Teaching Practical Research Data Management Skills through Online Training and Data Management Plan Creation

Introduction: Research Data Management is growing in importance as a field as the amount of data which researchers must manage increases. It is important to ensure that postgraduate researchers are trained through engaging courses which practically prepare them to fulfil the data management requirements of funders and Universities, and to carry out their research in a transparent and effective manner. Description of program: We present a case study of the development and delivery of a new Research Data Management (RDM) online course for postgraduates and early career researchers. The course implements pedagogical theory and a reverse design paradigm in the development of library training provision enabling the creation of a course vastly more relevant to academic research practice than our previous offering. The course uses a simplified Data Management Plan to introduce students to Research Data Management Concepts, and by asking them to apply this knowledge, lifts the course from one which simply asks students to remember knowledge to one which shows them how to apply this knowledge in a way that is applicable to their own research. The course has been evaluated for effectiveness and student engagement at 3 months. Next steps: Although some analysis of the effectiveness of the new course has been undertaken, the course will continue to be evaluated. Although the course was developed for PGRs it has been popular with ECRs and Professional support staff and we will investigate how we can further meet the needs of these groups. The platform used will allow for the topics most often accessed to be identified and the course, and the University’s training provision will be adjusted based on this evidence. We hope that other institutions will be able to learn from our experience and implement similar courses.

Whose wellbeing is it anyway?

In this opinion piece, I suggest the need for a critical examination of the ‘wellbeing’ agenda currently being developed throughout Higher Education (HE) in the UK. I suggest that problems arise when notions of ‘wellbeing’ are used without being sufficiently well-defined, and are then accepted as the barometer of student health. This approach will be elucidated by contextualising the situation students find themselves in contemporary neoliberal universities; situating the crucial intermediary role that learning developers and student support services fulfil between academics and students; and exploring different modes of engagement available to those in these roles. Drawing upon the critical pedagogy of Biesta (2013), I argue that the remit of cultivating critical thinking and independent study skills means that learning developers, through one-to-one meetings, may sometimes be as well-placed as those with specific wellbeing roles (such as counsellors or mental health workers) to acknowledge and explore students’ personal and social anxieties and concerns with compassion. This approach may seem to be at odds with wellbeing rhetoric, which, I argue, can act to detract from critical engagement with the explicit challenges facing students in the contemporary socio-political milieu. My aim is therefore to reintroduce the notion of criticality within the discussions taking place among academics and professional support staff, which in turn may inform practice. Central to my aim in this is to raise broader questions around the primary role of academics and professionals in HE; for example, is it to train students to passively ‘fit in’ within society or to educate them in a manner such that they will act agentively in society?

Defining the role and scope of practice of allied health assistants within Queensland public health services

Background The uptake and utilisation of allied health assistants as professional support staff has been variable across disciplines and jurisdictions. Although they are potentially very important in the current health workforce context, there is little agreement on their roles or the most suitable methods to define these roles. Method Based on a review of literature, existing role descriptions and focus groups, a Delphi survey process was undertaken. This process comprising three rounds of discussion and clarification via email, with between 107 and 188 participants, was undertaken to define and establish consensus on allied health assistant roles at three levels. Results Three cycles of editing, qualitative feedback and rating of agreement with statements resulted in substantial clarification of roles and a meaningful degree of consensus regarding the role and scope of such positions. High levels of agreement were not reached for more high-level or contested clinical tasks. Conclusions The Delphi process resulted in key tasks and roles being defined and contentious aspects clearly identified. The process facilitated engagement with workforce members most closely affected by these questions. It was a useful means of drawing together the opinions of the workforce and informing implementation trials to follow. What is known about the topic? Allied health assistants are important members of health teams. Current developments in health services necessitate considerable growth in these positions. The role and scope of practice of allied health assistants is poorly defined and varies between disciplines, settings and facilities, which threatens the establishment of these positions. What does this paper add? This study describes a methodology used to define the role and scope of practice of allied health support staff, which resulted in high levels of consensus and documentation of concerns regarding these positions. Tasks and roles have been defined at different allied health assistant position levels. What are the implications for practitioners? The definition of roles and establishment of scope of practice of emerging positions can be substantially advanced by well researched and widely consultative methods. For more advanced allied health assistant positions to be effectively implemented, tasks relating to treatment, leadership, documentation, assessment and team participation must be clearly elucidated and agreed.

Identifying the Need for Respite Care for People with Learning Disabilities in Northern Ireland

The present paper describes the methods employed to investigate the range and models of respite care services provided for people with learning disabilities and their carers in Northern Ireland. A total of 1786 carers (representing 1917 persons with learning disabilities) were surveyed to determine their perceptions and levels of satisfaction regarding the range of services provided for them. In addition 101 local respite care services were examined and interviews conducted with commissioners, providers and professional support staff to assess the perceptions of individuals involved in the planning, commissioning and provision of respite care services. The study confirmed that regional variations existed throughout the Province and that the current range of services often failed to meet the significant (and often complex) needs of users. Epidemiological data was obtained regarding the presenting needs of users. Specific recommendations were made requesting that the availability of comprehensive information about respite care should be readily accessible to users and carers. The need to extend the range of services and to provide more inclusive services for groups such as children and adults with autistic spectrum disorder, people with behavioural and complex medical conditions was also identified. Whilst the study was conducted in Northern Ireland it is considered that many of the findings will be equally applicable to elsewhere in the UK and the Republic of Ireland.