MODULE 1. INTRODUCTION
1.2 Connecting learners
Some people like to learn alone, others find learning together is more interesting. This course is designed to be used in either way. If you are studying this online alongside a cohort of students working on it over the same time period there are opportunities to interact with other students, ask questions, exchange information or propose a ‘flash debate’ about a recent news story.
Whether you are learning on your own or in a group please contribute to the ‘comments’ section at the end of each unit. A wide range of people are doing this course, with lots of different experiences and perspectives to bring to the discussion. It’s always interesting to see how other people have responded to the materials or the ideas they have to share. You can also share comment on twitter #PDoCMediaWatch
Note: Before starting this course please be aware that it covers some difficult and challenging issues. Although the focus is on media representation the course necessarily addresses the realities of family experience, it also deals with some complex ethical issues such as end-of-life decision-making. Seek support if you find some of the materials distressing. Be kind to yourself. When engaging with other students also please be respectful of different feelings and opinions.
Who is doing this course? Complete the poll below and find out.
Activity 1 – Introduce yourself and have a look at who else is doing the course
Please introduce yourself and tell us what interested you about doing this course by adding a comment in the section at the very bottom of this page. (Scroll down to the very bottom)
Additional Note: some healthcare professionals who have introduced themselves explain they work with ‘PDoC‘ patients – for anyone not familiar with that acronym it stands for ‘Prolonged Disorders of Consciousness” an umbrella term for coma, the vegetative and minimally conscious state.
Activity 2, optional…but recommended that you try this (unless you have direct experience of caring for someone in a vegetative state)
Just for yourself (you don’t have to share this!) do a sketch of how you imagine a patient in a permanent vegetative state. Don’t think too hard about this task – just give it a go! Try to include as much detail as possible. This isn’t a test of artistic ability, feel free to label parts of the picture to make things clear. Keep the picture safe (or photograph it on your mobile phone). You’ll be returning to it later to reflect on what might have shaped your own mental images of the vegetative state.
Tell us what interested you about doing this course by adding a comment in the section at the very bottom of this page. Also you might want to share your most recent or vivid memory of a media story about someone in a vegetative state.
Now mark this unit as ‘complete’ and move on to the next one.
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Hello, my name is Shelly. I am a registered nurse and I am currently working with PDoC. I am very interested to broaden my knowledge regarding these topics. I know this will help me with my plans in the future to proceed for Masters program.
Hello all. My name is Ronke. I am am at the tail-end of my PhD at Cardiff University. I am interested in how the media represents sensitive issues. My research is focused on media representations of Female Genital Mutilation – a contentious and sensitive issue.
Forgot to add that i have a general interest in sensitive issues. Professor Kitzinger is also supervising my thesis.
I am Helen Gill Thwaites of Gill Thwaites &Elliott Consultants and Gov developer of Smart one of the recognised assessment tools for PDOC-?i have worked in the field for 30 years and seen many patients for assessment of awareness and levels of responses for both medico legal cases in high courts and for case managers- I am interested in this course as I appreciate that the press can mix up terminology and show some miracle cures but also it is also about showing there are positives if the patient is assessed property and family observations are not dismissed.
My name is Kimberley Clarke, I have recently completed a Masters in Healthcare, Ethics and Law from the University of Manchester. I am really interested in finding out more on this topic.
Welcome – it will be interesting how the course complements – or not! – your masters in healthcare ethics and law – did you cover issues around PDoC [Prolonged Disorders of Consciousness] in the course at all?
I am Thandi Moifo. I am a social worker. I am looking to refresh my knowledge in this area and update my skills.
Greetings – you are our first social worker to join the course – it will be great to have your added perspective on this
Hello I am Charlie. I have just finished my second year at Bournemouth University. In my final year there is a module very closely related to this topic, so I wanted to do some extra research. It’s also a possible dissertation topic for myself, so hoping this will help me engage with the topic more.
Jenny Kitzinger on July 14, 2020 at 10:39 am (Edit)
Lovely to see that several students from Bournemouth University are joining us – I hope you know each other? There’s certainly lots of potential for doing dissertations on this topic. Some of the Optional activities such as tracking press releases to news coverage could be developed into a dissertation for example. I’d be interested in knowing the module at Bournemouth – does it look at concussion for example?
Hi Charlie – I love the fact that you have an image for your response – I don’t know how to get a photo into my profile – how did you do it?
Lovely to see that several students from Bournemouth University are joining us – I hope you know each other? There’s certainly lots of potential for doing dissertations on this topic. Some of the Optional activities such as tracking press releases to news coverage could be developed into a dissertation for example. I’d be interested in knowing the module at Bournemouth – does it look at concussion for example?
Hi I am Amy. I have been working as a Speech and Language Therapist with PDOC patients for about 15 years. I am also doing a PhD at UCL looking at how we assess emergence from PDOC
Hi . My name is Sandra and I am a student studying Multimedia Journalism at Bournemouth University. I decided to do this course because it sounded very interesting and I believe it not only will be fun to learn new information which will hopefully help me become a better journalist in the future but I think it will also be widening my knowledge in this matter from an angle I did not consider before and I would like to thank Jenny for all this. I am sure it will be worth it !
You’re welcome. It’s been interesting process putting this course together and I’m looking forward to seeing what people make of it. I’m delighted such a large number of students from Bournemouth have joined this – I hope you are in touch with one another?
Hi, my name is Sarah and I am a physiotherapist who regularly works with patients in a prolonged disorder of consciousness. I am interested in how these types patients are portrayed in the media (both in fiction and how real world cases are reported) and how this compares to the realities of working with this patient group day to day.
Welcome Sarah – and I look forward to your observations on this comparison
Hi, my name is Olivia and I am a physiotherapist working within a specialist neurology hospital. I treat patients with disorders of consciousness and have a special interest in this field. I am keen to learn more about how this patient group are represented in the media and how this may impact on the beliefs and expectations of patient’s families, friends and carers.
Hi my name is Sally and I’m an SLT working on a neuro rehab unit. I have a specialist interest in PDoC patients and look forward to reading and learning about a different perspective on this topic.
Great to see so many allied healthcare professionals doing this course 🙂
Hi, my name is Chloe and I have recently completed a four year course at University – Media and Communications. I was interested in this course because in my final year at uni I studied a unit called Media & Trauma and found it very interesting and eye-opening therefore this course allows me to learn a bit more surrounding those topics.
Hello, my name is Annie and I’m a graduating student in Journalism and creative writing. I wanted to give this course a go because I’m trying to broaden my skills as a journalist and as a creative writer and, especially where script writing and stories are concerned, I’m very interested in stories of a medical nature and tend to focus on these within my work.
Hi Annie I think you’ll particularly enjoy the unit in this course on “Imagined Awakenings” which particularly looks at novels, TV drama and film. You also might like listening to an episode of Ferryhill Philosophers (Radio4) which I was consulted on in the development stage. It captured some of the family and philosophical dilemmas but they introduced a bizarre twist about revealing the biological father and then suggesting he has ‘consent’ rights (incorrect law – something they didn’t consult me about!)
Thank you Jenny, I’ll seek that out now and have a listen!
Hello to everybody
I am Jayne and my role as an Independent Mental Capacity Advocate and continually looking for learning opportunities led me on the path to this course. It is important for me to understand different peoples perspectives with PDoC patients, sometimes I believe we are viewed as the late comer who rocks up for Best Interest Decisions for people who do not have family or friends.
Great to have an IMCA on board – I think you’re the only one in this learning cohort – so will be great to hear your perspective
Hello, my name is Georgina and I am an Occupational Therapist and I have been working with those in PDOC in a specialist rehab setting for 15 years. I am always very keen to take up new learning opportunities within this area; insight and skills when working with families of those in PDOC is always so crucial.
Hello! My name is Rachel and I’m a PhD student at Cardiff University. My interest was piqued in this subject a few years ago when CDOC worked with the Music Department to produce creative musical pieces – am excited to look at this topic again from a different angle!
Lovely to know that creative collaboration sparked an interest. I still remember the wonderful transformation of the ‘Postcards from families’ exhibition into poetry and harp music! The compositions certainly got away from the tingling ‘dream’ soundscapes used in most filmic representations of long term coma/vegetative state
Hi everyone. My name is Astrid Schepman. I am a senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Chester. I teach Biological Psychology in third year and at MSc level. One of my teaching topics is PDoC. I also supervise dissertations on this topic. Some of my dissertation students have found profound misunderstandings of PDoC and end of life issues in the general public. I am also Dutch, and interested in the different legal postions on end of life issues across countries. I am interested in a variety of research fields around PDoC. Looking forward to the course. Hope there is enough time despite my late start. 🙂
Hi Astric- see my reply below (I pressed the wrong button)
Hi Astrid – no, not too late, in fact I know a lot of people intend to start at the weekend (and the materials will be open to you until end of July). Ah, great to have a Dutch person join us. I have interesting fragments of information about a key case in your country which helped change the law there, but you can probably fill in the gaps. When you get to the module on ‘Landmark Cases’ please do add what you know from your own background. Thanks!