This is an update on the progress of the project based on a HEA dissemination event in May 2013

1. Building a Medical Education
Research Community

2. Acknowledgement
• Funding: Higher Education Academy Teaching
Development Grant (£6944)

4. “[I felt] isolated in study – I happened to meet
someone also on the course just as I was losing the
will to continue. This helped as he had similar
difficulties and together encouraged each other”
[ECE, 2010/11]
“I felt isolated never meeting and discussing course
with peers” [ECE, 2009/10]
“More interaction either with other students or
tutors. I completed this in isolation. motivation got
harder and harder.”

5. Students report feeling
isolated in distance learning
and would like to have
more student-student and
student-tutor interaction

6. Membership of a learning
community, grounds learners in a
social network to which they can
return regardless of location
providing opportunities to create
sound knowledge syntheses
(Wheeler et al 2008)
Structured learning communities
can lead to better student
engagement, improved self-
reported outcomes and overall
satisfaction (Zhao and Kuh 2004)

7. This project aims to build the
research capacity of our research
students through the formation of
learning communities

8. Benefits
• improve the overall quality of research
outputs during the Masters
• enhance the overall student experience
• increase student engagement with peers
and education
• reduce feelings of isolation and reliance
on supervisor
• develop social networks of medical
education researchers who share
resources and support each other

9. Monthly synchronous webinars
- Student selected topics
- Active discussion & interaction
Website with up to date resources & other students work
Ability to link to student blogs
Live twitter feed @r_ajjawi @CME_Dundee
Ability to connect to others
Vimeo channel CME Dundee https://vimeo.com/user14447584

11. 9 educational
research
seminars
70 plays

12. Publications
with
Masters
students
Including links
to article

14. Webinars
• Monthly webinars commenced in Feb with 4
hosted so far
• 1 of those led by a student with 2 more planned
in June and August
“Your observation is correct. I have had an isolated
journey since I started with Introduction to Medical
Education up to the Research Project level
currently. I believe this will help me complete my
current project urgently”

15. Challenges
• Server and website
• Time zones
• Difficulty logging in
• Lack of microphone
access makes
discussion stilted
• Changing culture
and building critical
mass

16. Contacts
Rola Ajjawi
r.ajjawi@dundee.ac.uk
@r_ajjawi
@CME_Dundee
University of Dundee CME
https://vimeo.com/user14447584
www.blogs.cmdn.dundee.ac.uk/meded-research

17. References
Wheeler S et al (2008). The good, the
bad and the wiki: Evaluating student-
generated content for collaborative
learning. British Journal of Educational
Technology, 39(6), 987-995.
Zhao CM & Kuh GD (2004). Adding value:
Learning communities and student
engagement. Research in Higher
Education, 45(2), 115-138.

18. Questions &
suggestions
welcomed