University of Turku Travel Vlog

dirisanaplus

by Prof. SN Iipinge, Dr. R Kopano, Prof. L. Wolvaardt

Date Item
12.06.2023 – Introductory meeting at the University of Turku.

About UTU history:

  • Founded in 1922
  • It is a multi-disciplinary university.
  • Initially funded by private 22040 donors in Turku to teach students in the Finnish language.
  • They have about 25000 student compliments
  • Has 8 faculties
  • Turku City has about 200k population and 100k catchment population.
  • Has 5 independent units
  • Aims at 6200 publications per annum.
  • Graduate school with 17 Doctoral degrees
  • 180 doctoral graduates per year

The objectives of the visit and the proposed programme were discussed.
Facilitator Tool kit for publishers [students] [tools]

  • Powerpoint presentation
  • Teaching guide with syllabus
  • Activities
  • Handouts/ Prescribed readings
  • Manuscript template for different formats [activated word count and spelling]
  • Final do’s and don’ts proof-reading checklist
  • Cover letter template

Part 1: Learning Outcomes
At the end of this workshop the participants should be able to;

  1. To choose the format of the manuscript
  2. To produce a manuscript according to the journal guidelines
  3. Apply academic writing principles to the manuscript.
    Part 2: Teaching & Learning Strategies
    o Group work, identifying different types, critique different written texts and re-write a script in an acceptable format.
    o Have common errors.
    o Peer review (common errors & reviewers’ checklist)

Training outline;

  1. Methods
  2. Results
  3. Discussion
  4. Introduction
  5. Abstract
  6. Conclusion [flip chart exercise]
  7. List references [key authors in the field]
  8. Technical editing
  9. Submit a paper
  10. Publication cycle

Research thesis thoughts from Liz

  • The postgraduate UP report is divided into three parts.
  1. Introduction and background
  2. Manuscript in the format of a journal [e.g.URHJ]
  3. Discussion of secondary findings

13.06.2023 – Induction of new academic staff

  • UTU has Pedagogy studies induction and a course for new lecturers that builds into a full Postgraduate Diploma qualification.
  • Ideas shared on education support unit (ESU) [the responsibilities in teaching and learning etc.]
  • UTU shared ideas on the mentorship programme being administered through ESU. The mentors are individuals experts from the same field as the students. Mentors could be Alumni.
  • Implications for WHTC: we currently have lecturers as class mentors. This programme could be extended to the willing alumni. Meeting with the Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Medicine (Prof. Sanna)
  • Sanna presents the history of UTU.
  • UTU Research areas:
  • Biomaterial and Medical Devices
  • Cancer, Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases
  • Diagnostic Technologies
  • Digital Health
  • Drug Discovery
  • Functional Foods
  • Infectious Diseases, Inflammation and Immunity
  • Medical and Biomedical Imaging
  • Education Development Unit: responsible for the following:
  • Training
  • Mentoring
  1. Simulation teaching
  2. Multidisciplinary teaching
  3. Progress test
  4. Video and audio teaching
  5. Feedback system
  6. Learning Outcomes writing guide
  7. Netiquette
  • PhD in Nursing Studies is free at UTU [one can get a double Degree].
  • Post-Doctoral Education is available on application.
  • Implications for WHTC: establishment of the educational development unit or educational support functional centre. Meeting with Christine | Undergraduate Research in Health Journal. Christine is a director, and has a long history as an assistant editor of the APMIS journal running the Editorial Office and has also planned, and organized many courses in scientific writing.
  • The team introduced themselves and their involvement in the Dirisana project.
  • Liz explains the purpose of the URHJ; it is aimed at publishing an undergraduate student or a student with an equivalent qualification.
  • Proposal for training to be facilitated by Christine targeting URHJ editorial board, supervisors. Possibly 2 half days as necessary. It is suggested that the workshop be interactive to facilitate participation. Attendees are to be issued a certificate of participation.
  • Christine shares different ideas on how to conduct the workshop using different facilitation strategies that include real-life critiquing of papers.
  • Possible participant per training session 24pax.
  • Christine points out that there is a colleague who could co-facilitate training with sub-matter expertise from human sciences. Several other colleagues could be engaged to cover other topics such as Dissemination.

First training

  • 12 tips for scientific writing.
  • Second training
  • Will be based on training needs assessment.
  • Training is likely to take place in October 2023.

Prof Olli will discuss the cost of training with Meg-kyla. The logistic planning of the training will be done by the editorial board with representation from all the participating institutions.

14.06.2023 – Teaching & Learning (T&L), Assessment
The team discussed the following:

  1. Programmatic assessment and the benefits of having multiple points of data
    Cees van der Vleuten’s work in programmatic assessment (See attachment)
    Innovative assessment methods and the use of gamification
    o Use of paper-based games for students to design to show that they understand and have integrated their knowledge of the subject
    o Use of paper-based (or low tech such as PowerPoint) games for academic staff to use in class to engage students in revision.
    o Use of escape rooms to assess the skills not being tested directly in the curriculum such as problem-solving (attachment for your use). There are guides on how to do this (but one has to buy them, not expensive though)
    Implications for WHTC: these activities could be used for IPE or as face-to-face class activities to create an engaging T&L environment.
    The activities could also be used for staff team building.

More creative activities could be done to solve the communication problem that breeds most of the litigation cases in the healthcare industry.

Strategies to engage academic staff in developing their competence in developing and reviewing multiple choice questions etc.
o Development of question banks and shredding of questions
o Use of education consultants responsible for supporting academic staff on pedagogy and continuous professional development. These consultants collaborate with the HODs in staff induction, support, and evaluation.

Implications for WHTC: there is a critical need to incorporate the education support role in one of the existing positions to strengthen the academic departments.

Clinical teaching (simulation tour)
The tour was under the guidance of the clinical skills department manager (Ms Minaa). The department is sub-divided into rooms that cater for different departments (general medicine & primary health care, intensive care unit, maternity, pediatric, gerontology, peer-to-peer practice). Minaa indicated that for her to stay relevant in the department, she must continue practising at the teaching hospital.
Orientation of new staff to simulation teaching covers the following key areas:

  1. Pedagogy [tact]
  2. Safety
  3. Psychological support
    All the mannequins are electric and controlled in a separate control room by the teacher or the clinical skills lecturer. Different scenarios are actioned, and the students are expected to work as a team to treat the patient based on the way they are presenting. The teacher/lecturer can change the condition of the patient in the control room where they are stationed during the simulation class.

Teaching is done on a rotational basis. The rest of the students will be seated in an observation room where they’ll watch the students busy with the simulation activities through a television that is set up in the observation room. All the simulation rooms are equipped with CCTV cameras. Minaa continues to explain that they do real-life simulation activities like bringing a patient into the emergency department and students work together, interprofessional to attend to the patient.

Implication for WHTC: we currently have one electric midwifery mannequin which can be fully utilized by other departments as well. The simulation could be subdivided into small rooms, if possible, to facilitate easy learning. If there is a need for recording, 3600 webcams can be installed. There are cheaper options available in the market.
The meeting learnt that UTU does not give students practical books for completion of competencies and evaluation. This could be a support function from WHTC to TURKU.

15.06.2023 – Faculty development and support meeting
The team met Eeva who is responsible for the day-to-day implementation of faculty development strategies. The faculty development unit is responsible but not limited to the following:

Liaison between stakeholders (e.g., pharma companies and research funders) and UTU.

Grant applications and management: there are currently 6 employees responsible for grant writing.

16.06.2023 – UTU Academic Hospital visit

  • The hospital welcomes clients and guests through a luxury café that ushers one to the reception area. This is a multi-level interdisciplinary hospital. The team visited the gynaecology department under the guidance of the HOD.
  • Patient records: Finland uses an electronic patient-filling system so that primary health care and hospitals have patients’ data from antenatal care to post-natal visits. All pregnant mothers visit the hospital at least twice before delivery for the sonography.
  • Prenatal unit: The unit is equipped with both nurses’ and doctors’ consulting rooms. Nurses’ stations and restrooms are equipped with screens that display patient data (those connected to monitors). Every patient room is equipped with a patient monitoring machine and a CTG machine.
  • Labour ward: The ward had 14 delivery rooms with a staffing capacity of 9 midwives on the day shift and 8 on the night shift. Among the 14 rooms, 4 have access to a luxury birthing tub. All the rooms are equipped with a patient monitoring machine, a delivery bed, a spouse bed and a resuscitation bed for the baby.
  • Post-natal ward: It is located on the 8th floor.
  • Clinics: The different clinics per speciality including IVF.

Dirisana+ is an Erasmus+ co-funded grant project aimed at Capacity Building in Higher Education. 1 000 000 EURO was awarded to the consortium to improve Health Sciences education in Southern Africa between 2020 – 2023. This account is co-funded by the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the Dirisana+ consortium and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union. This mobility and learning opportunity would have not been possible without the funding and support of the EU.

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