In episode four we chat with Associate Professor Simone Titus-Dawson from the Centre for Health Professions Education in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Stellenbosch University in South Africa.
Simone shares her organic multi- and inter-disciplinary journey from Sports Sciences to Gender Studies to Digital Education in the Health Sciences. Simone outlines her research from game-based teaching and learning, to considering the digital divide and access, towards virtual and augmented reality use in anatomy and physiology, as well as culturally sensitive stories developed with AI. Foundational practical recommendations around technology-use in education include meeting students where they are at, starting small, and ensuring that technological tools used are aligned to learning outcomes and scaffolded into digestible chunks. When thinking about possibly undertaking postgraduate studies in Health Professions Education, Simone offers advice for different career stages, with recommendations for mentorship and coaching, and “knowing your why”. Simone ends with a call for researchers in the global North to recognise the excellence of work in Health Professions Education from the global South – often done under challenging environments – and for equal partnerships.
