The Physiology of Teaching: Getting the Balance right.

Gabrielle Brand

doi:10.15694/mep.2020.000196.1

Abstract

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Using three human body systems as a metaphor, this paper will discuss how the art of teaching, including the conditions in which students thrive can remedy longstanding curriculum diseases. Based on the concept of a living curriculum, the importance of curiosity, exposing vulnerability, social and collaborative learning, communication and reflective learning processes in transforming teaching and inspiring learning will be explored.

Highlights

A living curriculum is dynamic, reciprocal, experiential, authentic, reflective, creative and sustainable
If the curriculum is alive it is susceptible to abnormalities. This reminded me of Abrahamson (1978) seminal work which he first published in 1978 in the Journal of Medical Education where he describes common diseases of the curriculum
I must admit I was a little disheartened that after 40 years these diseases still exist - and in some cases it may be terminal! So how do we cure these curriculum diseases or at the very least relieve some of the symptoms?

Summary

Introduction

A living curriculum is dynamic, reciprocal, experiential, authentic, reflective, creative and sustainable. By providing no prior context and deliberately juxtaposing photographs with contrasting narrative based scenarios, I have found student experience an uncomfortable cognitive discrepancy that is key to creating the tension required for transformational learning to occur (Mezirow, 2000) This lies at the heart of facilitating health professions students’ tolerance of uncertainty/ambiguity, which refers to the way we perceive and process information when confronted by an array of unfamiliar, complex, or incongruent clues (Budner, 1962; Furnham and Ribchester, 1995), a critical future-protective workplace skill in an evolving health care system. This novel innovation debunked some of the unexplored assumptions and led to new understandings of their health professional colleagues

Conclusion

Notes On Contributors