Teaching and Assessment for Medical Educators

An online programme of courses to enhance the quality of clinical education.

Structure

Publication date: September 2015

Programme structure: 2 courses

Core Activities: Over 6 hours

Additional Activities: 39 hours

Overview

Teaching and Assessment for Medical Educators is a programme designed to enhance teaching, learning, assessment, feedback and evaluation in medical education. Content includes methods and strategies for involving patients in teaching and assessment situations.

These courses help those with teaching responsibilities to become more proficient in adapting and structuring their teaching according to learner preferences and diverse educational settings; in facilitating effective learning, especially in time-pressured situations; in designing appropriate assessments; in delivering and receiving feedback; and in addressing potential challenges.

Throughout, it underlines the fundamental role of patients within clinical education – whilst highlighting the issues of safety and consent – and ultimately aims to help educators ensure that the clinicians of tomorrow are fit to practise.

The fundamentals of this programme ensure that medical educators observe official guidelines such as those set by the Association of Medical Educators (UK). Content can be adapted for other countries by institutions.

This course is for:

This programme is developed for doctors, non-doctor clinicians and academics, teaching medical students at varying levels. Including:

Full-time educators in medical schools Part-time educators in medical schools Adjunct faculty Clinical mentors Graduate teaching assistants in medical schools

Learning outcomes:

By completing this programme, participants will be better equipped to:

1. Adapt teaching according to learner preferences and diverse teaching and learning settings, including community-based contexts

2. Prepare both students and patients for the process of teaching with patients, and support student learning so that it meets learning needs and curriculum requirements

3. Structure teaching logically, and facilitate peer-to-peer and interprofessional learning

4. Offer and elicit effective feedback and work with patient voices to improve student learning

5. Enhance student awareness of indirect communication with patients and of how to deal with special situations.

6. Demonstrate an understanding of the wider context of clinical assessment including aspects such as patient safety, professionalism, clinical reasoning and communication skills.

7. Design, conduct and evaluate accurate and effective written assessments and practice-based assessments.

8. Identify the features of effective feedback in teaching and learning and provide constructive feedback to learners.

9. Utilise learner (and other stakeholder) feedback in order to inform and enhance your own practice as an educator.

10. Reflect on challenges within clinical assessment, from deciding whether or not to fail a student to dealing with the consequences of poor assessment practices.

Key features:

Bespoke video content including interviews with experienced practitioners and learning scenarios.

Pop-up features including useful information, weblinks and links to professional frameworks. Scenarios. Two online courses focusing on clinical teaching and learning skills, and clinical assessment,

feedback and evaluation. Hot topics: Including interprofessional practice and ‘failing to fail’. Aligned with official standards. Advice on involving patients in the teaching process. Strategies for designing and implementing appropriate assessments. Advice on how to deliver supportive and constructive feedback.

Structure:

The programme is comprised of two courses:

Clinical teaching and learning Clinical assessment, feedback and evaluation

Course and Overview Syllabus Contributors

timings

Clinical teaching and learning

3 hours, 30 minutes

Clinical teaching and learning looks at how medical educators should involve patients in the teaching process in order to enhance learning and inspire students. Participants will understand the value of patients in the learning process, how to prepare students and patients for the encounter, and how best to facilitate learning, team teaching and record-keeping.

Patient-based teaching outside of hospitals, including in community contexts

Before teaching with patients: preparation

Whilst teaching with patients: how to make your teaching most effective

After teaching with patients: debriefing and improvement

Continuing your development: looking at potentially challenging situations

Author: Professor Ed Peile

Clinical assessment, feedback and evaluation

3 hours

Clinical assessment, feedback and evaluation is designed to empower medical teaching staff to feel confident in designing, observing and evaluating accurate and effective written and practice-based assessments. They will be able to give constructive feedback and understand its importance in teaching and learning.

Introduction to assessment in clinical practice

Thinking critically about assessments

Choosing, implementing and communicating assessments

Dealing with challenges including those related to professional integrity

Providing meaningful feedback, context evaluation and quality improvements

Author: Professor Ed Peile

Contributors

Lead Advisor & Author:

Professor Ed Peile - Professor Emeritus in Medical Education at the University of Warwick

Developed in collaboration with:

City College of New York Dublin City University Quinnipiac University Sheffield Hallam University University of Central Lancashire University of East Anglia University of Lincoln University of New England, Australia University of Newcastle, Australia University of Worcester Widener University