Bioscience Knowledge Research Articles

Making sense of complexity: A qualitative ‘Framework’ analysis of naturopathic case management and clinical reasoning

Background and purposeThe clinical encounter is inherently complex and uncertain. Naturopathic clinical practice is shaped by a traditional philosophy and practice guiding principles, with a therapeutic framework that incorporates a complex inter-systems approach. It is possible that this foundation may orient naturopathic practitioners to manage clinical complexity and uncertainty in a distinct manner. The aim of this study is to explore the perceptions of experienced naturopathic practitioners to the management of clinical complexity within naturopathic care. Materials and methodsTwenty experienced Australian naturopathic practitioners participated across four focus groups, responding to semi-structured questions regarding their clinical reasoning strategies and case management processes. The data were analysed using a seven step Framework analysis method. ResultsThree primary themes were identified: i) patient is encountered as a whole entity, ii) clinical reasoning is ampliative and explicative, and iii) treatment reflects systems thinking. Participants perceived a focus on the connections between various case elements, building a comprehensive internalised schematic of each case. Participants saw treatments as meeting various needs including prevention, symptom alleviation, causal mitigation, and support of innate healing processes. ConclusionNaturopathic practitioners perceive they clinically embody the traditional holistic philosophy of naturopathy as a systems orientation, incorporating traditional and contemporary bioscience knowledge. This appears to shape a distinct naturopathic case management approach, oriented to working with patients in a complexity-informed manner.

Development and validation of a script concordance test to assess biosciences clinical reasoning skills: A cross-sectional study of 1st year undergraduate nursing students

BackgroundDeveloping evaluative measures that assess clinical reasoning remains a major challenge for nursing education. A thorough understanding of biosciences underpins much of nursing practice and is essential to allow nurses to reason effectively. A gap in clinical reasoning can lead to unintended harm. The Script Concordance test holds promise as a measure of clinical reasoning in the context of uncertainty, situations common in nursing practice. The aim of this study is to develop and validate a test for first year undergraduate nursing students that will evaluate how bioscience knowledge is used to clinically reason. MethodsAn international team, teaching biosciences to undergraduate nurses constructed a test integrating common clinical cases with a series of related test items: diagnostic, investigative and treatment. An expert panel (n = 10) took the test and commented on authenticity/ambiguities/omissions etc. This step is crucial for validity and for scoring of the student test.The test was administered to 47 first year undergraduate nursing students from the author sites. Students rated educational aspects of the tool both quantitatively and qualitatively. Statistical and content analyses inform the findings. FindingsResults indicate that the test is reliable and valid, differentiating between experts and students. Students demonstrated an ability to identify relevant data, link this to their bioscience content and predict outcomes (mean score = 50.78 ± 8.89). However, they lacked confidence in their answers when the scenarios appeared incomplete to them. ConclusionNursing practice is dependent on a thorough understanding of biosciences and the ability to clinically reason. Script concordance tests can be used to promote both competencies. This method of evaluation goes further than probing factual knowledge. It also explores capacities of data interpretation, critical analysis, and clinical reasoning. Evaluating bioscience knowledge and real-world situations encountered in practice is a unique strength of this test.

Nursing student learning of biosciences through movies and concept maps: A mixed study

Backgroundacquisition of bioscience knowledge is challenging for nursing students. This calls for teaching methodologies that allow them to acquire this knowledge and add value in the nursing context. Objectiveto evaluate a teaching experience using a movie clip and the collaborative use of C-Maps in first-year bioscience learning in nursing students. Designembedded mixed methods study. Participants143 students. Methodsdata were collected in two phases: first, collecting quantitative data through a questionnaire on utility, satisfaction and perceived competency development, and collecting qualitative data on learning, teaching materials and developed competencies through an open-question instrument. The second phase consisted of a focus group to explore in greater depth learning experience. Resultssix themes emerged from the qualitative analysis: using C-Maps as a learning process; developing group competencies; knowledge integration and transfer; teacher-student relationship; art as a didactic support; and difficulties encountered and proposals for improvement. Regarding utility, the students highlighted learning and relating concepts. Elements of satisfaction were working in small groups and having the teacher as a guide. Finally, the competencies most developed were teamwork and learning ability. Conclusionthe combination of a movie clip and a C-Map is an innovative strategy motivating and valuable for learning biosciences.

Never Heard That Before! Bioscience Knowledge Retention in Undergraduate Nursing Education

Human anatomy and physiology are considered foundational courses in medical, allied health, and nursing disciplines and serve as prerequisites for future theory courses and nursing clinicals. Numerous studies have demonstrated the difficulty for medical and allied health students to acquire, transfer, retain, and apply knowledge from these courses in subsequent years of their programs. However, most knowledge retention studies of anatomy and physiology have been carried out with a focus on medical and allied health students and have rarely been assessed in nursing students. In addition, most studies of interventions in anatomy and physiology have emphasized factors affecting knowledge acquisition in the first year of nursing, and little is known about knowledge retention and application during subsequent years of nursing. This review highlights the current status of knowledge retention in nursing education, identifies potential gaps, and discusses interventional strategies to bridge the gap between the classroom and future theory courses and nursing clinicals.

Configuration of Mobile Learning Tools to Support Basic Physical Assessment in Nursing Education: Longitudinal Participatory Design Approach.

BackgroundAs many students in higher education are skilled users of mobile technology, mobile learning (mLearning) can be a promising educational strategy to enhance their learning experience. mLearning might also be well suited for nursing students as they navigate between multiple learning contexts in their educational curriculum. As an educational strategy, mLearning may also reduce challenges caused by the theory-practice gap in nursing by supporting skills and knowledge transfer between the university and clinical settings. As the introduction of basic physical assessment skills (B-PASs) into Norwegian bachelor’s degree education in nursing occurred quite recently, there is a lack of competence in supervision and teaching in both university and clinical settings. As such, mLearning appears to be a good strategy to support student B-PAS learning and knowledge transfer across learning contexts.ObjectiveThis study aims to explore and elicit the perspectives of students regarding the way in which a selection of digital learning resources supports B-PAS learning and application in clinical rotation, which of the selected digital learning resources are beneficial to include in a suite of mLearning tools, and how the selected digital learning resources could support the transfer of skills and knowledge from the academic to clinical context.MethodsWe used a longitudinal participatory design approach to co-design a suite of mLearning tools. The co-design processes took place in several workshops (WSs) over a period of 3 months: 2 WSs with first-year students (n=6), 3 WSs with second-year students (n=6), and 3 WSs with third-year students (n=8). The students evaluated several digital learning resources in both academic and clinical contexts. The digital learning resources included digital simulation with virtual patients, massive open online courses, and multimedia learning material. In the co-design WS, the potential and benefits of these digital learning resources for the learning and application of B-PASs were explored.ResultsThe students reported that the digital learning resources stimulated learning in 7 different ways. They also emphasized the importance of including all selected and tested digital learning resources. Moreover, students supported the inclusion of additional learning material, such as multiple-choice tests and written assignments, aimed at providing feedback and contributing to knowledge development.ConclusionsThe co-design processes and collaboration with the nursing students provided insight into how a suite of mLearning tools may support the learning and application of B-PASs and human bioscience knowledge in clinical rotation. From the students’ perspective, one of the strengths of the suite of mLearning tools was the range of content, as this met a broader range of student learning preferences regarding learning B-PASs. The suite of mLearning tools contributes to and supports skills training and knowledge transfer between multiple learning contexts.

“Connecting the dots” – The transfer of bioscience knowledge by new graduate nurses to the clinical setting: A qualitative study

BackgroundLittle is known regarding the transfer of bioscience knowledge gained during undergraduate nursing studies into clinical practice. ObjectiveTo explore the experiences of new registered nurses in applying bioscience concepts in their day-to-day nursing practice. DesignDescriptive qualitative design. ParticipantsFifteen recently graduated registered nurses (RNs) who were working in acute care settings participated in the study. MethodsSemi-structured, face-to-face individual interviews were conducted. Interview data were audio-recorded and thematically analysed. ResultsFour themes were identified from the qualitative interviews. The first and second themes demonstrated nurses' realisation of the relevance of theoretical bioscience knowledge learnt within the classroom to their practice and how this evidence-based knowledge translated into confidence in decisions made. The third and fourth themes revealed the impact bioscience knowledge had on RNs' relationships with patients and family members, which was viewed as providing compassionate care. ConclusionsThe application of knowledge in biosciences gained during their undergraduate years, provided the basis for RNs to trust in their own clinical judgment and to speak with conviction. ‘Connecting the dots’ between bioscience knowledge and clinical practice provided the platform for RNs to gain and build trust with their patients. The practical utility of bioscience knowledge in everyday practice allowed RNs to contextualise their nursing care regimen and tailor holistic nursing care delivery to individual patient needs.

Designing and developing core physiology learning outcomes for pre-registration nursing education curriculum.

Physiology is a key element of "bioscience" education within pre-registration nursing programs, but there is a lack of clarity on what is included. Physiology and bioscience content and delivery are highly varied across both higher education institutions and the related programs in the United Kingdom (UK). Despite evidence highlighting concerns over nurses' lack of bioscience knowledge and unsafe practice, there is no universally agreed on curriculum with detailed outcomes of minimum levels of knowledge to support nurses in practice and patient care. This study aimed to inform the construction of discipline-specific physiology learning outcomes to clarify relevant physiological topics required in pre-registration nursing. Initially, 360 learning outcomes were identified from various sources. Using a modified Delphi approach, an expert panel from the Bioscience in Nurse Education group reviewed and modified the list to 195 proposed outcomes. These were circulated to universities in the UK who teach nursing (n = 65). Outcomes that had 80% consensus were automatically included in the next round, with others recommended with modification (response rate 22%). The panel reviewed the modifications, and 182 outcomes were circulated in the second questionnaire (response rate 23%), and further panel review resulting in 177 outcomes agreed. These learning outcomes do not suggest how they should be delivered, but gives the basic level required for qualification as a nurse commensurate with the Nursing and Midwifery Council new standards for the "future nurse."

First-year pharmacy students’ prior knowledge correlates with study progress and reveals different dynamics of misconceptions

The varying levels and quality of students’ prior knowledge pose a challenge for instruction at university. Due to the scarcity of studies in pharmacy, in this study pharmacy students (N=126) prior knowledge of biosciences was measured at the beginning of their first study year using a questionnaire comprising ten multiple choice questions and a case task. The results of multiple-choice and open-ended questions revealed serious gaps and different-level misconceptions in students’ answers partly related to the absence of elementary knowledge. The level of prior knowledge correlated with study progress measured at the end of the first study year. The study’s findings suggest that it is possible to identify students at risk of delayed studies using this kind of relatively light pre-test. Problem-solving tasks such as case descriptions can be used to detect potential misconceptions. The pedagogical implications of these results are discussed.

Short‐term Physiological Knowledge Retention in Nursing Students.

Despite anatomy and physiology being foundational courses in medical, nursing and allied ‐ health care programs, there is growing concern that the essential bioscience knowledge in these courses is not being retained by students over time. Numerous studies have demonstrated the difficulty of medical, nursing and allied health care students to retain and apply anatomical knowledge as they progress through their programs of study (Doomernik et al., 2017). However, physiological knowledge retention has not been studied as extensively as anatomical knowledge retention in health care disciplines, with very few studies focusing on nursing students (Aari et al., 2004). Of those studies most are carried out after graduation (Aari et al., 2004), or are focused on a single or limited number of organ systems (Pourshanazari et al., 2013). The present study aims to determine the level of physiological knowledge retained by nursing students in the four month time period between the completion of their physiology course in first‐year nursing and enrollment in the second‐year pathophysiology course. To answer this question, nursing students were quizzed on eight organ systems using the on‐line quizzing system Kahoot. Each Kahoot quiz included nine to eleven knowledge and comprehension level multiple‐choice questions. These scores were compared to first year quiz scores on the same content to determine overall knowledge retention over time. Data were statistically analyzed using SPSS II, and means were compared using 2‐sample t‐tests. The scores are described for each organ system by reporting the mean and standard deviation (SD). Statistical significance was set at P ≤ 0.05 for all tests. The mean score of questions from all organ systems in year one was 64.72 ± 9.3 (SD). Comparing that score to matched test items evaluated in the pathophysiology course, there is a decrease in the overall mean score from 64.72 ± 9.3 (SD) to 53.33 ± 25.8 (SD). This equates to an 86.6% retention rate, or 13.6% knowledge loss within four months. Organ‐specific knowledge retention was highest for renal physiology (99.0%), digestive physiology (97.8%), immunity (89.9%), vascular physiology (88.6%), and reproductive physiology (84.2%). Retention was comparatively lower for endocrine physiology (80.7%), inflammation (79.8%), and blood (79.4%). These results demonstrate a high level of knowledge retention overall with variations in retention being system specific. The level of knowledge retention in this study was significantly higher than previous rates reported in medical and allied‐health students (Pourshanazari et al., 2013) and is significantly higher than anatomical knowledge retention levels in the same population (Narnaware and Neumeier, 2019 a,b).Support or Funding InformationNone

Does ‘the bioscience problem’ need to be investigated within midwifery?

Excellent bioscience education is required in midwifery to understand normal physiology of childbirth and neonatal adaptations to life, complications that may arise, pre-existing medical conditions and relevant pharmacology. The childbearing population is becoming more medically complex and the new draft ‘Standards of Proficiency for Midwives’ requires midwives to possess a high level of bioscience knowledge. Within nursing ‘the bioscience problem’ has been studied, and suggests insufficient bioscience knowledge within the workforce, leading to poorer staff confidence and patient outcomes. Does ‘the bioscience problem’ need to be investigated within midwifery?

Filling in some gaps: A pre-nursing bioscience and study skills intervention

BackgroundMultiple issues exist with the learning of bioscience in undergraduate nursing education. However, there are gaps in the literature for studies that have addressed this problem. AimsThis study aimed to investigate the impact of providing early innovative support for study skills and self-efficacy in basic bioscience. MethodsThe study involved the provision of a five-day pre-nursing bioscience and study skills intervention. It was evaluated with a 20-item survey where participants (n = 51) rated their self-efficacy to complete the Bachelor of Nursing, to learn bioscience and to use their study skills over the intervention and later bioscience unit. Students also responded to a list of concerns and were compared to the general cohort (n = 111). FindingsParticipants reported increased self-efficacies after the intervention and this improvement was maintained to the end of the bioscience unit. Concerns changed from having a lack of bioscience and study skills, to those that were more externally based such as their impending clinical placement. In contrast, the general cohort remained focused on their lack of bioscience knowledge. DiscussionThe intervention was shown to be an effective support strategy for student learning. Furthermore, despite a significant number of participants having less prior learning in high school bioscience, they performed to the same level as the general cohort in the final exam of the bioscience unit. ConclusionThe provision of early support for study skills and self-efficacy improvement is an investment to the learning of bioscience in undergraduate nursing education.

Enhanced bioscience content is urgently needed in UK pre-registration nursing curricula

Achieving adequate bioscience learning and assessment in pre registration nursing programs has been problematic for many decades. This has been discussed extensively in national and international health care literature. Despite this, the quantity and quality of bioscience content appears currently in many UK registered nursing programs, to be in a period of decline. Sub optimal bioscience knowledge of registered nurses has been consistently correlated with avoidable morbidity and mortality. An increasing evidence base indicates that a higher level of educated registered nurse, leads to improved health outcomes. It is therefore clear that continuing to fail to address the bioscience problem in nursing education has the potential to incur considerable adverse impact on the UK populations' health. The recent publication of new Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) standards of proficiency for registered nurses, and standards for pre-registration nursing programs require nurse education providers across the UK, to write new curriculum. The purpose of this discussion paper is to present the case for enhanced bioscience content within these.

Nursing students collaborating to develop multiple-choice exam revision questions: A student engagement study

BackgroundNursing students find bioscience subjects challenging. Bioscience exams pose particular concerns for these students, which may lead to students adopting a surface-approach to learning. ObjectivesTo promote student collective understanding of bioscience, improve their confidence for the final exam, and improve deeper understanding of bioscience. DesignIn order to address exam anxiety, and improve student understanding of content, this student engagement project involved nursing students collaborating in small groups to develop multiple-choice questions and answers, which became available to the entire student cohort. SettingsThis study was conducted at two campuses of an Australian university, within a first year bioscience subject as part of the undergraduate nursing programme. ParticipantsAll students enrolled in the subject were encouraged to attend face-to-face workshops, and collaborate in revision question writing. Online anonymous questionnaires were used to invite student feedback on this initiative; 79 respondents completed this feedback. MethodsStudents collaborated in groups to write revision questions as part of in-class activities. These questions were made available on the student online learning site for revision. An online feedback survey was deployed at the conclusion of all workshops for this subject, with questions rated using a Likert scale. ResultsParticipants indicated that they enjoyed the opportunity to collaborate in this activity, and almost all of these respondents used these questions in their exam preparation. There was strong agreement that this activity improved their confidence for the final exam. Importantly, almost two-thirds of respondents agreed that writing questions improved their understanding of content, and assisted in their active reflection of content. ConclusionsOverall, this initiative revealed various potential benefits for the students, including promoting bioscience understanding and confidence. This may improve their long-term understanding of bioscience for nursing practice, as registered nurses' bioscience knowledge can impact on patient outcomes.

Advancing student nurse knowledge of the biomedical sciences: A mixed methods study

BackgroundNursing students' ability to learn, integrate and apply bioscience knowledge to their clinical practice remains a concern. ObjectivesTo evaluate the implementation, influence, and student perspective of a team-teaching workshop to integrate bioscience theory with clinical nursing practice. DesignThe team-teaching workshop was offered prior to commencement of the university semester as a refresher course at an Australian university. This study employed a sequential explanatory mixed methods design incorporating both quantitative and qualitative items. MethodsAn evaluation survey with quantitative and qualitative items and a focus group were employed. The qualitative data were analysed using a thematic approach. The quantitative data was combined with the emergent themes in the qualitative data. ParticipantsParticipants were final year nursing students. Nine students attended the workshop. All students completed the evaluation (N=9) and 44.4% (N=4) attended the focus group. ResultsThe results revealed six themes: (1) lectures are an inadequate teaching strategy for bioscience; (2) teaching strategies which incorporate active learning engage students; (3) the team-teaching workshop provides an effective learning environment; (4) the workshop content should be expanded; (5) pharmacology should relate to bioscience, and bioscience should relate to nursing; and (6) team-teaching was effective in integrating pharmacology with bioscience, and then translating this into nursing practice. Students had felt there was disjointedness between pharmacology and bioscience, and between bioscience and nursing care within their undergraduate studies. The workshop that was based on team-teaching bridged those gaps, utilised active learning strategies and provided an effective learning environment. ConclusionTeam-teaching that employs active learning strategies is an effective approach to assist nursing students to integrate bioscience knowledge into their nursing practice.

Is LabTutor a helpful component of the blended learning approach to biosciences?

To evaluate the use of LabTutor (a physiological data capture and e-learning package) in bioscience education for student nurses. Knowledge of biosciences is important for nurses the world over, who have to monitor and assess their patient's clinical condition, and interpret that information to determine the most appropriate course of action. Nursing students have long been known to find acquiring useable bioscience knowledge challenging. Blended learning strategies are common in bioscience teaching to address the difficulties students have. Student nurses have a preference for hands-on learning, small group sessions and are helped by close juxtaposition of theory and practice. An evaluation of a new teaching method using in-classroom voluntary questionnaire. A structured survey instrument including statements and visual analogue response format and open questions was given to students who participated in Labtutor sessions. The students provided feedback in about the equipment, the learning and the session itself. First year (n=93) and third year (n=36) students completed the evaluation forms. The majority of students were confident about the equipment and using it to learn although a few felt anxious about computer-based learning. They all found the equipment helpful as part of their bioscience education and they all enjoyed the sessions. This equipment provides a helpful way to encourage guided independent learning through practice and discovery and because each session is case study based and the relationship of the data to the patient is made clear. Our students helped to evaluate our initial use of LabTutor and found the sessions enjoyable and helpful. LabTutor provides an effective learning tool as part of a blended learning strategy for biosciences teaching. Improving bioscience knowledge will lead to a greater understanding of pathophysiology, treatments and interventions and monitoring.

Bioscience learning in clinical placement: the experiences of pre-registration nursing students.

The aim of this study was to explore student nurses' views and experiences of bioscience learning in clinical placement. The study focused on (1) how relevant students perceive bioscience knowledge to their professional role; (2) what opportunities students have to apply bioscience knowledge during clinical placements; (3) what students perceive about the support they receive from placement mentors regarding bioscience learning. Bioscience knowledge is required for safe and effective practice but is an area that students find challenging. Clinical placements offer students the ideal environment to integrate bioscience into clinical decision making. There is, however, a lack of research addressing specifically students' placement learning of bioscience. An explanatory sequential mixed methods approach was adopted. The research involved two phases. In phase one predominantly quantitative data were collected via a survey. 112 final year BSc nursing students from across fields completed the survey (response rate=66%). The results of this phase were then built upon by conducting three focus groups (n=17) in a second qualitative research phase. Whilst students acknowledged the relevance of bioscience to their nursing role, this study suggests that its importance is not recognised as widely by practice educators. Findings highlight inconsistencies in the quality of mentor support, the opportunities for students to learn and the priority that bioscience is given in placement education. This study demonstrates the need for more explicit bioscience criteria in placement assessments and a greater level of mentor education to ensure more consistency in the standard of placement learning of bioscience. Providing insight into factors that influence student learning of bioscience during clinical placements provides focus on how higher education institutions and practice educators can better support students to confidently apply bioscience knowledge to deliver safe and effective patient care.

Preregistration nursing students' perspectives on the learning, teaching and application of bioscience knowledge within practice.

This paper aims to explore student nurses' experiences of bioscience learning, teaching and application within the practice setting. It draws upon the social learning theory of communities of practice to consider the issues raised. The teaching of bioscience within many nursing curricula has shifted from traditional to more integrated approaches. Student nurses recognise bioscience as a valuable component of their studies, but many find it challenging. The focus of previous research in this area has often focussed on bioscience learning in theoretical rather than practice settings. A phenomenological study. Data were collected via focus group or interview with a total of seven students across two campuses in a Scottish university. Participants were offered the opportunity to share their experiences at both the end of year one and year two of their studies. A thematic analysis was undertaken independently then jointly by the authors. The findings suggest that although participants recognise the value of bioscience within practice settings, they found that opportunities for learning were often limited. Bioscience-related learning, teaching and application was perceived to have been given less legitimacy by the practice setting than other aspects of placement activity. To enhance bioscience approaches participants expressed a desire for more structured and integrated approaches within both practice and university along with further peer learning opportunities. Students recognise that bioscience knowledge is important in relation to the provision of safe and effective care. They request greater structure and consistency in relation to the learning, teaching and application of this topic during their placements. Those with a stake in educating nurses within clinical settings may find the views of student nurses on the topic of bioscience learning useful when planning and facilitating placement experiences.

Self-efficacy and relevance of bioscience for nursing, midwifery and healthcare students.

To examine nursing, midwifery and allied healthcare students' self-efficacy for science, perceived relevance of bioscience to their studies and expectations for academic success and the changes that occur after completing first-year introductory bioscience subjects. Bioscience is a foundation subject that underpins nursing, midwifery and other allied health courses. Bioscience subjects continue to be source of anxiety for students in those courses. Raising students' self-efficacy and perceptions of the importance and utility of bioscience to practice may be a way of ameliorating students' expectations and confidence in this subject area. A prospective correlational survey design. Students were surveyed in the first semester of first year and the commencement of the second year. Students were drawn from nursing, midwifery, public health and allied health courses. The surveys contained scales for self-efficacy for science, perceived relevance of bioscience to their course and personal expectations for success in their bioscience subject. Ninety-seven and 82 students completed survey 1 and 2 respectively. Twenty-six surveys could be matched. Self-efficacy increased from survey 1 to survey 2, but expectations for academic success and task value, a measure for relevance, were lower. This was statistically significant for the matched pair sample. Using a mean split, students with high self-efficacy valued science more and had higher expectations for success in their bioscience courses than those with low self-efficacy. Academic success in bioscience, confidence undertaking science tasks and perceiving bioscience as relevant to their course are interwoven concepts that are important for nursing, midwifery and applied healthcare students and ultimately for their professional practice. Literature indicates practitioners may not feel confident in their bioscience knowledge. Assisting undergraduate students to develop confidence in and perceive the relevance of bioscience to their discipline may ultimately impact on clinical practice.

Development of an electronic role-play assessment initiative in bioscience for nursing students

Devising authentic assessments for subjects with large enrolments is a challenge. This study describes an electronic role-play assessment for approximately 600 first-year nursing students to learn and apply pathophysiology (bioscience) concepts to nursing practice. Students used Microsoft Office PowerPoint® to prepare electronic role-plays both between a nurse and patient, and between two nurses, thus simulating workplace scenarios. Student feedback demonstrated that respondents found this assessment useful for learning pathophysiology, and for applying pathophysiology to a nursing clinical setting. This electronic presentation circumvented issues associated with a traditional oral presentation such as embarrassment and logistics of scheduling groups, and rated well with students of non-English speaking background. The electronic role-play assessment initiative encouraged students to apply their bioscience knowledge to a clinical setting, and allowed students to conceptualise the importance of bioscience within both the nursing degree and the profession.

Reflective writing as a tool for assessing teamwork in bioscience: Insights into student performance and understanding of teamwork

To ensure a modern bioscience curriculum that responds to the current needs of stakeholders, there is a need to embed a range of generic capabilities that enables graduates to succeed in and contribute to a rapidly changing world, as well as building strong bioscience skills and knowledge. The curriculum must also prepare students for a rapidly evolving competitive work place and align with the needs of industry. This creates a challenge, how do we develop generic capabilities without losing discipline content. This report analyses teamwork projects embedded in an undergraduate Biotechnology degree designed to promote teamwork skills along with a deeper understanding of the underpinning biochemistry. Student reflective writing was used to capture students' understanding and experience of teamwork as well as provide insight into their metacognition. The analysis demonstrates that 73% of Year 3 and 93% of Year 4 students were capable of learning about teamwork through reflective writing. While the importance of frequent high quality communication was a common theme, evidence suggests that many students were unsophisticated in their use of communication software. The analysis also highlighted the depth of metacognition that underpins successful team function and the significant weaknesses in self-insight some students possess. These findings challenge assumptions regarding student capacity for leadership and the ability of some students to contribute to successful team outcomes. It is essential for the design of teamwork experiences to fully understand the competencies that underlie teamwork, the metacognitive processes required, and ensure that assessments are fair and measure individual academic performance.