Teaching and Learning Strategies
The teaching and learning strategies that faculty and preceptors implement often arise from their teaching philosophy, experiences or training. Without specific training and faculty development interventions or encountering new ideas, it is not uncommon for faculty and preceptors to teach as they were taught. We want to encourage faculty and preceptors to use evidence–based approaches to teaching and learning where and whenever possible. We have provided a few resources here to help faculty and preceptors engage in thinking about and teaching in different ways. Some of these resources explore effective ways to teach at the bedside; tips for teaching physical exam skills; adult learning theories; facilitating Millennials’ learning; characteristics of effective clinical teachers; promoting understanding and retention; cognitive perspectives of how people learn; and more.
Just in Time
These Just in Time resources are ideal if you only have a couple of minutes to start finding out about teaching and learning strategies.
Take 5: One Minute Preceptor
Source: Mayo Clinic
Do you struggle with teaching in a busy clinical setting? Take a few minutes right now to hear what Margaret L. Dow, MD, has to say about using the one-minute preceptor model.
Additional Resources:
- The Bedside 5 Minute Moment (How We Teach the Bedside Physical Exam) (Video)
Trains educators to teach bedside physicals more effectively.
Accompanying document: The 5 Minute Bedside Moment (JPEG) - Quick Teaching Tip: Learning Objectives (Video)
Understand the keys to planning effective Learning Objectives with this quick teaching tip. - Twelve Tips for Excellent Physical Examination Teaching (Link)
Twelve practical tips for teaching high quality physical exams. - Procedural Competency and Procedural Proficiency (Link)
Jestin N Carlson, MD, MS, outlines a model for perfecting procedural skills. - Teaching Physical Exam Skills (Video)
Prepares educators to teach physical exam skills to students.
Deeper Dive
If you have more time to invest, these Deeper Dive resources are longer and/or more in depth so you can gain a deeper understanding of Teaching and Learning Strategies.
Active Observation in Pharmacy Precepting (PDF)
The Journal of the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin. 2017 Jan/Feb. 20(1): 24-6.
Discusses the benefits of active observation, potential obstacles, and how to introduce this strategy in practice.
A Cognitive Perspective on How People Learn: Implications for Teaching
Explores the research in cognitive psychology addressing issues of learning, remembering, transfer and problem-solving and how it can change the way we teach medical students.
Presenter(s): Geoff Norman, PhD
Adult Learning Theories: Implications for Learning and Teaching in Medical Education
Medical Teacher. 2013. 35(11): e1561-e1572.
Explains and explores the commonly used theories of adult learning and how they can enhance student and faculty learning. The theories are combined into a multi-theory flow diagram model that identifies roles of learners and teachers at each phase.
Characteristics of Effective Clinical Teachers
Family Medicine. 2005 Jan. 37(1): 30-5.
Examines what residents and faculty consider to be the most effective characteristics of clinical preceptors.
Coursera Instructional Methods in Health Professions Education
Provides those involved in educating members of the health professions an asynchronous, interdisciplinary, and interactive way to obtain, expand, and improve teaching skills. These skills can then be applied within own professional context, with a variety of learners, extending across many stages. After completing this course, learners will: 1. Understand educational theory as it relates to health professions education 2. Match instructional methods with desired educational outcomes 3. Learn a variety of applied teaching techniques 4. Share successful teaching strategies Suggested resources will include educational videos, individual readings, recommended reference books, and crowd-sourced recommendations.
Presenter(s): Caren Stalburg, MD, MA, Assistant Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology Medical School.
Potential fee to participate.
Education Essentials Module: Planning WHAT to Teach with Learning Objectives
This module focuses on using Bloom’s taxonomy and a SMARTer learning objective template to analyze and develop effective learning objectives for teaching sessions.
This module is part of SMPH Office of Faculty Affairs and Development’s Education Essentials online modular curriculum: a collection of modules aimed at developing foundational skills important for all teachers—across professions, specialties, and settings in health science education. The goal is to support all health science teachers to Reflect, Learn, Plan, and Practice to deepen expertise in an ongoing cycle and grow our SMPH educator community.
Faculty Focus – Higher Ed Teaching Strategies
Publishes articles on effective teaching strategies for the college classroom — face-to-face, online, blended, or flipped.
Learning Theories in Education
A complete summary of the most influential learning theories in education. Fully explained, including examples of how they can be used.
Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin Preceptor Development Series
Article series comprising review of precepting techniques, models for giving feedback, and suggestions for structuring learning with trainees.
Center for Teaching, Learning and Mentoring (CTLM) has developed a page to help you explore your classroom practice and better understand your students’ learning and how best to teach them.
Teaching Masters Program: Promotion of Understanding and Retention
Presentation 4 of 7 in educational aspects of clinical teaching series. Focuses on teaching methods that help learners understand and retain important content. Includes definition of terms, issues to consider before and during teaching (e.g. learner readiness and selecting materials) and provides teaching behaviors to enhance understanding and retention.
Presenter(s): Jeremy Smith, MD
The One-minute Preceptor: Shaping the Teaching Conversation (PDF)
Family Medicine. 2003 Jun. 35(6): 391-3.
Discusses five “microskills” essential to clinical teaching.
Time-Efficient Preceptors in Ambulatory Care Settings
Academic Medicine. 2000 Jun. 75(6): 639-42.
Case-based article which offers time-saving and educationally effective strategies for teaching students in the clinical setting.
Tips for Teaching Procedural Skills
BMC Med Educ. 2020. 20(2): 458.
This research article outlines tips for teaching non-complex procedural skills.
Twelve Tips for facilitating Millennials’ learning
Medical Teacher. 2012. 34(4): 274-8.
[Please note that, to access, faculty must login using their netID]
Tips provide detailed approaches and specific strategies for understanding and engaging Millennial Learners and enhancing their learning. Can help faculty facilitate learning and optimize interactions with Millennial Learners.
SMPH Learning Repository Curriculum Design
[Please note that access may require NetID login]
Kirstin A.M. Nackers, MD, introduces curriculum design and elaborates on Kern’s six steps of curriculum development and how they effectively integrate with Backward Design in this module.
SMPH Learning Repository: How to Write Learning Objectives
[Please note that access may require NetID login]
This resource by Amy Stickford-Becker, MA, outlines key guidelines for crafting effective learning objectives. You will learn to define the purpose of learning objectives, assess their utility, and master the art of creating measurable objectives for various levels of learning.
SMPH Learning Repository: Principles from the Science of Learning
[Please note that access may require NetID login]
These two parts of the series on “Principles from the Science of Learning” by Deborah Simpson, PhD, provide guiding principles to articulate learning processes, adopt evidence-based strategies, and embrace the joy of being both teacher and learner.
SMPH Learning Repository: Asking Research Questions
[Please note that access may require NetID login]
Refer to this resource by Sarah A. Jung, PhD, to learn more about formulating impactful research questions. The module covers a range of topics, including the significance of research questions and their role in the broader landscape of medical education scholarship.
[Please note that access may require NetID login]
Through this module, you will learn to navigate the intricacies of Education Scholarship Institutional Review Board applications with Sarah A. Jung, PhD. The module will enable the learner to distinguish program evaluation from research, explore common exemptions and understand FERPA in medical education research.
SMPH Learning Repository: Role of Program Evaluation in Scholarly Teaching and Education Scholarship
[Please note that access may require NetID login]
This module outlines the nuances of program evaluation in education scholarship. The module curated by Julie Foertsch, PhD, emphasizes on the advantages and limitations of program evaluation in comparison to research. It also provides an introduction to key evaluation tools such as Post Measures, Observations and more.
SMPH Learning Repository: Medical Education Scholarship
[Please note that access may require NetID login]
Explore the topic of Medical Education Scholarship with insights from Sarah A. Jung, PhD. This module covers the differences between teaching and learning scholarship and scholarly teaching and provides a comprehensive step-by-step process to understand medical education scholarship.
“What’s My Line?”: Pseudo-Improvised Teaching When the Clinical Teaching Script Is Blank
This article introduces the concept of “pseudo-improvised teaching” – a practical approach for clinical educators who find themselves teaching without preparation or a set script. It describes five key teaching techniques that can be applied across any clinical scenario, drawing inspiration from improvisational theater and experienced educators. It offers a valuable framework for medical instructors to maintain effective teaching even in time-constrained, unpredictable clinical environments.