Attempting to disrupt racial division in social work classrooms through small-group activities

The notion of racial difference and racial segregation has continued to be problematic in higher education studies. Students belonging to Ethnic Minority groups often feel segregated even in courses and classrooms that promote anti-discriminatory and anti-racist practices. This paper presents a study that investigated seventy-five students from the BA and MA student cohorts within a London-based university. Students were encouraged to integrate and interrogate matters of race and belonging during a seminar on protected characteristics designed to disrupt racial division. Qualitative surveys were conducted to understand participants' views about racial disruption and experiences after the activities. Findings revealed ongoing segregation after the activity in and out of the classroom, fear of approaching racialised spaces, the need for additional brave reflective spaces that disrupt racial segregation and foster better understanding about race. The paper concludes by stressing the significance and value of racially disruptive teaching activities and racial assimilation in social work programmes as a means of tackling racial bias, segregation and decolonisation.

Cool place to be

Welcome to the Greysbrooke Beach Hut – an inner sanctuary of calm where children can enjoy one-to-one time with teachers or enjoy small group activities which enable them to combat sensory overload. Karen Hart steps inside for a relaxing experience.

Thoughts and expectations of young professionals about the European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (EFLM)

ObjectivesYoung laboratory medicine professionals (YLMPs) are the future of clinical laboratories. Although everyday practice shows significant differences among countries, especially during residency training, most of them face the same challenges. Besides promoting scientific, professional and clinical aspects of laboratory medicine in Europe, the European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (EFLM) should take into consideration YLMPs’ concerns and interests to help them achieve excellence. The aim of this survey was to assess the opinion and expectations of YLMPs about their involvement in the activities of EFLM.MethodsAn online survey was distributed to YLMPs in Europe through different channels. The questionnaire consisted of 21 items grouped into five sections: demographic questions, opinion about the current status of YLMPs within EFLM, YLMPs network, suggestions and opportunities, and scientific training and exchange. Where appropriate, responses from residents and specialists were compared.ResultsA total of 329 valid responses were obtained from 53 different countries. Countries with the highest number of participants were Spain, Turkey, Croatia and Romania. A significant percentage would like to know more about EFLM and their activities (86%) and wish EFLM promoted networking and scientific exchanges (95%), for instance by means of a European YLMPs network (93%). EFLMLabX project was widely unknown (75%).ConclusionsYLMPs demand better connection to share concerns about daily healthcare duties, to keep updated and to advance professionally. EFLM needs to improve their advertising through national societies to increase YLMPs’ participation. In addition to international meetings and congresses, respondents have emphasized that workshops and other small group activities would significantly help promote laboratory medicine practice in Europe.

Small Group Learning is Associated with Reduced Salivary Cortisol and Testosterone in Undergraduate Students

Small group learning activities have been shown to improve student academic performance and educational outcomes. Yet, we have an imperfect understanding of the mechanisms by which this occurs. Group learning may mediate student stress by placing learning in a context where students have both social support and greater control over their learning. We hypothesize that one of the methods by which small group activities improve learning is by mitigating student stress. To test this, we collected physiological measures of stress and self-reported perceived stress from 26 students in two undergraduate classes. Salivary cortisol and testosterone were measured within students across five contexts: a) pre-instructional baseline, b) following a traditional lecture, c) after participating in a structured small group learning activity, d) following completion of multiple choice, and e) essay sections of an exam. Results indicate students have lower salivary cortisol after small group learning activities, as compared to traditional lectures. Further, there is no evidence of a relationship between physiological measures of stress and self-reported perceived stress levels. We discuss how structured small group activities may be beneficial for reducing stress and improving student learning outcomes.