Using online videos to enhance students' interview skills

Lecturer:
Sue Dean 

Faculty:
Health

Project:
"Talk to them": A pilot audiovisual online resource to develop students' therapeutic interviewing skills

Keywords:
Communication, therapeutic interviewing skills, online resource, flipped education

Sue Dean is developing a creative and student-centred resource to improve students’ therapeutic interviewing skills and to encourage transdisciplinary learning.

What the project is about 

The online audio-visual tool is being designed to demonstrate quality interviewing skills. This tool will assist students in the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) clinic to become familiar and competent with the language – both verbal and non verbal – and develop the interpersonal skills necessary for a successful therapeutic interaction. Students will access the tool on UTSOnline (Subjects are now taught in Canvas) to practise these skills independently, critique themselves and direct their own learning. Students will then complete an online assessment task before going on to the real patient interview in the TCM clinic.

Why the project is being introduced

Patients in the Chinese Medicine Outpatient Clinic at UTS were asked to evaluate their experience of being looked after by fourth year students. The responses from the survey highlighted areas of therapeutic practice that required development. These included manner, humility, and being open and sensitive. Also, more than half of students enrolled in TCM speak English as a second language and would benefit from additional support in developing their communication skills.

How the project is being implemented  

Currently students are taught the theoretical aspects of therapeutic communication in lectures, followed by interview role-play in tutorials and the assessment interview in the TCM clinic.

An online audio-visual resource would increase opportunities for students to become more familiar with the terminology and understand patient documents and verbal discussions, skills required of a professional practitioner.

As the online resources are being made in-house, Ms Dean is collaborating with colleagues to produce and write the situations to be filmed. They are hiring external actors and a multimedia student is filming, editing and uploading the video interviews. Once online, students can access, use and evaluate these resources.
 

The success of the online resourceis being measured by:

• Students’ assessment interview
• Specific questions in a survey at the beginning and conclusion of the subject.
• The number of times they are accessed
   

Exploring further
Zhu, P. (2006). Communicating traditional Chinese medicine across cultures: Rhetorical and linguistic challenges and possible solutions. Texas Tech University.
Read...

Delving even deeper
McConville, S.A. & Lane, A.M. (2006). Using on-line video clips to enhance self-efficacy toward dealing with difficult situations among nursing students. Nurse Education Today, 26(3): 200-208.
Read...