GMS 7001:  Fundamentals of Biomedical Science Education


Course Director:  Wayne T. McCormack, Ph.D.
E-mail:  mccormac@pathology.ufl.edu
Phone:  273-8603
Office:  R1-102


 

Spring 2009
Mondays & Wednesdays (CG-56), 2:00-3:00 pm

 

Catalog Description:  (2 credits)  Overview of educational issues faced by biomedical scientists teaching at the undergraduate, graduate, and/or professional level.  Practical guidelines most relevant for beginning biomedical science educators, e.g. teaching skills & strategies and the underlying theory of learning & teaching.

Course Overview:  Biomedical scientists are trained during graduate school and postdoctoral studies to be researchers.  However, those who pursue academic career tracks are also expected to teach, and are often not well prepared for this faculty assignment.  This IDP elective course provides an overview of educational issues faced by biomedical scientists teaching at the undergraduate, graduate, and/or professional level.  The goal of the course is to familiarize biomedical science graduate students interested in pursuing academic career tracks with techniques that are the most relevant for beginning teachers, e.g. teaching skills & strategies and the underlying theory of learning and teaching.  The course will use a variety of teaching formats modeling teaching behaviors, and will provide practical guidelines for a variety of teaching skills.

Courses documents are available to registered students at MedInfo Courses (Gatorlink login required). 

Syllabus:   Please note that scheduling for topics in italics is not final.

 

Date

Session

Faculty

1

Wed, Jan 7

Meeting a Class For the First Time

Dr. W. McCormack

2

Mon, Jan 12

Listening to Learn, Teach, and Lead

Dr. W. McCormack

3

Wed, Jan 14

Introduction to Principles of Adult Education

Dr. W. McCormack

4

Mon, Jan 19

Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday - no class

 

5

Wed, Jan 21

Teaching vs. Learning / Models of Learning

Dr. W. McCormack

 

Mon, Jan 26

No class

 

6

Wed, Jan 28

Countdown for Course Preparation

Dr. W. McCormack

7

Mon, Feb 2

How to Make Lectures More Effective

Dr. W. McCormack

8

Wed, Feb 4

Peer/Collaborative/Cooperative Learning

Dr. W. McCormack

9

Mon, Feb 9

Team-Based Learning (2 hours)

Dr. W. McCormack

10

Wed, Feb 11

Small-Group Teaching (2 hours)

Drs. P. & N. Small

11

Mon, Feb 16

Teaching via Simulation

Dr. M. Duerson

 

Wed, Feb 18

No class  
 

Mon, Feb 23

No class  

12

Wed, Feb 25

Mentoring

Dr. S. Semple-Rowland

13

Mon, Mar 2

Assessing, Testing, & Evaluation

Dr. W. McCormack

14

Wed, Mar 4

The ABC’s of Grading

Dr. W. McCormack

 

Mar 9 & 11

No class - UF Spring Break

 

15

Mon, Mar 16

Teaching as Scholarship

Dr. W. McCormack

16

Wed, Mar 18

Lifelong Learning (For the Teacher, Too!)

Dr. W. McCormack

 

Mon, Mar 23

No class

 

17

Wed, Mar 25

The Power & Perils of Powerpoint

Dr. R. Rathe

18

Mon, Mar 30

Student Presentations

 

19

Wed, Apr 1

Student Presentations

 

 

Apr 6 & 8

No class - WM out of town

 

20

Mon, Apr 13

Student Presentations

 

21

Wed, Apr 15

Student Presentations

 

22

Mon, Apr 20

Student Presentations

 

23

Wed, Apr 22

Debriefing

Dr. W. McCormack

Sample topics for student presentations:                                    (please select a topic by Wednesday, March 4)

  1. Problem-Based Learning - The Case Method

  2. Ethics in Teaching - The Teacher's Responsibilities

  3. What to Do About Cheating

  4. Problem Students (There's Almost Always at Least One!)

  5. Learning Through Writing (High Stakes & Low Stakes)

  6. Motivating Students To Learn

  7. Teaching Culturally Diverse Students

  8. Laboratory Instruction

  9. Teaching Values: Should We? Can We?

  10. WebCT Vista

  11. Application of learning theories or learning styles

  12. Teaching by Distance Education

Assessment:

30% Attendance
20% Peer evaluation of your contributions to Sessions 1-20
50% Student presentations (to be assessed by peers & faculty)
Maximum cut-offs for letter grades:  90, A;  85, B+;  80, B;  75, C+;  70, C.

Required text: 

“McKeachie’s Teaching Tips - Strategies, Research, and Theory for College and University Teachers” by Wilbert J. McKeachie, 12th edition, Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006.

Other resources:

“Tools for Teaching” by Barbara Gross Davis, 1st edition, Jossey-Bass Inc., 1993.

“Designing & Assessing Courses & Curricula: A Practical Guide” by Robert M. Diamond, The Jossey-Bass Higher & Adult Education Series, John Wiley & Sons, 1998.

“Curriculum Development for Medical Education: A Six-Step Approach” by David E. Kern et al., The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998.


2/23/09  wtm