From Classroom to Creation: Healthcare Students Put Learning into Practice

What happens when a healthcare assignment moves beyond research and presentation? 

Students in Sandy Hobart’s premedical and pre-dental preceptorship course are finding out. Through an ongoing partnership with UTA Libraries, they are turning what they learn about healthcare into podcasts, visual projects and hands-on experiences that give them new ways to communicate their knowledge. 

Hobart, an adjunct faculty member and Director of Health Professions, is working with Chloé Bennett, Creative Spaces and Services Librarian; John Paul Thompson, Manager of Creative Spaces and Services; and other UTA Libraries staff to bring the Libraries’ spaces, technology and creative resources into her course. 

“I think the library has tools that can make learning engaging and innovative,” Hobart said. “They have a great space for collaboration.” 

Hobart has taught her premedical and predental preceptorship course since 2018. Students discuss health topics throughout the course and have opportunities to observe practitioners in the field. 

This year, Hobart wanted to rethink some assignments and create more opportunities for students to learn by doing. A conversation with Bennett helped turn one of those ideas into a podcast project. 

Previously, students completed a healthcare systems study by researching a healthcare system in another country and presenting their findings. This year, they are creating six- to eight-minute podcasts instead. 

“I’m more about thinking outside the box,” Hobart said. “Healthcare systems are something that many people may not know much about, especially how they compare between the United States and other countries. I thought creating a podcast would give students a way to educate others about these systems while also developing their own communication skills.” 

Students select a healthcare system in another country and examine how it works, how it is funded and the issues it faces. They then compare it with the healthcare system in the United States. 

UTA Libraries is helping them take those projects from an idea to a finished product. 

Library staff introduced students to the podcast studio and provided resources to help them understand the process. 

“When I first introduced it, they all seemed a little scared because it was something new,” Hobart said. “I told them if they had any questions, they could always ask me. I also put some podcast resources in Canvas so they could get familiar with the process.” 

The collaboration has grown beyond simply connecting students with library spaces and technology. Bennett sees the partnership as a collaboration between two areas of expertise: Hobart brings her knowledge of health care and teaching, while UTA Libraries brings expertise in creative technologies and experiential learning that can help students put that knowledge into practice. 

“Sandy is an incredible partner,” Bennett said. “She brings a depth of content expertise that makes it easy for both her students and partners to understand the scope of the course, as well as an enthusiasm for innovation that allows the Library’s expertise to shine, too.” 

That spirit was evident from their first conversation. Bennett and Hobart reviewed the course syllabus and discussed the areas where Hobart initially saw opportunities for collaboration. As they talked through the course, they identified even more ways UTA Libraries could contribute. 

“Sandy is not only open to these collaborations, but she embraces them,” Bennett said. “Our partnership with Sandy began through connections with the Smart Hospital but has grown into a beautiful opportunity for all of us to stretch our pedagogical wings and lead in our own areas of expertise.” 

That collaboration will continue with another major assignment later in the course. 

Students will complete a case study based on a patient they observed or a condition they studied. They will create a visual component to accompany their presentation. 

Students will meet with Bennett and other Libraries staff members to discuss their ideas and determine which resources and creative spaces could help them develop their projects. Depending on their concepts, students may work with tools and materials in the FabLab, including its woodworking and metalworking areas. 

Instead of simply talking about what they have learned, students will have an opportunity to build something that helps communicate it. 

“Having experiential librarians work with us to help bridge any information gaps we may not know and aid us with ideas on what we could do has been extremely beneficial,” Hobart said. “I think Chloé was really helpful in that.” 

Faculty members may not be familiar with every tool, technology or creative space available through the Libraries. Experiential librarians can help faculty think through an assignment, identify opportunities for hands-on learning and connect students with resources that can turn an idea into a project. 

“I want the students actually to enjoy what they’re learning,” Hobart said. 

The partnership also introduces students to resources they can use beyond the course. Learning how to reserve and use the podcast studio or working with the FabLab on a class project gives students a better understanding of what is available to them at UTA Libraries. 

“I think also for students to be aware of these resources they have in the library can help them in other classes as well,” Hobart said. “I think it’s invaluable to have.” 

Hobart believes other faculty members could benefit from finding ways to incorporate the Libraries into their own courses. 

“I will be talking to other people about, ‘Hey, have you thought about using this for this assignment?’” she said. “Maybe a lot of them aren’t aware or they may not know how to incorporate it into their classes.” 

The partnership with Hobart is one example of how UTA Libraries can become part of the learning experience itself. The Libraries’ spaces and resources are not simply places students visit when they need information. 

Hobart’s students are putting that idea into practice through their podcasts and upcoming case study presentations. 

They are researching healthcare systems, learning how to communicate complex information and experimenting with new technology and creative tools. Most importantly, they are taking what they learn in the classroom and putting it into action. 

Through these experiences, students are growing beyond what they can learn from a textbook or a lecture. They are building confidence, creativity and communication skills while learning to apply their knowledge in meaningful ways, growth that they can carry with them into their future careers.