Using a World Café to Explore New Spaces and New Models for Front Line Services: A Case Study from the Irish University Library Sector

A critical look to community wisdom: Applying the World Café method to health promotion and prevention

Patient experiences and ideas are key components for improving health promotion and prevention. Engaging patients and other stakeholders in sharing their practices and ideas is nowadays crucial to increase the legitimacy, credibility, and acceptability of the decisions in these fields, by fostering community wisdom. The World Café is a participatory method suitable to involve a large number of actors to propose creative solutions based on their different knowledge and experiences. However, the diffusion of this approach is not uniform in the various countries and health topics. This review summarises the specific topic, the study design, the number and the characteristics of participants, as well as the main findings and the purpose of the studies regarding the application of this method to health promotion and prevention. Among other results, it was found that the World Café is an appreciated, inspiring, and flexible participatory process often used in association with one or more other methods, to explore emergent themes or topics, to collect best practices or suggestions, to generate improvements or recommendations, and to define priorities for the implementation of projects or research agendas. The results highlight the potentiality of the World Café whenever an issue is not well defined and needs to be explored through deep and several insights. The method allows the exploitation of creativity and collective wisdom when qualitative and in-dept results-more than quantitative and statistically rigorous ones-are appropriate.

Healthcare staff's views on responding to suicide and self-harm: Part II

PURPOSE

To report on healthcare staff's views of the barriers to preventing suicide and self-harm.

DESIGN AND METHODS

Using a qualitative approach, data were collected through "World Café" discussion forums and written submissions, and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.

FINDINGS

Healthcare staff, including psychiatric nurses, perceived that a whole of society approach was needed for suicide and self-harm prevention. Support for those at the front line is needed as well as clear referral pathways and interagency working.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Formalized support for staff working in healthcare should be given with a flexible and inclusive approach to service delivery adopted.

Healthcare staff's views on responding to suicide and self-harm: Part I

PURPOSE

To explore healthcare staff's knowledge and awareness of, and responses to, suicide and self-harm.

DESIGN AND METHODS

A qualitative design was adopted, and data were collected using a "World Café" approach (n = 143 participants), in addition to written submissions (n = 10). Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.

FINDINGS

There was variation relating to awareness of and responses to suicide and self-harm. Participants highlighted the need for further staff education and training, and a review of standardized assessment tools and referral processes.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Tailored training and education resources are required for healthcare staff. Clear protocols for assessing, treating, and referring people deemed at risk of suicide and self-harm are needed.

To Cultivate Creativity and a Maker Mindset Through an Internet-of-Things Programming Course

With the swift development of technology in recent years, entrepreneurs are facing rapid changes in industry. To cope with such changes at home and abroad, The Ministry of Education is actively promoting innovative education with the aim of cultivating students’ entrepreneurship. On this basis, this study proposes an innovative curriculum design based on an Internet-of-Things (IoT) programming course. The reason is that it develops computational thinking skills while students are learning programming and also cultivates logical thinking skills and problem-solving skills, which are critical to entrepreneurship. We also design a number of learning activities that enable students to express their opinions and ideas while gaining more knowledge through peer interaction and discussion. Overall, this study explores the impact of “maker education” on students’ attitudes toward computer thinking. The results indicate that maker education has a positive impact on their ability to learn computer skills. In terms of learning motivation, students are not motivated by maker education and reduce their confidence on the curriculum. The reason may be that the curriculum requires the acquisition of software and hardware skills, which will increase the student’s learning burden, so they more likely to encounter learning disabilities.