Helen McNeill – Learning and Teaching Fellow
Background
I qualified as a nurse at Hammersmith Hospital, London in 1988 and soon after specialised in critical care nursing, working in initially in London and then in Liverpool. I have worked at Edge Hill University since 2001, initially as a member of the Continuing Professional Development team in the Faculty of Health and Social Care and more recently in the Clinical Education team in the Faculty of Education. I completed an MA in Professional Education (Health Studies) in 2006.
From the early days of my career as a nurse I have been passionate about excellence in teaching and learning in the health professions and I believe in the enormous potential that education has to positively influence their work.
Academic & Research Interests
My fellowship work to date has predominantly involved a research project relating to how doctors entering their first year of specialist postgraduate training engage in reflective practice, and in particular how they utilise their e-portfolio to document evidence of this. This research project was conducted in partnership with the Mersey Deanery. The study has directly informed how I support students in developing skills in reflective writing, particularly in respect of developing reflection techniques and engagement with the critical levels of reflection that are commensurate with post-graduate study. I have developed course materials that use models of reflection and analogy to help students understand what they must do to transform their writing in to robust and analytical pieces of reflection that inform clinical practice.
Fellowship Foci 2010-11
I have two primary fellowship foci for the 2010-11 academic year: Firstly, I am in the process of completing the final paper relating to the research project on the first year of specialist postgraduate medical trainees’ engagement in reflective practice. Secondly, I will be undertaking research that will evaluate the impact on professional practice of the Postgraduate Certificate in Workplace-based Postgraduate Medical Education. This course is designed to prepare doctors for a range of clinical teaching and assessment roles as defined by GMC standards. This study will use a variety of evaluative data to establish whether successful completion of the modules has an impact on teaching, learning and assessment in the clinical workplace.
Other 'Academic' Information
During my fellowship, I have been involved in work on two ‘lenses’ of the undergraduate framework (personal tutor and teaching, learning and assessment lenses). I have been actively involved in a number of CLTR conferences and have acted both as a session chair and as a member of the CLTR Conference peer review panel in 2010. I also act as a mentor to staff on PGCHE and I will be a Personal Academic Tutor on this programme from January 2011.
Contact:
E: mcneillh@edgehill.ac.uk
T: 01695 650846