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HELA3004 is a 7.5 credit course that was run for the first time in Autumn 2023. The course is led by Simon Lewin (IHA) and is taught with Elodie Besnier (IHA) and several guest lecturers. The focus of the course is on how research and other evidence can be used within decision making processes in the health and social sectors to help ensure better decisions for better health. A range of different forms of learning are used, including lectures, seminars, groupwork tasks and simulation, with a focus on learner-led approaches and dialogue-based teaching and discussions. We draw actively on students’ experiences in the course.  Evaluation of the course had two components: firstly, students were asked to complete a short questionnaire and, secondly, we facilitated a short open discussion about the strengths and weaknesses of the course on the final teaching day. The questionnaire was completed by 4 of the 9 students registered for the course. Three of these students attended all the teaching days while one attended less than half of the days, due to work commitments. The key findings are as follows:·        Students indicated that they were either satisfied or very satisfied with 8 of the 9 lectures in the course. For one lecture (Critical thinking about health – key concepts and interventions) one student indicated that they were neither satisfied or dissatisfied. ·        We asked students to assess the extent to which the seminars and groupwork sessions helped further their learning on using evidence to inform health decision-making. Overall, students indicated that these activities helped somewhat or to a great extent. Two sessions were assessed more poorly: ‘Appraising a systematic review’ and ‘Reviewing and critiquing an evidence brief’.·        Students thought that the readings helped them to better understand the course topics but half were uncertain about whether the amount of reading was manageable. One student did not think that the readings were clear and fairly easy to understand.·        Students were very satisfied with the physical teaching environment, the information provided between or ahead of the lectures and working with their peers in the classes.·        Students recommended continuing with the mix of lectures, small group discussions and plenary (full class) discussions. Comments included, ‘The lectures provided comprehensive information, and the small group discussions allowed us to learn and gain a deeper understanding of topics’ and ‘The lectures provided comprehensive information, and the small group discussions allowed us to learn and gain a deeper understanding of topics’. One student noted that, ‘I did find the density of information to be a bit challenging to absorb at times. But in general, I had a positive experience with this format and would recommend continuing with it’.·        In relation to what they liked most on the course, students responded that they appreciated the clear structure, the detailed information provided in advance and that the content was practical, applicable, up-to-date and provided new insights. Aspects that they liked least were the language of teaching and travel to a different campus. One external student from another university noted that they had registration challenges and also therefore received access to Blackboard late. The evaluation discussion raised similar points and some students also noted that they struggled with the more conceptual literature and wanted more concrete examples as well as introductory texts in the pre-course readings. Eight students completed the 6 hour home examination (six directly after the course and two as a supplementary examination) and these were assessed by Simon Lewin. The range of grades was as follows: B (n=3), C (n=3) and D (n=2). No student achieved an A grade. The examination answers suggested that the students found the questions challenging.

Overall, the evaluation findings are positive with students indicating that the content was interesting and relevant; that the teaching methods worked well; and that the readings were appropriate. The guideline simulation session in particular received very positive feedback. Areas that we need to work on include:·        Including additional introductory texts in the pre-course readings to allow students to prepare better for the course.·        Exploring how we can improve the learning experience in relation to the lecture on ‘Critical thinking about health’ and the groupwork sessions on ‘Appraising a systematic review’ and ‘Reviewing and critiquing an evidence brief’. The lecture introduced a set of new concepts and it may be helpful to touch on these earlier in the course, so that students are better prepared for the lecture. For the groupwork sessions, a key challenge is to provide students with both an introduction to these decision support products and the tools to appraise them, within the limited time available.·        Exploring how to reduce the amount of reading preparation for each teaching session and / or how to provide better signposting on what to focus on in relation to the core readings for each session as well as the more conceptual readings.·        Exploring including complementary readings in Norwegian for those students who prefer to do some of their reading in Norwegian.·        Exploring options to make attendance easier for those travelling from outside of Ålesund or who have extensive work commitments. This could include making one of the course days fully online or hybrid.·        Providing further examples of examination questions and at least one example of a ‘model’ answer – this will be easier now that we have multiple examples from the 2023 assessment. The feedback on the 2023 assessments will also be a useful preparation resource for future students.

NTNU:TIA:REST

Department of Health Sciences Ålesund

Institutt for helsevitenskap Ålesund

Engelsk

Faglig innhold

Bruk av kunnskap som beslutningsstøtte i helsetjenesten

Helsevitenskap

Samfunnsmedisin

Helse- og sosialfag

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Bruk av kunnskap som beslutningsstøtte i helsetjenesten - HELA3004