A Faculty Development NewsletterJune, 2000 |
A Faculty Development NewsletterJune, 2000 |
| Newsletter Overview |
The theme of this month's newsletter is "Using the Discussion Method" for effective teaching." Tips on leading discussions are provided in addition to a review of literature on this topic. The preceptor highlight features thoughts on the discussion method by Gregory Hill, D.O., a OUCOM adjunct faculty member who directs the Orthopedic Residency Program at Cuyahoga Falls General Hospital in C. Falls.
| Preceptor Highlight |
Gregory Hill, D.O
Our preceptor highlight for this month is Gregory Hill, D.O., Director of the Orthopedics Residency Program at Cuyahoga Falls General Hospital, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Dr. Hill's thoughts regarding the use of discussion to stimulate learning evolved from teaching in a variety of educational settings such as clinical rounds, conference rooms not far from patient treatment areas, hallways where patient confidentiality could still be maintained, and in the traditional lecture hall/classroom setting. When considering the use of discussion as a powerful teaching tool, Dr. Hill believes that the clinical teacher must be aware of the variability of learning styles among trainees. Specifically, some trainees tend to provide very little information or “short responses” when prompted by the trainer while other trainees are excited to respond when prompted and thus embrace discussion as an opportunity to share their thoughts and knowledge. As Dr. Hill notes, the trainee who is somewhat hesitant to fully engage in discussion may need to be prompted or receive a bit more encouragement to share than other trainees. Dr. Hill acknowledges that the use and quality of “questions” directed to trainees are vital to generating discussion. Consistent with those who are strong advocates of the discussion method of teaching and learning, Dr. Hill believes that “questions” that are properly framed can do a great deal in capturing the knowledge level of the trainee and create a climate of mutual sharing between the clinical trainer and trainees. According to Dr. Hill, there is no limit regarding the amount of information that can be shared when the trainer's “questions” are designed to stimulate discussion that opens the door to a rich learning experience.
| Research on Clinical Teaching |
During the past several years, medical education has experienced a significant change in the way information and knowledge are disseminated to trainees. Not without debate and in some cases reluctance, the discussion method of stimulating learning has been successfully incorporated into the knowledge dissemination “mix” in medical education. That is, although the traditional lecture method (“trainer talks while the trainee listens”) may still be found to be alive and well in medical education, the discussion method of stimulating learning is gradually becoming the preferred modality among presenters and recipients of knowledge. In classifying and distinguishing between a lecture and “lecture-discussion”, Whitman and Schwenk (1983) note that a “lecture-discussion occurs when the teacher and student both are active.” In a “lecture-discussion”, according to Whitman and Schwenk, the “subject is pursued and studied mutually by the teacher and learner and is assimilated through interaction [discussion].” As a significant tool in the discussion method, Whitman and Schwenk indicate that the “open-ended question” approach is essential and tend to generate information from trainees that go well beyond the “yes and no” response. These authors also embraced the work of Foley and Smilansky (1980) who focused considerable attention on “formulating” questions within the context of medical education. As a part of their effort to prepare residents for their role as teachers, Whitman and Schwenk (1984) identified discussion and participation as essential “principles” in stimulating learning. In his identification of teaching styles, Quirk (1994) noted that “asking questions” and “exploring student ideas” were key behaviors commonly found in at least two of the dominant teaching styles leading to “teacher-student interaction” and “learner- centered teaching.”
Clinical teachers and trainees are encouraged to review these and other studies in more detail. Please continue to add to your teaching/learning “tool kit”.
References
Foley, R. and Smilansky, J. Teaching Techniques: A Handbook for Health Professionals. 1980. in A Handbook for Group Discussion Leaders: Alternatives to Lecturing Medical Students to Death, Neil Whitman and Thomas Schwenk, 1983.
Quirk, M. How To Learn and Teach in Medical School. 1994. pp. 148-157.
Whitman, N. and Schwenk, T. A Handbook for Group Discussion Leaders:Alternatives to Lecturing Medical Students to Death. 1983. pp. 2, 15-19.
Whitman, N. and Schwenk, T. Residents as Teachers: A Guide to Educational Practice. 1984. pp. 22-23.
| Teaching Tips |
Discussion Leading Tips
1. Make a commitment to employ a teaching style that solicits information and knowledge from trainees and generates a climate of mutual sharing.
2. Engage the trainee by asking “open-ended” questions followed up by more probing questions if needed.
3. Avoid “closed-ended” questions when seeking to generate discussion. “Closed-ended” questions will most often result in answers with limited content and provide “yes” or “no” responses.
4. During rounds, employ such key terms and questions as: “Describe.......?”; “Explain.......?”; “Tell me what you know about.......?”
5. For more formal presentations such as those that occur in the classroom or at medical seminars, plan in advance the questions you might want to ask the audience that most likely will stimulate discussion.
6. Handle responses to questions with sensitivity.
7. Ask questions that are at or “slightly above” the learner's knowledge level.
8. Provide “reading” assignments in advance of the discussion when possible.
| Teaching Resources on the Web |
Click on the following address, http://www.stfm.org/teacher/1998/jan/jan.html, to read an on-line article entitled, Levels of Questioning for Learners available in the on-line article section of the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) web site. Please note that you will have to scroll down the page to see the article on mentoring.
For more on asking questions and leading discussions please visit another section of our faculty development web site at http://www.oucom.ohiou.edu/fd/progressivedisclosure.htm. At this site you can view a PowerPoint presentation on "Leading Case Discussions and you can also see a PowerPoint presentation used in the actual leading of a case discussion by Dr. Steven Clay, faculty member in our Department of Geriatrics.
Click on the following Web address if you would like to conduct a Medline search on "questions" or the "discussion method" using PubMed (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed/).
| Curriculum Update |
Clinical Presentation Curriculum (CPC)
The inaugural year of the new Clinical Presentation Curriculum (CPC) has reached completion. Students have just completed (Friday, June 9th) the Musculoskeletal Block and all tests have been administered.
The CPC is organized around "Blocks" that focus on systems. Year 2 block teams have been meeting and planning instruction for several months. Likewise the year 1 block teams are also meeting and making changes based on "lessons learned" during the year.
| Residency Program Advisory Committee (RPAC) News |
All RPAC Educational Days for June will be held as part of the annual OOA meeting in Cleveland, June 14-17, at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel in Downtown Cleveland.
| RPAC | Date | ||
| Family Medicine | June 16 | ||
| Internal Medicine | June 14 | ||
| OB/GYN | June 14 | ||
| Pediatrics | June 17 | ||
| Orthopedics | June 17 | ||
| General Surgery | June 16 | ||
| Emergency Medicine | June 15 |
| Academic Leadership Fellowship News |
Academic Leadership Fellows will meet at Sagamore Hills Meridia Medical Building on Thursday evening, June 15th.
The 2000-2001Fellowship will begin again in September, 2000. The fellowship this year will focus on teaching, learning, and curriculum development. A stipend of $1300 will be provided by the OUCOM/CORE system and participants must provide evidence of matching funds. The Fellowship will be a certificate program comprised of 9 monthly 2-day workshops, 1 monthly videoconferencing session, on-line learning activities, independent study, attendance at a national conference, development of an educational portfolio and a project.
If you are interested in participating in the fellowship program, please contact Dennis Baker, Ph.D., Program Director, at bakerd@exchange.oucom.ohiou.edu or call the OUCOM/CORE Office of Faculty Development at 740-593-0157. For additional information on the Academic Leadership Fellowship, click here.
| Upcoming Faculty Development Events |
Faculty development activities are presently being planned for July 2000 - June 2001 academic year. Workshops will be offered in August for those individuals who will be small group facilitators for the 8-week required family medicine clerkship. Additionally, workshops will be offered for family medicine preceptors who will be precepting for this clerkship. Workshops on small group facilitation will also be offered to OUCOM faculty who will be facilitating small groups in the CPC curriculum.
| Recent Faculty Development Events |
April, 2000, Faculty Development Events Sponsored by the Office of Faculty Development
 |
Olivia Sheehan, Ph.D., Faculty Development Coordinator leads a discussion on clinical teaching during the Clinical Teaching workshop (April 13) at Sagamore Hills. |
