Determining the Feasibility and Effectiveness of a Virtual Interactive Residents-As-Teachers Curriculum: A Proposed Pilot Study

Abstract

Background Recently, we conducted a national targeted needs assessment survey of U.S. radiation oncology resident physicians, in which respondents expressed a desire for training in specific teaching scenarios across a variety of audiences.1 We describe a pilot study for a virtual, interactive Residents-As-Teachers (RaTe) curriculum to assess the feasibility and efficacy of such a curriculum for radiation oncology residents. Methods This longitudinal curriculum is being implemented with radiation oncology residents of all levels at a single institution for a pilot study, with support from program and departmental leadership. For individual assessment, participants will be recorded giving a presentation before and after taking the online modules, and the recording will be analyzed for various teaching skills by two evaluators based on objective structured teaching evaluations. Participants will also complete self-assessment questionnaires before, immediately after, and 6 months after the intervention to evaluate the development of their teaching skills. For curriculum evaluation, we will have the pilot study participants complete anonymous questionnaires after each module and at the end of the course to provide feedback on their experiences. Their responses will inform further improvement of the curriculum for future iterations. Results There are six modules planned for the RaTe curriculum for radiation oncology residents, each between thirty minutes to an hour long. The six course modules will be: (1) Teaching in the outpatient oncology clinic, (2) Creating an inclusive interdisciplinary learning environment, (3) Teaching contouring and plan evaluation, (4) Creating and delivering evidence-based PowerPoint presentations, (5) Giving mini-lectures "on the fly", and (6) Giving effective feedback. With funding from our institution, we plan to use a learning management system to create interactive online modules and enlist the help of the educational technology team for creating and incorporating video simulations of teaching scenarios. Discussion We have previously demonstrated that there is a need for a radiation oncology-specific RaTe curriculum. Additionally, there is a need for periodic reinforcement of teaching skills, as studies have shown that even within a year, teaching quality can decrease after the intervention of a RaTe curriculum. In the long term, we plan to make these modules readily available for residents to review, and easily accessible so that residents at other institutions can use them as well. Since radiation oncology residency programs are relatively small compared to other specialties, creating a national standardized curriculum is the most accessible way to implement a RaTe curriculum for all radiation oncology residents. Recently, we conducted a national targeted needs assessment survey of U.S. radiation oncology resident physicians, in which respondents expressed a desire for training in specific teaching scenarios across a variety of audiences.1 We describe a pilot study for a virtual, interactive Residents-As-Teachers (RaTe) curriculum to assess the feasibility and efficacy of such a curriculum for radiation oncology residents. This longitudinal curriculum is being implemented with radiation oncology residents of all levels at a single institution for a pilot study, with support from program and departmental leadership. For individual assessment, participants will be recorded giving a presentation before and after taking the online modules, and the recording will be analyzed for various teaching skills by two evaluators based on objective structured teaching evaluations. Participants will also complete self-assessment questionnaires before, immediately after, and 6 months after the intervention to evaluate the development of their teaching skills. For curriculum evaluation, we will have the pilot study participants complete anonymous questionnaires after each module and at the end of the course to provide feedback on their experiences. Their responses will inform further improvement of the curriculum for future iterations. There are six modules planned for the RaTe curriculum for radiation oncology residents, each between thirty minutes to an hour long. The six course modules will be: (1) Teaching in the outpatient oncology clinic, (2) Creating an inclusive interdisciplinary learning environment, (3) Teaching contouring and plan evaluation, (4) Creating and delivering evidence-based PowerPoint presentations, (5) Giving mini-lectures "on the fly", and (6) Giving effective feedback. With funding from our institution, we plan to use a learning management system to create interactive online modules and enlist the help of the educational technology team for creating and incorporating video simulations of teaching scenarios. We have previously demonstrated that there is a need for a radiation oncology-specific RaTe curriculum. Additionally, there is a need for periodic reinforcement of teaching skills, as studies have shown that even within a year, teaching quality can decrease after the intervention of a RaTe curriculum. In the long term, we plan to make these modules readily available for residents to review, and easily accessible so that residents at other institutions can use them as well. Since radiation oncology residency programs are relatively small compared to other specialties, creating a national standardized curriculum is the most accessible way to implement a RaTe curriculum for all radiation oncology residents.