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Staff Profile

Dr Paul Hubbard

Deputy Dean of Education, Faculty of Medical Sciences

  • Email: paul.hubbard@ncl.ac.uk
  • Telephone: 0191 2086971
  • Address: Newcastle University
    School of Medicine
    Faculty of Medical Sciences
    Newcastle University
    Framlington Place
    Newcastle upon Tyne
    NE2 4HH

Background

Roles

Deputy Dean of Education, Faculty of Medical sciences

School of Medicine Director of Digital Education

 

Qualifications

BSc (Hons) Neuroscience, University of Sheffield

PhD King's College, University of London

Professional Graduate Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector (PGDTLLS), University of Derby

MEd (Open), The Open University

 

Membership of Societies

Member British Neuroscience Association (BNA)

Member Malaysian Society of Neuroscience

Senior Fellow Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)


 

 

 

Teaching

MBBS Medical Degree Years 1 and 2

I teach in multiple areas in the pre-clinical years on the MBBS degree programme.  The main areas are basic neurobiology, neuroanatomy and neurophysiology.

 

Research

Research Projects

My research now mainly focuses around Medical Education, particularly exploring the use of neuroscientific knowledge of learning and applying this to teaching.  Current Research projects include:

The understanding, use, and prevalence of neuromyths in South East Asian educators and students. 

Neuroeducation, or the application of neuroscience research to inform educational policy and teaching techniques, is an emerging field of research.  Unfortunately, within neuroeducation are a number of neuromyths that have become prevalent in teaching practice.  Neuromyths are incorrect ideas about how the brain works with regards to learning and teaching.  Examples include the existence of learning styles such as the visual-auditory-kinaesthetic (VAK) learning styles, or the right brain/left brain logical/creativity myth.  Many of these myths are taught in teacher training and so have become prevalent throughout education.

Most studies looking at the use, prevalence, and perception of these neuromyths amongst educators and students have been focused on western countries and school age students and educators. The aim of the project is to establish the thoughts, perceptions and understanding of different neuromyths present in educators, and students entering a higher education teaching environment in South East Asia with a view to future interventional strategies.


The effects of integrative study support on the type and complexity of student study skills techniques

Effective study techniques have been shown to improve student achievement and wellbeing at university.  Study techniques that are active in their approach and multimodal encourage deeper and stronger learning and better align to current understanding of the way the brain learns.   

The aim of the project is to evaluate student study skills abilities and to see if integrative study skills support in the form of active teaching, online material or one-to-one support influences learning techniques, and encourages students to take a more active , multimodal and self-directed approach to their learning.


Evaluating the Feasibility of, and exploring opportunities for, embedding transnational cross-campus teaching in the MBBS curriculum.

Since the move to a blended approach to teaching, the MBBS teams in the UK and at the NUMed (Malaysia) branch campus have been working closely to develop both synchronous and asynchronous online teaching resources. This has been possible due to the equivalence of the MBBS degree courses across the two campuses.  

This project aims to explore the feasibility and opportunities to embed cross-campus/transnational teaching throughout the MBBS curriculum with a view to developing recommendations for broader adoption within Newcastle University. Insights from the project will be used to provide a model for effective cross-campus and transnational teaching.


Funding

FMS Education Research Development and Practice fund

The understanding, use, and prevalence of neuromyths in South East Asian educators and students - Dr Madihah Rushaidhi, NUMed (Lead), Dr Paul Hubbard, NUMed, Dr Rachel Pye, Reading Malaysia.  Funding Achieved - £1,476.00 (RM8,371.40)


Newcastle University Education Development fund

Evaluating the Feasibility of, and exploring opportunities for, embedding transnational cross-campus teaching in the MBBS curriculum - Dr Paul Hubbard, NUMed (Lead), Dr Andrew Chaytor, UK, MedEd Society, UK, MedEd Society, NUMed. Funding Achieved -  £2,303.00 (RM13,062.00)

Case based curriculum: A holistic understanding of the human body across campuses – Miss Kayleigh Scotcher and Miss Emily Green, School of Medical education, UK (Leads), Dr Paul Hubbard (NUMed).  Funding Achieved - £2455.16


Publications