Step 2: Defining the modules

Last week we presented the general objectives of the course. Today we are presenting the 6 modules it will be divided into.

Please comment, make suggestions or ask questions on any of the goals, objectives and readings we present for each module.


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Module 1: Theory and application of adult learning principles

Teaching is not the same as learning. All of us have had the experience of giving to our students a  "wonderful" lecture, come in 3 or 4 days latter, ask some questions on our lecture, and find blank  faces and no answers.

This is because for learning to occur, some other ingredients must be added to  a "wonderful" lecture.

This module is about why episodes as the one described happen and what we can do to avoid it. It's  about how and why adults learn and applying these principles to our teaching.

1.1 Goal

To prepare medical teachers to be able to apply adult learning principles for developing more  effective teaching and learning experiences.

1.1.2 Objectives

Participants will be able to:

·          Describe and apply the principles that guide adult learning.

·          Describe and apply principles of teaching that will help adult learners learn.

1.1.3 Readings

Knowles M, Holton III E, Swanson: The Adult Learner. Elsevier, 2005. (Sixth Edition)

Module 2: Planning a Course

How many times have you attended a course, attracted by its title, and come out, 2 hours later,  realizing you were exposed to a lot of data you don't remember, and even if you do, would never use,  and that what you were expecting to learn, you really didn't?

Is this because the course director wanted to mislead you when choosing the course? Probably not.  Most course organizers usually choose the title of the course with what they intend to teach clearly  in mind, but, when they start putting in content, they forget to cross-check the content with what  they expected the learner to achieve.

This is why setting goals and objectives, organizing content adequately and deciding from the start  how you will prove learners learned is so important. This is what this module is all about.

2.1 Goal

To help medical teachers develop a stepwise process to develop a course. The same process will  be of use either for face to face or a web based courses.

2.2 Objectives

By the end of the course participants will be able to:

·          Write goals and objectives that will help develop effective learning interventions.

·          Organize the content in building blocks, with their own particular objectives to facilitate  construction of the course.

·          Use the concept of "chunking" for organizing the content in effective learning objects.

·          Plan and develop evaluations as a starting and ending point in the development of learning  interventions.

2.3 Readings

Smith RM: Conquering the Content. A Step-by-Step Guide to Online Course Design. Jossey- Bass, 2008.

Horton W: Elearning by Design. Wiley 2006.

Module 3: Building Course Content

In the same way one can use a knife for many tasks as cutting, modeling,  unscrewing, making  holes, you can do all these tasks better with a scissor, a  chisel, a screwdriver and a punch.

In the same way, when it comes to teaching facts, concepts, procedures,  processes, and principles, each has particular teaching strategies that fit them  better. This module is about choosing and  applying these strategies.

3.1 Goal

To help medical teachers identify adequate teaching  strategies for teaching knowledge (facts and concepts),  skills (procedures),  values and attitudes (principles).

3.2 Objectives

By the end of the course learners will be able to choose  and apply the best strategies and media for teaching:

·          Facts

·          Concepts

·          Procedures

·          Processes

·          Principles

3.3 Readings

·          Clark RC: Developing Technical Training. A Structured  Approach for Developing  Classroom and Computer- Based Instructional Methods. 3rd edition. Pfeiffer, 2008.

  Module 4: Principles for building multimedia teaching activities

We have gone a long way since we only used a blackboard and chalk to teach. Today we have  available colorful and easy to obtain images, audio, video and animations. But, in the same way you  cannot prepare a good dish using any kind of ingredients mixed in any way, you can't just make a  multimedia teaching intervention adding text, images, audio, video an animations in any way.

There are evidenced-based principles that show us that depending on how and when you combine all  these media for teaching, you can either enhance or obstruct learning.

This module is about combining the right media the right way, to enhance learning.

1.4.1 Goal

Prepare medical teachers to be able to apply principles for building multimedia teaching activities.

1.4.2 Objectives

By the end of the course participants will be able to:

.         Describe and apply the following principles to their teaching interventions. 

·          Multimedia principle

·          Contiguity principle

·          Modality principle

·          Redundancy principle

·          Coherence principle

·          Personalization principal

·          Evaluate teaching interventions prepared by others, and identify improvement opportunities  applying the same principles.

1.4.3 Readings

·          Clark RC, Nguyen F, Sweller J: Efficiency in Learning.  Evidence-based guidelines to  manage cognitive  loads. Pfeiffer, 2006.

Module 5: Tools for building audiovisual interactive teaching activities

Medical teachers have become quite proficient in preparing and delivering  multimedia presentation in face to face lectures. When  moving to the e- learning arena, they depend on third parties to adapt this content for the web.  This is not only costly, but time  consuming because teachers have to review  the final output and make corrections.

  This module is about learning to use software, not more complicated than  using PowerPoint, to output web ready presentations in a  less expensive and  time consuming way, than using third parties. 

5.1 Goal

To train medical teachers in the use of tools for developing audiovisual interactive teaching activities

5.2 Objectives

By the end of the course participants will be able to:

·          Output a PowerPoint presentation to a web compatible format using "Articulate"  with the need  of no programming knowledge.

·          Prepare web delivery quizzes using "Quizmaker".

5.3 Readings

·          Help files and product's tutorials

Module 6: Collaboration tools for planning a multi-teacher course

E-learning has broken time and place constraints when it comes to teaching. This has also brought  up collaboration opportunities, among different country organizations. Organizing an international  multi-teacher project is not an easy task.

For this you need affordable, easy to use communication software.

This module is about learning to use and combine some of the most popular free collaboration  software.

6.1 Goal

To train medical teachers in the use of free, web based, collaboration tools.

6.2 Objectives

By the end of the course participants will be able to

·          Build a collaborative web based area using:

·          Google Docs

·          Google Groups

·          Google Sites

·          Edit files in a collaborative way.

·          Use a discussion area to interchange ideas.

6.3 Readings

·          Help files and product's tutorials


Please fill in now your comments. If you don't see the space to comment, click on "Comments" at the bottom of this post.

Thank you! 


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