With the Covid-19 social distancing measures, millions of us are rapidly adapting to working, socialising but also studying from home. Whilst distance-learning courses have been running for several years, it is fair to say that in light of Covid-19 they are now more popular than ever, and they are here to stay.
The MSc in Advanced Dementia Studies has been running as a distance-learning course for many years. Five aspects contribute to its success:
Easy access to resources – Just like on-campus courses, students have access to all the support they need. Students receive the same volume and standard of course materials as in an on campus course. All study material can be easily accessed via the virtual learning platform – CANVAS – available through computers, phones or tablets. All students are given an induction, programme and modules handbooks, and tutors and services (e.g. library, IT support) are always on hand.
Expertise – The course is developed in collaboration with people living with dementia and carers. They provide unique and valuable experiential knowledge about living with the condition contributing towards the development of relevant and meaningful content and material. A team of passionate academics and experts in dementia care academically support the course, bringing their knowledge and enthusiasm to teaching delivery.
Fun delivery methods – The course incorporates different teaching methods in order to suit different learning styles and to be as enjoyable, interactive, and fun as in person courses. A range of videos recorded with people affected by dementia, podcasts, interactive exercises, live tutorials, chat forums are all used, and as technology becomes more sophisticated, other innovative delivery methods will become available to improve students’ experience. We put a lot of time and effort into ensuring students have a great experience with us. 
Networking – Students have the opportunity to socialise with people from all sorts of different backgrounds and from all over the world. There is plenty of opportunities to share and learn from other people’s experiences during online exercises, live discussions, or through ‘private’ groups where students can interact with each other. We encourage our students to share their work by writing blog posts and pieces for various newsletters.
Future perspectives – The course aims to create leaders in dementia care. Many of our previous students received promotions and/or were successful in applying for new posts after completing the course.
The course will start this September. The impact of Covid-19 in our teaching delivery is minimal and we will support you through these challenging times. If you are a health and social care professional working with people living with dementia and would like to learn more about our distance learning MSc Advanced Dementia Studies or apply to start in September, check out our website or get in touch by emailing dementia@bradford.ac.uk
Written by Dr Ana Barbosa