Education Needs Assessment

DON'T BE A "LONE RANGER" could also be an appropriate title for this Post.  As you may have noticed from listening and interacting today with your colleagues, content expertise was never questioned in the Needs Assessment presentation.  You might think that it should be, but most of the time folks that are asked to develop an instructional unit have content expertise.  The problem arises when their expertise is not congruent with the audience needs and goals.... hence NEEDS ASSESSMENT.  Lots of other potential obstacles can be addressed early through just talking and listening to others.  Remember.. A new curriculum is not the answer to every problem.  Your Thoughts?

Competency-Based Education Systems

I wish I could have been there, but I read the evaluations and it sounds like most of you enjoyed the topic and the exercises.  For many of you who were educated in a traditional norm-based, knowledge-centered educational systems, CBE may seem very different and perhaps an unnecessary change in focus.  For example you might ask "What is so wrong with knowing a lot".  The fathers  (and mothers) of CBE would answer that question..."Nothing, as long as you are able to use that knowledge to solve a problem, help a patient, communicate better, etc.  What do you think about the rise of CBE in medical and health science education?

DESIGNING INSTRUCTION

Well, Here we go again. 

Last Semester, a few of you voiced the opinion that my opening post with a specific question limited  options for online discussion.  In response, I will try to write an opening post that brings up several issues that are on my mind, but will not expect that any of you will respond directly to those issues unless they are of interest to you as well. 

Today we had the second section of the "Instructional Design" mini-retreat.  Both Lily and I made small adjustments that gave our learners more time in the exercises that we prepared.  That seemed to work well and the evaluations were very positive.  When I think about how I plan instruction, I find that the theories I draw upon are now leaning more toward constructivism.  I still give some information, but now spend more time planning exercises that allow the learner to consult others in the group as they form their own opinions and apply the new understanding to problems. Of course I am always their to consult and clarify.  I don't think I ever will change my direction completely, but a good pre-reading with questions and purposeful discussion and exercises seem to give better results for my area of expertise.  Now is medicine different; as Lily pointed out in her discussion of Cognitive Load, the sheer density of the information shared in the medical lectures that I have heard makes one think that the lecture with high intrinsic load and low germaine and extraneous load makes sense......or does it?

Technology and Learning

That was one freewheeling session!  We covered a lot of ground from Bandura's self-efficacy to Vygotsky's scaffolding to Shirky's filter failure and finally to Seimen's Connectivism.
While we all would agree on the need to be life-long learners, it does not come easy.  The soccer coach who tells the wannabe soccer player to juggle the ball 100 times without letting it hit the ground risks creating a very frustrated kid.  Even the most passionate person needs to believe that s/he can achieve "mastery".  Telling the soccer player to instead count the number of attempts s/he took to reach 100 is a way to avoid that disappointment.  [Read here for a more on this story].

What has technology got to do with this?

When used appropriately technology can make the task just a little bit easier, a bit more efficient, (possibly) a bit more fun, just enough to overcome those doubts about self-efficacy.  So what do you think about using Google Reader to stay up to date with biomedical literature in your area of interest?  What about using Google+ or Twitter to create your personal learning network?
Do you see potential?  Anyone ready to bite the bullet?

What about connectivism?  How does it fit with your concepts of learning and knowledge?