Helen Bywater
Principal Lecturer
Summary
Helen is Head of Interprofessional Education in the college. She qualified as a Registered Nurse/Registered Sick Children's Nurse in 1987 in Sheffield. During 15 years clinical experience, she predominantly practised as a Registered Sick Children's Nurse, specialising in Orthopaedics and Radiology at Sheffield Children's Hospital. This is where her interest in interprofessional education began through her role as Professional Development & Education Advisor for the trust. Her role also included trainer for the Area Child Protection Committee in the region. Helen moved into Higher Education in 2002
About
Helen leads the interprofessional education in the college. She joined Sheffield Hallam University on secondment in 2002 and undertook a permanent position in 2003. Helens secondment was training advisor in a Department of Health Modernising Professional Education Project team- Forging Ahead. This was a ‘first wave’ site for the modernising of allied health professions education funding stream. Forging Ahead’s focus was in supporting interprofessional practice in three practice-based pilot sites and curriculum development within the college. During this period Helen developed a greater appreciation of blended learning and technology enhanced learning and the benefits this has on stimulating student engagement and interaction if supported sufficiently.
Throughout this project Helen was also involved with the three year Creating an Interprofessional Workforce initiative (CIPW). CIPW originated within and was funded by the Department of Health from 2004 as a result of positive outcomes emerging from the funded projects. Its purpose was to drive mainstreaming the development of interprofessional education across the then Strategic Health Authorities in England.
The Forging Ahead project positioned the college to be successful in attaining funding for two further collaborative initiatives. The Centre for Interprofessional e-Learning (CIPeL - 2005-2010) was a HEFCE funded Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL), one of 74 such programmes funded across England. Helen was appointed Associate Director in the CIPeL Centre of Excellence in Teaching and Learning which was collaboration between Sheffield Hallam and Coventry University. The major aim of this CETL was to provide solutions to the implementation of wide scale, mandatory, credit bearing IPE.
As Associate Director Helen mentored academic staff seconded to the CIPeL team to develop stimulating and innovative teaching and learning material. Helen also combined this role with the college role of Collaborative Quality Co -Coordinator. On completion of the project Helen became Interprofessional Education Lead and then Head of Interprofessional Education in 2012.
Interprofessional Education
Student Engagement
Professional Learning and Development
Facilitating Distance Learning
Technology Enhanced Learning
Service Improvement
Service User Involvement
Teaching
College of Health, Wellbeing and Life Sciences
Interprofessional Education Undergraduate and Postgraduate
Interprofessional Education Undergraduate and Postgraduate
Research
Currently undertaking Doctorate in Education
February 2015 - June 2016 - University Project Lead.
HEI Challenge for Patient Supported Quality Improvement in Education and Health Care.
East Midlands Academic Health Science Network Higher Education Strategic Liaison Forum East Midlands HEI Challenge Award
April 2005 - April 2010
Associate Director, Centre for Interprofessional e- Learning Collaboration with Coventry University
September 2002- July 2004
Staff Development Coordinator - Forging Ahead Project Team. Department of Health Modernising Professional Education Project
Publications
Journal articles
Gordon, F., Booth, K., & Bywater, H. (2010). Developing an e-pedagogy for interprofessional learning: Lecturers' thinking on curriculum design. Journal of interprofessional care, 24 (5), 536-548. http://doi.org/10.3109/13561820903520336
Book chapters
Gordon, F., Booth, K., & Bywater, H. (2010). Pedagogical Directions in Creating Interprofessional E-Learning Materials. In Interprofessional E-Learning and Collaborative Work. (pp. 231-243). IGI Global: http://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-61520-889-0.ch019
Gordon, F., Booth, K., & Bywater, H. (2010). Involving Service Users Through Digital Means to Enhance Interprofessional Learning. In Interprofessional E-Learning and Collaborative Work. (pp. 129-140). IGI Global: http://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-61520-889-0.ch011
Other activities
External examiner for Coventry University and University of Warwick Interprofessional Learning Pathway