Impact case study:
Helping students acquire and apply
knowledge through technology
HEA collaboration with Birmingham City University
Birmingham City University has one of
the largest health faculties in the UK with
more than 7,000 students. The Health
Sciences team at the Faculty of Health
identified an issue with teaching applied
physiology and bioscience to healthcare
students, who often found it difficult to
learn and apply in practice.
Dr Tricia Fell, Senior Academic in Learning
and Teaching at the School of Health and
Social Care found this lack of knowledge
challenging when teaching physiology and
bioscience to pre and postgraduate qualified
nurses. Particularly because nursing graduates
need to be able to confidently apply
bioscience in clinical decision making.
“There’s a lot of literature about nurses being
compassionate at the moment but care and
compassion requires a sound knowledge
base,” Tricia said.
To help address the issue, a team led by
Tricia, Salim Khan and Pat James were
supported by the HEA to develop a mobile
toolkit that includes an electronic web-based
app and associated lanyard cards to help
students acquire and consolidate physiological
knowledge and apply it in practice.
The app can be used independently or
with other resources and accessed from
all types of smart phones, tablets or on a
ward, home or college-based computer. QR
codes on lanyard cards provide direct links to
more detailed supporting information about
understanding observations, pathologies and
drugs.
“It’s incredible how in the last three or four
years tablets and smart phones are being used
more frequently by students” Tricia said. “As
a team we wanted to utilise this increasing use
of mobile technology in order to encourage
students to access key information to help them
learn when they are out and about and not on
campus.”
“Taking part in the project has really
enhanced my student experience.
It’s been good to feel like I’ve got
involved in things at the university
and to be working alongside people
that have been teaching me. Using all
this technology that’s out there but
combining it with education is the
way forward.”
Carrie Munroe, third year speech and language
student, Birmingham City University.
Case study continued overleaf
She praised the HEA for being “extremely
supportive” in solving problems and offering
advice throughout the project.
Tricia added that the app project had
been “well received” within the university
and senior staff have been supportive.
Once piloted with Operating Department
Practitioner (ODP) students and nurses, the
app will be used by all healthcare students.
And the app framework will be rolled out
for use across the whole of BCU.
Victoria Lynne, a third year nursing
student, was involved throughout the
development process and designed user
activities, including quizzes, questions
and crosswords covering the respiratory
system. As a result of taking part in the
project she had unique opportunities such
as presenting at conferences.
She said: “I’ve really enjoyed looking at things
from a research perspective and how it
changes and influences students and staff. It’s
opened my eyes to things that I didn’t know
existed when I started and so it’s been an
honour to be involved in that.”
Carrie Munroe, third year speech and
language student, who also assisted with the
project said: “Taking part in the project has
really enhanced my student experience. It’s
been good to feel like I’ve got involved in
things at the university and to be working
alongside people that have been teaching
me. Using all this technology that’s out there
but combining it with education is the way
forward.”
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