Student to present project at Advance HE conference

Published: 05 April 2022

Final year Radiotherapy and Oncology student, Benita Thomas, has been part of a Student Staff Partnership Grant project which looked at the online learning experience of students on her course during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Student Staff Partnership Grants provide funding for small collaborative projects led jointly by students and staff that promote St George’s values and enhance education. Benita, alongside two fellow Radiotherapy and Oncology students, has been invited to present the findings of the project at an Advance HE conference devoted to teaching and learning.

Benita says, “I am very excited to present the findings of our Student Staff Partnership Grant project. I hope what we present at the conference will encourage other teaching professionals to think about any barriers that may exist in their institutions when it comes to online learning.  

“Personally, I hope presenting at the conference will help to develop my presentation and problem-solving skills as well as gain a better understanding of the skills needed to promote research. Public speaking to a live audience is something I am not too familiar with, and this project has given me the opportunity to enhance those professional skills.” 

Benita has also recently been selected to participate in the Society of Radiographers’ (SoR) Leadership Programme which she hopes will be of benefit when presenting. 

Benita continues, “I think the SoR leadership placement nicely complements presenting at the conference as I will be developing relevant skills - it will definitely build my confidence. The programme is project-based and runs for a month. Participants are expected to lead a project from start to finish with support from a SoR mentor. 

“Places are limited so I had to prepare a two-minute elevator pitch on what leadership meant to me, my current strengths, the areas I want to develop, and what I hoped to achieve from the placement in order to be considered. I hope the placement will help refine my skills further before becoming a qualified Radiographer as well as allow me to better support the people around me.”