Faculty Development Offerings

Tailored Presentations for Large & Small Groups

The following workshops are intended to support the professional development of our faculty. These sessions are designed to be delivered in a one-hour workshop but may be tailored to meet faculty needs. Additional topics are available upon request. If you are interested in having a workshop, contact OPD at med-opd@tamu.edu.

Planning Instruction

Planning for Clinical Teaching

Effective clinical teaching requires effective planning and Instructors need time-efficient methods to identify the learner’s needs, teach quickly and provide feedback. This workshop provides an overview of how to effectively plan and prepare to teach in the clinical setting by examining the characteristics of a good clinical teacher, characteristics of the adult learner, and the importance of aligning learning objectives, content, and assessment.

The Flipped Classroom: Getting Started

In a flipped classroom model, learners first gain exposure to content prior to class, allowing class time to be dedicated to the application of the learning. Are you thinking about “flipping” your classroom? This workshop describes the process of transitioning to a flipped classroom and explores some instructional strategies to use in a flipped classroom.

Writing Learning Objectives

Well-written learning objectives connect content and assessment and guide the selection of learning activities that will best achieve the objectives. They give the learner a clear picture of what to expect from the learning and what is expected of them in the process. Learn about the components of a well-written learning objective and the importance of aligning learning objectives, assessment and instruction through this workshop.

Instructional Strategies and Methodologies

Designing and Delivering Didactic Sessions

An effective lecture requires planning and preparation in order to convey knowledge and demonstrate expert thinking in an interesting and interactive way. This workshop looks at the steps in preparing and organizing a lecture and examines the key elements involved in presenting an effective lecture. Techniques for promoting interest and activities for facilitating feedback and interaction through the lecture are presented.

Teaching professionalism is an important component of medical education, yet teaching it effectively can be a challenging task. This workshop examines the use of role modeling to teach and assess professionalism.

Motivating Learners

The key influences that affect learner motivation are the learner’s goals, the learner’s value and expectancy related to those goals, and the learning environment. This workshop looks at the relationship between these influences and explores strategies to use to establish value and build positive expectancies among learners.

Self-Directed Learning

The self-directed learner takes charge of their learning by identifying their learning needs, formulating learning goals, implementing appropriate learning strategies and evaluating the outcomes. As an instructor, you can provide strategies that support self-directed learning. In this workshop, examine the connection between self-directed learning, lifelong learning and metacognition and explore strategies instructors can implement to promote metacognitive skills.

Small-Group Facilitation

When teaching in a small group setting, the instructor serves as a facilitator, providing students the opportunity to develop communication, leadership, teamwork and problem-solving skills that are necessary for clinical practice. This workshop provides an overview of small group facilitation and explores the characteristics of effective small group learning, the stages of group formation, common group problems, and strategies facilitators can use to promote group discussion.

Teaching at the Bedside

Teaching at the bedside provides the educator with the opportunity to influence a learner’s diagnostic thinking and clinical skills while engaging the patient. This workshop will introduce the principles of bedside teaching and provide a learner-centered model for effective bedside teaching.

Teaching on the Fly: Clinical Teaching Models

Key components of clinical teaching and evidence-based clinical teaching models, such as One Minute Preceptor, SNAPPS Model, and Cognitive Apprenticeship are explained.

Assessing Students

Monitoring and Evaluating Learning

In order to know how well your students learned what you wanted them to learn, you must assess their learning. Assessments can occur during instruction through formative assessment methods or at the end of instruction with summative assessments. This workshop looks at the difference between formative and summative assessments and explains how to select appropriate assessments that align with learning objectives.

Providing Effective Feedback

Effective feedback is critical in bridging the gap between learner performance and expectations. It serves to develop learner communication, self-evaluation, and clinical skills. Through this workshop, learn about the key principles of effective feedback and strategies instructors can use when giving feedback.

Mentoring

Effective Mentoring Part 1: Establishing the Mentoring Relationship

Part one in a two-part series. Mentoring can provide the support that helps with the success and satisfaction of those involved in the relationship. A mentoring relationship takes work and care on both the part of the mentor and the mentee in order to be successful. This workshop will provide an overview of the characteristics of effective mentoring, effective mentors and effective mentees. The first two stages of the mentoring relationship - Preparing and negotiating are explored.

Effective Mentoring Part 2: Enabling Growth and Ensuring Success

Part two in a two-part series. Once the mentoring relationship has been established, there needs to be attention paid to the relationship in order to enable growth and ensure success. The final three stages of the mentoring relationship – enabling, separating, and closing are explored in this workshop.

Medical Educator Program

What is the Medical Educator Program?

The Medical Educator Program provides prescribed faculty development opportunities along with observation of instruction and feedback to faculty who are engaged in medical education.

All sessions are approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)^TM and faculty development credit.* Participants receive a Certificate of Completion once program requirements are met.

*The amount of CME and faculty development credit awarded is commensurate with the length of the session.

Requirements of the program

Participants in the Medical Educator Program are required to complete four hours of faculty development that consists of:

Three face-to-face sessions (approx. 60 min. each)

• Planning for Instruction
• Providing Effective Feedback
• Clinical Teaching Models

Four online modules (approx. 15 min. each) of the participant’s choosing from the available Office of Professional Development (OPD) created modules related to teaching, assessment, and working with learners in both classroom and clinical settings.

In addition, participants will be observed teaching at least one time during the course of the year. This observation will be focused on helping faculty set and meet their instructional goals. Following the observation, a follow-up meeting will be held in order to provide feedback to the participant with regard to observed strengths and suggestions to enhance instruction.

Benefits of participation

• Learn and develop new approaches/strategies to make your teaching more effective
• Receive School of Medicine required Faculty Development Credit, AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)^TM  and a Certificate of Program Completion
• Build collegial relationships and collaborate with colleagues who have a passion for teaching

Contact the Office of Professional Development if you are interested in the Medical Educator Program

Resident as Teacher Program

What is the Resident as Teacher Program?

The Resident as Teacher Program provides prescribed modules that allow residents to become familiar with important clerkship information, including the Medical Education Program Objectives (MEPOs), the learning objectives of their respective course or clerkship, and the School of Medicine Policies. The modules also provide information to help prepare residents for the roles of teaching and assessing medical students.

Requirements of the program

The Resident as Teacher Program consists of four online modules* (approx. 15 min. each):

• Online module: Introduction to the Clerkship

Overview: Medical Education Program Objectives (MEPOs), course objectives, grading policies, patient encounter log, clinical evaluation form, College of Medicine policies, clerkship contact information and teaching tools are presented.

• Resident as Teacher: Clinical Teaching Models

Overview: The module covers the key components of clinical teaching and three evidence-based teaching models.

• Resident as Teacher: Preparing to Teach in the Clinical Setting

Overview: Characteristics of adult learners, as well as alignment of content with the Medical Education Program Objectives (MEPOs), session learning objectives and assessment are covered in this module.

• Resident as Teacher: Providing Effective Feedback

Overview: The module provides the what, why and when of providing feedback, gives a model for providing formative feedback and provides considerations for giving corrective feedback.

Benefits of participation

• Become familiar with important clerkship/course information, objectives and policies.
• Learn strategies to make your teaching more effective
• Learn strategies for providing feedback to learners (assessment)

Peer Observation Program

What is Peer Observation of Teaching?

Peer observation of teaching is one of several components of Peer Review of Teaching (PRT) which is a formative method for seeking feedback from an informed colleague for the purposes of improving teaching. It is intended to be:

• Informal (but intentional)
• Ongoing
• Detailed
• Individual
• Private (though, faculty members can choose whether or not to include the documentation received in presenting their teaching achievements and improvement for formal evaluations)

Observation of teaching can take place in both classroom and clinical settings.

What are the Benefits?

Peer observation of teaching is beneficial for the person being observed and the observer as teaching involves learning from our own experiences and the experiences of others. Peers are a good source of information and can provide formative, constructive feedback that students are not equipped to provide. Observing a peer’s teaching allows instructors to reflect on their own teaching practices and the dialogue that stems from these observations can have a positive impact on teaching.

What is the Process for Participation?

Request an observation at least two weeks prior to the desired date.

• Complete a pre-observation planning form at least three days prior to the scheduled observation
• Complete a post-observation reflection within three days following the observation
• Participate in a feedback session within two weeks following the observation

Detailed instructions are provided when the observation is scheduled.

Instructional Consultation

What is Instructional Consultation?

Instructional Consultation (IC) provides faculty the opportunity to collaborate with others and enhance their effectiveness in student and trainee instruction. IC provides feedback and recommendations to faculty who are engaged in medical education, with the intent to improve instructional effectiveness.

IC offers consultation, observation, and feedback that utilizes a collaborative approach to give faculty members an opportunity to examine and modify their teaching approach.

Participation can be a one-time occurrence, just to help you get through a "block" about how to teach a topic. Participation can also become an ongoing process that will contribute meaningfully to a broader, summative review of your instruction that will demonstrate to colleagues or leadership your trajectory of improvement in teaching over time.

Benefits of participation

• receive School of Medicine required Faculty Development Credit (credit hours will vary based on the extent of your participation)
• demonstrate evidence of peer review and observation of instruction which can provide objective information about your teaching for your promotion and tenure dossier
• achieve better integration of basic science and clinical medicine in your teaching sessions
• build collegial relationships and collaborate with colleagues who have a passion for teaching

Structure of the Consultation Process

Once a faculty member completes a request for consultation, The Office of Professional Development (OPD) will contact participants to determine their individual needs and schedule a planning meeting. A three-step collaborative consultation process would then ensue.

• Step 1: Planning Consultation (approx. 30 minutes)
• Step 2: Develop and Deliver (time will vary)
• Step 3: Reflection (approx. 30 minutes)

Mentoring for Educational Excellence and Leadership Program

The Mentoring for Educational Excellence and Leadership Program addresses the mentoring needs of School of Medicine faculty and postdoctoral trainees in the areas of instruction and leadership in medical and graduate education.

The Academy of Distinguished Medical Educators oversees this program in partnership with the Department of Medical Education and the Office of Professional Development.

Visit the Academy of Distinguished Medical Educators webpage for more information about the program:
Mentoring for Educational Excellence and Leadership Program