By the end of the module, students had increased their knowledge in relation to the recognition of ill-health and the role of the midwife. This was evidenced in classroom discussion, reports from clinicians and other lecturers, and the formative and summative assessments in practice and theory. There was anecdotal evidence of improved reflective skills, clinical reasoning skills and perhaps most importantly, bridging the gap between theory and practice.
For those academics considering using a blended approach to teaching and learning in their curricula, the authors would recommend such an innovation. The module presents opportunities for students to construct knowledge through discussion with fellow students, clinicians and academics and through participation in practice, whether that be within the classroom, the skills laboratory or in clinical practice. This allows students to assemble together the constituents of practice and to put themselves in the role of qualified midwife, so they reflect on past experiences and project their thinking and imagination forward in order to work out what it will mean for them as the practitioner who is responsible and accountable for the care of the woman who becomes ill.