Study information

Advanced Research Practice Experience

Module titleAdvanced Research Practice Experience
Module codeHPDM158Z
Academic year2024/5
Credits30
Module staff

Dr Kerry Gilbert (Convenor)

Duration: Term123
Duration: Weeks

10

10

10

Number students taking module (anticipated)

26

Module description

This is a fully online module.

This is a practice-based module, supported by online learning content to allow you to study remotely, whilst engaging in practical experience in your own clinical setting. You will actively participate in clinical research projects to broaden your experience and develop your capability to act-up in leadership roles. Alongside the practical learning, you will also engage in remote digital immersive study, flexible blended learning experiences and communities of learning / learning practice with students on the course and colleagues in research delivery leadership roles in your own clinical setting. Through this you will continue developing your patient-centred approach to research delivery and understanding of measures of health outcomes.

Module Research Practice Experience HPDM151Z is a pre-requisite for this module, or an equivalent module as determined by APL / APEL.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module aims to extend your capability as a research leader through research experience guided by the Capabilities in Practice (CiPs) outlined by the National Institute for Health and Care Research and Academy of Medical Royal Colleges Clinical Research Framework (NIHR-AoMRC-CRF). Drawing upon learning from your Research Practice Experience (RPE) module HPDM151Z (or equivalent) you will develop learning towards Capabilities in Practice 3 and 4 as outlined in the NIHR-AoMRC-CRF and detailed in the module handbook. You will work with a supervisor with appropriate skills and experience of clinical research delivery, who can help you to find practical experiences to develop your skills and learning. Thus, this module aims to develop your capability and confidence as a clinician researcher, with the ultimate aim of supporting you to discharge the duties of a research delivery leader in a clinical research study, such as a Principal or Chief investigator or Senior Research Delivery Manager (e.g Research Governance Manager or CRF Manager). Your duties will be protocol specific and contextual to the clinical research projects in your health / care setting. It is not anticipated that you will have necessarily had experience of all the CiPs by the end of the Advanced Research Practice Experience module, but it is expected that you will have achieved the module learning outcomes with respect to the CiPs you have experienced. It is anticipated that you will spend time working in a clinical research environment developing your leadership skills alongside formal, remote, module learning to underpin and support clinical leadership practice.
You will be expected to build a Portfolio of Experiences that will contain evidence of learning development appropriate to your own area of specialism and aligned to the CiPs. The specific learning will be dependent on your prior learning and personal learning development plan as discussed with your supervisor and academic tutor. You will select four areas of experience, related to selected CiPs from your Portfolio of Evidence on each of which you will write a report up to1000-words long, the first of which will be assessed formatively.
The selected reports will map to the Capabilities in Practice (CiP) 3 and 4 and may include e.g., (but not limited by)

  • A critical analysis of a research question or development of your own research question.
  • A detailed analysis of a project costing or development of a costing for your own project.
  • A critical analysis of research methods or critical justification for use of particular research methods.
  • A critical analysis of ethical considerations or development of an ethics application.
  • A lay-focussed article to explain a project or a summary of findings for a specialist interest journal.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

  • 1. Critically and systematically understand the process underpinning the set-up of a clinical research project. Including, e.g: setting an appropriate research question and designing a study that will effectively address and answer the research question, understanding the inclusion of patient/participant involvement in terms of developing a research project alongside the wider team, understanding data collection (qualitative and quantitative), understanding data protection and research ethics approvals and research integrity.
  • 2. Demonstrate an applied understanding of the practical elements of project set-up and management, including: realistic project costing; contract set-up; identifying and securing funding; involving appropriate patient groups; evaluating the project and research process management.
  • 3. Understanding peer-review and permission to conduct research at all stages of project set-up, delivery and review and application of these principles to ongoing research development.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

  • 4. Comprehensively understand research and development in terms of how it is set-up and organised nationally, institutionally and departmentally, including the involvement of cross-institutional networks, from the point of view of project set-up, delivery and management.
  • 5. Comprehensively understand the need for rigour in data collection, processing and use in publication, including data protection, regulation and key statistical analyses.

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

  • 6. Critically evaluate your research practice experience and identify and understand how you will use your knowledge and transferrable practices in future clinical delivery projects.
  • 7. Demonstrate an understanding of critical reflexivity taking into consideration stakeholder feedback in the development of clinical research project design / programme development to shape future research.
  • 8. Comprehensively understand how to disseminate research to a broad variety of audiences for example: academic; expert and lay audiences including participant / patient groups.

Syllabus plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, an example of an overall structure is as follows:

The Advanced Research Practice Experience module is structured around two high level learning outcomes, which are presented below as Capabilities in Practice (CiPs) that you will be expected to demonstrate on completion. CiPs are based on the format of Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs).

(Module core content)
CiP3: To identify and evaluate the key processes of research (including what steps must happen before a research study can begin)

  1. Defining and refining the research question
  2. Designing a feasible study and using approaches aligned with answering the research question (including being able to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches for different types of research question and contexts)
  3. Costing a research study
  4. Contracts
  5. Methods of data collection (both quantitative and qualitative)
  6. Data protection and GDPR considerations
  7. Research ethics and the broader concept of research integrity
  8. Obtaining peer review and all necessary permissions, at both the point of applying for funding and during the review process
  9. Regulation
  10. Securing funding
  11. Evaluating whether research processes have been managed satisfactorily (in order to decide whether to join a research study)

CiP4: To understand other stages within a networked clinical research study

  1. Pooling data from multiple sites
  2. Interpreting the data
  3. Sharing the data
  4. Disseminating results to different audiences and keeping your participants linked in; this could include contributing to, for example, presentations and publications.
  5. Planning for follow-up and subsequent studies

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
302700

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities20Synchronous online group tutorials with other students on the module and the module co-leads / LCRD team: Setting out module expectations at the beginning; collectively reviewing progress against the ILOs and problem-solving along the way, and then reflecting on the process at the end.
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities10Synchronous online / in-person one-to-one supervision sessions with supervisor(s): Exploring context-specific expectations of the student, supervisor and other key stakeholders; agreeing project-specific activities and reviewing progress against the ILOs / CiPs in the syllabus plan; reviewing progress towards the formative and summative assessment.
Guided independent study150Asynchronous in-person / online engagement with the delivery of research projects: This will be determined by discussion with your supervisor and mapped to the CiPs outlined in the Syllabus plan.
Guided independent study40Asynchronous. Module pre-reading and video watching; scheduled online activities (such as engaging with NIHR Learn)
Guided independent study80Guidance on assessments and other study skills; work towards the formative and summative assessments

Formative assessment

Form of assessmentSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Participation in student online discussion boards, Short contribution to the online forum 300 words1, 3, 4, 5, 8Peer and tutor interaction on the online forum
Initial reflection on prior learning in clinical research delivery leadership outlining learning goals.500 words6-8Verbal feedback and peer review during contact day
Report related to a specific aspect of the Capabilities in Practice focussing on a specific area of CiP 3 or 4 1000 wordsAllWritten

Summative assessment (% of credit)

CourseworkWritten examsPractical exams
10000

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment% of creditSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Personal Learning Plan outlining areas of development for the ARPE portfolio including reflection on prior learning and development of learning goals.251000 words6-8Written
Portfolio of Experiences related to the CiPs with supervisor’s sign-off of entrustable skills.258 monthsAllSupervisor feedback / sign-off
Three written reports related to specific aspects of the Capabilities in Practice each focussing on a specific aspect of CiP 3 or 4, 50up to 1000 words per each reportAllWritten
0
0
0

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Original form of assessmentForm of re-assessmentILOs re-assessedTimescale for re-assessment
Personal Learning Plan outlining areas of development for the ARPE portfolio including reflection on prior learning and development of learning goals. (25%), 1000 wordsPersonal Learning Plan (25%)6-8Typically 12 weeks after initial result.
Portfolio of Experiences related to the CiPs with supervisor’s sign-off of entrustable skills. (25%) As original assessment (25%) All Typically 12 weeks after initial result.As original assessment (25%)AllTypically 12 weeks after initial result.
Three written reports related to specific aspects of the Capabilities in Practice each focussing on a specific aspect of CiP 3 or 4, each up to 1000 words long. (50%)Three written reports (50%)AllTypically 12 weeks after initial result.

Re-assessment notes

As the portfolio is generated over 150 h of clinical experiences and the 1000-word reports relate directly to the portfolio, the re-assessment timings will need to be determined by agreement between the student, supervisor, academic tutor and module lead(s). It should be possible to resubmit 12 weeks after the initial result in most cases.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

  • Aarons, G. A., M. G. Ehrhart, L. R. Farahnak and M. Sklar (2014). "Aligning leadership across systems and organizations to develop a strategic climate for evidence-based practice implementation." Annu Rev Public Health 35: 255-274.
  • Barr, J. & Dowding, L. (2016) Leadership in health care. 3rd edition. London: Sage
  • Chaudoir, S. R., L. G. Dugan and C. H. I. Barr (2013). "Systematic review factors affecting implementation of health innovations: a systematic review of structural, organizational, provider, patient, and innovation level measures." Implement Sci 8(22).
  • Christensen, C.M, Bohmer, R. & Kenagy, J. (2000) Will disruptive innovations cure health care? Harvard Business Review Sept 103-111
  • Dale, B., Van der Wiele,T., & Van Iwaarden, J. (2007) Managing Quality 5th ed FT/Prentice Hall
  • Francis, R (2013) Report of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry Executive summary London: The Stationery Office
  • Gopee, N. & Galloway, J. (2014) Leadership & management in healthcare. 2nd edition. London: Sage
  • Jacobs, S. R., B. J. Weiner and A. C. Bunger (2014). "Context matters: measuring implementation climate among individuals and groups." Implement Sci 9: 46.
  • Lingard L. Joining a conversation: the problem/gap/hook heuristic. Perspect Med Educ. 2015 Oct;4(5):252-253. doi: 10.1007/s40037-015-0211-y. PMID: 26346497; PMCID: PMC4602011.
  • Mattick, K., Johnston, J. and de la Croix, A. (2018), How to…write a good research question. Clin Teach, 15: 104-108. https://doi.org/10.1111/tct.12776
  • Monitor (2013) Closing the NHS funding gap: how to get better value health care for patients https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/284044/ClosingTheGap091013.pdf
  • Hawe, P. 2015. Lessons from complex interventions to improve health. Annu Rev Public Health, 36, 307-23.
  • Hooper, A. & Potter, J. (2000) Intelligent Leadership. London: Random House Business Books
  • Slack, N., Brandon-Jones, A., and Johnston R. (2011) Essentials of Operations Management, FT Prentice Hall.

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

Indicative learning resources - Other resources

  • Recorded lectures

Key words search

Clinical research delivery, research ecosystem, reflective practice, practical experience, critical reflection, synchronous learning, online learning

Credit value30
Module ECTS

15

Module pre-requisites

HPDM151Z or equivalent as determined by APL / APEL 

Module co-requisites

None

NQF level (module)

7

Available as distance learning?

Yes

Origin date

06/09/2022

Last revision date

21/06/2023