Teaching sexual health to create knowledge useful in practice

Sexual health is closely related to general health and quality of life, and needs to be understood within specific social, economic, and political contexts. As sexual health is a topic insufficiently communicated about in health and welfare, there is risk of decreased health and quality of life (WHO, 2022). Professionals in health and welfare often lack competencies in sexual and reproductive health and rights (Areskoug Josefsson et al., 2019) and there is a need to reform teaching of sexual health (Areskoug-Josefsson & Lindroth, 2022). Work integrated learning is essential in providing useful competencies for practice, thus in teaching a topic like sexual health work -integrated learning is essential. To not be able to handle sensitive issues, like, sexual health, affects the health of the person in need of support, but also creates stress for the professional if the professional does not have sufficient competence to support sexual health when needed to (Haboubi & Lincoln, 2003; Jaarsma et al., 2010; Lunde, 2013; Wang et al., 2018). 

The Sexual Health project, developed seven master level online courses in co-production with more than 100 stakeholders (students, patients, professionals, NGO-representatives, academics). Co-production was used in development of the courses and is also used as a theoretical standpoint in the evaluation of the learning outcomes and patterns of work integrated learning. However, there are challenges in bringing co -production theory into practice (Farr et al., 2021), and thus there is a need to evaluate if the co-production process of this project has been fruitful in creating courses of value for practice. Sexual Health is a taboo-topic, and a topic that can sensitive to teach (Selberg, 2021) and therefore evaluation of the courses is of specific importance.

The project took place during 2020-2022 at Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway, and was founded by the Norwegian Directorate of Health and the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education. The courses are designed to meet the needs of professionals working sexual health in various ways, and to use the students working context as. The courses were co-produced with stakeholders, as were the learning outcomes and the forms of examination. The stakeholders were participating in the steering group and the eight reference groups but were also active as subproject leaders for the courses. The courses are designed to promote learning for life and through life regardless, of geographic place and at low costs, aspiring to meet the individual person’s professional needs. The intention has been to use e-books to a large extend to ensure lower costs and promote sustainability and to keep down costs for literature, thus enabling students to be able to afford to take the courses. The intent in the courses is to provide flexible learning opportunities, to enable students to take the course with as much time flexibility as possible. The co-production process in developing and evaluating courses was a key concept to ensure valuable learning outcomes for practice. The student interactive engagement is at various levels in the courses; within the course with the course learning material, by using the course material at the students’ workplaces and between students during the course. The course setup provides strategies for finding knowledge, reflection on needs for knowledge and creation of new knowledge by using different perspectives on the provided learning material and to integrate the new knowledge in practice. As for example the students are encouraged to share films, podcasts, and literature from the course with work colleagues. 

The first courses are currently on-going and being evaluated concurrently to ensure continuous learning within the project, creation of novel learning spaces and promotion of sustainable lifelong learning. The aim of the research is to explore patterns connected to lifelong learning in evaluations of the co-produced online courses and how the students have been able to integrate their working life into the course work and exa ms. Data is collected with a digital learning tool, Feedbackfruits, external reviews from stakeholders and online discussions in the learning platform with the students. The presentation covers research in progress, which is suitable considering the interactive collaboration which the project is based on. Patterns from evaluations from course testers, students and stakeholders participating in project processes are analyzed together with data from the ongoing courses. The preliminary evaluation results indicate that the co -produced online course design is valid to promote lifelong learning useful in working life. Preliminary patterns are stories of experiencing personal and professional growth, expanded professional perspectives, increased engagement with stakeholders and increased digital literacy. All skills important in working life.

The findings which will be further discussed from theories of co-production and work integrated learning. Findings from the project can be useful when working with course design with stakeholders to promote lifelong learning useful in practice.