Medical Education

This module will allow you to have a robust appreciation of the theoretical principles and values underlying a number of historical and contemporary learning theories and their application to educational practice, including opportunities to apply these to your own practice. Engagement in peer discussions will be facilitated to develop a collaborative learning environment to share best practice.

On completion of the module a student should be able to:

1. Critically review the theoretical principles and values underlying selected historical and contemporary learning theories and the application of these to practical learning and teaching situations.
2. Engage in peer discussions to develop a collaborative learning environment, develop a reflective approach to learning theory and share best practice.
3. Synthesise the principles and process of reflection through reflective writing
4. Evaluate pedagogy and theory to develop teaching plans incorporating active learning strategies to achieve specific learning outcomes.
5. Promote critical self-awareness and reflection on educational practice to inform educational developments.

Teaching dates:  20 October to 15 December 2025

This module introduces you to assessing student learning. The module will provide you with the opportunity to analyse assessment methods within clinical healthcare environments, synthesise appropriate pedagogy, models and theories, and justify improvement strategies. There is an opportunity to explore and apply feedback principles used in different assessment methods. You will further demonstrate application of feedback principles when undertaking a peer review activity of an assessment tool to support your development as an educator.

On completion of the module a student should be able to:

1. Analyse a specific assessment method within a healthcare environment and apply the principles of assessment to develop and justify strategies for improvement.
2. Critically analyse the factors influencing the processes and outcomes of assessment.
3. Appraise the strategies for improving the reliability and validity, design, use and application of assessment.
4. Apply an analytical and critical approach to the various theories, models and frameworks used in the process of peer review which support your development as an educator, demonstrating a supportive and inclusive learning environment
5. Reflect on aims, process and outcomes of education through the process of peer review of your educational practice.

Teaching dates:  15 December 2025 to 2 March 2026

Given this is an e-learning programme, it is important that we evaluate educational media and technology use to inform clinical education. You will be supported in evaluating a range of media and technologies to ascertain their educational and technological appropriateness and then apply your learning to designing instructional media for effective delivery of educational messages. You will be able to design and produce an on-line learning resource and justify the design decisions.

On completion of the module a student should be able to:

1. Evaluate media design theories and models to own professional and clinical educational context
2. Critically analyse the educational and technological appropriateness of different types of educational media and technologies
3. Evaluate instructional media for appropriate learning tasks by considering relevant educational and technological principles
4. Synthesise educational theories to the design of instructional media for the effective delivery of educational messages
5. Adopt a critical, analytical and reflective approach towards media design and impact on learning

Teaching dates:  2 March to 5 May 2026

The module aims to develop the knowledge and skills needed to be an educational evaluator in clinical contexts. Evaluations should take place across all areas of health care practice and delivery – whether it is the running of clinical services, training and national or local interventions. Evaluation in an educational context is complex. As educators, we have to evidence the efficacy of our teaching and our programmes and consider the views of various stakeholders and their concerns with the educational outcomes to which we contribute as professionals.  You will be provided with an opportunity to explore curriculum design and consider the evaluation strategies required to develop and inform curriculum issues, apply knowledge and skills needed to be an educational evaluator in clinical contexts.  Without systematic evaluation it is impossible to determine the effect of an educational programme, let alone improve it. Through evaluation we may seek to know whether our teaching is of benefit to students, to trainees, to a profession or to society. In this module you will be supported in what evaluation means in an educational context and how to effectively evaluate the clinical courses and programmes in which we are involved.

On completion of the module a student should be able to:

1. Critically review the differing theoretical perspectives of a range of evaluation models and consider implications for practical application.
2. Analyse factors influencing course evaluation process and outcomes
3. Appraise evaluation instruments, contrasting results, design features, relationship to theoretical models.
4. Apply an analytical and critical approach to the theories, models, and frameworks used in the process of evaluation design to inform course/programme development.

Teaching dates:  22 September to 24 November 2025

The module aims to provide you with an understanding of the philosophical orientations of educational research and of a range of research methodologies to enable the selection and utilisation of appropriate strategies to design and conduct educational research. Research in medical education lends itself to a multidisciplinary, multi-method approach. Such potential for diversity can enrich the research process and allow for a creative, robust approach to research design. This module will provide you with the opportunity to explore various research philosophies and paradigms and will consider different research strategies and approaches. As with all research, educational research involves a careful and systematic approach. Here we introduce the principles of different perspectives to promote a rigorous and critical awareness of the educational research process.

On completion of the module a student should be able to:

1. Identify and critically review the different research methods, that are and can be used within medical education, reflecting on appropriate methods to address meaningful questions.
2. Undertake robust search strategies to reduce bias in academic writing when identifying appropriate literature to answer educationally orientated questions.
3. Review literature critically and reflect on implications for educational practice using appropriate methods for reviewing qualitative and quantitative research.
4. Debate appropriate data collection methods and integrate analysis principles in evaluating the data; being able to delineate the appropriate methods to use for differing research approaches.
5. Reflect on and synthesise research findings, to educational practice.
6. Reflect on current ethical and governance frameworks and processes applied to the conduct of research.

Teaching dates:  24 November 2025 to 9 February 2026

This module facilitates exploration on a range of contemporary professional development issues in clinical education, the changing roles of the clinical educator, leadership, assessing the role of patients/learners as partners and the implications these may have for you as an educator and on your learners. It will provide you with the understanding and opportunity to undertake a reflective approach to foster personal and academic growth, which is important in evidencing professional development. You will be asked to undertake three case studies related to contemporary issues which will allow you to reflect on your role and identity as an educator to date, moral and psycho-social influences on professionalism development, how the programme has shaped your development as a clinical educator and how you may shape your future role, using pedagogy and theory to support these.

It will provide you with the opportunity to consider curriculum design issues and apply these to a student-led practical teaching project on a contemporary issue. The project will involve collaboration to design and implement an educational event with coherence, integration, and relevance, which meet learners' needs.

This module brings together your earlier learning allowing you to synthesise skills and concepts introduced across the course, apply current evidence informing teaching and practice, demonstrate scholarly reflection and engaging in scholarship which is important in evidencing professional development.

On completion of the module a student should be able to:

1. Explore contemporary issues in clinical education and reflect on the implications that impact your learners and your role as an educator
2. Evaluate the concept of reflective learning and reflect on how to evidence professional development
3. Critically reflect on your own educational practice and consider implications for practical applications

Teaching dates: 9 February to 7 April 2026