A symposium as a course component – new way to integrate research, practice and debate in the teaching

The symposium was a compulsory course component for students in semesters 3 and 7 of the Bachelor of Science in Social Work programme. It was held on site in Uppsala and via video link for students at Campus Gotland.

The symposium was a pilot to test a new way to bring current debate and research into the classroom in a compressed format. It consisted of three panels, each with researchers, experts and practitioners in the area. All participants were gathered in the same room to talk about domestic violence from their different perspectives.

The goal was to give the students the most up-to-date knowledge in a concentrated format. The students heard about the research in the area as well as the concrete experiences of the panellists who are working professionals in social work.

The symposium was planned and conducted by the network Interdisciplinary bridges – a research network on men’s violence against women and violence in close relationships in collaboration with the Department of Social Work. The network has been funded by the Centre for Integrated Research on Culture and Society (CIRCUS) and led by Cecilia Strand, senior lecturer at the Department of Informatics and Media; and Susanne Mattsson, researcher and lecturer at the Department of Women’s and Children’s Health.

Received positively by students and experts alike

The symposium was positively received by both the students and the panellists.

“The students were very positive about the symposium. It proved to be a very useful format where practitioners as well as researchers could talk, analyse challenges and corroborate their experiences. Economical and instructive for both the students and panellists,” says Susanne Mattsson, researcher and lecturer at the Department of Women’s and Children’s Health.

“Often there is a divide between practitioners, research and teaching. Through this new format, the students were exposed to all of these perspectives in a moderated conversation, which is quite a different dynamic. It creates a context too for seeing how research and practice can converse with and cross-fertilise each other,” says Cecilia Strand, senior lecturer at the Department of Informatics and Media.

Several of the panellists told us afterwards that they want to use the same model at their own higher education institutions. The symposium also sparked ideas for more joint projects.

“The outcome of this pilot could inspire more study programmes that are legally required to teach the students about men’s violence towards women and violence in close relationships,” says Cecilia Strand.

Topic is mandatory for many

Since 2018/2019, knowledge and understanding about men’s violence towards women and violence in close relationships is mandatory in eight professional qualification study programmes under the Higher Education Ordinance:

• medicine
• nursing
• psychology
• social work
• law
• physiotherapy
• dentistry
• dental hygiene.

Students are required to gain an understanding of the legal, medical, social and psychological perspectives.

“Domestic violence is often concealed, complex and requires professionals to identify the signals, ask the right questions, and provide the right support,” says Susanne Mattsson.

The organisers hope to be able to develop the symposium and invite students from more study programmes to attend. This would allow students from different professional areas to discuss the issue with each other, and understand each other’s roles in efforts to stop domestic violence.

“If this knowledge were to be mandatory for more professional qualification study programmes, it would be easier to detect this violence early, collaborate, and create more reliable chains of support for both adults and children,” says Susanne Mattsson.

Good method, but difficult to fund

Both Cecilia Strand and Susanne Mattson recommend this method for other study programmes. But it is difficult to get funding for this type of initiative in the education budget.

The symposium was possible thanks to funding from CIRCUS that was granted to the network. This type of funding is temporary.

“Opportunities do exist to apply for funding for educational development, but there are generally no long-term funding mechanisms for collaborations between departments in the area of education. In research, there are better opportunities to collaborate across disciplinary boundaries, but not in education. The per capita funding for each student is meant to cover everything,” says Cecilia Strand.

What about sharing the cost between different departments? Unfortunately, the organisers do not think this is feasible. It would be too complicated administratively.

They would therefore like the University to provide better opportunities for long-term cross-disciplinary collaborations in teaching.

Anders Berndt