UWE Bristol lecturer wins prestigious teaching excellence award for interprofessional simulation

A UWE Bristol lecturer, who has organised the largest interprofessional major incident simulation conducted within an education environment in the UK to date, has been awarded a National Teaching Fellowship by Advance HE.

Jon Newton, Senior Lecturer in Paramedic Science, has been recognised for curating immersive and authentic simulation-based-learning experiences for up to 500 learners every year across UWE Bristol.

The prestigious and highly competitive National Teaching Fellowship is only awarded to 55 individuals per academic year at UK universities. A National Teaching Fellowship celebrates individuals who have made an outstanding impact on student outcomes and the teaching profession in higher education.

Jon began embedding the now nationally recognised simulation training at UWE Bristol on the Paramedic Science programme in 2019. Since then, he has directed a wide range of immersive simulation experiences for students year-on-year, spanning low, mid and high-fidelity simulation.

These experiences allow students to build knowledge, develop competence, and augment performance, using a 'technical-tactical-lifelike’ framework that Jon devised in support of his pedagogic research in this area. These approaches enable learners to participate in discussion-based learning workshops, multi-agency table-top exercises, and large-scale major incident exercises.

One of Jon’s largest simulation-based-learning experiences at UWE Bristol’s Glenside campus depicted an aviation disaster, which spanned four days and involved 505 participants across nine programmes of study. This simulation featured a burning aircraft fuselage and a mock major trauma centre, staffed by student clinicians. The patients were triaged, treated and transported to ‘hospital’ by paramedic trainees.

Jon has also organised a mock house fire, a mass drink-spiking incident, a chemical poisoning, and simulated terrorist attacks.

These large-scale simulations typically incorporate a crime scene investigation undertaken by policing and forensic science students, and integrates up to 21 external partner agencies, routinely attended by Southwestern Ambulance Service, Avon & Somerset Police and Avon Fire & Rescue Service.

Giving them the opportunity to work alongside industry professionals, these simulations allow students to develop their skills in collaboration, sharing information, and understanding the responsibilities of their counterpart agencies to deliver a coordinated response.

Jon’s leadership in simulation-based-learning has also developed strong partnerships across university subjects, with the annual courtroom simulation bringing together healthcare and law students to facilitate a mock public inquiry. This has been designed to provide students with insight into important medico-legal aspects of professional practice and learn about the different responsibilities emergency service responders might face in their career, such as providing evidence in court. 

On receiving the award, Jon Newton said: “I'm delighted to be recognised with a National Teaching Fellowship. Practice-led learning is essential for properly preparing learners for real-world practice and immersive simulation enables us to strengthen not only the clinical acumen of our learners, but the emotional preparedness and mental resilience needed to be effective in high-pressure situations.”

Amanda Coffey, UWE Bristol’s Deputy Vice Chancellor and Provost, said: “Through Jon’s innovation, what would traditionally be taught via textbooks is being delivered through an immersive simulation-based-learning experience to offer a more comprehensive way of preparing students for their future careers. We recognise the impact of the simulation training on our market-leading Paramedic Science programme, and we are proud to deliver this practical learning at UWE Bristol. I am very pleased that Jon’s work in this area has been recognised by Advance HE.”