Overview

This is an introduction to the use of Qualitative Research in Health Professions Education, to the nature of Qualitative Research, and the type of insights it can yield. Over the course, you are encouraged to reflect on your own education practice and identify areas which you might wish to research. You are then supported to delve into the methodological and research literature to gain understanding of a suitable qualitative approach for their area of interest.

Who this course is for

This online module is for any health professional who is interested in gaining a basic understanding of qualitative research. This may be to further your insight as you read and appraise qualitative studies and apply findings to your educational practice, or to lay the foundations for undertaking your own research in the future, either in your clinical educator role, or in preparation for an MSc report or dissertation.

Course content

On this course, you should develop a basic understanding of Qualitative Approaches: what it is for, how it works, and what constitutes good quality qualitative research. You achieve this by exploring your own interests, in relation to your Health Professions Education practice. You will be guided through the steps to understand what qualitative research might allow you to achieve in relation to your practice. Then, taking your own area of interest as a focus, you will consider the design elements of a relevant qualitative study.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, you should be in a position to:

• Understand the social scientific, philosophical and methodological underpinning of researching clinical and professional-related education using qualitative approaches.
• Discuss the use of key qualitative research approaches to data collection and analysis in clinical and professional education-based enquiry projects
• Evaluate the application of selected techniques of qualitative data collection in clinical and professional-related educational research.
• Feel confident in selecting an appropriate approach to analyse qualitative data.
• Demonstrate the application of methodology and methods in support of a project enquiring into area of you own professional practice.

As this is an introductory module, we do not expect you to achieve a comprehensive in-depth understanding of a broad range of qualitative approaches by the end. Rather, the aim is for you to gain insight into the nature and possibilities for qualitative research, via development of an in-depth understanding of one relevant approach to research, seated in an area of your own interest.

Teaching and structure

This module is delivered online, using asynchronous learning activities on Moodle (UCL's Virtual Learning Environment) and live 'synchronous' sessions on Zoom. The live synchronous sessions include a synchronous study day at the start of the module, and regular 90-minute live web tutorials.

Certificates and assessment

Formative assessment

Weekly study: you will be expected to engage with mandatory activities on Moodle every week. Study is divided into 1-4-week units, each with its own theme, course materials, reading list and learning activities. Each week you will work through course materials, which include recommended readings and other materials, and undertake learning activities in collaboration with peers. To allow peer discussion regarding the issues from each unit, there will be a weekly or two-weekly deadline for completing the learning activities so that everyone is posting in the forums during the same one/two-week period.

Summative assessment

For those considering a further qualification, you can choose to take a summative assessment to gain 15 FHEQ Level 7 credits. This would count towards further PGCert / PGDip / MSc credits if you decide to continue your learning with our Health Professions Education programme (and may be accepted as prior learning elsewhere).

CPD points/credits

The credit-bearing option is worth 15 credits at FHEQ Level 7.

Costs

• £1,058.33 | FHEQ Level 7 credit-bearing course, with assessment (UK/EU learner)
• £2,158.33 | FHEQ Level 7 credit-bearing course, with assessment (overseas learner)
• £500 | Non-credit-bearing course (personal CPD only)

Application deadline

• Wednesday 30 October 2024

Course dates

• Monday 13 January 2025 - Friday 07 March 2025

Course team

Miranda Kronfli

Miranda Kronfli is the co-Director of the MSc in Health Professions Education, a Personal Academic Tutor, and leads several modules in the program. As the Divisional Graduate Tutor, she oversees Quality Assurance for teaching, learning, and assessment in postgraduate taught programs at UCL Medical School.

Lisa Gould

Lisa Gould, a psychologist with a PhD in Clinical Neuroscience, brings a strong background in both research and teaching. She has led research at Imperial College London and the University of Southampton before joining the UCL team in 2022. A Fellow of Advance HE, she serves as a co-course module lead and Personal Academic Tutor.

Course information last modified: 27 Jan 2025, 19:11