpretation of results, duplication of tests, increase in complications of the Hospital.Purpose: This study aimed to determine the factors related to the quality of the patient's handover in inpatient room of the hospital.Methods: This research used a correlational analysis study with a cross sectional approach. Data retrieval use questionnaires and observation sheets. The number of samples on this study is 79 nurses taken in random sampling techniques. Statistical analysis used is a test of spearman rank.Results: The result of this research revealed that most of the respondents (69.6%) are diploma graduates, and 72.2% of respondents have a working time of < 5 years. Almost all respondents (93.7%) have good motivation, and 94.9% of respondents have good handover quality. The last educational variable (p = 0.388) and the nurse’s working time (P = 0.209) are not related to the quality of the handover, while the motivation (P = 0.000) and the implementation of the chief nurse’s supervision (P = 0.000) relate to the quality of the handover between the shifts in the inpatient room of the hospital.Conclusion of this study is the motivation and the implementation of the chief nurse’s supervision relate to the quality of the handover between the shifts in the inpatient room of the hospital. Hospital’s management is expected to raise the motivation of nurses in conducting handover and enhancing the supervision of the chief nurse to improve the quality of the patient's handover and minimize the errors in information exchange conducted by nurses

The Development of an Internal Supervision Model Using the Professional Learning Community for Educational Supervisor of Graduate Diploma in Teaching Profession Program

The objectives of this research were to: 1) study the current and desirable situations of supervision for graduate diploma in teaching profession program, 2 develop the internal supervision model using professional learning community for educational supervisor of graduate diploma in teaching profession program, and 3) evaluate the efficiency of the developed model.The samples were 49 educational supervisors and committees of graduate diploma in teaching profession program. The instrument was handbook of internal supervision model developed by using the professional learning community. Statistics used were percentage, mean, standard deviation, modified priority needs index, efficiency index, and t-test for dependent samples. The finding srevealed that: 1) The current situation of internal supervision of graduate diploma in teaching profession program was in “High” level. In addition, the desirable situation was found in the“Highest” level. When considering each aspect, it was found that the aspect with highest emergency need for development was the planning with the PNImodified of 0.40. The second one was the implementing with the PNImodified of 0.36. 2) The developed model was evaluated in the “Highest” level in terms of the propriety, feasibility, and utility.It was integrated in 6 steps including: (1) Preparing, (2) Planning, (3) Implementing, (4) Reflecting, Improvement, and Evaluation, (5) Reinforcing, and (6) Concluding and Reporting. 3) The results of the trials were: (3.1) The efficiency of process and product (E1 / E2) were84.67/ 83.00 which was higher than the specified criterion 80/80. (3.2) The posttest score was significantly higher than the pretest one at level of p-value <0.01. (3.3) The satisfaction on the developed model was in the “Highest” level. When considering each aspect, it was found that planning had the highest mean score, while implementing was found in the second order, and reflecting, improvement, and evaluation had the lowest mean scores.

Rural decline and community services education in Victoria: the Bendigo experience

In 1989 Phillip Institute of Technology (based at Bundoora (Melbourne)) offered its Bachelor of Social Work degree (BSW) and Graduate Diploma in Community Development (CD) in the Central Victorian city of Bendigo. This paper outline some of the contextual issues and identifies certain key factors in addressing these issues.

Increasing normality-persisting barriers: Current socio-demographic characteristics of 350 individuals diagnosed with gender dysphoria.

The number of individuals requesting medical treatment for gender dysphoria has increased significantly within the past years. Our purpose was to examine current biographic and socio-demographic characteristics and aspects of legal gender reassignment. Medical files from n=350 individuals of a German Endocrine outpatient clinic were collected from 2009 to 2017 and analysed retrospectively. Ratio of transwomen to transmen equates to 1:1.89 with a remarkable increase of transmen by the year 2013, showing a reversal of gender distribution compared with previous studies for the first time. Use of illegal substances or self-initiated hormone therapy was rare (4.6 and 2.1%). Satisfaction with gender-affirming hormone therapy was significantly higher in transmen than in transwomen (100% vs 96.2%, P=.005). Use of antidepressants declined significantly after onset of hormone treatment in transmen (13% vs 7%; P=.007). The number of individuals with a graduation diploma was only about half as high as in the general population (14.3% vs 27.3%), whereas unemployment rate was more than twice as high (14% vs 6.9%). Median latency between application for legal gender reassignment and definitive court decision was 9months. Our data provide possible indications for a decline of psychosocial burden in individuals diagnosed with gender dysphoria over the last years. However, affected individuals are still limited in their occupational and financial opportunities as well as by a complex and expensive procedure of legal gender reassignment in Germany.

Knowledge of radiation protection among radiology professionals and students: A medical college-based study

BACKGROUNDRadiation protection is the core of radiography for safe radiation-based imaging practice. This study aims to determine the knowledge of radiation protection among radiology professionals and students in a medical college of Nepal. MATERIAL AND METHODSA questionnaire survey was carried out among 35 radiology staff and students at Universal College of Medical Sciences (UCMS), Bhairahawa, Nepal. The questionnaire survey consisted of socio-demographic variables and 17 questions, 3 questions were related to general information regarding training, knowledge, and experience and the remaining 14 multiple choice questions (MCQ) were related to radiation protection. Data were analyzed in SPSS Statistics software, version 27. The p-value was set at 5% level of significance. Nonparametric tests were applied since the data did not follow normal distribution. The knowledge score were categorized into lesser than 60 % inadequate, 60–80 % adequate and greater than or equal to 80 % excellent. RESULTSOut of total 35 participants, 28 were male and 7 were female with mean age 26.09 ± 7.18 years, range 18–54. The average radiation level of awareness was 9.6 (68.57 %), which was adequate, maximum 13 and minimum 4. There was not statistical significance of knowledge score by gender, age groups, work experience and studentship. Taking academic qualification, the level of knowledge of diploma graduates was inadequate 7.76 (55.42 %), and lower than other higher academic qualifications. CONCLUSIONSAdequate radiation protection course materials and training should be introduced for diploma graduates. Continuing professional education (CME) should be organized regularly. Moreover, radiation protection law is a must in Nepal now.

Assessing Roles of English Language Teachers: In the Case of Wollo University

Teaching is demanding and complex task. Everything is needed to be molded or activated and changed based up on teachers’ role in general. The current study focuses on roles of teachers who are teaching English as foreign or second language at Wollo University particularly. The research was conducted by using descriptive design with incorporating qualitative approach. The total population of the study was 48. The sample of the study was selected through random sampling design in general and availability technique in particular. The data collection instruments were semi-structured interview and classroom observation. The data gathered by using these tools were analyzed qualitatively based on their theme. The research results revealed that English teachers’ responsibilities were managing the teaching and learning methods and activities inside classroom, facilitating, advising, assessing, researching, reviewing and planning the lesson. Additionally, some teachers have few difficulties while teaching. Based on the results, the researcher recommended that the fund should be outflowed for educational purposes, teachers should take part in training opportunities, create constant awareness on Pedagogic Graduate Diploma teaching training, teachers should be recruited based on their interest of teaching, and the teachers should review their teaching process.

Pre-service Teachers’ Attitude towards the Inclusion of Students with Disabilities

The aim of the study was to investigate pre-service teachers' attitudes towards the inclusion of students with disabilities. To conduct the study a descriptive survey research method was used.The study was conducted in Mekelle University, Ethiopia. In the selection process of the research participants, a convenience sampling method was followed. The data were collected from 143 (92 males and 51 females) pre-service/Post Graduate Diploma in Teaching science and non-science teacher candidates. To collect the data for the study, a survey questionnaire was employed. Hence, the data were fully quantitative. Data gathered were analyzed under different themes using a descriptive approach.The findings of the study showed that though the pre-service teachers have relatively good understanding of students' with disabilities right to education and inclusion, the importance of for students with disabilities, and school roles for inclusion, negative and divided attitudes were found on including students with disabilities in their future classrooms.

Simulated patient contributions to enhancing exercise physiology student clinical assessment skills

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to evaluate exercise physiology students’ perceptions of two simulation-based learning modules focused on communication and interpersonal skills during history taking.MethodsA prospective, repeated-measures cohort study was conducted with 15 participants. The study evaluated two simulation-based learning modules in a 1-year Graduate Diploma of Exercise Science program. Surveys were administered at four time points: prior to each module and following each module. Students rated their confidence in communication and history taking, and perception of preparedness for practice, motivation for learning, and benefits of undertaking simulation-based learning. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively and by using repeated measures tests. Qualitative data underwent thematic analyses.ResultsStudents reported a significant improvement in their confidence in communication (P = 0.043) and in two parameters related to history taking (P = 0.034 and 0.035) following the completion of the two modules. There was 96% agreement that the simulation-based learning better prepared students for practice as an exercise physiologist. Significant changes occurred in all aspects of motivation for learning (P ranging from < 0.001 to 0.036) except for usefulness, where there was a ceiling effect (medians of 7 on a 7-point scale). Qualitative analysis demonstrated benefit to participants around themes of experiential learning, realism, opportunity to develop clinical skills, and debriefing. Students also made suggestions with respect to the activity structure of the simulation-based learning modules.ConclusionsThe results of this study indicated that simulation-based learning employing SPs increased the confidence and preparedness of exercise physiology students for conducting history taking, a requisite exercise physiology skill. Future studies should include behavioral measures of skill attainment and include follow-up evaluation to appraise the application of these skills into clinical practice.

Challenges in the implementation of a new course on aboriginal history, health, wellness and culture in a graduate diploma of midwifery program

Challenges in the implementation of a new course on aboriginal history, health, wellness and culture in a graduate diploma of midwifery program