Curriculum

This course will focus on the formal process of curriculum development. Students will explore the various stages of curriculum development: problem identification, needs assessment, learning objectives, educational strategies, implementation and evaluation. Much of the course will cover the standard medical education curriculum development process developed by Kern and Thomas (Thomas PA, Kern DE et al. Curriculum Development for Medical Education: A Six-Step Approach. 3rd ed. The Johns Hopkins University Press). Alternative approaches, including instructional design models, will also be presented. Students will work with peers to develop a curriculum of their choosing throughout the course, receiving feedback from classmates and their instructors. The course will culminate in a final presentation of their curriculum.

Health professions students are usually familiar with clinical research early in their professional education, but they are rarely exposed to educational research. This course will introduce the field of educational research, demonstrating how it is similar and where it is different from clinical research. The course will cover both qualitative and quantitative educational research design (as well as mixed methods) and discuss various levels of assessment outcomes. Unique aspects of medical educational research will be covered, including ethics, clinical outcomes and quality improvement educational interventions.

This course will focus on adult learning theory and neuroscience-informed learning strategies. Learning theories and strategies will be explored and applied to learners at all levels across the various fields of health professions education.  Students will be challenged to apply evidence-based theories and strategies to their specific learning environment in order to optimize outcomes.

This course will be an introduction to the statistical methods required for educational research. Students will have access to a statistical software program (to be determined by faculty) and do weekly assignments in this program to become familiar with it. Statistical concepts that will be covered include descriptive statistics, probability, hypothesis tests, regression models and graphical presentations of data.

Health professionals are exposed to extensive testing and assessments for their professional studies, but they rarely are introduced to the theory and methods behind these. Students will spend time exploring various ways of assessing and testing learners for this course.

They will receive an overview in testing theory, psychometrics, generalizability theory and standard setting. Special attention will be given to validity and how this applies both to assessing health professional students and to educational research. The course will also explore the current movement in health fields toward competency-based assessment.

The nature of the educational environment in the health professions makes qualitative research methods an ideal approach for many research questions. This course will cover when qualitative or mixed methods approaches are appropriate. Various qualitative approaches will be presented, including ethnography, grounded theory and phenomenology. Common methods used in health professions research will be reviewed, including focus groups, interviews and open-ended survey questions. Students will work throughout the course to develop and explore a research question using qualitative methods. The course will culminate with them presenting their project and results to their classmates.

The educational environment is changing rapidly as technology advances, our environment changes and learners’ needs adapt to these. This course will explore the many options technology can offer to educators to extend and enhance their teaching. The course will cover technology that enhances various educational settings, including in-person and online (both synchronous and asynchronous). Techniques for effectively teaching in a hybrid or hyflex setting will also be covered. Attention will be given to how educational technology can be applied using learning theory and can enhance curriculum development.

Health professions education shares many of the same challenges of limited diversity and inequities as other STEM fields, but there are additional unique aspects when clinical environments are considered. This course will introduce students to these many nuanced challenges and enforce the importance of considering diversity in the classroom and clinical settings. Students will explore social identity and cultural hierarchy in healthcare and their effects on the learning environment. In addition, students will learn how to cultivate a more inclusive environment in their own teaching.