Faculty Skills Research Articles

Tutoring Journal Club as an Imperative Scholastic Maneuver : A Local Probe

Introduction: while journal clubs are a time-honored method of reviewing and discussing the scientific literature in medicine, hitherto there is no universally accepted definition of that. Purpose of the present study involved a comparison between instructive values of meetings that are directed by an authentic faculty member in comparison with conferences that are usually coached by chief residents. Methods: Forty-two psychiatric residents (from two psychiatric training centers) have been quizzed about the intentions, principles or importance of journal club. Both of said colleges had comparable settings, conferences and alike standard psychiatric journals. In one of them the papers were chosen usually by chief resident, who was as well coordinator of the conferences, while in the other one, articles were chosen habitually by a faculty member, as director and coordinator of sessions. After at least one year of attending in associated sessions, all the participants were asked to answer incognito to a Survey Questionnaire, including 23 questions, involved multiple answers, with different Coding Categories. Analysis of data was performed by way of ‘Comparison of Proportions’. Quantities in each group, as well, were analyzed in line with percentage of responds to different Coding Categories. Significance was defined as P≤0.05. Results: While all participants replied questionnaires, significant difference was evident between two groups regarding their response to at least twelve questions. Judgment of residents were generally and remarkably different with regard to : ‘goals’ , ‘format’ ,’necessity of attendance’ ,’quality of participation of faculty’ , ‘educational value of core curriculum of journal club’, ‘its critical role with regard to research and appraisal of topics ‘, and in conclusion ‘as a resource for continuous education’. Conclusion: While journal club formats are educationally diverse and appear to be more effective if they have a leader, disciplined organization of journal club by a skilled faculty member may enhance scientific insight and instructive gratifications of apprentices.

Conducting a Pathology Research Study, From Start to Finish.

Many pathologists-in-training enter residency or fellowship with either no formal experience in research or with a basic science research background that may not translate well to research in the realm of diagnostic pathology, including surgical pathology, cytopathology, and clinical pathology. To provide a starting point and practical framework for residents or fellows who wish to conduct research in these fields. Existing literature and the pooled experience of the authors, all academic pathologists. We provide tips and tricks that trainees will find useful when planning and executing pathology research projects. A key component of successful research in diagnostic pathology is active guidance by a skilled faculty mentor, bolstered by enthusiastic, timely work by a highly motivated and dedicated trainee. We hope this advice will improve interactions between trainees and their faculty mentors and enhance the quality of research in diagnostic pathology.

Identification of the Technical Skills Needed by the Field Veterinarians for Effective Service Delivery

The study was conducted to identify the skills needed by field veterinarians for delivering the livestock services to the farming community. Data were collected to compare the technical skills imparted to veterinary students from veterinary faculties and students as well as the technical skills practiced by field veterinarians from veterinarians and farmers. A total of 39 skills constituting clinical, para clinical, animal production and extension skills were identified and data collected from a total of 120 respondents, 30 each from veterinary faculty, students, field veterinarians and farmers through structured questionnaire. Clinical skills were identified as most important skill by all the categories of respondents and among them physical examination was ranked as most important skill. Among the para clinical skills, handling of outbreak was ranked most important skill by students, field veterinarians and farmers whereas faculty ranked conducting post-mortem. Among the production skills, faculty and farmers ranked animal dentition and ageing as most important skill whereas students ranked selection of animals including Body Condition Score and field veterinarians ranked casting and restraining of livestock. Among the extension skills, arranging extension activities was ranked most important skill by veterinarians whereas faculty and students ranked communication skills to build rapport with clientele and farmers ranked understanding group dynamics. The study concluded that undergraduate veterinary curriculum to be oriented to match the stakeholders’ expectations.

Issues of Syllabus Designing Practices and Quality Assurance at Higher Education Level

The goal of Higher Education Commission is to develop and implement quality across all university activities and making it compatible with international practices. The faculty is required to have ability in designing, maintaining and updating curricula, when measuring the quality of an institute or of teaching; designing syllabus is the basic required skill. This study aims to analyze perception, syllabus designing skills and practices of faculty members in universities. This research is quantitative, structured questionnaire and document analyses were used for data collection. Results showed faculty have no related training; rules for designing syllabus are not followed. It is recommended that training sessions should be organized to developing syllabus designing skills of university faculty. Standard guidelines should be developed by quality assurance bodies.

Papercuts: Hierarchical Microaggressions in Law Schools

The Article investigates law schools as locations of workplace fairness by examining its hierarchical structure and the power dynamics at work. Others have researched and written on the myriad ways in which “legal skills faculty” are treated unfairly as compared to those that primarily teach non-skills (or doctrinal classes) because of the subject matter that they teach and the assumptions that are made about their credentials and ability to contribute to the law school mission. Likewise, other scholars have critically examined the discrimination experienced by law school faculty members based on race, gender, sexual orientation, and other identities. What has thus far been missing is an awareness and examination of how microaggression based on one’s role in the law school is experienced by skills faculty and the detrimental effects this type of microaggression can have when ignored and compounded over time. This Article fills that gap. The Article argues that one way in which status hierarchy play out in law schools is not only the larger discriminatory effects of pay inequity, job insecurity, and other employment metrics, but also in the everyday slights experienced by those with less power. In other words, the “papercut harms” or microaggressions inflicted by those with greater status on lesser-status faculty include comments about what they teach, their roles in the institution, their lesser status, and the perceived value of their contributions.

Narrative Feedback in Faculty Development

Research on faculty development and its generalizability is lagging compared to other areas of research in medical education. Providing feedback has been identified as a skill in need of improvement for medical educators, both in the classroom and at the clinical bedside. Surprisingly, little has been published on faculty skills in providing feedback during faculty development sessions, and more specifically, providing narrative feedback. An IRB-approved study analyzed the outcomes of 73 faculty development sessions conducted within one academic year. A qualitative study of the narrative portion of end-of-session evaluations examined type and scope of narrative feedback provided to presenters about their presentation skills as well as about the perceived quality and usefulness of the faculty development sessions. The findings from this study suggest that further and more in-depth professional development in providing feedback is warranted, preferably early in faculty's professional development.

Transitional Experiences: From Clinical Nurse to Nurse Faculty.

A limited pool of nurse faculty has affected enrollment of nursing students and the ability to produce the nursing workforce needed for the evolving health care system. The experiences clinical nurses face as they transition to the faculty role may contribute to the faculty shortage. A qualitative descriptive study was conducted to explore the lived experiences of clinical nurses as they entered the nurse faculty role. A purposive sample was recruited from two higher learning institutions in the midwestern United States. Data analysis was performed using Colaizzi's method. Four themes emerged: Perpetual Novice, Faculty as a Resource, Teaching Ambiguity, and Student as My Patient. The prominent theme surrounded the idea that the faculty were in a state of constant change as a perpetual novice. Implications exist for academic nursing program administration to invest in developing nurse faculty skill level and ease the transition to the role. [J Nurs Educ. 2019;58(5):260-265.].

DNP Program Faculty and Graduates' Knowledge and Use of QI and Safety Processes.

Across doctor of nursing practice (DNP) programs, wide variation exists for DNP project expectations and curricular integration of Quality and Safety Education for Nurses competencies. This study examined DNP project characteristics and compared knowledge, skills, and attitudes about quality improvement (QI) processes between DNP program faculty and graduates. This descriptive study used a national convenience sample of DNP program faculty and graduates from multiple settings (N = 147) who completed an electronic survey of a modified version of the Quality Improvement Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes Survey. Most DNP projects were QI/practice improvement (85.5%) and required interprofessional collaboration (65%) and implementation of a practice change (55.8%) with evaluation (65.5%). DNP program faculty (n = 73) and graduates (n = 30) had no significant differences in QI knowledge or skills; faculty reported less confidence in their knowledge (P = .002) and skills (P = .007) than graduates. Faculty development efforts to improve QI knowledge and skills for DNP program faculty are needed.

Internet skills of medical faculty and students: is there a difference?

BackgroundThe shift from a more didactic to student-centred pedagogical approach has led to the implementation of new information communication technology (ICT) innovations and curricula. Consequently, analysis of the digital competency of both faculty and students is of increasing importance. The aim of this research is to measure and compare the internet skills of medical school faculty and students and to investigate any potential skills gap between the two groups.MethodsA survey of medical school faculty and students across three universities in Ireland was carried out using a validated instrument (Internet Skills Scale) measuring five internet skills (Operational, Information Navigation, Social, Creative and Mobile). Three focus groups comprising a total of fifteen students and four semi-structured interviews with faculty across three institutions were carried out to explore further findings and perceptions towards digital literacy, give further insight and add context to the findings.ResultsSeventy-eight medical faculty (response rate 45%) and 401 students (response rate 15%) responded to the survey. Mean scores for each internet skill were high (above 4 out of 5) for all skills apart from Creative (mean of 3.08 for students and 3.10 for faculty). There were no large differences between student and faculty scores across the five skills.Qualitative results supported survey findings with a deeper investigation into topics such as online professionalism, use of licencing and mobile application development. Needs based skills training and support were highlighted as areas for faculty development.ConclusionBoth medical educators and students tend to have similar competencies with respect to internet skills. When implementing online and distance learning methodologies however, medical schools need to ensure appropriate skills training and support for faculty as well as providing targeted training to improve the creative skills of both their educators and students.

“It’s not Magic, It’s Intentional Communication”—Using the Primary Palliative Care Communication Toolkit to Teach Communication to Interdisciplinary Learners at Different Levels of Training (FR453)

•Incorporate literature-based fundamental conceptual frameworks in communication into a workable toolkit for “just in time” use, for the right learner at the right time at the right place.•Develop a personalized skill set for Palliative Care teams to recognize teachable moments in everyday care and disseminate timely and concise teaching pearls in communication using the Toolkit.•Identify techniques to incorporate primary palliative care communication instruction to enhance skill sets in non-palliative care trainees and inter-professional learners. Primary palliative care (PPC) instruction is gaining prominence as benefits of early palliative care (PC) become clear, as patients live longer with serious illness, and as hospital systems look to improve the care of medically frail patients. With the growth of academic PC, the opportunity to engage learners of many disciplines and levels of training has expanded. Effective PC is based on excellent communication, which can be challenging to teach, especially in busy clinical practices. We discuss the interdisciplinary PC faculty skills development in utilizing the flexible and adaptable PPC Communication Toolkit. We demonstrate how our current training curriculum for fellows and other learners of various levels and disciplines incorporate this Toolkit to enable learners to build on their personal frame of reference as they see faculty incorporate these principles and techniques into everyday practice. Attendees will apply and practice these core elements, methodologies and techniques to engage both teachers and learners during the session. We will showcase four ways the Toolkit has been adapted and incorporated into communication training at a large academic institution and VA hospital. During a real-time consult PC faculty apply the “catch and release” method to coach learners on non-PC rotations when a PC consult is requested. PC faculty use the Toolkit to teach advance care planning to Nephrology fellows, to structure goals of care discussions with Internal Medicine residents on a geriatrics rotation, and to coach ICU nurse practitioners. The Primary Palliative Care Communication Toolkit is a creative, consistent, and adaptable way to incorporate communication training into the day-to-day care of patients living with serious illness and into the education of learners of different disciplines and levels of training. Participants will find tools and ideas that are easy and fun to use as they teach the next generation of clinicians to care for seriously ill patients.

A Practical Exploration of Cybersecurity Faculty Development With Microteaching

The growth and development of cybersecurity jobs and careers have created a need for new skilled faculty that can effectively teach the appropriate content to students at all levels. Often instructors are hired based on their academic credentials and professional experience without the use of assessment and faculty development methods to discover if these instructors can teach effectively or even improve the way they teach. Effective instructors have the ability constructively adjust teaching approaches when students are excelling or struggling based on skillful observation and constant assessment. If a student learns something with great ease, perhaps that approach would be of benefit to others. Part of what helps novices develop expertise here is their explicit attempt to understand how and why something works for students. The implementation and use of microteaching can provide a quality improvement approach to help cybersecurity instructors on all levels improve their ability to teach effectively.

Designing fundamental Korean education research process of improving Korean skills for foreign faculty

Designing fundamental Korean education research process of improving Korean skills for foreign faculty

Awareness of sustainable development in relation to critical thinking in female students

The subject of this research is to identify the relationship between awareness of sustainable development and critical thinking skills of university students. Research Problem: some studies result which find out a low level of awareness of sustainable development, and a low level of critical thinking among university students. Research Aim: The research aimed at identifying the relationship between awareness of sustainable development and critical thinking skills of faculty of home economics female students in, Al-Azhar University. . Research Importance: As far as researcher's knowledge goes it’s the first research conduct in, Al-Azhar University to measure the awareness of sustainable development of faculty of home economics female students, to determine the relationship between awareness sustainable development and critical thinking skills. Research Methodology: The research followed the analytical descriptive method in the construction of the research tools, and experimental method in their application to the research sample and its procedures. Research Sample: The sample were 126 female students who were randomly selected, from 7 branches of Faculty of Home Economics Al-Azhar university, Nutrition and Food Science, Clothing and Textile, Family and Childhood Institutions Management, Food Technology, Biological and Environmental Sciences, Education, Rural Family development. Research Tools: An awareness of sustainable development scale, and a critical thinking skills test developed and administrated to the sample, the validity and reliability of them were assured through referees and applying them to a pilot group. After applying the research tools on the sample of the research and making the necessary statistical analyses by the SPSS processes such as Mean, Standard Deviation, T test, Correlation, One-way ANOVA, L.S.D test. Research hypotheses: the research testing these null hypotheses. The level of awareness of sustainable development among female students of the Faculty of Home Economics, Al-Azhar University is below the acceptable level. The level of critical thinking skills among female students of the Faculty of Home Economics Al-Azhar University is below the acceptable level. There is no statistically significant relationship at the significance level of (0.05≥α) Between the level of awareness of sustainable development and the level of critical thinking skills among female students of the Faculty of Home Economics, Al-Azhar University. There are no statistically significant differences at the significance level of (0.05≥α) in the level of awareness of the sustainable development of female students of the Faculty of Home Economics Al-Azhar University due to specialization. There are no statistically significant differences at the significance level of (0.05≥α) in the level of critical thinking skills among female students of the Faculty of Home Economics Al-Azhar University due to specialization. Research Results: The results showed that, the participants level of awareness of sustainable development was high. Where, their level of critical thinking skills was below the acceptable level. Furthermore, the results showed no statistically significant relationship at the significance level of (0.05≥α) between the level of awareness of sustainable development and the level of critical thinking skills among them. Additionally, the results showed no statistically significant differences at the significance level of (0.05≥α) in the level of awareness of the sustainable development of them due to specialization. However, the results showed statistically significant differences at the significance level of (0.05≥α) in the level of critical thinking skills among them due to specialization, in the favor of “Food Technology, Biological and Environmental Sciences, Nutrition and Food Science, Rural Family development” departments.

New Challenges for a Core Procedure: Development of a Faculty Workshop for Skills Maintenance for Abdominal Hysterectomy

To describe the development of a low-cost educational module for OB/GYN faculty skills maintenance for total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH), a low frequency core procedure in obstetrics and gynecology. After review of existing educational tools and utilization of a modified Delphi method to establish consensus regarding key procedural components for skills maintenance, a 2-hour workshop was developed to review knowledge and participate in a simulation focused on the critical steps in performing TAH. An expert in TAH delivered a lecture highlighting important surgical considerations. Participants then rotated through simulation stations for critical steps in TAH: dissecting the bladder, identifying the ureter, and closing the cuff. Knowledge gains were assessed with a written pre- and posttest. Consecutive focus groups were conducted with participants on effectiveness of the workshop, and suggestions for improvement. Ideas identified in the first focus group were incorporated into the second workshop. Massachusetts General Hospital, an academic tertiary care facility with a single Obstetrics and Gynecology faculty group, located in Boston, Massachusetts. Eligible participants were recruited via email from full time specialists in General Obstetrics and Gynecology at Massachusetts General Hospital. Of the 25 eligible gynecology faculty subjects, 22 participated (88%). On pre or post-test comparison, 70% of participants scored higher on the posttest, demonstrating an increase in knowledge of critical TAH surgical steps. Focus group analyses identified the need for increased review and training demonstrations of TAH, and recommended continued offering of the workshop. Based on focus group responses and pre or posttest comparisons, the workshop was deemed feasible and enhanced short-term learning. Future directions include utilizing more challenging anatomic models and simulation scenarios and optimizing integration of expert demonstration and individualized coaching, as well as identifying regionally tailored surgical workshop programming.

Evidence‐Based Discussions of Learning Facilitated through a Peer Review of Assessment

AbstractThe Center for University Teaching, Learning, and Assessment facilitates an annual peer review of assessment to nurture a culture of assessment and develop faculty skill with assessment. Faculty representatives meet annually for a campus‐wide discussion of assessment and student learning. Faculty engage in peer instruction on effective assessment practices and reflect on strategies that might help students overcome challenges with specific learning outcomes.

The perspectives of South African academics within the disciplines of health sciences regarding telehealth and its potential inclusion in student training

The professional training and development of healthcare professionals in the area of telehealth is important to ensure the sustainability of this service delivery model. Tertiary institutions are among the key constituents involved in telehealth education, training and development. Academics within the healthcare sciences should therefore have the necessary experience and knowledge in this area to support the education and training of students. The objectives of this study were to determine the perspectives, experiences and attitudes of South African academics within various disciplines of health sciences regarding telehealth, as well as their views on suitable content areas for a telehealth module. A descriptive survey design was implemented. Sixty-six fulltime employed academic staff from five universities participated. The majority of participants were familiar with the terms telehealth/electronic health (eHealth), while 59% were unfamiliar with terms such as synchronous and asynchronous services. Eighty percent of respondents felt it necessary to include telehealth in the curriculum. The majority (89%) did not conduct research in telehealth. Seventy-one percent felt positive that telehealth could benefit the profession, and 30% stated that lack of standards creates a negative attitude toward the area and its sustainability. The majority of participants (77%) felt that their final-year students knew very little about telehealth upon exiting their study programme. Almost half (45%) of the participants felt that ethical issues were the most important aspect that needed to be included in a telehealth module, while data management was ranked as being least important (49%). The correlation between the perspectives on ethical issues and limitations to telehealth was statistically significant ( p =0.007), implying that participants saw lack of ethical considerations as a limitation to the uptake of telehealth practice. While attitudes regarding telehealth were positive, concerns were raised around the lack of standards and guidelines. Opportunities for professional development in telehealth need to be created through continued professional development (CPD) workshops and training. This in turn may provide more skilled faculty to teach in this area, allowing students to receive better instruction on telehealth service delivery models.

Incorporating leadership development into family medicine residency: a qualitative study of program directors in Canada

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Background: To understand Canadian family medicine programs directors' perspective on the incorporation of leadership skills development in curriculum. Methods: Semi-structured interviews based on CanMEDS Leader role competencies were conducted and audio recorded. Recordings were transcribed and analyzed by two independent researchers using an interpretive approach to thematic analysis. Results: Eight interviews were conducted. All participants indicated that leadership development in family medicine residency education was important. There were varying levels of leadership development at all institutions. Barriers to incorporating leadership development included curricular time, suitable teaching skills of faculty and cost. Important factors to consider in developing curricula included approaching the subject collaboratively and offering a variety of levels of engagement. Of the 22 Key Concepts in the CanMEDS Leader Role, three were not referenced by participants: complexity of systems, effective committee participation, and information technology for healthcare. Participants offered three concepts that were not included in the CanMEDS list: communication, teamwork and research skills. Conclusions: There were varying levels of incorporation of leadership skills development into family medicine training. A clearer understanding of each of the leader competencies is needed by educational leaders in order to identify and prioritize the skills to include in family medicine residency programs. This study contributes to the knowledge of what leadership skills should be incorporated into family medicine programs.

فعالية برنامج قائم على التعلم الإستراتيجي في خفض حدة الإجهاد الأكاديمي وتحسين مهارات اتخاذ القرار لدى طلاب كلية التربية بجامعة الطائف

هدف البحث إلى التحقق من فعالية برنامج تدريبي قائم على التعلم الاستراتيجي في خفض حدة الإجهاد الأکاديمي وتحسين مهارات اتخاذ القرار لدى طلاب کلية التربية بجامعة الطائف، وتکونت عينة البحث من (13) طالبا من طلاب قسم التربية الخاصة بکلية التربية بجامعة الطائف مرتفعين في مستوى الإجهاد الأکاديمي ومنخفضين في مستوى مهارات اتخاذ القرار ، وتم تقسيم العينة إلى مجموعتين (7) طلاب بالمجموعة التجريبية ، (6) طلاب بالمجموعة الضابطة ، وتم إجراء تکافؤ بين المجموعتين في العمر الزمني والإجهاد الأکاديمي ومهارات اتخاذ القرار، وتعرضت المجموعة التجريبية لجلسات البرنامج التدريبي القائم على التعلم الاستراتيجي لمدة (27) جلسة بواقع أربع جلسات أسبوعيا، وبعد انتهاء البرنامج التدريبي تم تطبيق مقياسي الإجهاد الأکاديمي ومهارات اتخاذ القرار (قياس بعدي) ، وکذلک بعد مرور شهر من التطبيق الأول (قياس تتبعي) ، وتوصلت نتائج البحث إلى خفض حدة الإجهاد الأکاديمي وأبعاده المتمثلة في سوء تقدير المحيطين للقدرات الأکاديمية ، وکثرة أعباء الدراسة الجامعية، وسوء تقدير الذات وتحسين مهارات اتخاذ القرار وأبعاده المتمثلة في تحديد المشکلة ، وتحديد الهدف، والتفکير في متطلبات اتخاذ القرار، وطلب المساعدة من الآخرين، وتوليد البدائل، وترتيب البدائل، واختيار البدائل الأفضل، والتنفيذ لدى طلاب المجموعة التجريبية خلال القياس البعدي عند مقارنتهم بطلاب المجموعة الضابطة ، واستمرارية التأثير الايجابي للبرنامج خلال القياس التتبعي للمجموعة التجريبية بعد مرور شهر من إنتهاء البرنامج التدريبي، وتم تفسير النتائج في ضوء الاطار النظري ونتائج الدراسات السابقة . The research aims to verify effectiveness of a training program based on strategic learning in reducing academic stress and improving decision-making skills of Faculty of Education's students in Taif University. The sample consisted of (13) students from special education department at Taif University, (7) students in experimental group, (6) students in control group. A homogeneity between two groups in age , academic stress and decision making Skills .The study group was subjected to sessions of training program based on strategic learning for (27) sessions with four sessions per week. After end of training program, academic stress and decision-making skills were applied. After one month of first application, Results showed that reduce intensity of academic stress and its dimensions of the assessment of those around academic capabilities, the burden of university study, and self-esteem and improve decision-making skills and dimensions of problem identification, Think about requirements Decision making, asking for help from others, generating alternatives, arranging alternatives, selecting best alternatives, implementing experimental group during post-measurement when compared with students of control group, and continuing positive effect of program during experimental measurement of experimental group after one month from end of training program. Interpretation of results in light of theoretical framework and results of previous studies.

Making Change for Equity: An Inquiry-Based Professional Learning Initiative

ABSTRACTTo close equity gaps in California Community Colleges, we need institutional and curricular transformations. This article discusses research on pedagogical and institutional approaches to equity and change that guided Basic Skills faculty, administrators, student service staff, and students in the Academic Committee for Equity and Success (ACES) at a California community college. It describes how ACES members formed communities of practice (CoP), groups sharing a passion about addressing specific goals, and employed an inquiry-based model for professional learning entailing a cycle of examining disaggregated data, questioning, designing and testing initiatives, feedback, and revision. The authors analyze the resulting inquiry projects and participant reflections, feedback, and reports from the lens of equity research and a Value Creation framework for identifying cycles of learning enabled through CoP. The initial participant responses suggest the inquiry model afforded rich learning and is a promising option for supporting innovation and institutional change toward equity. Further research is needed to identify effective inquiry structures for professional learning and measure equity outcomes within the community college setting.

Correction to: Measuring Faculty Skill and Effectiveness in Conducting Interactive Learning Sessions—a Proposed Instrument

The acknowledgments section of this article needs to be updated to include the following: The project was initiated at the Harvard Macy Institute and was funded by a President Award from the Josiah Macy Jr.