MODULE 1. INTRODUCTION
1.5 Reflecting on module 1
Each module in this course is rounded off with an invitation to think back on what you have learned. Sometimes there’s a quiz too. As this is an introductory module we’re just suggesting you consider whether you now have any questions that you hadn’t had before? Is there something you hope will become clearer as the course progresses? Add comments or questions in the section below or note them down just for yourself in a learning diary. (It is often useful to keep a learning diary when doing an online course.)
Activity 1 – A practical hint – bookmark the course on your devices
- You’ll probably be dipping in and out of the course so it’s a good idea to bookmark it so you can find it easily again. Save any passwords too. Some people like to open it on their phone too so they can do a unit ‘on the go’. If you’ve going to do that, don’t forget take headphones so you can listen to the film clips too.
Activity 2 option – How are you doing? Share a tip with other learners.
- Learning at home or studying in your so-called ‘spare’ time can be challenging. You may be pulled in different directions with caring responsibilities, not have a good workspace, equipment or wi-fi connection, or you may find it difficult to find the time and concentration to study. Share a tip in the comments section about what you personally might find helpful in helping you study.
Click here to see an activity ONLY for people with no professional or personal knowledge of the vegetative state!
We often just glance at headlines and take away a general impression from that. Without thinking too hard, please record your immediate reaction to the newspaper headline here .
- Do you remember anything about this story (or similar ones?)
- What does this headline make you think or feel?
Add a comment to the comments section below. We’ll be revisiting this story later on in the course and reflecting on people’s initial impressions.
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Take headphones to work! Then you can watch the odd video from here without disturbing anyone if you get a spare 2 minutes!
I like to have two windows open on my laptop, one with my google doc for typing responses to the activities, and the other with the modules open on it. I also like to combine my learning with relaxation, so I take my laptop to the park and sit in the sun while doing some work — helps balance the “spare time” with “productive time”.
I am currently shielding so I have all the time in the world!…described as working at home, my company send me a work laptop with lists of things to do on my own time. I have joined countless webinars and have read the entire PDOC Guidelines as well!… but it all takes discipline as I could be distracted with 101 things around me… I have set up a work space on one side of the house to put me on a professional mood…. and once I started something, I just have to finish it …..
Wow – reading the entire Royal College of Physicians guidelines on Prolonged Disorders of Consciousness is no small achievement! You must be well disciplined. Maybe you can answer the question from SJcasemanagment asked in the comments section of Module 1 unit 3 about when the vegetative state can be defined as a Permanent VS??
Studying from home can be quite challenging most especially if you are grappling with other (health) issues. Discipline and focus has helped me through this period. I have a house full of young adults which means constant distraction. Fortunately, they stay up all night and sleep most of the day. What has worked for me is to spend the quiet time productively before they wake up. You’ll be amazed at what you can achieve in 5 hours! A proper office desk and chair also helps- not just your back but puts you in a ‘work’ mode. I set goals for the day which i try to achieve using the Pomodoro time management technique. Then i leave my active windows open till i’m done!
I love a cheeky Pomodoro!
Had no idea how to bookmark but just figured it out!!! Working full time but finding it ok dipping in and out as course is in short segments and well structured. Also impressed with links and no glitches!
My thoughts exactly! I love that I can just do a little bit every day around my normal work.
Interesting materials. Thank you.
Don’t put pressure on yourself to complete the units in one sitting. I’m finding it helpful to have space to think throughout and process the topic.
I’ve added a new headline to the course reflection above. The headline reads: “Man in permanent vegetative state ‘regains consciousness’ after pioneering nerve implant’. I’d be very interested in people’s immediate response to this headline (without thinking too much about it – as a lot of our general impressions are gleaned from just seeing headlines without reading the article) They’ll be a chance to look at the whole article later…I find the image fascinating too, the glowing brain.
My inmediate thoughts: as a journalist, I think of how this became news. Probably a press release from a hospital or a research unit landed into a reporter’s inbox (or maybe the editor) and, since science news are generally scarce or hard to translate to everyday situations, this found its way to publishing rather easily. I haven’t seen the rest of the article but I hope it got verified.
As a sibling of someone with autism, I know the impact that news about “cures” have for families of people with different conditions: headlines like this cause a mix of hope and angst, especially because the focus isn’t on the device, but in the person that received it and his improval. This has a different effect on the readers and editors know it: an emotional connection gives better chances for a news article to be clicked on and read.
My initial response to this headline was that it reminded me of something from Black Mirror and seemed strangely unnerving. My immediate worry was also that it may give a sense of false hope to families without knowing any more about it…
P.S. Apologies I have only just discovered this course so manically trying to get through it all in one day before it gets removed!
As a student of journalism, its confusing to think about such a headline as initially, it brought a joyful reaction. However, later I became more thoughtful and wondered if the distant relative in a vegetative state could be cured. There are various aspects in which Media could have presented this but this particular headline was not “neutral” in nature as media ethics state.