48 | JADE
NAZIM ALI
Addressing contemporary issues such as internationalisation and sustainability
Internationalisation of the curriculum serves to equip students with
competencies and awareness to be able to serve a multi-cultural
society. A curriculum blended with competencies and awareness
of diversity issues stemming from cultural, social and national
differences is defined as an inclusive curriculum. This bedding of
knowledge, understanding and awareness of different perspectives
into the curriculum aims to integrate an international, intercultural,
or global dimension into the delivery of education (Knight 2004).
I consider the PBL classes as the ideal setting for students to
become familiar and engage themselves in discussions centring
on a variety of topics encompassing both local and international
issues. The makeup of the PBL groups which consists of students
representing different cultural and religious background provides a
suitable format for exchange of a wide range of views and opinions.
This acts as a platform enabling students to consider the issues
arising from a globalised society. As citizens of a globalised society,
students are more mobile and have opportunity to consider taking
elective training or even working abroad (Singh 2012). Thus there is
a need for students to learn about the common problems faced by
international health care professionals. In this context the module
could be redeveloped so that there is initiative for students to be
part of a global academic community where they have opportunities
to address issues such as inequalities and sustainability.
Environmental factors play a major role in determining health
which the World Health Organisation estimates accounts for
a quarter of deaths worldwide (WHO 2006). As such there is
growing appreciation that imposing interventions and modifying
environmental risk factors has the potential to reduce the disease
burden of the healthcare system or a country. Thus there is a call
from academic and professional health care professional bodies
to designate specific learning outcomes to educate students on
sustainability. While the issue of sustainability requires effective
promotion its development can be most far reaching when it is
incorporated within the education system. Here the QAA stipulates
that a curriculum must set outcomes so that students can be
equipped ‘with knowledge and understanding, skills and attributes
needed to work and live in a way that safeguards environmental,
social and economic wellbeing, both in the present, and for future
generations’ (QAA 2014).
As a way of introducing students to the aetiology of cancer, PBL
cases cue them to consider the relationship between environment