Page 597 of 617
1 595 596 597 598 599 617

Africa: Physiotherapy Students Have Much to Learn From the Humanities

 

África/Marzo 2016/Fuente: /Autor: Michael Rowe (*)

Undergraduate physiotherapy students spend most of their time learning about the basic and clinical sciences. This has a certain pragmatic appeal, but a person is more than an assemblage of body parts. Our students learn anatomy and biomechanics – the idea of bodies as machines – and then explore what can be done to those bodies in order to «fix» them. Universities pay lip service to the idea that patients require holistic management. But not much in the curriculum signals to students that it really matters.

Research has confirmed what seems intuitively true to many: empathy is critical in developing medical students’ professionalism. The humanities, and particularly literature, are considered effective tools for increasing students’ empathy. There is also some evidence that health professionals who are trained in the humanities and liberal arts are better at caring for themselves and their patients.

In addition, a relationship between emotion and learning has been well established, with findings from multiple domains supporting the idea that emotion is intimately intertwined with cognition, serving to guide learning, behaviour and decision making. This suggests that introducing concepts from the humanities when educating health professionals can do two important things: develop students’ emotional responses and their empathy; and simultaneously improve their overall learning.

Examples from other disciplines

The medical disciplines have started to embrace the role that the humanities and the arts can play in developing empathy in their graduates. In the US, Johns Hopkins Medical School has a department of art as applied to medicine and Stanford School of Medicine has a programme for medical humanities and the arts. These are two of the world’s top medical schools. Elsewhere in the world, South Africa’s University of Cape Town’s medical school chose the theme «Medicine and the Arts» for its first ever Massive Open Online Course.

In an editorial explaining Stanford’s stance, the medical school’s dean, Lloyd B Minor, wrote:

The specificity of scientific interventions does not account for the messiness of human life … We as physicians heal best when we listen to and communicate with our patients and seek to understand the challenges they face in their lives. The perspectives on illness, emotions and the human condition we gain from literature, religion and philosophy provide us with important contexts for fulfilling these roles and responsibilities.

Physiotherapy lags behind

There is little evidence that physiotherapy and other health professions are following these medical schools’ innovative approaches in undergraduate education. Some physiotherapy researchers have explored how concepts from the humanities could be integrated into clinical practice. But this has tended to focus on the impact on professional practice among qualified therapists, rather than on students and their learning.

The reasons for this are unclear, though several factors may be at play. Physiotherapy is conservative by its nature and tends to privilege positivist methods in general. It favours quantitative measurements of progress as the standard against which impact is measured. Our students are taught how to address physical impairments in a patient’s anatomy and biomechanics, using joint range of motion, strength and fitness as indicators. This is important but also tends to sideline approaches that are more interpretive in nature. For example, it’s good to know how to treat back pain from a purely physiological point of view – but it’s also important to know how to respond to a patient who believes his or her pain is the result of witchcraft.

 

These differences in perspective may be what limits the potential for the humanities to have much impact on curriculum change from the point of view of the clinical therapist. My own teaching experience, though, suggests that physiotherapy students benefit hugely from practices and ideas that are influenced by the humanities.

Putting theory to the test

About three years ago, as an experiment, I started applying some of these ideas in the professional ethics module I teach at a South African university. Initially the module’s emphasis was on human rights, but I started foregrounding empathy and the development of empathy instead.

Over the past few years my students have explored the humanities – art, literature, theatre, music and dance – in their assignments for this module. This has helped them to develop a sense of awareness of empathy in the context of clinical education.

Students can interpret the assignment in any way they want as long as they integrate concepts from the ethics module with their own experiences in clinical practice. They must also express their work through «creative» means: they write poems, draw pictures or cartoons, film video diaries or re-interpret popular songs. Two of my students have even filmed themselves using interpretive dance to try and embody what it might be like to live with a disability. Others have completed PhotoVoice assignments (such as the image below). Here, they photograph people in community or clinical contexts, and then reflect on how those experiences and interactions informed their personal and professional development as ethical practitioners.

Students’ response

Many students were initially worried about the assignments, telling me they were «not creative» and would prefer to write an essay. I suspect that they were simply feeding off my own hesitation in the early days. Now that I provide literature to support the assignment design, give examples from previous students and am fully committed to the process, far fewer students express these concerns.

They are also starting to open up in much more interesting ways. They draw from their own very deep emotions and personal experiences, and are more willing to share and discuss their work in class.

Building empathy

Creativity does not naturally decrease over time. Instead, higher education systems place less and less emphasis on creative expression as students move through the system. If universities want to graduate physiotherapists who have an increased awareness of patient suffering, and an associated empathic response, maybe the key is to provide them with learning tasks that encourage their creative expression through humanities and the arts.

This article was adapted from a post that first appeared on the author’s own blog.

(*) Profesor titular de Fisioterapia de la Universidad de Western Cape

Fuente de la noticia: https://theconversation.com/physiotherapy-students-have-much-to-learn-from-the-humanities-56160

Fuente de la imagen: https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/114836/width926/image-20160311-11288-1ffcvk.jpg
Comparte este contenido:

South Africa:90 Percent of Technical College Graduates Get Jobs-Ramaphosa

 

África/Sudáfrica/Marzo 2016/Fuente: News24/Autor: Lizeka Tandwa

Resumen: El presidente adjunto Cyril Ramaphosa dijo que alrededor del 90% de los graduados universitarios Formación (FTP) en Educación Técnica y Profesional se les garantiza sus puestos de trabajo.

Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa has said that almost 90% of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college graduates were guaranteed jobs.

Ramaphosa was speaking at the Human Resource Development Council [HRDC] summit in Johannesburg on Tuesday.

«In the end we find that very few do not get jobs… I would say 90% do get jobs. This is where we are seeing a silent revolution at work,» he said.

Ramaphosa said this was due to the recent HRDC Adopt-a-TVET College campaign to promote co-operation between industry and TVET colleges. He said of the 50 TVET colleges, 24 of these had been adopted by companies.

«Thanks to the Minister of Higher Education Blade Nzimande and the HRDC, this programme is bearing good fruit. It’s for this reason I advocate that companies should come forward and adopt a college to raise the bar,» he said.

Ramaphosa said there were other important areas of progress.

He said the HRDC report explored the factors that impacted on the number of academics produced, including the reasons for the low rate of post-graduate enrolment and the high rate of attrition. The report had since been handed over to Universities South Africa and to the departments of Higher Education and Training as well as Science and Technology.

«Some of these recommendations require better collaboration between government, institutions and industry. Others require that our programmes should be better designed and that our interventions should be more focused,» Ramaphosa said.

He also addressed the issue of resources at universities.

To ensure equal access to higher education, he said: «We need to ensure that higher education itself has the funding required to achieve quality outcomes.»

Fuente de la noticia:http://allafrica.com/stories/201603290943.html

Fuente de la imagen:http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/content/kids/en_US/explore/countries/south-africa/_jcr_content/content/textimage_0/image.img.gif/1396531779632.gif

Comparte este contenido:

Nigeria: Child Labour-Teachers Beg Fayose to Reinstate Suspended Members

 

África/Nigeria/Marzo 2016/Fuente: Autor: Olakiitan Victor

Following  the suspension of six teachers for allegedly engaging some students in private farming, teachers in Ekiti State have appealed to Governor Ayodele Fayose to temper justice with mercy and reinstate their affected colleagues.

They also appreciated the governor for offering immediate appointment to  the husband of one of them, Mrs. Ayodele Taiwo, for  returning a sum of N101, 000  wrongly paid into her account by the state government .

The teachers under the auspices of Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools, in a statement by its Chairman, Comrade Sola Adigun on Sunday, said what the affected teachers allegedly did contravened the civil service rule and Ekiti State Child Rights Act 2013.

Adigun pleaded with governor Fayose to use the suspension as a warning, assuring that such a sordid scenario would not repeat itself.

The ASUSS boss said Fayose’s rewarding of Mrs. Ayodele for displaying honesty would further encourage other teachers in the state on the need to be dedicated to duty and be patriotic.

“ASUSS appreciates our welfarist –oriented and honesty-rewarding Governor for rewarding selflessness and honesty displayed by a member of this union.

“It is on record that a sum of N101,000 was mistakenly paid into her account . She beckoned on the government to retrieve the money. In appreciation of her honesty, the governor offered her a sum of N50,000 which she declined.

“Based on her request, the governor offered her unemployed   husband immediate appointment into one of the state’s institutions. We want to put on record that this was the second time ASUSS members will benefit from the humanitarian matters like this. We are indeed appreciative”, it said.

The union said its members would continue to work assiduously for the actualisation of Fayose’s dream of revamping the education sector and make it a beacon to other states of the federation.

Fayose had last week Saturday suspended some teachers in Elo High School, Ayetoro Ekiti in Ido/Osi local government for allegedly engaging some students in private farming during academic hours.

 

Fuente de la noticia:http://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2016/03/26/child-labour-teachers-beg-fayose-to-reinstate-suspended-members-2/

Fuente de la imagen:http://leadersandco.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/08143631/Ayodele-Fayose-3-696×513.jpg

Comparte este contenido:

Rwanda: Imbuto Foundation rewards best female students

 

África/Rwanda/Marzo 2016/Fuente: /Autor: Samantha Teta

Resumen: La fundación Imbuto concedió treinta y ocho premios a las mejores estudiantes de los exámenes nacionales, en las escuelas primarias y secundarias. En su campaña para promover la educación de las niñas, como parte de las diversas celebraciones en virtud de su 15 aniversario.

Imbuto Foundation yesterday awarded thirty-eight Best Performing Girls (BPGs) in primary and secondary schools in 2015s national examinations, in its ongoing campaign to promote girl’s education, as part of the various celebrations under its 15th anniversary.

This year’s campaign to award best performing girls was launched in Rulindo District -Shyorongi Sector, where 17 girls at Primary and Advanced levels were awarded.

Best performing girls from Gicumbi, Bugesera, Kamonyi and Kigali City, were awarded yesterday by Imbuto Foundation.

The Minister for Sports and Culture, Julienne Uwacu, was the guest of honour on behalf of the First Lady Jeannette Kagame. She congratulated the girls and challenged them to grab the academic opportunities they were presented to further upgrade their performance.

«We encourage girls to be vigilant, set goals and objectives to achieve and formulate a way forward, devising ways to make their dreams a reality. It is also paramount that they find positive role models to look up to who have already registered significant achievements in their field of interest,» she said.

She went on to highlight some of the issues limiting girls’ education as heeding distractions, approaching education without zeal and most importantly, early and unplanned pregnancies.

«Early pregnancies are a big hindrance in a girl’s education. The consequences are often too heavy for young girls and this is an issue that concerns all of us as a community. We need to work together to discourage these early and unplanned pregnancies,because of their negative impact on not only the communities, but on the country as a whole,» she said.

«Despite the fact that we are happy with the progress registered in promoting girl’s education, there are still sectors which don’t register girls excelling, which clearly illustrates a need for more efforts to empower these young girls,» Uwacu added.

The minister emphasized that parents’ efforts,and the education received at home,form the foundation that should provide the proper moral compass to help girls achieve academic, and overall success. She went on to encourage girls to aspire to achieve more for themselves, and the country, by utilizing the resources at their disposal.

 The Governor of the Northern Province, Aime Bosenibamwe, also highlighted that early pregnancies can negatively interfere with girls aiming for academic growth and achievement.

«There are many distractions which girls must train themselves to outsmart and overcome, being well aware that an unplanned pregnancy may push their academic life, and stability, back by several steps,» he said.

He further requested young girls to not take organisations like Imbuto Foundation for granted, when it comes to the efforts that support their education. He also advised them to dream big, work with dignity and fight for self-reliance.

The girls were awarded certificates of merit, school bags that contained a dictionary, textbooks, calculators, mathematical sets and Rwf20,000 for their transport.

Best performing girls at advanced level were awarded laptops and are set to receive computer training before joining university.

Fuente de la noticia: http://www.newtimes.co.rw/section/article/2016-03-29/198464/

Fuente de la imagen: http://www.newtimes.co.rw/files/photos/1459201292DSC_0139.jpg

 

Comparte este contenido:

Uganda: Kampala University gets charter, as 2,500 graduate

 

África/Uganda/Marzo 2016/Fuente: TheObserver/Autor:Alfred Ochwo

Resumen: Un total de 2.546 estudiantes recibieron sus títulos, diplomas y certificados, la semana pasada. Fue una ocasión para celebrar como el vicecanciller, profesor Badru Ddungu Kateregga, anunció que la institución había asegurado una carta del Consejo Nacional de Educación Superior (NCHE), lo que les permite ejecutar programas de postgrado.

Some 2,546 students are still smiling after they received their degrees, diplomas and certificates, last week. It was an occasion to celebrate as the vice chancellor, Prof Badru Ddungu Kateregga, announced that the institution had secured a charter from the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE), enabling them to run postgraduate programmes.

Consequently, nearly 300 of the day’s graduands received postgraduate degrees and diplomas.

While the over 2,500 graduands were celebrating, 300 others who had been scheduled to graduate were unable to clear their dues in time and Prof Kateregga spared a thought for them in his speech.

«It was unfortunate that many of our would-be graduands chose not to go through the clearing process in time although they were given enough time,» he said.

Prof Kateregga added that the university had grown from a regional to global institution, accommodating students from across the continent, seeing 20 graduands obtain first-class degrees.

These included Said Kirya (the best male) and Christine Nassiwa who was the overall best student with a CGPA of 4.72, in Bsc with Education. The university had more male graduands; 1,509 (59.19 per cent) than females at 1,037 (40.81 per cent).

The head of the Anglican Church in Uganda, Archbishop Stanley Ntagali, was the chief guest and received an award for promoting social and moral unity.

The chancellor, Prof Edward Rugumayo, commended the graduands and tasked them to go and make their university proud by working with the utmost integrity.

Fuente de la noticia:http://www.observer.ug/education/43342-kampala-university-gets-charter-as-2-500-graduate

Fuente de la imagen:http://www.observer.ug/images/Kampala-University-graduands.jpg

Comparte este contenido:

Liberia. Center Songhai graduates 96 youths in vocational skills

Liberia. Centro Songhai gradúa 96 jóvenes de las competencias profesionales

Liberia/22 marzo 2016/Autor: PNUD en Liberia/ Fuente: http://www.lr.undp.org/

At least 96 young Liberians have acquired specialized vocational skills in general agriculture, electronic/repairs and food processing from the Center Songhai Liberia (CSL).

The CSL was supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) under its project titled: «Support to the Designed and Roll Out of a Youth-Focused Vocational/Life Skills Training Project».

CSL National Programme Director and Team Leader Christopher Fayia said the graduates have now joined the network as foot soldiers, to work in their local communities to develop themselves and society.

The trainees acquired specialized vocational skills following four months of intensive training in the following areas; general agriculture -54 (47 males 7 females); 21 in electronics and repairs; and 21 in food processing (2 males and 19 females).

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Al menos 96 jóvenes liberianos han adquirido conocimientos profesionales especializados en la agricultura en general, electrónicos / reparaciones y procesamiento de alimentos desde el Centro Songhai Liberia (CSL).

El CSL fue apoyada por el Programa de Desarrollo de las Naciones Unidas (PNUD) en su proyecto titulado: «Apoyo al Diseño y despliegue de una Vida Habilidades Proyecto Juvenil-Focused Formación / Formación».

CSL director del Programa Nacional y Jefe de Equipo Christopher Fayia dijo que los graduados se han unido a la red como soldados de a pie, para trabajar en sus comunidades locales para desarrollar ellos mismos y la sociedad.

Los participantes adquirieron conocimientos profesionales especializados siguientes cuatro meses de entrenamiento intensivo en las siguientes áreas; agricultura general -54 (47 hombres 7 mujeres); 21 en la electrónica y las reparaciones; y 21 en el procesamiento de alimentos (2 machos y 19 hembras).

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

 

Mr. Fayia said given the high number of young people in the country with less number of small scale agribusinesses and the drive to meet the ever growing market demands, there is a serious need for rehabilitation and construction of additional structures at the CSL to respond and correspond to this challenge.

The CSL Director of Programme disclosed that UNDP has already approved the renovation of one of the female dormitories that will accommodate at least 75 to 100 females.

“This renovation will be carried out as another training project where at least 20 young men and women will be recruited under the supervision of mentors in electricity, carpentry, masonry and plumbing” Mr. Fayia said.

He commended UNDP for tremendous support towards the project. He explained that the project is a five -year agro-business and Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) program.

Mr. Fayia further noted that they are encouraging partners to support the program which will enable the center enroll over 500 students during a full cycle training and take the program nationwide.

Speaking at the program, UNDP Resident Representative Mr. Antonio Vigilante urged the graduates to make the best out of what they have learned.

“You are now graduates with life skills training that you can survive on” Mr. Vigilante said.

He also challenged the students to empower themselves as entrepreneurs by engaging in business instead of waiting for employment.

Serving as Keynote Speaker, Youth and Sports Minister Saah N’toh thanked the graduates for taking a great step in improving their lives by gaining such training.

Minister N’toh called on the graduates to see the day as a day of reflection while they celebrate.

The Center Songhai Liberia (CSL) is a non-governmental organization operating as an integrated agricultural program that is modeled after the Songhai Regional Center (SRC) in Benin.

The principal business of CSL is the training of men and women and equipping them with the skills to manage small and medium scale, commercially viable and environmentally sustainable agricultural production and agro-based enterprises.

Fuente de la Noticia y Fotografía:

http://www.lr.undp.org/content/liberia/en/home/presscenter/articles/2016/03/22/center-songhai-liberia-csl-graduates-96/

Comparte este contenido:

South-South Cooperation: Ethiopia, South Korea and China exchange lessons on sustainable forest management

Cooperación Sur-Sur : Etiopía, intercambiar lecciones de Corea del Sur y China sobre la gestión sostenible de los bosques

Etiopía- Corea del Sur – China/25 marzo 2016/Autor: PNUD en Etiopía/ Fuente: http://www.et.undp.org/

A high level Ethiopian government delegation is now back in the country following a successful experience and knowledge sharing visit to South Korea and China.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and UNREDD facilitated the visit by the high level delegation, which was led by the Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Dr. Shiferaw Teklemariam and included regional presidents from Afar, Tigray and Southern Nations and Nationalities People’s regions.

Forestry is one of the four pillars in Ethiopia’s Climate Resilient Green Economy (CRGE) strategy and is identified as having the largest potential in reducing emissions and increasing the country’s climate resilience.

Ethiopia’s fast growing population, currently placing the country as the second most populous African nation, is  feared to increasingly become a major burden on resources, particularly natural resources.

According to the strategy, Ethiopia will need to reverse its deforestation and degradation if the country can be expected to meet its development goal.
The official forest coverage figure stands at only 15% showing a 50% decrease from 30 years ago.

Whereas in just 50 years South Korea has managed to tackle deforestation and degradation to transform its forest coverage mass to 64%.

The south-south knowledge exchange is hoped to lead to further cooperation around strengthening Ethiopia’s institutional capacity for sustainable forest management and facilitate the country’s access to appropriate technology, technical expertise and latest tools.

UNDP is currently partnering with Norway to enhance Ethiopia’s capacity to sustainably manage its forest resources.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Una delegación de alto nivel del gobierno etíope participó en una visita exitosa a Corea del Sur y China para compartir experiencia y conocimientos.

El Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo (PNUD) y UNREDD facilitaron la visita de la delegación de alto nivel, que fue dirigido por el Ministro de Medio Ambiente, Bosques y Cambio Climático Dr. Shiferaw Teklemariam e incluidos presidentes regionales de Afar, Tigray y Southern Nations y Nacionalidades Personas de regiones.

La silvicultura es uno de los cuatro pilares de la estrategia de Resiliencia Climática de Etiopía Economía Verde (CRGE) y se identifica por tener el mayor potencial para reducir las emisiones y aumentar la resistencia al clima del país.

Población en rápido crecimiento de Etiopía, en la actualidad que sitúa al país como el segundo país más poblado de África, se teme a ser cada vez más una carga importante en los recursos, en particular de los recursos naturales. De acuerdo con la estrategia, Etiopía tendrá que invertir su deforestación y la degradación si el país puede esperar para cumplir con su objetivo de desarrollo. La cifra oficial de cobertura forestal es de sólo un 15% que muestra una disminución del 50% de hace 30 años.

Mientras que en tan sólo 50 años Corea del Sur ha logrado frente a la deforestación y la degradación de transformar su masa forestal cobertura al 64%.

El intercambio de conocimientos Sur-Sur se espera que conduzca a una mayor cooperación en el fortalecimiento de la capacidad institucional de Etiopía para el manejo forestal sostenible y facilitar el acceso del país a la tecnología apropiada, la experiencia técnica y las herramientas más recientes.

Actualmente el PNUD está asociado con Noruega para mejorar la capacidad de Etiopía para el manejo sostenible de sus recursos forestales

Fuente de la Noticia y la Fotografía:

http://www.et.undp.org/content/ethiopia/en/home/presscenter/articles/2016/03/25/south-south-cooperation-ethiopia-south-korea-and-china-exchange-lessons-on-sustainable-forest-management/

Comparte este contenido:
Page 597 of 617
1 595 596 597 598 599 617