This is an installment of our ‘Member Spotlight’ series, in which we feature a CHES Member and share how their area of research and innovation is impacting health professions education. In doing so, we hope to help propagate ideas throughout the community and provide a mechanism by which CHES Members may identify opportunities for collaboration and expertise sharing.
This issue focuses on Dr. Rola Ajjawi.
Dr. Ajjawi is Scientist at CHES and Professor in the Department of Surgery. She sees this role being about developing educational research capabilities and generating new knowledge about medical education practice and research for UBC and the field broadly. More importantly it’s about supporting colleagues new and old in the field to find their niche and what inspires them. Her research is broadly about how to enrich workplace learning.
How did you become involved in Health Professions Education (HPE) research and what drew you to this activity?
By mistake mostly, although I come from a family of educators, my dad was a professor of adult education, my mother and sister are high school teachers, so perhaps it was inevitable. After becoming a physiotherapist, and early in my career, I took up a clinical educator position – facilitating student learning of cardiopulmonary physiotherapy in the medical and surgical wards as well as intensive care. I was interested in the physiology of treatment and preventing comorbidities for patients for best quality of life. But I quickly realised that I didn’t really know much about education or how best to support student learning in the clinical environment. That led to a PhD in health professions education and then my first job in medical education at the University of Sydney.
What was your first research project about?
My first research project was my honours thesis during undergrad – it was a three dimensional biomechanical analysis of the hip, knee and ankle during lateral stepping exercise. I know … numbers right! At that time it took a whole day to synthesize the biomechanics at these joints for one participant. It was cool technology though, right at the start of using the 3 markers on each segment to calculate limb movement. It feels a lifetime ago. It’s probably still the most quantitative study I have ever done! Today I enjoy the freedom and richness that comes with in-depth qualitative research and no spreadsheet in sight.
What have you been exploring in your current scholarship?
My interests are diverse, I’m still dabbling in feedback particularly interested in enabling productive feedback cultures and purposefully decentering the supervisor as the main source of feedback information. Understanding belonging, especially for marginalised students, and the moments that matter to students during their university studies is another thread. And finally, making assessment and digital practices more equitable in and through education.
What is the most important lesson you have learned from doing education research?
It never goes according to plan – and that’s ok. Good research generates more questions. Getting the research question right is fundamental (most of the time). Being open and flexible to emergent ideas, theories, data, participants is important, following where the research leads. Good research takes time, having good people around you whose judgement you trust and who you enjoy working with makes the best research. Ok so that’s more than one lesson!
What HPE research finding or theory has had the greatest impact on your work?
Learning about sociocultural theories when doing my PhD really expanded my perspective on what education could be and do. Understanding the agency / structure debate helped me to appreciate why changing practice is so hard. More recently, engaging with sociomaterial theories and the new materialists has been intellectually fun but finding ways to apply it in the day to day, more challenging.
What would you describe as your most significant contribution to HPE scholarship so far?
Broadening the unit of analysis beyond the individual when thinking about workbased learning, feedback, assessment, etc. I guess my most significant contribution has been asking: what else is going on here?
What do you like to do outside of work?
I like being outdoors (in the sun preferably) with my dog hiking, swimming, kayaking, eating, hanging out with friends. Exploring new places and cultures is always fun. Going to anything live from sport to music to theatre and art. I’m new to Vancouver and Canada – so lots to try including pickleball.