Note from the Key developer

Exploring ways for educating medical students about health and human rights has been a privilege for me.

As high school learners, students work through a compulsory Life Orientation course which includes a strong human rights component, yet they frequently struggle to bring this into their future practice as health professionals.

As a facilitator in the early preclinical years, I questioned the medical curriculum's golden thread concerning the teaching of human rights in the later years. I have now had an opportunity to engage with clinical students in an unrestricted way, without assessment demands and in a manner that allows the students to draw on their own experiences. This has given me the chance to take risks with the methods I use and has been highly rewarding.

I developed the metaphor of a Human Rights Key which highlights the connection between the students' experiences and the United Nations' human rights framework. The Key is a graphic tool that gives structure to their concepts gathered theoretically and from the work-place.

The Key promotes further conversation allowing students to leave the group sessions with an easy frame of reference. They are pushed to think about the issues and question their own understanding because the Key is a tangible tool that each one can relate to in their own lives

In using the Key in different places and spaces, I have been gratified to realise the impact it has on other educators too. Each individual engages with the concept from their own frame of reference. It is rewarding to offer it to others to reuse and to remix in different contexts.

I am pleased to share my enjoyment of visual representations for teaching and learning. Incorporating colours aids the meaningful interpretation of the concepts. As other educators take up their Key to teach and advocate for human rights, reviews and suggestions will be most welcome. The Key is an entitlement and it is up to us to become advocates for change. Teaching through this interactive tool is fulfilling. It turns and shifts attitudes and values.

Best wishes

Veronica

nicamitch@mweb.co.za

Acknowledgements

I wish to thank the following people

for their inspiration and guidance:
Prof Leslie London, Prof Athol Kent, Dr Kevin Williams, Nariman Laattoe, James and Ros Irlam, my husband Adv Dave Mitchell, and daughter Dr Claire Mitchell who initially identified the value of my heuristic Key.

for technical support:
Greg Doyle, Sam Lee Pan, Kende Kefale.

for the illustration and animation:
Stacey Stent

for design graphics:
Vuyo Majebe, Tarquin Wyeth

Funding
Educational grant from the Centre for Educational Technology (CET), University of Cape Town (UCT)

Learning from:
Train the Trainer course on Health and Human Rights, UCT
Human Rights Education Association Distance Learning
Equitas International Human Rights Training Programme
Centre for Higher Education Development, UCT

Key references for Key concept

Barnett, R., & Coate, K. 2005. Engaging the higher curriculum in higher education.SRHE & Open University Press. London.

Boelen, C. 1993. The five-star doctor: An asset to health care reform?
Geneva:World Health Organization. http://www.who.int/hrh/en/HRDJ_1_1_02.pdf

Olckers, L., Gibbs, T., & Duncan, M. 2007. Developing health science students into
integrated professionals: A practical tool for learning. BMC Medical Education 7:45.
[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2186307/]

Contact

Ms Veronica Mitchell
Veronica.Mitchell@uct.ac.za
Ph: +27 83 635 9917
Health and Human Rights Programme
School of Public Health and Family Medicine
University of Cape Town
South Africa