Learning and teaching
We aim to provide students with the best environment in which to learn and develop their skills.
How will I be taught?
You will learn in many different ways and in a variety of settings. Our experienced teaching teams will ensure that you benefit from top-quality learning methods as you progress through your course.
Our overall goal is to provide you with the highest quality learning experience to maximise your potential.
Classroom-based sessions
Many modules and courses consist of key lead sessions that introduce and build on important subject-specific areas.
These sessions will often involve small group work and discussions, so make sure you come ready to actively participate!
You will often be able to view a summary of each of these sessions and any associated preparatory work on each of the module's dedicated Moodle pages.
Simulation-based learning
Within many of our modules and courses, you will have the opportunity to practice and develop the nursing skills that are essential when caring for children, young people and their families, in a variety of settings.
By undertaking high-fidelity simulation using state-of-the-art equipment such as 'Simbaby' (an interactive baby mannequin), you will be able to learn the essential skills of children's nursing in an interactive, interesting and most importantly, safe learning environment.
You will be encouraged to develop a range of assessment skills, for example, learning to undertake thorough respiratory assessments for children of different ages. Effective care planning and management skills are also further developed by encouraging you to practice a range of interventions such as wound care, passing Naso-Gastric tubes and high dependency monitoring.
Students often comment on how much they enjoy simulation and they like the fact that it gives them the opportunity to manage their own learning experience and focus on areas that they have identified as requiring further knowledge and experience.
Simulation sessions often culminate in the delivery of a full scenario where small groups of students can bring together everything that that they have learned both in theory and practice in order to ensure that they are confident and competent in the safe delivery of care to children and their families.
SPACE
SPACE - Skills Practice and Clinical Enhancement - is a learning environment created to offer you an increased opportunity to practice and develop your clinical skills while studying.
SPACE is a student-led setting that is supported by experienced staff who will encourage you to make decisions and judgements about your own learning - supporting you in developing the skills you have chosen to practice.
By spending time in SPACE, we believe you will be able to develop your confidence, enhance your ability to perform key clinical skills and ultimately, further your own development and progression.
This facility is available to nursing students across the faculty. During child branch allocated time slots, you will be able to choose from a range of clinical skills that you would like to practice, including:
- Infection Prevention and Control
- Injection techniques
- Manual Blood Pressure
- Basic Life Support.
Students can book their SPACE sessions using Moodle, the University's online learning resource. In Moodle, go to the SPACE moodle site and booking page.
Virtual Children's Hospital
As part of your course, you may have the opportunity to study using the online Virtual Children's Hospital.
This is an innovative, highly interactive, online learning tool developed using the Virtual Case Creator (VCC).
The VCC has been developed by Birmingham City University to enable the creation of online scenarios situated in an authentic practice context.
While undertaking a prioritised assessment of a child within the virtual hospital, you will get instantaneous feedback as to the choices that you have made. On completion of the associated workbook, you will have the opportunity to discuss your findings and any areas of confusion in the session.
As a result of using the Children's Virtual Hospital, students often note how their learning experience is transformed into one that is educationally stimulating and engaging:
"I probably learnt more using the Virtual Ward than if it was in a series of lectures. It also made me more aware of the link between theory and practice. It made the learning fun!" (Child Branch Student nurse)
Moodle online learning environment
Each module and course at the Department of Child Health is comprehensively supported by Moodle - the university's online learning environment.
Moodle pages contain useful information about taught sessions, including pre-session reading, workbooks and quizzes that you can complete in order to ensure that you are fully prepared for sessions and to build on your existing knowledge and experience.
Post-session work on Moodle will help you to consolidate your learning and should help you to prepare for your assessment.
Moodle pages also offer interactive animations, videos, useful websites, module reading lists and online forums.
You can also use Moodle to find up-to-date information about your modules, such as room and timetable changes, session handouts and further information related to each of the sessions within your module.