LINKS
B: PARTICIPATIVE LEARNING
4.4 Part Three - Explanation Of Each Model
4.4.3 Model Three - Through Integrating HIV/AIDS Education Into Existing/Other Modules
4.4.3 Model Three - Through Integrating HIV/AIDS Education
Teaching Methods
The students are required to present a HIV/AIDS awareness workshop in the community. The workshops last year included talks at schools, churches, hospitals and other community groups. The students have to write up and feedback on their projects. The students were asked to include information about their target group, when the workshop was held, information about the venue, a detailed planning process and a list of the objectives for their workshop. They also had to include a list of all the points addressed during the workshop and document any questions that arose. They then had to evaluate the workshop with the participants and include a report on this. Finally the students were asked to reflect on the process and experience and how it has impacted on them. (Interview with Linda Hiles, 13th August 2002)
Assessment
The written assessment of the projects are marked using a framework with the majority of marks being allocated to the content/ delivery of the intervention and the reflection / evaluation. (1stYear Medical Students: HIV/AIDS Curriculum
Overview, L Hiles, no date)
Learning/Impact of this module on the students
In one of last year's assignments the students had conducted a play/drama in a school about HIV/AIDS and hosted a talk show to get some of the relevant points across and also to examine some attitudes about HIV/AIDS. The students had also designed posters and leaflets for the school they were involved with. My overall impression from seeing this project report was that the assignment had been tackled with a great deal of creativity and enthusiasm and was most probably a worthwhile exercise for the school involved. (Interview with Linda Hiles, 13th August 2002)
Disciplinary Link
During this teaching of first year medical students the lecturers are looking for indications that the students have thought about HIV/AIDS as an epidelnic that has medical and social implications, and that the students have learnt practical skills from the process of carrying out the awareness projects. (1stYear Medical Students:
HIV/AIDS Curriculum Overview, L Hiles, no date)
Ann-Mane Williams
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Example 2 - The Anthropology Example
In Anthropology three undergraduate courses, these include:
• Health and a Sociocultural Context, a second year course.
• Understanding Families and Households, also a second year course that looks at issues that effect domestic arrangements and family life.
• A Research Methods Course, to third year undergraduate students.
In each of these modules HIV/AIDS issues are integrated.
(Interview with Suzanne Leclerc-Madlala, 5th August 2002)
Purpose
In the Health and a Sociocultural context course it is concerned with the range of issues that surround the meanings people attach to health and illness. The course is to introduce the students to some of the most important theoretical paradigms in medical anthropology and to consider some of the most crucial contemporary issues in medical anthropology and public health. These include the AIDS pandemic. The documentation states that the overall purpose of this course is to demonstrate that scientific biomedicine, although a most powerful and dOlninant medical system, is not the only approach to healing the body and mind. (Course Overview, S Leclerc- Madlala, and no date)
In the Families and Households course it includes a section on the impact of HIV/AIDS on local families and households. The doculnentation for this course explains the overall purpose of the course as:
'To foster an awareness of the various challenges confronting families and households as they adapt to the modem world' and 'to foster greater tolerance and acceptance of other peoples ways of arranging their domestic lives' .
(Course Overview, S Leclerc-Madlala, no date)
In the Research Methods course it includes a section on the impact of HIV/AIDS on local families and households. The documentation for this course explains the overall purpose of the course as:
'To foster an awareness of the various challenges confronting families and households as they adapt to the modem world' and 'to foster greater tolerance and acceptance of other peoples ways of arranging their domestic lives' .
(Interview with Suzanne Leclerc-Madlala, 5thAugust 2002)
Ann-Mane Williams
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Format/Teaching Methods
The Health and a Sociocultural context course is run over 13 weeks, with three hours of lectures each week. Week seven of the course is dedicated to the
HIV/AIDS epidemic. The documentation states the themes of these lectures as: a general overview of the AIDS pandemic, social science contributions, AIDS and the allocation ofblatne, myths and cures. Week eight of the course looks at 'Gender and AIDS' and the thelues for this week are stated as: socio cultural constructions of femininity and masculinity, sexual politics, negotiating safe sex, barriers to risk reduction. In week twelve of the course the theme is 'traditional healing and modem medicine', and AIDS treatment is considered in this section of the course.
(Course Overview, S Leclerc-Madlala, no date)
The Families and Households course is conducted over twelve weeks with three hours of lectures each week. Weeks ten and eleven of the course are dedicated to 'HIV/AIDS and the family' and includes home based care, AIDS orphans, child- headed households, social impact and repercussions of AIDS.
(Course Overview, S Leclerc-Madlala, no date)
In the Research Methods course there is a section that covers participatory research in health and that HIV/AIDS issues are included in this section.
(Interview with Suzanne Leclerc-Madlala, 5thAugust 2002)
Assessment
The Health and a Sociocultural context course is examined using two tests, an assignment and formal exam questions.
For the Families and households course, all students taking the course must
complete two tests, an essay assignment and formal exams. The topic for the essay assignment was an HIV/AIDS based topic, stated in the documentation as:
'Drawing upon your knowledge of social organization and kinship systems, discuss how the lineage structure of many west African societies (many of which are matrilineal) may be a factor mediating against rapid spread of HIV/AIDS and helping to protect women against this sexually transmitted disease. Clearly describe and elaborate upon the kinds of fatnily and social dynamics that may explain why HIV/AIDS infection rates are comparatively low in this part of Africa. '
(Course Overview, S Leclerc-Madlala, no date)
Learning/Impact of the module on the students
Due to the timing of these modules and research time constraints I was unable to speak to students taking these modules
Ann-Marie Williams
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Disciplinary link
In the Health and a Sociocultural context course there is a clear disciplinary link between health and social issues. In the Families and Households module there is a link with the impact of HIVIAIDS on the family, and the role family structures play in the spread of HIVIAIDS. With the Research Methods course the link is with the role of research in fighting HIVIAIDS and with ethical considerations of such
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research.
Example 3 - The Gender Education Example
In the School of Education, a Gender in Education course entitled 'Masculinity and Schooling' is taught.
Purpose
The documentation for the module outlines the purpose of this module, it does not mention HIV/AIDS specifically but the purpose relates more to issues of
Inasculinity, gender power and why these are ilnportant issues. Again the learning outcomes for the course do not mention HIVIAIDS specifically but outlines that students will understand how certain constructions of masculinity are implicated in unequal power relations. (Masculinity and Schooling: Course Outline, R Morrell, 2002)
Format/Teaching Methods
This Masters course is run on an open menu systeln with modules being optional to students but that this module is one of the compulsory modules in the' Gender Education M.Ed' specialisation. Rob stated that this course teaches about social behaviour and hopefully about respect. The course is run for the duration of the first selnester, with one, two-hour session each week. (Interview with Rob Morrell, 10th June 2002)
Assessment
The assessment for the course is continuous and there are no formal examinations.
There are three written assignments, one major assignment and two minor. The weekly sessions are conducted so as to facilitate student involvement, interaction and debate and students will need to prepare in advance for each session. One of the weekly sessions is entitled' AIDS and Masculinity: how will a consideration of masculinity affect a gendered analysis of AIDS and education' and the essay question for this session is documented as 'Why is AIDS a problem for men and how might schools develop gender inclusive, preventative programmes?'
(Masculinity and Schooling: Course Outline, R Morrell, 2002)
Ann-Mane Williams
STUDENT NUMBER 201509038 Page 73
Learning/Impact of the module on the students
Due to the timing of these modules and research time constraints I was unable to speak to students taking these modules
Disciplinary Link
The Students taking this course are schoolteachers who need to take gender issues in the classroom seriously and know the implications of such issues. Rob stated that 'There are specific links between gender and HIV/AIDS, due to inequality and power relations, we don't yet understand why people behave in the way that they do when they know the risks about HIVIAIDS'. (Interview with Rob Morrell, 10thJune 2002)
Throughout many of the interviews undertaken for this research the issue of gender was mentioned time after time as a cultural issue in South Africa. HIVIAIDS education in many of the cases was linked to gender issues.
Ann-Mane Williams
STUDENT NUMBER 201509038 Page 74
Limitations and Possibilities of the 'Integrated Into Other Education' Module This model appears to work very well for those subjects and disciplines that lend themselves to the inclusion of a HIVIAIDS component.
Itmay be that many progratnmes and courses, throughout the university, integrate HIVIAIDS education into their cuqicululTI in this way but the models shown here have formalised this integration. They have done this by documenting what
HIVIAIDS education will take place, what the purpose of the education will be and how it will be examined. I believe this to be the key to successful integration of HIVIAIDS education.
The main difficulties with this module for the medical school were the recruiting of facilitators and there were also some costs incurred in setting up the community projects. Ithad also been a concern that HIV/AIDS education would not be continued in consecutive years, that it would just be another first year subject.
Ann-Mane Williams
STUDENT NUMBER 201509038 Page 75