Threshold Concepts: Pre-conference Health and Social Care

Yesterday afternoon there was a video-linked workshop between Glasgow, Halifax, Nova Scotia - Dalhousie University and an interest group member in Plymouth. This was to try to further thinking on threshold concepts in healthcare and one of two pre-conference workshops at:

6TH BIENNIAL THRESHOLD CONCEPTS CONFERENCE

Our agenda:

Workshop: To disaggregate or not? The dilemma of complex threshold concepts

• What do we mean by complex thresholds?
• Is this particularly relevant to healthcare and if so how?
• Can we identify some examples in health and social care?
• What problems do complex thresholds bring for teachers, learners, the curriculum?
• Is disaggregation helpful (and how) or unhelpful/reductionist/simplification?
• Do we have any evidence or theories that can help us?

We did not cover all the points in depth, but in respect of the first point I could define 'complex thresholds' with recourse to Hodges' model. The paper I'm working on includes a table that alludes to this. I could take this question more literally in that draft.

Thinking about complexity and aggregation, by complex is this the same as compound? Compound suggests something that can be taken apart (it is composite), but complex involves the whole (domain-based?) situation / context?

The example I have in mind is learner's recognition, appreciation and understanding of:

• mental capacity
• best interest
• deprivation of liberty

By learner's I am thinking of student nurses (plus other disciplines), healthcare assistants and future associate practitioners. In the era of lifelong learners, public engagement and patient involvement/engagement I have include others (despite the academic demands for specificity).

Philosophy Now 113

On the last question - Do we have any evidence or theories that can help us? - I still feel evidence can be found in Hodges' model. As ever: data, data, data!

Feelings are never enough (until they are all we are left with).

Discussion included the curriculum as the questions indicate, and again one of the original purposes for the model was in curriculum development. but in addition the position and role of the 'big picture'.

Issue 113 of Philosophy Now featured New Realism. I'm cherry picking from pragmatism, idealism and realism. New realism questions whether a unified picture (in philosophy) is available (p.7). While this is a damaging critique to Hodges' model, it might also be an opportunity.

Steinbauer, A. (2016). Interview: Markus Gabriel, Philosophy Now, Apr/May, 113; pp.6-10.