Author: andrew.bond

Neurodiversity – An increasingly popular (and important) research topic for medical education research

Posted on by andrew.bond

In this week’s blog, Dr Sarah McLaughlin (L) collaborates with Dr Florence Neville (R) to provide a flavour of an increasingly popular topic of exploration chosen by students studying on the Health Professions Educations Diploma and MSc – neurodiversity. Sarah and Florence wrote this blog to introduce the concept of neurodiversity and how it relates to medical education.

Photo by Peter Burdon on Unsplash

The neurodiversity paradigm is an increasingly popular area of interest amongst professionals engaging in the Health Professions Education Programme. This is not surprising considering the field of Health Professions Education (HPE) has seen an increase in awareness and strategies to promote inclusivity and diversity; clinical educators are increasingly in contact with students, and colleagues, from a diverse range of backgrounds (George and Sidhu, 2023). So, what are we referring to when we say ‘neurodiversity’ and what questions does the concept of neurodiversity raise in relation to HPE? 

When we say ‘neurodiversity’, we are referring to the diversity of human minds: the natural and valuable differences in how human brains process and respond to information, and how these differences shape how individuals perceive and interact with the world. These differences, or ‘neurotypes’ include, but are not limited to, ADHD, autism, dementia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, dyslexia, dyspraxia, OCD, Tourette’s, and being neurotypical (having a brain that functions within dominant societal standards of “normal”).  Traditionally, neurodivergent people (the 1 in 5 of us who are not neurotypical), have been considered inherently lacking or disordered. However, the neurodiversity movement has been instrumental in challenging this pathologisation of minority cognitive styles (Walker, 2021; Chapman, 2021). 

The neurodiversity movement – a social justice movement comprising of various groups and organisations formed since discussions around neurocognitive diversity took place in global online groups in the 1990s – advocates for civil rights, equality, respect and full societal inclusion for neurodivergent people (Walker, 2021; Botha et al., 2024). In this way, the movement draws on (1) the social model of disability, which considers how external physical and social barriers limit individuals from taking part in communities on an equal level with others (Oliver, 1998), and (2) the neurodiversity paradigm, which sees neurodiversity as natural and valuable, and considers the dynamics of social power inequalities in relation to neurodiversity (Walker, 2021). 

Accessing accurate statistics relating to the number of students and health professionals who are neurodivergent is difficult. Universities rely on self-disclosure, but not all neurodivergent students are aware of their neurodivergent identity, let alone have a diagnosis. Additionally, universities vary in how they collect data on neurodivergence. For example, data on neurodivergence may be collected as a mental health condition or as a learning disability.  Thus, if students (1) do not consider themselves to have a health condition or a learning disability, (2) do not have a clinical diagnosis, or (3) are unaware that they are neurodivergent, their neurodivergence may not be recorded. However, current estimates suggest that at least 20% of the UK adult population is neurodivergent and there is no reason to suppose that this is not reflected in the HPE student population (BPS, 2022).  

Change is needed. We must depart from rigid one-size-fits-all pedagogical approaches which higher education has traditionally encompassed. These approaches fail to embrace the diverse cognitive styles and strengths present among students, particularly those who are neurodivergent.  

To create a more inclusive learning environment, HPE must embrace flexibility, individualisation, and support, as part of their curriculum planning. Neurodivergent students and educators bring unique perspectives, abilities, and talents to the learning environment. Through exploring alternative approaches to learning, educators can tap into these strengths, and foster success for a diverse student body. We need to create work environments where neurodivergent educators feel safe to be open about their own neurodivergence, so that students see their own neurodivergence represented. Some of the difficulties faced by neurodivergent students may be addressed by increasing the diversity and openness of senior role models and educators. The positive impact of fostering a more inclusive learning environment for students, is the potential for medical school graduates becoming medical educators, and role models, themselves.  We also need to listen to our neurodivergent colleagues who have additional insight into specific learning and wellbeing supports for our students.  

When it comes to neurodiversity, we advocate for creating inclusive, compassionate, and supportive learning environments. This includes understanding and destigmatising neurodivergence, and regularly assessing how we can make learning environments, teaching and assessment practices, and pastoral support more accessible for a wider range of learners. Once accessibility is fully considered and incorporated into institutional structures and environments, individual accommodations (which are legal requirements under the 2010 Equality Act) become easier and less time consuming to manage – both for staff and students. 

Policies and practice that support neurodivergent students should include regular staff and faculty training about neurodiversity and inclusive teaching practices, individualised support plans to ensure unique needs are addressed, peer support networks, and flexible learning environments (Clouder et al., 2020).  

The growing interest and awareness of neurodiversity is promising. However, alongside raising awareness of the need for inclusivity we should be enabling a shift towards a more holistic approach to educating our future health care professionals. Harnessing the full spectrum of cognitive diversity among future health professionals has the potential to translate into improved outcomes for patients, innovation in research and practice, and the fostering of a more compassionate and inclusive healthcare system.  

References

  • Botha, M., Chapman, R., Giwa Onaiwu, M., Kapp, S., Stannard Ashley, A., & Walker, N. (2024). The neurodiversity concept was developed collectively: An overdue correction on the origins of neurodiversity theory. Autism. 28(6), pp. 1591-1594.
  • British Psychological Society (BPS). (2022) Celebrating neurodiversity in Higher Education. [Online] Available: https://www.bps.org.uk/psychologist/celebrating-neurodiversity-higher-education. Accessed 24/4/2024
  • Chapman, R. (2021). Neurodiversity and the Social Ecology of Mental Functions. Perspectives on Psychological Science. 16(6), pp. 1360-1372.
  • Clouder, L., Karakus, M., Cinotti, A., Ferreyra, M.V., Fierros, G.A. and Rojo, P., (2020). Neurodiversity in higher education: a narrative synthesis. Higher Education, 80(4), pp.757-778.
  • George, R.E. and Sidhu, M.S. (2023). Promoting inclusivity in health professions education. The Clinical Teacher, 20(6), p.e13606.
  • Hamilton, L.G. and Petty, S., (2023). Compassionate pedagogy for neurodiversity in higher education: A conceptual analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, p.1093290.
  • Kapp, S. K., Gillespie-Lynch, K., Sherman, L. E., & Hutman, T. (2013). ‘Deficit, difference, or both? Autism and neurodiversity. Developmental Psychology, 49(1), 59–71.
  • Oliver, M. (1998). Theories of disability in health practice and research. British Medical Journal. 317(7170), pp. 1446-1449.
  • Sedgwick, J.A., Merwood, A. and Asherson, P. (2019). The positive aspects of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a qualitative investigation of successful adults with ADHD. ADHD Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders, 11(3), pp.241-253.
  • Walker, N. (2021). Neuroqueer Heresies: Notes on the Neurodiversity Paradigm, Autistic Empowerment, and Postnormal Possibilities. Fort Worth: Autonomous Press, LLC.

Author Biographies

Dr Sarah McLaughlin is the MSc Health Professions Education Co-Lead and lecturer. Her research interest relates to the sociology of education, widening participation and inclusive practice.

Dr Florence Neville is a Senior Associate Teacher in the School of Education. She supports education providers in becoming more accessible, and thus inclusive, for neurodivergent colleagues, students and young people.

Beyond Case-Based Learning: Reflections on Generative AI and Cinematic Narratives in Medical Teaching

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Contributing to our BMERG blog series on building community, our BMERG Journal Club lead Dr Claire Hudson reflects on the discussions at a recent journal club about AI-generated clinical narratives.

 

Artificial intelligence (AI)-generated image of Selena Gomez singing with Justin Bieber. Taken from Bland (2025) doi:10.2196/63865 

The BMERG journal club recently met to discuss the following paper:

Bland, Tyler. “Enhancing Medical Student Engagement Through Cinematic Clinical Narratives: Multimodal Generative AI-Based Mixed Methods Study.” JMIR medical education vol. 11 e63865. 6 Jan. 2025, doi:10.2196/63865

This paper sparked my attention; it’s not often you see mention of Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez in an academic research paper! I was interested to find out whether their cinematic clinical narrative was a valid educational approach, or whether it was all just a gimmick…. I was sceptical. 

Publication overview

This study, based in one US Medical School, explored a creative way to teach complex pharmacology to medical students using Generative AI (GenAI). Instead of a traditional case-based learning (CBL) scenario, the educators transformed a clinical case into what they called a cinematic clinical narrative, a multimedia story titled Shattered Slippers. It featured an AI-generated plot, narration, images and even a theme song, blending clinical content with an emotionally engaging storyline.

The approach was grounded in multiple educational theories, including Constructivist Learning Theory, Cinemeducation, Mayer’s Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, and the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework. They hoped to improve student engagement and recall.

What did the researchers find out?

The majority of the students preferred this AI-enhanced case to traditional teaching methods. They scored it highly on a ‘Situational Interest Survey’ and performed well on related exam questions (although these weren’t compared with performance in other topics!). Students reported liking the narrative style and the pop culture references. The authors suggest that multimedia storytelling, supported by GenAI, could enhance engagement, comprehension and retention, and could even help mitigate early medical-school burnout driven by information overload.

Why this study resonated

This paper generated one of our liveliest journal discussions. It tapped into current debates about the role of AI, narratives and emotion in medical and health sciences education.

We recognised similarities to CBL materials already used in Bristol Medical School (BMS) teaching. The phrase cinematic clinical narrative suggests a Netflix-style experience, however, this was essentially still a patient case, albeit within a more elaborate fictional storyline. The story was presented using Powerpoint slides with AI-generated narration, included two AI-generated ‘cinematic-style’ images of ‘Selena’ and ‘Justin’, plus an AI-generated song. There were clinical questions posed to the students within the narrative, akin to the ‘pause points’ or facilitator questions used within CBL in BMS.

What did we think?

During our discussion, we used the phrase “style over substance”, as we didn’t think the images, song or AI-narration particularly enhanced the story. However, we also recognised that our average age was significantly above that of an undergraduate medical student, so perhaps we simply weren’t the target audience! We didn’t like the AI-generated voice-over, but given how quickly it was produced, we could see the advantage over recording narration ourselves. Within our own CBL sessions, we prefer students to read cases aloud, and believe it allows pause for questions, discussion and deeper engagement with the content.

The authenticity was a positive aspect of this cinematic clinical narrative. The case was based on lupus, a condition experienced by actor and singer Selena Gomez in real life, which helps humanise the topic and connect students emotionally with the material. We already value this approach; for example, our curriculum includes videos of real patient stories, which resonate strongly with students and enhance their empathy.

The methodology and reporting were also strong. For example, they included CHERRIES (Checklist for Reporting Results of Internet E-Surveys) to report reliability of the Situational Interest Survey; listed all AI tools used (ChatGPT-4, Leonardo.ai, Eleven Labs and Suno); and shared all prompts used and generated media. The authors report that AI generated the storyline and media quickly, while the original case took approximately one day to write. It is reassuring that AI did not generate the clinical content per se, suggesting existing case material could be ‘fleshed out’ using this approach.

What ideas did we have, and what can we take away?

The idea discussed mostly relate to medical CBL, but could be adapted to other contexts.

Use a range of media: We already embed patient videos, YouTube clips, and numerous clinical images within CBL resources; it is clear from this research and the wider literature that using a range of media in teaching helps keep students engaged.

Use storytelling: Adding stronger narrative arcs or character development could make CBL cases more distinctive and memorable, may help students connect emotionally with the material and visualise more diverse patient experiences.

AI-assisted voices: Using AI to generate patient voices in different accents or tones, helping students become familiar with diverse pronunciations and communication styles. Some parts of the case could be read by an AI-patient, perhaps communicating patient experience following treatment.

Students as producers: Students could create their own ‘cinematic clinical narratives’ which could be judged at an informal ‘Oscars’-style showcase. Expert review would ensure medical accuracy while giving students creative ownership.

Flipped-learning resources: Cinematic narratives could serve as pre-session materials, freeing live teaching time for deeper discussion.

Final Thoughts

This study encouraged us to think more creatively about multimedia teaching materials and prompted some vibrant discussion. Overall, we were supportive of our existing CBL approach, which places greater emphasis on group activities and student-led discussion than this ‘cinematic clinical narrative’ appeared to. However, we realise that delivering information to students using a variety of media is important for sustaining engagement and interest.

If you already use storytelling in your teaching, using GenAI or not, we’d love to hear from you!

Author Biography

Dr Claire Hudson is a Lecturer on the Teaching and Scholarship Pathway within the Bristol Medical School. Claire’s early research career was in biomedical sciences, with a recent transition to pedagogic research. She has a special interest in self-regulated learning and the use of reflective practice in developing academic and feedback literacy skills.

A Festive Pedagogy Poem

Posted on by andrew.bond

Hopefully many of you are taking some well deserved time off over the festive period, and the regular BMERG blog is no exception. However, in case anybody plans their day around the fortnightly blog release, here is a little something to see you through till the New Year. Unfortunately I cannot take any credit for this – as we know, artificial intelligence is very, very good…….

Merry Christmas.

Photo by Tessa Rampersad on Unsplash

Passion for learning lights the way,

Every question sparks a brighter day.

Deep inquiry builds bridges of thought,

Answers emerge from the lessons sought.

Growth flourishes when minds explore,

Open horizons reveal much more.

Guidance and wisdom, shared with care,

Ideas take root and blossom there.

Curiosity fuels the scholar’s quest,

Aspiration drives us to do our best.

Lifelong learning, a noble art.

Research uncovers truths concealed,

Evidence strengthens what is revealed.

Searching the depths with patient eyes,

Elevating knowledge where insight lies.

Analysis sharp, perspectives refined,

Revealing connections that bind.

Creativity joins with rigor’s might,

Hope for tomorrow shines ever bright.

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

The Many Roles of the Clinical Teaching Fellow (CTF)

Posted on by andrew.bond

In this week’s blog, Dr Lizzie Tighe and Dr Tom Shackshaft describe the important and varied role of Clinical Teaching Fellows at the University of Bristol.

University of Bristol’s Academy sites

As the academic year continues, over 100 resident doctors are settling into their roles as CTFs across the University of Bristol’s 9 academy sites. As Academy Clinical Teaching Coordinators (ACTCs) we had the joy of running two induction days in August for this new cohort, and visited all the academies during the CTF’s first 6 weeks. Over the year, CTFs will realise that they undertake a plethora of roles beyond teaching. For the uninitiated, we have outlined a summary of them below.

Teacher

This won’t surprise anyone – it’s in the job name! That said, classroom-based tutorials normally comprise the minority of sessions that CTFs deliver. Instead, bedside teaching, simulation and clinical skills often make up the bulk of CTF time – with these better suiting the clinical aspect of their role.  Several clinical academies welcome students from other institutions (Kings College London, Oxford University, Three Counties Medical School or Plymouth) and CTFs are sometimes involved in educational activities for other healthcare students such as nursing, dentistry, paramedics and PAs. 

Facilitator 

You may have wondered why CBL (case-based learning) wasn’t mentioned in the section above, given its prominence in the Bristol MBChB course. That’s because it shouldn’t really have a ‘teacher’ in the traditional sense, but a facilitator whose role is to guide student groups to ask the right questions and collectively meet their learning outcomes. This can be a steep learning curve for CTFs without prior experience of CBL, and is one of the trickier aspects of the role to feel comfortable with. 

Examiner 

Some CTFs may act as formal OSCE examiners at the University of Bristol, and almost all assess practice OSCEs and offer feedback and advice to their students in preparation for these. They also frequently complete formative Work-Place-based-Assessments, contributing to ongoing assessment of students’ professional and practical capabilities in real-world situations. 

Pastoral Support 

CTFs are often the first point of contact for medical students on clinical placements and can be the most approachable sources of support. They frequently support students in difficulty, whether related to education, personal or family circumstances, illness, or financial difficulty. The bread and butter of an experienced CTF is lending a sympathetic ear and cup of tea, signposting, and helping to make a sensible plan, often involving suitable support from University and NHS services. 

Role Model 

Many students see CTFs as a near-peer who they want to emulate – not a position to be taken lightly – evidenced by how many Bristol graduates (including Lizzie) return to become CTFs. This role modelling is also seen when in annual outreach programmes to local schools and colleges. 

Administrator 

Emails, timetabling, emails, booking rooms, registers, more emails. For previously ward-based doctors, this can be daunting and new. Every academy’s set-up is different, but a lot of admin is done by CTFs. This is a marmite activity – some like the control and are wizards of excel, for others it is the worst part of the job! 

Social events organiser 

Leaving Bristol can be daunting for our students. To help students feel at home CTFs (and other academy staff they work with) have been known to organise activities including quizzes, pub trips, bowling, meals out, film screenings, breakfast clubs and more.

Innovator 

As the front-line educator for much of the MBChB course, CTFs are often the first to identify areas for improvement and innovation. They frequently tweak aspects of local practice and have even been known to completely redesign the structure and delivery of entire units. CTFs who stay in their post for more than 12 months are particularly suited to this, with some brilliant success stories. Some of the best innovations have involved collaboration between CTFs within and between the academy sites. 

Researcher 

Many CTFs undertake educational (or less frequently clinical) research during their post. Many go on to present at local, national or regional conferences, and some eventually publish their work. In years past, you could hardly move at ASME for Bristol CTF research projects!   

Academic 

The majority of CTFs undertake a postgraduate qualification in healthcare education – normally here at Bristol. This can help develop their understanding of their teaching and can help them generate ideas for innovation or research and earn valuable points in postgraduate training programme applications. 

Clinician

CTFs typically have 10-50% of their role ‘doctor-ing’, either rota-ed into a specific department, or on a more ad-hoc basis. This helps CTFs continue their development as clinicians, and often students encounter them there, building legitimacy of the clinical teaching fellow and making student experiences far less intimidating. It is also helpful to build positive relationships with the departments who are sometimes baffled by what to do with medical students. 

The growth in numbers of CTFs nationally shows how valuable they are to medical schools, students and the hospitals they learn in.  We won’t pretend to have covered every aspect of the job, but these roles look likely to grow further, and CTFs are here to stay! 

Author Biographies

Dr Elizabeth (Lizzie) Tighe MBChB BSc and Dr Thomas (Tom) Shackshaft MBBS BSc have worked as Clinical Teaching Fellows since 2022. Alongside GP training, they both currently work for the University of Bristol as ACTCs to support CTFs, encourage collaboration across the region and run the TICC conference (Teaching, Innovation and Collaboration for CTFs) (https://ticc.blogs.bristol.ac.uk/). They have been involved in a variety of medical education projects and are working towards their MScs in Health Professions Education.

International Assessment in Higher Education: Conference report

Posted on by andrew.bond

In this week’s blog, Sally Dowling reports on attendance at the International Assessment in Higher Education conference, held in Manchester in June. She also shares the call for contributions for next year’s conference.

Image by Oleg Ivanov for Unsplash.com

The Assessment in Higher Education (AHE) network is ‘an independent network focused on developing research-informed practice in assessment and feedback in higher education’ (About AHE). Through the AHE network and events, academics are brought together, representing a range of subject disciplines and professional fields. They have in common that they are ‘evaluating, researching and developing theory, research, policy and practice in assessment and feedback’. The focus isn’t medical education, but the issues discussed are of direct relevance to members of BMERG.

Each June, the University of Cumbria hosts the International AHE conference. The conference is held in Manchester and attracts academics from all over the world, interested in coming together to discuss aspects of assessment in higher education. This year the conference was held on the 19th– 20th June, with over 285 delegates attending from 20 countries. Highlights from the conference can be found here.

On the recommendation of Dave Gattrell from BILT, three of us attended this year, presenting four papers in total. The presenters (Sally Dowling, Nicola Rooney and student partner, Tirion Cobby) are from the Medical and Vet Schools but represent a multi-disciplinary team with other members from the Vet School (Julie Dickson), Library Services (Bogdan Florea), School of Modern Languages (Christophe Fricker) and the School of Psychological Science (Craig Gunn). Together we have worked, from 2023-2025, on a BILT-funded project ‘Designing for all – research, report and academic guidance’. Our papers presented the findings from the four sub-projects we had worked on:

1) a scoping review of inclusive assessment in the UK

2) focus groups with students and staff exploring perceived inclusivity of assignments at our university

3) a student survey investigating how students perceive different types of assessments in terms of authenticity, inclusivity, and ability to demonstrate performance

4) a mixed-method discourse analysis of student views on assessment.

Our papers were well-received, and we had some interesting discussions with those who attended our sessions. We are working on finalising and submitting our papers for publication now and giving a final report to BILT later this month.

There were two great keynote speakers, Professor Sam Elkington, Teesside University and Associate Professor Alex Buckley, Heriot-Watt University; more information on their presentations and the rest of the programme can be found here. Between us we went to a range of interesting presentations and workshops, including some specifically from those working in medical education. We’d really recommend the conference to all working in HE and I’d specifically recommend it to BMERG members. It’s good to hear what those in other disciplines are doing around assessment issues and to discuss experiences, innovations and developments in this area with a wide group of academics. The call for contributions is open now, with a deadline of 19 January 2026. The organisers say that ‘the conference is aimed at those working in all contexts where higher education is delivered who have an interest in the practice and research of assessment’. It will be in Manchester again, at the Manchester Marriott Hotel Piccadilly on the 18th and 19th June, 2026. The call for contributions, including information on the presentation formats, can be found here.

Author Biography

Dr Sally Dowling is a Senior Lecturer in Bristol Medical School. She teaches on the Health Professions Education programme, is Student Choice Year 1 Academic Lead for the MBChB programme and Co-Programme Director for the MSc Reproduction and Development. She has many years’ experience in teaching health professionals, of qualitative research, writing for publication and journal reviewing/editing. She has particular interests in teaching research methods and supporting others, including students, to publish.

BMERG Committee Profile

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Dr Ed Luff, BSc, MB ChB, PG Dip, MAcadMEd, MRCEM

In the second of our BMERG Committee profiles, we asked Ed Luff to tell us a bit about himself.

Ed is a Bristol Medical School graduate, working as a Clinical Lecturer at Bristol Medical School and a Speciality Teaching Fellow and Tutor at South Bristol Academy, based in the Bristol Royal Infirmary.

He is currently finishing his MSc dissertation exploring students’ experiences and perceptions of using simulation to teach human factors and non-technical skills, as part of his studies on the Health Professionals Education (TLHP) course.

What was your first role or job as an educator?

When I was a medical student at Bristol, I was involved with a peer teaching scheme, educating other healthcare students, including pharmacy and nursing students, and in my later clinical years I also helped to mentor and teach more junior medical students on placements. I then went on to mentor final-year students placed on the same wards as me when I was working as a Foundation Doctor, as well as helping to teach in tutorials and at the bedside.

My first formal role was working as a Clinical Teaching Fellow in Swindon, where I spent 50% of my time teaching medical students from Bristol, Oxford and Kings College London, at The Great Western Hospital, and the other half of my time working clinically in Emergency Medicine and Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

What inspired you to become an educator and/or education researcher?

I was really inspired by all of the amazing teachers and educators that I met on my journey through medical school at Bristol. This included many extremely enthusiastic and gifted Clinical Teaching Fellows, who I saw as wonderful role models. I aspired to be like them in my future career, and planned to work as a Clinical Teaching Fellow after completing my Foundation Training.

I was fortunate to get a job as a CTF, and during this, I was encouraged to pursue some small medical educational research projects, I was supported by some excellent seniors, including some more experienced CTFs, who allowed me to start exploring the world of education research. After this, I was hooked and was determined to incorporate education research into my educational career!

Alongside my CTF job, I was able to complete my PG Cert in Teaching and Learning for Health Professionals (TLHP, now HPE), which I thoroughly enjoyed. I then went on to complete the PG Dip, including a module on Research Methods, which I found fascinating. This gave me the final push to go on and complete my MSc dissertation, continuing my journey in medical education research, alongside my teaching and clinical commitments.

What challenges have you faced in your journey as a medical education researcher and how have you overcome these?

Finding time to complete research, alongside other teaching and educational responsibilities, supporting students, clinical duties, further study and everything else outside of work is always challenging. I’m currently in the process of completing my MSc dissertation, and at times, finding the motivation to sit down and do some reading, or write some words can be challenging.

Having supervisors and others to keep me motivated and working as part of a team has always really helped me. Seeking the advice, guidance and support of more experienced people is invaluable and bouncing ideas around with someone else, as well as working collaboratively, is extremely important to me. I strongly believe that research should never be conducted in isolation.

What is your current medical education research project on?

I’m currently writing my dissertation for my MSc in Health Professionals Education (previously Teaching and Learning for Health Professionals/ TLHP). I chose to explore students’ experiences and perceptions of using simulation as a method to teach human factors and non-technical skills. These are two areas that I’m really passionate about, using simulation as a teaching and learning tool, and the interplay of humans, communication, environment, and everything else that forms human factors and non-technical skills. I’m relatively new to qualitative research but I’ve thrown myself into it and am really enjoying all the new skills I’m learning along the way.

Who are your medical education/education research role models?

I’ve been privileged enough to be taught by and now work with many amazing individuals at Bristol Medical School. These include Professor Karen Forbes, Professor Andrew Blythe and Dr Sarah Allsop. All of whom have provided advice and guidance as I develop my academic and educational career. I also admire and looked up to many of my former CTFs who inspired me to apply for the roles that opened many doors to get me to where I am today.

What would you consider your greatest academic success?

Helping to support all the students I have worked with, through various challenges, to achieve their academic potential. Many of them have now graduated and started working as doctors, and some of whom I have since met as colleagues! I now also have a leadership role within the medical school assessments team, which is equally exciting as it is daunting.

Have you ever had a piece of work go wrong and how did you deal with this?

Many! Ask for help. Find someone who can support you. See if there are any solutions that you might not have thought about initially and don’t give up at the first hurdle. But also reflect on what went wrong and where things didn’t work out as expected. And know when it is a better use of your time to let this one go, learn from it and put your time into something more productive. Sometimes it’s a tricky balance to strike.

What helps you to maintain your work life balance as a medical educator/researcher?

I think this is something that I struggle with generally. My family are amazingly supportive of all of my endeavours, both work-related and outside of work. I like to set myself challenges and have completed a few triathlons, including an Ironman distance event. My 2 young sons keep me busy at home and seeing friends and family is extremely important to me and keeps me grounded. I enjoy playing hockey for a local team and try to get outside as much as possible. I think that trying to carve out time to focus on things away from work is important, and something I am trying to do more of.

What do you think will be the greatest change to medical education over the next decade?

The ever-increasing demands placed on the national health service, from all angles, is a huge challenge. I see this especially, in my clinical work as an Emergency Medicine Doctor. This will require more health professionals to be employed, meaning increases in education, both undergraduate and postgraduate, increases in student numbers, and changes in the ways we plan and deliver teaching, requiring innovation across the board, as well as more inter-professional and cross-institution collaboration.

What book are you reading at the moment?

I’m not a big reader, so I often start something and never quite finish it…but the books that I really got into were all from Atul Gawande. He captivated me and I couldn’t put them down.

What is your favourite quote?

“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results” – Albert Einstein

If something doesn’t work, give it a couple of goes, but don’t keep ploughing on with it. You never know what trying something else might lead to!

What job would you do if you were not a medical educator/researcher?

I spent a season working in the French Alps before starting medical school, and then also worked as a SCUBA diving instructor. My youthful dream would be to work as a skiing instructor in the winter and teach people to SCUBA dive in the summer. Or, working as a barista in a speciality coffee shop somewhere, as my other hobby is trying to perfect making and then drinking delicious coffee.

What three top tips would you give to new medical education researchers?

  1. Research things that interest you
  2. Make contacts near and far and collaborate with others
  3. Find a supervisor and value their experience

Where is your favourite place in the world and why?

I love being in the mountains, surrounded by the beautiful scenery and the fresh mountain air. I enjoy skiing and snowboarding, as well as the hearty apline food and warm fires at the end of the day.

Getting started in pedagogical research

Posted on by andrew.bond

In this week’s blog, Dr Andy Bond reflects on how to get started in pedagogical research, especially when coming from a non-teaching background, highlighting some insights from experienced members of BMERG.

I am a scientific researcher! This is ingrained into me as it was my career for over 20 years since starting out on my PhD ‘journey’ in 2003. It therefore came as a bit of a shock to the system to become a Pathway 3 member of the teaching staff at the University of Bristol, and feel like I had left basic science research behind. Yes, there is the chance to supervise student projects and live research vicariously through them, however it isn’t quite the same as being hands on, actually doing experiments for hours on end in the lab, with varying degrees of success. As teaching staff, we are required to complete our Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PGCAP). This introduced me to pedagogy and opened my eyes to a very different way of working, thinking and writing; pedagogical research values people’s opinions just as, if not more, importantly than “hard evidence”. Having purely been in the quantitative, basic science, school of research, I found the academic papers to be written in a very different style and tone that felt very alien, and not quite right to me!! This is where the dreaded imposter syndrome starts to creep in, and that sense you’re not doing things correctly, and you don’t quite know how to get started.

Colleagues introduced me to BMERG, and in particular the Journal Club. If I’m being honest, the imposter syndrome still continued for a while, with unfamiliar terms, phrases and methodologies being common place, however as with many things, learning through immersion fosters deeper understanding. I am now finding that pedagogical research (as a branch of social science) and basic science research share many similarities – forming research questions, gathering data (quantitative or qualitative), using reasoning, analysing results, and (hopefully) publishing the findings. Ultimately, both with the aim to advance knowledge.

To gain further insight for this blog, I asked some members of BMERG for their top tips for getting started, and have tried to summarise their insights below.

Collaboration

A common theme that emerged was that collaboration is key, especially when starting out, but also for the more experienced pedagogical researcher. In the early stages, teaming up with someone with experience, ideally that shares your interests, enables you to get feedback and validation for your ideas, but also to take on more ambitious projects, and increase chances of funding. Collaboration can also give you access to a wider group of students e.g. you may teach to postgraduates, but have an idea also relevant to undergraduate students, and need collaborators to help facilitate the transition.

Plan upfront

Another key theme was planning. All projects need to be carefully planned out in advance to focus the investigation, and start with a clear aim (the simpler the better) for what you want to achieve. Knowing the focus is vital, whether looking at teaching innovation (designing new methods of teaching to help students learn) or educational research (investigating an issue or challenge discovered when teaching). Both are equally valid, but require different approaches. Engaging with the ethics process early on helps to clarify your study design, and check the data you will receive is robust and reliable. It’s much harder to start with the methodology and work backwards. To prevent unintentionally marginalizing participants, it is vital at the research design stage to put the learners first; knowing who you are researching (considering inclusivity), and modifying research practices accordingly, rather than just accepting standard methods. Caution should be exercised at all stages of the project, from planning through to interpretation and analysis of results, considering the researchers beliefs or world view (paradigm), and their positionality (acknowledging how a researcher’s identity influences their research).

Use the resources available to you

In addition to the people within your network, and communities such as BMERG with its aforementioned Journal Club, there are a number of other Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) resources available to the new pedagogical researcher within the University of Bristol, under the Bristol Institute for Learning and Teaching (BILT) umbrella (Scholarship of Teaching and Learning | Bristol Institute For Learning and Teaching | University of Bristol) e.g. Show, Tell and Talk Workshops, and the BILT Annual conference. Attending these events helps to widen your network, see what other research is taking place, helps to validate your own ideas, and gain confidence to undertake your own projects. Previous examples of published pedagogical research are an excellent resource, enabling you to see how other people structure their projects, and also their writing.

A final point suggested that has helped adjust my way of thinking, especially coming from a basic science research background, is to try to think of it not just as pedagogical research (studying something and trying to discover facts), but pedagogical insight (deep understanding). Put another way, research tells us what is happening, but we also need insight to understand why it is happening and what we can do about it. Looking at teaching practices through the insight lens can give a different perspective, and can open up alternative avenues for consideration.

So to sum up how you get started in pedagogical research, you just go for it, and you will find an extremely friendly and helpful community of like-minded people, that will support you, and help you build the confidence needed to do great things for the benefit of students. If anyone has further insights into how to get started on the pedagogical research journey then I would welcome your input via a comment below.

With thanks to Sarah Allsop, Sarah Mclaughlin, Fiona Holmes, Claire Hudson and Sally Dowling for their insights.

Author Biography

Dr Andrew Bond is a Lecturer in Cardiovascular Medicine, in Bristol Medical School, and Co-Director of MSc Cardiovascular Perfusion. In 2023 he switched to the Teaching and Scholarship Pathway at the University of Bristol, and his teaching role predominantly involves developing and delivering content on the MSc Translational Cardiovascular Medicine, MSc Clinical Perfusion Science and MSc Cardiovascular Perfusion. Andy recently joined the BMERG Committee, and sees it as the beginning of his pursuit of pedagogical research, and the chance to better understand how students learn and thrive. His hope is to integrate insights from this research into his own teaching practice, so that research and practice continually inform one another.

BMERG Committee Profile

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In the first of our BMERG Committee profiles, we shine the spotlight on Fiona Holmes, our School Education Director.

Fiona is Associate Professor in Health Science Education and School Education Director. She is Programme Director of MSc Clinical Perfusion Science and Co-Director of MRes Health Sciences Research. During her long career as a neuroscientist she enjoyed combining research with teaching, aiming to inspire the next generation of biomedical and clinical researchers. She has a particular interest in students’ academic and research skills development.

What was your first role or job as an educator?

I have been involved in teaching and supervising students for many years but my first formal role was as Co-Director of MRes Health Sciences Research over 10 years ago.

What inspired you to become an educator and/or education researcher?

I want to encourage and support the medical researchers of the future and hopefully instill a curiosity and passion for discovery science. I love working with students and see them achieve their full potential.

What challenges have you faced in your journey as a medical education researcher and how have you overcome these?

Making the switch from biomedical research (PhD and 20+ years of experience) to pedagogical research (starting from scratch, learning to appreciate qualitative research, developing more of a ‘social sciences head’ and finding my niche).

What is your current medical education research project on?

I am working with a colleague (Jody Stafford) on using desk-based simulation to support cardiopulmonary bypass training. With Gemma Ford and BMERG Committee members, we are piloting a project to embed the Bristol Skills Profile into academic personal tutoring.

Who are your medical education/education research role models?

My mum worked as a school lab technician and was full of ideas to add interest to the classroom (many projects were tried out at home from stick insects to eyeballs to hatching chicks). The school and university lecturers who stick in my mind (along with what they taught) were really enthusiastic and committed to our learning, with a bit of showmanship and eccentricity thrown in!

What would you consider your greatest academic success?

My first, first author paper – perhaps not my greatest academic success but it felt like it at the time.

Have you ever had a piece of work go wrong and how did you deal with this?

Yes! Who hasn’t?! This is particularly true of biomedical research which can be a roller coaster of highs and lows – you need patience and resilience and to try and let the highs carry you through the lows. You learn more from work not going the way you expect / hope – problem solving, criticality, insight. The important thing is that you do learn and don’t – to misquote Einstein – do the same thing over and over again and expect different results. I bang on about this a lot to my students!

What helps you to maintain your work life balance as a medical educator/researcher?

A nagging husband who thinks I love the University of Bristol more than him! To be more serious, work can be such a big part of your identity so it’s important to be doing something that you really care about. Prioritising family (I am bonus mum to 2 step-daughters – a primary school teacher and a nurse), friends and outside interests (travel, gardening and running) can enhance your A game at work.

What do you think will be the greatest change to medical education over the next decade?

At the moment I’m grappling with artificial intelligence (AI) and the challenges and opportunites it brings to teaching and learning per se. Besides this, it is essential to integrate understanding of the potential (and pitfalls) of AI to transform medical practice into medical education curricula.

What book are you reading at the moment?

I have recently read Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus – after being fired from her job as a lab tech, chemist Elizabeth Zott uses her new job hosting a 1950s television cooking show titled Supper at Six to educate housewives on scientific topics.

What job would you do if you were not a medical educator/researcher?

I probably would have done something clinical / patient-focussed. My retirement job idea is to be a florist.

What three top tips would you give to new medical education researchers?

  1. Collaborate: 2+ heads are better than one, there’s shared expertise and work-load and you are accountable to others which helps keeps you on track.
  2. Just do it: Make a start – fail, flounder – but do something. If you don’t start you will never have the opportunity to finish.
  3. Be a lifelong learner: Stay curious and open-minded, and being a student helps you put yourself in the shoes of your own students and be reminded of their perspective.

Where is your favourite place in the world and why?

Difficult to choose one favourite – lots of places hold special memories for all sorts of reasons – but I got engaged on the Franz Josef Glacier in New Zealand which was pretty cool (literally!).

Reflections from ASME 2025, AI, Assessment & Agency in Health Professions Education

Posted on by andrew.bond

In this weeks blog, Dr Dani O’Connor shares reflections from the ASME Annual Scholarship Meeting 2025, exploring key themes of Artificial Intelligence (AI), assessment, and agency in health professions education. It highlights insights from presenting on AI’s impact on critical thinking, engaging workshops, and the importance of learner empowerment, inclusion, and wellbeing in educational spaces.

“Reflect Reflection” by Pietro De Grandi/ CC0 1.0

I recently had the privilege of attending the ASME Annual Scholarship Meeting 2025 in the vibrant city of Edinburgh. Held at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) from July 1st to 3rd, the conference brought together educators, researchers, and healthcare professionals from across the globe to explore the theme, “The A’s of ASME – AI, Assessment & Agency.”

One of the most rewarding aspects of the conference was the opportunity to present alongside my colleague, Zuzana Deans, on a topic that is both timely and complex, the use of AI in education and its impact on critical thinking. Our session explored how generative AI tools are reshaping the way students engage with academic tasks, and what this means for the development of independent, analytical thought. We discussed both the opportunities and the risks, how AI can support learning, but also how it might inadvertently deskill students if not integrated thoughtfully. The discussion that followed was rich and reflective, with attendees sharing their own experiences and concerns around AI in the classroom.

Among the many thought-provoking sessions, one that particularly stood out to me was the interactive workshop provocatively titled “The Death of the Essay.” This session invited us to critically examine the traditional essay as a dominant form of assessment in health professions education. Through group discussions and live polling, we explored whether the essay still serves its intended purpose in an age of multimodal learning, digital fluency, and diverse learner needs. The session didn’t just critique the essay, it opened up space for imagining alternative, more inclusive forms of assessment that better reflect the skills and creativity of today’s students.

Throughout the three days, the programme was rich with intra-conference sessions, oral presentations, and e-poster discussions, all of which highlighted innovative approaches to assessment and learner empowerment. I was particularly inspired by the emphasis on learner agency, how we can better support students from diverse backgrounds to take ownership of their educational journeys. This resonated deeply with BMERG’s mission to amplify underrepresented voices in academia and research.

One of the standout moments for me was the sound bath sessions, a unique wellness initiative woven into the conference schedule. These short, guided meditations provided a welcome pause amidst the intellectual intensity, reminding us of the importance of mental wellbeing in academic spaces.

Networking was another highlight. The Welcome Reception on the first evening offered a relaxed setting to connect with peers and mentors. I had the opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations about inclusive curriculum design, decolonising medical education, and the role of community in shaping equitable learning environments. ASME 2025 was a space where critical conversations about equity, representation, and systemic change were not only welcomed, but actively encouraged. I left Edinburgh with a renewed sense of purpose and a notebook full of ideas to bring back to my team and wider networks.

Author Biography

Dr Dani O’Connor is a Lecturer in Medical Education at the University of Bristol, where she teaches across a range of programmes within Health Professions Education and leads the online MSc. Her research explores gender bias and relational autonomy in clinical decision-making, as well as the impact of AI on critical thinking in education. She has published in the Medical Law Review and presents her work nationally and internationally.

Introducing the BMERG blog editors and the new series of BMERG blogs

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It’s the beginning of a new academic year and our BMERG blog series kicks off with an introduction to our new BMERG blog editors – and a call for blog writers.

“Blog Text” by Words as Pictures/ CC0 1.0

Following a refresh of the BMERG Committee and the opportunity to take on new roles, Dr Sally Dowling and Dr Andrew Bond have volunteered to be the new BMERG Blog editors. They will be doing this under the expert supervision of Dr Sarah Allsop. Sarah has overseen the blog brilliantly for the past few years, and Sally and Andrew are very grateful to have her expertise to draw on as they take on the role.

Who are we?

Dr Sally Dowling is a Senior Lecturer who has worked in health professions education since 2007, following a career in the NHS. She came to work in Bristol Medical School in January 2022 and currently holds positions in PGT programmes (Health Professions Education and as co-Programme Director for the MSc Reproduction and Development). She also works as Year 1 Student Choice Academic Lead on the MBChB programme. Sally has been a BMERG Committee member since 2022. She has been involved in several BILT-funded associate projects, including one looking at inclusive assessment. In 2024-25 and continuing in 2025-26, she is part of the Pedagogic research and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL) culture project, working with colleagues across the university. She has an interest in supporting staff and student in writing for publication and has run workshops and written blog posts relating to this.

Dr Andrew Bond is a Lecturer in Cardiovascular Medicine, in Bristol Medical School, and Co-Director of MSc Cardiovascular Perfusion. He has over 20 years of experience as a scientific researcher in UK academia, undertaking and publishing a variety of research into atherosclerosis, paediatric heart surgery, islet transplantation for Type I diabetes, and bioengineering of blood vessels for heart bypass surgery. In 2023 he switched to the Teaching and Scholarship Pathway at the University of Bristol, and his teaching role predominantly involves developing and delivering content on the MSc Translational Cardiovascular Medicine, MSc Clinical Perfusion Science and MSc Cardiovascular Perfusion. He is co-lead for various units on the three courses. Andrew recently joined the BMERG Committee, and sees it as the beginning of his pursuit of pedagogical research, and the chance to better understand how students learn and thrive. His hope is to integrate insights from this research into his own teaching practice, so that research and practice continually inform one another.

What is a blog post?

Blog posts are short pieces of writing highlighting topics of interest, usually written in an informal, accessible or conversational style. Some blogs are focussed on a specific issue; others are more general. Writing a blog is a way of sharing your ideas, experiences and opinions – it also gives you a permanent URL from which your writing can be accessed.

What can I write about for in a BMERG blog?

The BMERG blogs are aimed at the medical education community at the University of Bristol and beyond. In the past some have been themed – for example about “Writing for Publication” or reporting on papers discussed at the BMERG Journal Club. We have had conference reports (such as this one) and advice on Academic Careers and Researcher Skills, and other staff development and teaching practice issues. Individual BMERG members have written about their research projects, events they have attended or activities they’ve been involved in. If you look at the BMERG Blog page of the BMERG website you can see the latest Blog posts, and search by topics or categories.

What will we be doing?

This post relaunches the BMERG Blog. Following this we hope to have a new blog published on alternate Fridays. To open the new series, we will publish topic blogs once each month and introduce a member of the Committee in the second blog. To whet your appetite – we have forthcoming blogs on the ASME conference 2025 and the Assessment in Higher Education Conference 2025, a blog on ‘Starting out in pedagogical research’ and introductions to the new BMERG chair and others on the committee. We’ll also be re-posting some earlier blogs about writing for publication and understanding Open Access publication.

Can I write a blog post?

Yes please! We would love to hear from anyone who would like to write a blog post for BMERG. We ask that you use this form to submit your details and the text of your blog. We will review all blogs submitted and let you know if any (usually minor) edits are needed. We’ll also let you know when we are scheduling the publication of your blog. Please let us know if you think there is a reason to publish your blog as soon as possible (for example, if it’s addressing a particularly current or timely issue).

In the next BMERG blog post Dani O’Connor will be writing about ‘Reflections from ASME 2025, AI, Assessment & Agency in Health Professions Education’.