smerc
SCOTTISH MEDICAL EDUCATION
RESEARCH CONSORTIUM
DUNDEE HEALTH PROFESSIONS
EDUCATION RESEARCH SEMINAR
FRIDAY
1st MAY 2015
CTA Room, The Mackenzie Building, Kirsty Semple Way
Linda Martindale (Dundee)
Hilary Neve (Plymouth)
Threshold concepts and
troublesome knowledge:
offering new insights into
learning through medical and
nursing education research
Biographies: Linda is a lecturer in the School of Nursing and
Midwifery at the University of Dundee. Linda’s PhD research
used threshold concepts to explore how undergraduate
nursing students experience learning about research and
evidence based practice, looking specifically at challenges
and difficulties. This narrative research study focused on the
sources of trouble that students encounter when learning
about research and evidence based practice. It identified
a range of factors affecting student learning including tacit
knowledge, tensions between practice and classroom learning
and difficulty with research discourse and terminology. Much
of Linda’s teaching is in the areas of research and evidence
based practice, at undergraduate and postgraduate stages, and
she is also one of the dissertation co-ordinators in the School.
Hilary is Director of Small Group Learning, Social Engagement
and Professionalism at Plymouth University Peninsula Medical
School and a Plymouth GP. She currently leads the development
of the Problem Based Learning and the professionalism small
group programmes within the undergraduate curriculum. Her
interests include professionalism and its assessment, ethical
aspects of electives, social accountability and shared decision
making. She is particularly interested in how the notion of
threshold concepts can help us design and deliver better
learning experiences for students. She has recently undertaken
research identifying threshold concepts related to sociology,
psychology and professionalism in medicine and a project
exploring the hidden curriculum as a threshold concept.
SEMINAR (1230-1330 hours)
WORKSHOP (1345-1545 hours)
Abstract: Threshold concepts theory offers
insight into the ways that students manage
and experience difficulties encountered in
learning and is an area of growing interest
in a range of academic and professional
disciplines. In this presentation and seminar
threshold concepts will be introduced and
explored, including particularly the notions
of troublesome knowledge, the liminal space
and transformation. Evidence about threshold
concepts in healthcare and research will be
used to help those attending to consider
which threshold concepts might be found
in their own disciplines and areas of work.
Using research and case studies from medical
and nursing education, we will also explore
the potential to use threshold concepts for
carrying out educational research and to
inform the curriculum.
Alignment with SMERC and the GMC frameworks: The Scottish Medical
Education Research Consortium (SMERC) is a collaboration between NES and the
five Scottish medical schools, which aims to conduct high quality and impactful
healthcare education research in Scotland and beyond [www.smerc.org.uk].
This series has been aligned with the related SMERC research networks and this
particular presentation links with the: ‘The culture of learning together in the
workplace’ theme.
This seminar will also provide clinical trainers with the opportunity for
development in GMC Framework Area 3 (‘Teaching and facilitating learning’)
and Area 7 (‘Continuing professional development as an educator’).
Please confirm your attendance in advance
Lynn Thomson ([email protected])
http://medicine.dundee.ac.uk/medical-education-centre/centre-medical-education/cmdn-seminars