Perfectionnement du corps professoral fondé sur les compétences : évolutions tirées des enseignements de la formation médicale fondée sur les compétences

Faculty development in medical education is often delivered in an ad hoc manner instead of being a deliberately sequenced program matched to data-informed individual needs. In this article, the authors, all with extensive experience in Faculty Development (FD), present a competency-based faculty development (CBFD) framework envisioned to enhance the impact of FD.  Steps and principles in the CBFD framework reflect the lessons learned from competency-based medical education (CBME) with its foundational goal to better train physicians to meet societal needs.  The authors see CBFD as a similar framework, this one to better train faculty to meet educational needs.  CBFD core elements include: articulated competencies for the varied educational roles faculty fulfill, deliberately designed curricula structured to build those competencies, and an assessment program and process to support individualized faculty learning and professional growth.  The framework incorporates ideas about where and how CBFD should be delivered, the use of coaching to promote reflection and identity formation and the creation of communities of learning. As with CBME, the CBFD framework has included the important considerations of change management, including broad stakeholder engagement, continuous quality improvement and scholarship. The authors have provided examples from the literature as well as challenges and considerations for each step. Dans l’enseignement médical, le perfectionnement du corps professoral se fait souvent de façon ad hoc et non dans le cadre d’un programme structuré en fonction des besoins individuels définis sur la base de données. Dans cet article, les autrices, qui ont toutes une vaste expérience en matière de perfectionnement du corps professoral (PCP), présentent un cadre pour le perfectionnement fondé sur les compétences (PCPFC) visant à renforcer les effets du PCP. Les étapes et les principes de ce cadre reflètent les enseignements tirés de la formation médicale fondée sur les compétences (FMFC), dont l’objectif fondamental est de former les médecins de façon à ce qu’ils puissent répondre aux besoins de la société. De manière analogue, le cadre PCPFC viserait à mieux former le corps professoral pour qu’il puisse répondre aux besoins éducatifs. Les éléments centraux du cadre comprennent la définition des compétences pour chacun des rôles que les enseignants remplissent, la création de programmes de formation structurés et axés sur le développement de ces compétences et l’élaboration d’un programme d’évaluation ainsi qu’un processus pour soutenir de manière individualisée l’apprentissage et la croissance professionnelle des enseignants. Le cadre présente des idées sur les modalités des formations de PCPFC, sur l’environnement dans lequel elles interviennent, sur l’utilisation du coaching pour promouvoir la réflexion et la construction d’identité et sur la création de communautés d’apprentissage. Tout comme la FMFC, le cadre du PCPFC répond aux importants enjeux liés à la gestion du changement, y compris l’engagement des parties prenantes, l’amélioration continue de la qualité et la recherche. Les autrices proposent des exemples tirés de la littérature scientifique et passent en revue les défis et les points importants à considérer pour chaque étape

Educational Developers and Their Uses of Learning Theories: Conceptions and Practices

This thesis reports on a study designed to understand how learning theories fit in the practice of educational developers; specifically, developers’ conceptions of learning theories, their use of theories, and, finally, factors that influence the way learning theories shape developers’ practice. To investigate these questions, a qualitative study was undertaken with eleven Canadian university educational developers, all formally associated with a campus-wide teaching and learning centre. By taking an exploratory approach, while drawing upon learning theories and educational development literature, aspects of educational developers’ understanding and use of learning theories were highlighted. The findings showed that educational developers in this study: (i) conceptualize learning theories as lowercase ‘lt’ as opposed to uppercase ‘LT’, and (ii) define learning theories based on their prior disciplines. These practitioners didn’t associate learning theories with formal academic theories aimed at understanding a situation; instead they had formed their own synthesis of theories to help them perceive the characteristics of a particular situation. Also, the way the participants defined and conceptualized learning theories seemed to correspond to their prior disciplines and areas of study. Five definitions of learning theories were identified among educational developers: philosophy, language, educational-psychology, holistic, and neuroscience-based. In terms of how theories shape developers’ work, developers were categorized in three groups: (1) those who had a tendency to implicitly use learning theories –focusing more on practical explorations for achieving a desired outcome (seven in total); (2) developers who had a tendency to consciously use learning theories – taking more of a comprehensive approach by examining their assumptions and focusing on causes and effects that influence their practice (three in total); and, (3) one developer who had characteristics of both groups. Factors such as educational background, professional identities, and perceived audience readiness appeared to influence participants’ uses of learning theories. Seeing their work as part of a collective, and attending to the emotional needs of their audience also seemed to impact these practitioners’ work. Considering the limited research examining how educational developers conceptualize learning theories and the way theories inform their practice, this study contributes in generating discussions and future research in a community that continues to grow and situate itself within the higher education landscape.Ph

Sparking SoTL: Triggers and Stories from One Institution

With the growing interest in educational research across post-secondary campuses, it is useful to identify the specific supports that best enable Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) initiatives. This paper documents a picture of SoTL interests and supports at one institution through survey and semi-structured collaborative interview data. Both the survey data (289 respondents) and three semi-structured group interviews (8 participants total) provide a picture of participants who have completed or are interested in completing a SoTL study; the events and experiences that triggered an interest in SoTL; and their perceptions of the importance of SoTL in their own teaching, student learning, in their department, and within the institution as a whole. Based on these two datasets, we propose four lenses that are defined in terms of SoTL triggers and which we name a Scholarship Window. We conclude with a number of recommendations as a way to build capacity for SoTL at the institutional level. Suite à l’intérêt grandissant de la recherche dans le domaine de l’éducation sur tous les campus d’enseignement supérieur, il est utile d’identifier les soutiens spécifiques qui favorisent le mieux les initiatives de l’avancement des connaissances en enseignement et en apprentissage (ACEA). Cet article présente un tableau des intérêts et des soutiens en ACEA dans un établissement donné, établi par le biais d’une enquête et d’une série d’entrevues en collaboration semi-structurées. Les données obtenues suite à l’enquête (289 répondants) et celles de trois entrevues semi-structurées (8 participants au total) ont permis d’établir un tableau de participants qui ont complété ou qui s’intéressent à compléter une étude en ACEA, les événements et les expériences qui ont déclenché cet intérêt en ACEA ainsi que les perceptions des répondants de l’importance de l’ACEA pour leur propre enseignement, pour l’apprentissage des étudiants et pour leur département, ainsi qu’au sein de l’établissement dans son ensemble. Sur la base de ces deux groupes de données, nous proposons quatre lentilles qui sont définies en tant que déclencheurs d’ACEA, que nous avons nommées « fenêtre sur l’avancement des connaissances ». En conclusion, nous présentons un certain nombre de recommandations pour renforcer les capacités en ACEA au niveau institutionnel

Participer à une conversation académique : comment publier votre travail d’ACEA

The path to publication is often long, emotional, and bewildering. We share key insights from our experience as authors, educators, and members of the editorial board with The Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning that we hope will help authors better understand and navigate the path to publication. In writing a compelling story, we suggest that it is necessary to join a conversation with self, the scholarly community, and the journal. We unpack each of these dimensions and offer considerations on how to craft a powerful manuscript that could ultimately get published.Le chemin qui mène à la publication est souvent long, émotionnel et déconcertant. Nous partageons des idées clés basées sur notre expérience en tant qu’auteurs, éducateurs et membres de l’équipe de rédaction de La revue canadienne sur l’avancement des connaissances en enseignement et en apprentissage. Nous espérons qu’elles aideront les auteurs à mieux comprendre et à parcourir avec succès le chemin menant à la publication. Nous suggérons que pour rédiger un récit captivant, il est nécessaire de se joindre à une conversation avec soi-même, avec la communauté des chercheurs et avec la revue. Nous déballons chacune de ces dimensions et offrons des considérations sur la manière de créer un manuscrit puissant qui pourrait être publié

Empathy Training: Methods, Evaluation Practices, and Validity

Background: Empathy is an individual’s capacity to understand the behavior of others, to experience their feelings, and to express that understanding to them. Empathic ability is an asset professionally for individuals, such as teachers, physicians and social workers, who work with people.  Being empathetic is also critical to our being able to live with others in general, and ultimately to leading happier lives. Subsequently it seems imperative to examine if and how it is possible to enhance people’s empathic ability. Purpose: The purpose of this article is to use narrative review method to analyze studies of empathy training in human service and social science disciplines over the past thirty years to address the questions: “How have people been trained in empathy and what are the findings?” and “How was empathy training evaluated and how valid are these evaluation findings?” Setting: Not applicable. Intervention: Not applicable. Research Design: Not applicable. Data Collection and Analysis: Narrative review. Findings: Twenty-nine articles pertaining to empathy training evaluation research were identified based on an advanced computer search on the following databases: “Education Full Text,” “ProQuest Education Journals,” “Web of Knowledge” and “Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC). Seven types of training methods were noted in these 29 evaluations with the most popular being didactic related (42%). All but two studies (93%) reported positive findings, mainly in regard to learning (86%), or the cognitive component of empathy. These findings suggest that regardless of the training method, individuals can learn about the concept of empathy. Unfortunately, information pertaining to the effects of training on individuals’ feeling for others, and their ability and propensity to take the perspective of others and to demonstrate it in the natural environments is lacking. Consequently, very little is known about the trainability of the affective and behavioral components of empathy. Also, some of the findings were moderated by gender, age, education level, and time of measurement. Regarding evaluation research designs, most of the studies used self-reporting to collect trainees’ knowledge about empathy and most of the quantitative studies used a control group and pretesting to examine training impact. Construct validity of both empathy measurement and training is very problematic. A majority of the studies did not clearly define empathy, provide training as defined, and/or measure what is being trained; conceptualization of empathy across studies was not consistent either.  In sum, data from the studies reviewed were neither complete nor valid enough to provide a clear and full understanding of the trainability of empathy. More research is apparently needed and hopefully lessons learned from our review will be considered in designing future studies. Keywords: empathy training; empathy training evaluation; narrative revie

Competency-based faculty development: Applying transformations from lessons learned in competency-based medical education

Faculty development in medical education is often delivered in an ad hoc manner instead of being a deliberately sequenced program matched to data-informed individual needs. In this article, the authors, all with extensive experience in Faculty Development (FD), present a competency-based faculty development (CBFD) framework envisioned to enhance the impact of FD. Steps and principles in the CBFD framework reflect the lessons learned from competency-based medical education (CBME) with its foundational goal to better train physicians to meet societal needs. The authors see CBFD as a similar framework, this one to better train faculty to meet educational needs. CBFD core elements include: articulated competencies for the varied educational roles faculty fulfill, deliberately designed curricula structured to build those competencies, and an assessment program and process to support individualized faculty learning and professional growth. The framework incorporates ideas about where and how CBFD should be delivered, the use of coaching to promote reflection and identity formation and the creation of communities of learning. As with CBME, the CBFD framework has included the important considerations of change management, including broad stakeholder engagement, continuous quality improvement and scholarship. The authors have provided examples from the literature as well as challenges and considerations for each step.Dans l’enseignement médical, le perfectionnement du corps professoral se fait souvent de façon ad hoc et non dans le cadre d’un programme structuré en fonction des besoins individuels définis sur la base de données. Dans cet article, les autrices, qui ont toutes une vaste expérience en matière de perfectionnement du corps professoral (PCP), présentent un cadre pour le perfectionnement fondé sur les compétences (PCPFC) visant à renforcer les effets du PCP. Les étapes et les principes de ce cadre reflètent les enseignements tirés de la formation médicale fondée sur les compétences (FMFC), dont l’objectif fondamental est de former les médecins de façon à ce qu’ils puissent répondre aux besoins de la société. De manière analogue, le cadre PCPFC viserait à mieux former le corps professoral pour qu’il puisse répondre aux besoins éducatifs. Les éléments centraux du cadre comprennent la définition des compétences pour chacun des rôles que les enseignants remplissent, la création de programmes de formation structurés et axés sur le développement de ces compétences et l’élaboration d’un programme d’évaluation ainsi qu’un processus pour soutenir de manière individualisée l’apprentissage et la croissance professionnelle des enseignants. Le cadre présente des idées sur les modalités des formations de PCPFC, sur l’environnement dans lequel elles interviennent, sur l’utilisation du coaching pour promouvoir la réflexion et la construction d’identité et sur la création de communautés d’apprentissage. Tout comme la FMFC, le cadre du PCPFC répond aux importants enjeux liés à la gestion du changement, y compris l’engagement des parties prenantes, l’amélioration continue de la qualité et la recherche. Les autrices proposent des exemples tirés de la littérature scientifique et passent en revue les défis et les points importants à considérer pour chaque étape

Evidencing the Value of Educational Development: Charting a Course on the Waves and Winds of Change

Across higher education, educational developers and their supporting campus communities are being called upon to scale up evidence-informed practices, to enhance student experiences, and to document the changes. This article builds on the work of scholars who have taken up this evaluative challenge, by examining varied aspects of the evidencing process using an adaptation of Saunders’s (2000) RUFDATA framework for evidencing value. Reflections on emerging patterns and tensions in the evidencing of educational development are subsequently discussed. We argue for making evidencing value a purposeful and intentional process, and we chart a path forward for creating and implementing a vision for the age of evidence

The design and evaluation of a master of science program in anatomical sciences at Queen's University Canada

The purpose of this study was to describe the design and evolution of a unique and successful Master of Science program in anatomical sciences at one Canadian post-secondary institution and to evaluate its long-term impact on student learning. This program prepares students to teach anatomy and design curricula in the anatomical sciences and is structured around three pillars of competency—content (disciplinary knowledge and transferable skills), pedagogy, and inquiry. Graduates of the program from the last ten years were surveyed, to better understand the knowledge, skills, and habits of mind they have adopted and implemented since completion. Interest was taken in identifying aspects of the program that students found particularly beneficial and areas that needed to be further developed. Based on the findings, this program has been a highly valuable experience for the graduates especially in helping them develop transferable skills, and grow as individuals. The hope is that other institutions that have similar programs in place or are considering developing them would benefit from this description of the program design and the sharing of the lessons learned

Bridging the Divide: Leveraging the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning for Quality Enhancement

This paper argues a divide exists between quality assurance (QA) processes and quality enhancement, and that the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) can bridge this divide through an evidence-based approach to improving teaching practice. QA processes can trigger the examination of teaching and learning issues, providing faculty with an opportunity to systematically study their impact on student learning. This form of scholarship positions them to take a critical and empowered role in the continuous improvement of student learning experiences and to become full participants in the goal of QA structures. A document analysis of current provincial QA policies in Canada reveals a gap between how teaching and learning challenges are identified and how those challenges are studied and acted upon. A QA report is not the end result of an assurance process. It is the beginning of a change process that is intended to lead to improvements in the student learning experience. The authors consider how SoTL provides a research-minded approach to initiate continuous improvements within a QA framework, and provides considerations for how it might be integrated into evolving provincial frameworks. Dans cet article, les auteurs soutiennent qu’il existe un fossé entre les processus d’assurance de la qualité (AQ) et l’amélioration de la qualité et que l’avancement des connaissances en enseignement et en apprentissage (ACEA) peut combler ce fossé par le biais d’une approche basée sur l’évidence pour améliorer les pratiques d’enseignement. Les processus d’AQ peuvent déclencher l’examen des problèmes relatifs à l’enseignement et à l’apprentissage et ce faisant, donner aux professeurs l’occasion d’étudier systématiquement leur impact sur l’apprentissage des étudiants. Cette forme de recherche savante leur permet de jouer un rôle important dans l’amélioration continue des expériences d’apprentissage des étudiants et de devenir des participants à part entière pour atteindre l’objectif des structures de l’AQ. Une analyse des documents relatifs aux politiques actuelles d’AQ au Canada révèle qu’il existe un écart entre la manière dont les défis relatifs à l’enseignement et à l’apprentissage sont identifiés et la manière dont ces défis sont étudiés et dont on y a remédié. Le rapport d’AQ n’est pas la conclusion du processus d’assurance de la qualité. C’est le début d’un processus de changement qui doit aboutir à des améliorations de l’expérience d’apprentissage des étudiants. Les auteurs examinent la manière dont l’ACEA fournit une approche de recherche pour entreprendre les améliorations continues dans le cadre de l’AQ et apporte des réflexions pour déterminer comment l’ACEA peut être intégré dans des cadres provinciaux évolutifs