What Does Work Readiness Really Mean? Insights from an Allied Health Education Perspective

Hands-On, Minds-On: LEGO Serious Play for Deep Learning and Collaboration

LEGO Serious Play (LSP) is a hands-on methodology that transforms the way educators and learners collaborate. Our guests, Dr Kate Odgers-Jewell and Anne Trethewey from Bond University, share the four-step LSP process: posing open-ended questions, building using LEGO, sharing insights, and capturing reflections. We discuss how LSP helps students and educators co-create meaningful learning experiences. We present practical examples that highlight LSP’s versatility. Enjoy and have fun!

Building Together: ‘Students as Partners’ in Co-Creating Education

In this episode, we discuss the transformative potential of ‘students as partners’ in higher education. Professor Mollie Dollinger, Director of iSoLT in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Curtin University, shares her journey from studying co-creation to becoming an advocate for equitable student partnerships. The conversation dives into practical strategies for implementing students-as-partners initiatives, including ways to ensure inclusivity, balance power dynamics, and foster genuine collaboration. We envision a future where ‘students as partners’ is embedded within the fabric of universities, driving innovation, inclusivity, and excellence in teaching and learning.

What Does Work Readiness Really Mean? Insights from an Allied Health Education Perspective

Dr Vidya Lawton, Senior Lecturer and physiotherapist from Macquarie University, helps us unpack the complexities of work readiness and employability as we explore how allied health (with a focus on physiotherapy) students can be better prepared for their first professional roles. From navigating clinical placements to building resilience and adaptability, we discuss innovative curriculum approaches and the shared responsibility of educators, industry, and students. Vidya discusses how the concept of practical wisdom—the ability to make deliberate, effective, and appropriate decisions—plays a pivotal role in graduate readiness, alongside understanding one’s scope of practice and personal needs.

Navigating Digital Health: The Urgent Need for Skills and Standards

Professor Rebecca Grainger, a rheumatologist and academic from the University of Otago in New Zealand, explores the evolving landscape of digital health, focusing on the need for enhanced skills among health professionals. The discussion highlights the importance of critical appraisal of digital tools, from apps to AI, and the challenges educators face in preparing students for a rapidly changing environment. We discuss how educators need to take a proactive approach to integrating digital literacy into health curricula.

Embracing New Approaches: Transforming Curriculum Through Programmatic Assessment

Dr Priya Khanna, Associate Professor (Nexus Fellow) at the School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, discusses the transformative power of programmatic assessment in healthcare education. Priya argues for a holistic assessment strategy that prioritises students' capabilities over mere scores, advocating for meaningful integration of assessments throughout a course. The discussion highlights some of the limitations of traditional assessment practices and emphasises the need for a paradigm shift that aligns evaluation with the realities of student development.