From fast food to a well-balanced diet: toward a programme focused approach to feedback

Feedback may be considered ‘good’ according to many of the criteria in the literature whilst still having little or no impact on students’ learning in the longer term. Here we argue for greater prominence for feedback in curriculum design. Clear principles for giving guidance on assessments and feedback at the programme level, which complement those already established and widely used for single assessments, would help curriculum designers consider communication to students about assessments in a broader context. These processes should create a dialogue that aids the students’ progression in their learning from one module to the next and encourages the development of autonomous learners. Based on a review of the literature on programme-focused approaches to teaching, assessment and feedback, the current paper delineates the benefits of a programme level approach to communication around assessments and proffers a list of broad principles that will help academics achieve a coherent and developmental approach to feedback

The challenge of measuring intra-individual change in fatigue during cancer treatment

Evaluate how well three different patient-reported outcomes (PROs) measure individual change

Mapping age- and sex-specific HIV prevalence in adults in sub-Saharan Africa, 2000-2018

BACKGROUND: Human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is still among the leading causes of disease burden and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), and the world is not on track to meet targets set for ending the epidemic by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Precise HIV burden information is critical for effective geographic and epidemiological targeting of prevention and treatment interventions. Age- and sex-specific HIV prevalence estimates are widely available at the national level, and region-wide local estimates were recently published for adults overall. We add further dimensionality to previous analyses by estimating HIV prevalence at local scales, stratified into sex-specific 5-year age groups for adults ages 15-59 years across SSA. METHODS: We analyzed data from 91 seroprevalence surveys and sentinel surveillance among antenatal care clinic (ANC) attendees using model-based geostatistical methods to produce estimates of HIV prevalence across 43 countries in SSA, from years 2000 to 2018, at a 5 × 5-km resolution and presented among second administrative level (typically districts or counties) units. RESULTS: We found substantial variation in HIV prevalence across localities, ages, and sexes that have been masked in earlier analyses. Within-country variation in prevalence in 2018 was a median 3.5 times greater across ages and sexes, compared to for all adults combined. We note large within-district prevalence differences between age groups: for men, 50% of districts displayed at least a 14-fold difference between age groups with the highest and lowest prevalence, and at least a 9-fold difference for women. Prevalence trends also varied over time; between 2000 and 2018, 70% of all districts saw a reduction in prevalence greater than five percentage points in at least one sex and age group. Meanwhile, over 30% of all districts saw at least a five percentage point prevalence increase in one or more sex and age group. CONCLUSIONS: As the HIV epidemic persists and evolves in SSA, geographic and demographic shifts in prevention and treatment efforts are necessary. These estimates offer epidemiologically informative detail to better guide more targeted interventions, vital for combating HIV in SSA

Mapping age- and sex-specific HIV prevalence in adults in sub-Saharan Africa, 2000–2018

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is still among the leading causes of disease burden and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), and the world is not on track to meet targets set for ending the epidemic by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Precise HIV burden information is critical for effective geographic and epidemiological targeting of prevention and treatment interventions. Age- and sex-specific HIV prevalence estimates are widely available at the national level, and region-wide local estimates were recently published for adults overall. We add further dimensionality to previous analyses by estimating HIV prevalence at local scales, stratified into sex-specific 5-year age groups for adults ages 15–59 years across SSA. Methods: We analyzed data from 91 seroprevalence surveys and sentinel surveillance among antenatal care clinic (ANC) attendees using model-based geostatistical methods to produce estimates of HIV prevalence across 43 countries in SSA, from years 2000 to 2018, at a 5 × 5-km resolution and presented among second administrative level (typically districts or counties) units. Results: We found substantial variation in HIV prevalence across localities, ages, and sexes that have been masked in earlier analyses. Within-country variation in prevalence in 2018 was a median 3.5 times greater across ages and sexes, compared to for all adults combined. We note large within-district prevalence differences between age groups: for men, 50% of districts displayed at least a 14-fold difference between age groups with the highest and lowest prevalence, and at least a 9-fold difference for women. Prevalence trends also varied over time; between 2000 and 2018, 70% of all districts saw a reduction in prevalence greater than five percentage points in at least one sex and age group. Meanwhile, over 30% of all districts saw at least a five percentage point prevalence increase in one or more sex and age group. Conclusions: As the HIV epidemic persists and evolves in SSA, geographic and demographic shifts in prevention and treatment efforts are necessary. These estimates offer epidemiologically informative detail to better guide more targeted interventions, vital for combating HIV in SSA

Assessing your assessment: creating inclusive and meaningful assignments

Online teaching has forced a major rethink of exams, so how can academics ensure they make the new-style assessments accessible and relevant to all students? Kimberly Wilder-Davis explains

Creating Cultures of Enhancement: Programme Leader or Programme Manager?

This short paper by Dr Kimberly Wilder-Davis from University of Glasgow explores the role of the programme leader in building a culture of quality enhancement within their wider programme team

Programme Leaders as Invisible Superheroes of Learning and Teaching

This short paper outlines the visibility, complexity, and potential impact of the role of the programme leader, and the importance of evidence in evaluating programmes. This work is authored by Dr Catriona Cunningham (University of Stirling) and Kim Wilder (Edinburgh Napier University / University of Stirling) and is part of the Evidence for Enhancement Theme

A national approach: foregrounding programme leadership in Scotland

This chapter explores programme leadership in a collaborative, multi-institutional context arguing cross-institutional connection offers programme leaders (PLs) opportunities for greater depth of learning and opportunities to build networks and platforms that enhance both the value and prestige of their leadership position. The chapter reflects on the authors' work in Scotland establishing a cross-sector ‘Collaborative Cluster’ tasked with better understanding the diversity of approaches taken to programme leadership, sharing experience and practical resources and identifying areas for collaborative learning and development. Bringing together the PLs and those responsible for enhancing institutional practice and support, the Collaborative Cluster succeeded in developing a Scotland-wide schedule of work to address some key challenges including leading without authority, role confusion, working with programme-level data and a lack of role-specific opportunities for professional development. Exploring the work of the Cluster, the chapter offers evidence of value, success and inspiration for action in the following three key areas: Vignettes of practice from the frontline of programme leadership Collaboration for developing institutional and individual conversation to initiate changed practice Recognition and reward for those in PL roles Webb's Canadian practitioner response reflects on the value of this collaborative approach to understanding and supporting programme leadership