Scott Cottrell

Researching the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: An Analysis of Current Curriculum Practices

The purpose of this study was to analyze how instructors designed courses for scholarship of teaching and learning initiatives. The case studies and qualitative analyses of the data revealed that some instructors are approaching teaching as an investigative process. Informed by multiple assessment methods, the participating instructors explored how changes in course designs can improve student learning and development. The results of this study illustrate that these instructors reflected on their course designs and emphasized the quality of student learning and its improvement, which helps to address the publics expectations of higher education institutions as centers of academic excellence.

Development and Validation of a Parental Monitoring Instrument: Measuring How Parents Monitor Adolescents' Activities and Risk Behaviors.

The aim of this article is to describe the development and validation of the Parental Monitoring Instrument (PMI). The PMI was administered to a sample of 518 parent—adolescent (aged 12 to 17 years) dyads. Initial findings provide evidence of instrument reliability and validity. The exploratory factor analysis results suggested a seven-factor solution that explained approximately 48% of the variance. An analysis of the questions reveals reasonable interpretations of the seven factors: direct, indirect, restrictive, school, health, computer, and phone monitoring. Administration of the PMI may further our understanding of how parental monitoring is associated with adolescent activities and risk behaviors, setting the stage for informed strategies to improve parent—adolescent relationships.

Medical education scholarship: an introductory guide: AMEE Guide No. 89.

Abstract This AMEE Guide provides an overview of medical education scholarship for early career scholars, based upon a summary of the existing literature and pragmatic advice derived from the experience of its authors. After providing an introduction to the principles of scholarship and describing questions that the Guide addresses, the authors offer a conceptual description of the complementary traditions of teaching and educational discovery, and advocate for the development of educational scholars with both traditions. They then describe the attributes of effective mentor–mentee relationships and how early career scholars can identify potential mentors who can fulfill this role. In the subsequent sections, they describe the appropriate development of scholarly questions and other components of a complete scholarly plan, including how to use conceptual frameworks in guiding such plans. From here, they describe methods that align with both the teaching and discovery traditions and provide concrete examples of each. They then provide guidelines for assessing the impact of scholarship, identify the various opportunities for sharing it, and how to effectively interpret and describe it. Additionally, they provide practical advice on how appropriately to demonstrate the scholarship in a promotional packet, including the principle of reflectivity in scholarship. Finally, they address the principles of applied research ethics for educational scholarship and when to consider soliciting approval for scholarly activities by a human research board.

Assessing Medical Student Professionalism: An Analysis of a Peer Assessment

Abstract Purpose: Students’ professional development is an essential aim of medical school. The purpose of this paper is to report how an assessment of first-year medical students’ professional behavior was designed and to investigate its measurement characteristics. Methods: The assessment was implemented as a peer assessment of professional skills, which were delineated according to a formal professional code developed by our curriculum committee. During the last week of the Fall 2005 semester, the professionalism assessment was administered online to students in a problem-based learning course. Results: The internal consistency of the assessment is adequate. The generalizability study found that raters nested within persons accounted for the majority of variance. While the inter-rater reliability is relatively low, using multiple raters may yield an acceptable estimate of the relative reliability. Conclusions: The results suggest that this peer assessment is a practical assessment, evidenced by the 91% compliance rate. However, future research and modifications will be needed to address the variance of responses, helping to discriminate between “poor” and “good” observations of professionalism. In addition, multiple raters are required to supply reliable estimates of students’ professional behavior. Coupling this evaluation with other professionalism evaluations may help reveal a more complete picture of students’ professional behavior.

Using information contained in the curriculum management information tool (CurrMIT) to capture opportunities for student learning and development.

The purpose of this paper is to examine how West Virginia University Medical School used the AAMC Curriculum Management Information Tool (CurrMIT) to map the undergraduate medical school curriculum. Information gleaned from this analysis identified what students are expected to learn, how they learn and how they are assessed. Information about the curriculum was entered into CurrMIT, creating a comprehensive picture of the curricular landscape. Learning outcomes were parceled out according to a competence-based framework. In addition, learning methods and assessment measures were identified. A total of 639 learning outcomes were identified across several competences. A total of 13 learning methods and 13 assessment measures were also identified in the undergraduate curriculum. The results suggest that students are expected to acquire varied knowledge, skills and attitudes. Further, students are presented with diverse learning methods and assessment measures. The curriculum map ascertains whether the programs components, such as learning outcomes, learning approaches and assessment methods, are designed and linked to further students’ learning. This analysis will lead to curricular improvements. The implications of this work can help faculty, students and other academic stakeholders shift tacit expectations of learning and development to a curricular reality and, in turn, help prepare future physicians for the changing field of medicine.

COMPARING ADOLESCENT AND PARENT PERCEPTIONS OF CURRENT AND FUTURE DISAPPROVED INTERNET USE

The increasing availability and marketing of computerand Internet-based activities have led parents and professionals to question their health impact and to seek best practices for monitoring adolescent and child involvement (Gross, Juvonen, & Gable, 2002). Studies examining different facets of child and adolescent computer and Internet involvement have provided contradictory information about the potential impact. A vast national and international research has focused on the total amount of time spent engaging in computer and Internet activities (Gross et al., 2002; Kaltiala-Heino, Lintonen, & Rimpela, 2004; Livingstone, Bober, & Helsper, 2005; Turow, 1999; Wolak, Mitchell, & Finkelhor, 2002). Findings have associated increased exposure to these resources to improved understanding of school-related concepts (Flynn, 1994; Li & Atkins, 2004), language (Edwards, 1992; Rocheleau, 1995), improved spatial skills (Subrahmanyam, Kraut, Greenfield, & Gross, 2000), a broadened social and support system (Dodge & Kitchin, 2001), increased memory (Li & Atkins, 2004), and increased online self-efficacy (Livingstone et al., 2005) among young children. However, researchers have also found that increased time on the computer or Internet is associated with increased antisocial behaviors (Mesch, 2001) and obesity (Holcomb, 2004; Stanger, & Gridina, 1999; Strauss, Rodzilsky, Burack, & Colin, 2001). Among adolescents, increased exposure has also been affiliated with increased sexual risk behavior (Wolak, Finkelhor, & Mitchell, 2004; Ybarra & Mitchell, 2004), social anxiety (Gross et al., 2002), depression (Seepersad, 2004; Ybarra, Leaf, & Diener-West, 2004), and increased trust for online materials viewed (Livingstone et al., 2005). Given that 55 percent of child and adolescent computer and Internet users report spending time in chat rooms, sending instant messages, and using email (with 39 percent of these activities spent talking to strangers), monitoring children’s and adolescent’s activities on the computer and Internet has become an important issue (Beebe, Asche, Harrison, & Quinlan, 2004; Wolak et al., 2004; Ybarra & Mitchell, 2004). Reports from 749 parent–adolescent dyads have demonstrated that parents of younger adolescents, fathers, and Internet-experienced parents tend to monitor their children’s online activities more than other parents (Wang, Bianchi, & Raley, 2005). However, little is known about the best ways by which parents can monitor their children’s Internet use. There is evidence that child and adolescent perceptions of the extent to which their parents monitor or know their activities, whereabouts, and peer group significantly predict their involvement in a variety of risk behaviors such as drinking (Chilcoat & Anthony, 1996; Peterson, Hawkins, Abbott, & Catalano, 1994), tobacco use (Jackson, 1997), marijuana use (Kandel & Davies, 1992), and risky sexual practices (Huebner & Howell, 2003; Li, Fang, Stanton, Su, & Wu 2003; Stanton et al., 2000). Furthermore, specific approaches used by

The Buffering Effect of Nonparental Adults on the Relationship Between Parent-Adolescent Communication and Adolescent Risk behavior

The current study tests the hypothesis that nonparental adults serve as a buffer for adolescents by examining the moderating role of nonparental adults in the relationship between parent-adolescent communication and adolescent risk behavior. Results confirm the buffering hypothesis; there is a significant relationship between parent–adolescent communication and adolescent engagement in risk behavior, but this relationship is weaker for adolescents who report strong relationships with nonparental adults. These findings inform social work practice with adolescents, families, and communities by suggesting the importance of encouraging the development of relationships between youth and nonparental adults. Implications for practitioners, policymakers, and future research are discussed.

The relationship between the educational process and students’ confidence

D ocumenting medical students’ clinical experiences is an ambitious process that is often complicated by diverse learning contexts. Medical students work with several teachers in different settings (for example, with in-patients; at outpatient clinics), and attend different campuses, such as regional clinical campuses. Other challenges include augmenting faculty members’ existing responsibilities for teaching and guiding students to further their knowledge and skills in dynamic environments. These have been characterised as a ‘black box’ that reveals little about the educational process in clinical settings. The confluence of these challenges makes it difficult to ascertain what students are learning in clerkships, how they are learning, and where they are gaining clinical experience.

A matter of explanation: assessment, scholarship of teaching and their disconnect with theoretical development

This commentary explores the development of assessment and its implications on the scholarship of teaching. Assessment and the scholarship of teachings aim has been fixed on the practical and relevant, rarely furthering what we collectively know about student learning and development. As medical educators investigate important educational issues, informing assessment efforts with existing literature and a theoretical framework offers several advantages. Aligning sound assessment plans with a theoretical framework not only addresses essential questions about the extent students are learning, but provides direction, focus and coordination for future investigations.

An Institutional Approach to Assist Program Directors and Coordinators With Meeting the Challenges of Graduate Medical Education

OBJECTIVE To investigate whether a multimethod approach, including a new position dedicated to graduate medical education (GME) educator, online education modules, and program file audits, was associated with quality improvement in our residency programs. METHOD Data related to GME audits, residency review committee citations and cycle lengths were entered into a database. We conducted statistical analyses and calculated effect sizes to explore whether these resources were associated with program quality, as measured by maintaining necessary program policies and files, implementation of multiple assessments, increased residency review committee cycle lengths, and reductions in the number of citations. RESULTS The statistical analyses support the implementation of the GME educator, file audits, and online courses designed to improve the quality of residency education. CONCLUSIONS The GME office will continue to conduct audits, develop online learning resources, and provide one-on-one communication between the GME educator and program coordinators and directors. Our approach could serve as a model for other institutions interested in enhancing institutional oversight and the quality of their programs.