The Learning Outcome

LEGO Serious Play (LSP) is a hands-on methodology that transforms the way educators and learners collaborate. Our guests, Dr Kate Odgers-Jewell and Anne Trethewey from Bond University, share the four-step LSP process: posing open-ended questions, building using LEGO, sharing insights, and capturing reflections. We discuss how LSP helps students and educators co-create meaningful learning experiences. We present practical examples that highlight LSP’s versatility. Enjoy and have fun!

In this episode, we discuss the transformative potential of ‘students as partners’ in higher education. Professor Mollie Dollinger, Director of iSoLT in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Curtin University, shares her journey from studying co-creation to becoming an advocate for equitable student partnerships. The conversation dives into practical strategies for implementing students-as-partners initiatives, including ways to ensure inclusivity, balance power dynamics, and foster genuine collaboration. We envision a future where ‘students as partners’ is embedded within the fabric of universities, driving innovation, inclusivity, and excellence in teaching and learning. 

Dr Vidya Lawton, Senior Lecturer and physiotherapist from Macquarie University, helps us unpack the complexities of work readiness and employability as we explore how allied health (with a focus on physiotherapy) students can be better prepared for their first professional roles. From navigating clinical placements to building resilience and adaptability, we discuss innovative curriculum approaches and the shared responsibility of educators, industry, and students. Vidya discusses how the concept of practical wisdom—the ability to make deliberate, effective, and appropriate decisions—plays a pivotal role in graduate readiness, alongside understanding one’s scope of practice and personal needs. 
 

Professor Rebecca Grainger, a rheumatologist and academic from the University of Otago in New Zealand, explores the evolving landscape of digital health, focusing on the need for enhanced skills among health professionals. The discussion highlights the importance of critical appraisal of digital tools, from apps to AI, and the challenges educators face in preparing students for a rapidly changing environment. We discuss how educators need to take a proactive approach to integrating digital literacy into health curricula. 

Dr Priya Khanna, Associate Professor (Nexus Fellow) at the School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, discusses the transformative power of programmatic assessment in healthcare education. Priya argues for a holistic assessment strategy that prioritises students' capabilities over mere scores, advocating for meaningful integration of assessments throughout a course. The discussion highlights some of the limitations of traditional assessment practices and emphasises the need for a paradigm shift that aligns evaluation with the realities of student development. 

Kirsty Freeman, Academic Coordinator at the Rural Clinical School of WA and a Fellow of the Society for Simulation in Healthcare, explores the intricacies of impostor phenomenon within healthcare education. Kirsty shares her journey from a budding actor to a healthcare educator, integrating her passion for performance into teaching through innovative simulation techniques. She discusses her ongoing PhD research, which focuses on understanding impostor phenomenon among healthcare simulation educators. By sharing personal experiences and research findings, Kirsty highlights how feelings of impostorism, often perceived as a barrier, can be reframed as a tool for personal growth, professional development, and humility. This conversation offers a fresh perspective on how educators and professionals can navigate and even embrace these feelings, ultimately leading to more authentic and resilient teaching practices. 

Dr Meg Harrold, the Director of Student Experience in the Curtin School of Allied Health, Curtin University shares her teaching journey, emphasising the importance of empathy and connection in education. Meg discusses her role in enhancing student engagement, particularly for those from equity groups, and her efforts to improve accessibility and retention through innovative strategies. With her passionate approach, Meg is shaping a more inclusive and supportive learning environment for all students. 

Dr. Emma Hodge, the Medical Education and Wellbeing Registrar at Bundaberg Hospital, shares her pioneering role in supporting doctors’ well-being through systemic changes. With a passion for healthcare optimisation, Emma’s role focuses on improving healthcare systems to reduce stress and burnout among medical professionals. Emma discusses the initiatives implemented to support junior doctors, such as enhanced training, better rostering, and career support, which have significantly reduced burnout rates. Emma's work highlights the importance of a holistic approach to well-being, where healthcare organisations actively create supportive environments for their staff. 

In this episode, A/Prof Lynelle Watts discusses her transformative journey in online learning. We explore how the shift to hybrid models of teaching has reshaped educational practices and we critique the balancing of synchronous and asynchronous methods. The discussion covers the emotional labour of online teaching, strategies for fostering student engagement and community, and the nuances of compulsory versus voluntary interaction. Whether you're an educator or a learner, tune in to discover how to thrive in the evolving landscape of education.

In this insightful episode, A/Prof Merrolee Penman unpacks the complexities of student fieldwork placements in occupational therapy and allied health fields. The episode offers fresh perspectives on improving placement experiences and preparing students for the dynamic world of practice. We discuss the challenges and nuances of creating effective learning environments for students on placement in contrast to the controlled learning settings that academic institutions offer. Merrolee describes the concept of clinical placements as a ‘black box’ where we need to identify what is actually happening during placements that is crucial to the student’s learning and how placements shape professional identity and skills. Merrolee presents the peer mentoring model, where senior students support junior ones, enhancing learning and providing valuable feedback. The episode addresses the need for clinical educators to embrace a more facilitative role, focusing on creating environments that foster self-directed learning and critical thinking.