Students at both our Maidstone and Medway campus were recently treated to an inspiring masterclass by Rob Thomas, Senior Clinician at the European School of Osteopathy (ESO), accompanied by two of his current Osteopathy students.
The session was held at Maidstone campus in our immersive classroom where we’re able to use technology to create interactive learning environments. These classrooms allow students to explore virtual content in 3D and participate in live teaching sessions with students at other institutions, or in this case, our other campus! The session was broadcast live across to the Medway immersive classroom, providing a unique learning opportunity for Sports Science students and Access to Health and Social Care students at both locations.
The masterclass explored osteopathy in depth, including live demonstrations and comparisons with similar therapies. Students were also given the chance to ask questions about career prospects and the experience of studying full-time at the ESO in Maidstone, an internationally recognised centre for osteopathy.
Chris Manley, Lecturer in Sport at the College emphasised how useful the session was, commenting, "The ESO is an internationally recognised centre for osteopathy and represents a great opportunity to study so close to home for many of our therapy-focused students."
In a wider initiative to enhance employer engagement, the session was captured using advanced camera equipment as part of an innovative project led by MidKent College Advanced Practitioner Jack Webb. Jack said, "The Pop-Up Kits allow real-world footage to be captured in the workplace (or live-streamed) for our students to directly benefit from. Once captured, raw camera and audio footage can be edited multiple times to fulfil any requirement, from role-playing with recorded video to 'spot the hazard' type activities on a live construction site."
The event showcased the value of hands-on learning, cutting-edge technology, and collaboration with industry experts. We are incredibly grateful to Rob Thomas and the European School of Osteopathy for their participation, which has inspired our students to explore exciting career opportunities in osteopathy and related fields. The immersive room was also used recently to remotely host the Health Sciences Team from Bournemouth University, who delivered a talk about becoming a Chiropractictor that was also broadcast to both campuses. We’re really looking forward to seeing how this innovative project continues to develop and benefit students in the future!
