The development of an innovative approach to postgraduate ultrasound education: An evolving process

Increasing economic pressures on higher education institutions to limit the number of modules offered, together with the conflicting pressure from hospital departments requiring an increasingly skilled and flexible workforce, have resulted in the requirement for a more creative approach to delivery of university postgraduate programmes. One approach implemented at the University of the West of England, Bristol was to extend the role of an Action Based Learning (ABL) module within the Medical Ultrasound programme.Following completion of the first year of this newly accredited module, the experiences of students and staff were evaluated. Results of the evaluation and feedback demonstrated both positive and negative features of this style of learning, and the programme team decided to use this feedback to enhance the student experience for future cohorts undertaking the module.The second delivery of this module is now complete, and the module has again been evaluated. The following article discusses the evolutionary process involved in developing this module, and reviews the enhancements introduced over a two-year period.