Item/Action

Comments during review discussion

1. System Leaders need to prepare everything extensively and in detail well before the system begins.   The density of the workload cannot be understood beforehand—it must be experienced to be believed.

2. System Leaders need to prepare everything extensively and in detail well before the system begins.   The density and pace of the workload cannot be understood beforehand—it must be experienced to be believed.

MCM and Microbes leaders emphasized the heavy load during the weeks of the system.

3. Clear, well-written, precise learning objectives are essential for every point to be taught/learned in the system.  The LOs must be crafted long beforehand because all assignments, classroom activities, and assessments flow from them.  Everything that occurs in system must be directed by correct, appropriate LOs. 

Several faculty expressed concern that students are “studying to the LOs” as their sole goal; they emphasized the need to persuade students that the LOs are “minimum threshold” learning.

4. Successful “engagement activities” are those based on small-group work on a task (e.g., solving a problem, discussing a complex issue, applying principles) rather than those that deal with learning or merely recalling facts.

Note:  TBL is a specific format for engagement activity and the process should be followed carefully.

Several faculty noted that these features are most successful:

• started with 10-15 min lecture
• students talk with each other
• not allow too much discussion time for each item (tendency is to allow too long)
• think-pair-share
• cases/vignettes
• groups of six

5. Students should be informed about any SOM resources (handouts from previous years, other relevant materials) that are available, even if the System Leaders do not consider the resources to be well-targeted.  The first-year students become angry when they find these resources on their own (accusations of “hiding the materials from us,” etc.).

Some faculty commented that students need to understand that they are expected to be learners:  They are here to learn, not to be taught.  Students need to believe this from Day 1.

6. The teaching technology works very well in the Learning Studio, although much of it is used very seldom.  Faculty should observe faculty using the new equipment creatively in the early systems.

7. Faculty in upcoming systems should observe teaching sessions by faculty in the systems taught before their own. 

Arrangements to observe should be made with the System Leader of the current system (to avoid overcrowding of observers and to assure that chairs are available).

Faculty from past and current systems agreed strongly.

Many TBL and other engagement activities will be available to observe in the coming 15 weeks (MSI and MBB).

Veronica Michaelsen is writing a rubric on TBL that faculty would refer to as they observe TBL sessions in MSI and MBB systems.  Others could be developed on topics that faculty need.

8. Everything must be designed from the beginning to integrate basic science and clinical science.

9. An orientation document and session should be designed to introduce the system to the students.  Expectations, procedures, assessment schedules, assignments, and resources should be explained clearly.

Faculty commented on how important it is to inform the students about everything as a system begins. 

10. Leaders of upcoming systems must review all learning objectives from previous systems; it is the only way to know what the students have covered and to what extent.

Leaders commented that this is also a way to see the difference between well-crafted LOs and faulty LOs that create problems for students and leaders.

11. Add TBL and other engagement session to attract students—these are not “add-ons”; they are the core of the curriculum. 

12.   Limit the number and duration of lectures:

• students are not required to attend;  40% will not
• students’ attention wanes after 10 min. (15 max).
• students do not prepare for lectures 

13.   Curriculum leaders reminded that the goal is <50% lectures (maximum upper limit); a lower proportion is the ultimate goal.

14. Hands-on work with medical images should be planned for across systems.  MCM, Microbes, and MSI leaders noted that

• students like hands-on work with images
• they had several hands-on sessions in MCM
• suggestion:  add images to problem sets 

15.   Leaders of upcoming systems must fit their curriculum to what students have already covered: 

• have students review former materials when needed
• do not duplicate coverage unnecessarily
• when covering a topic for a second time, go for more advanced knowledge (do not spend time re-doing basics) 

16.  Leaders of all systems from CV onward (Aug. 1) must negotiate room assignments with MCM.  Because the first and second iterations of the new curriculum overlap from Aug. 2011 through Feb. 2012, systems must negotiate  which sessions will be in the Learning Studio and which in the Lecture Hall.  All successive iterations will require negotiated schedules as part of routine planning.

Note:  The schedule will be organized in 2-hour blocks: 

8:00-10:00am and 10:00-noon.  Thus instructional sessions must fit within those blocks (e.g., cannot have a session that runs 9:30-10:30 unless the class meets in the same room for the entire morning).

17. System Leaders must plan their schedules to include

• 8:10am starting time
• standard instructional “hour” of 50 minutes
• 10-min.  breaks between sessions
• 10-min. breaks after first hour in 2-hr sessions
• starting and ending on time (the recording system is organized by scheduled times)
• ending the day’s sessions at noon (students have required afternoon sessions/assignments)

18.   System Leaders must arrange early for teaching time by Thread Leaders and their faculty during Aug. 1 – Feb 20, the overlap period for the first and second iteration, when the faculty will teach both classes.  

Some Thread leaders noted that they are already committed for periods that may be needed. 

19.  System Leaders should work closely with Thread Leaders, who often know where students are learning which material throughout the curriculum and know special resources available for their areas. 

20. Cases and  vignettes in all systems should cover a range of basic issues in

• interprofessional education
• ethics (all types of issues)
• cultural competency

Thread Leaders in these areas (and related ones) are ready to help work these issues into cases throughout the curriculum; they know of existing cases and resources that can be used.

21. Faculty members need a great deal of faculty development to be prepared to teach in the NxGen curriculum.  

Systems Leaders must work with faculty to assure that they take advantage of the available resources (faculty development sessions, one-on-one consultation with faculty from previous systems, online resources).

Veronica Michaelsen is writing a rubric on TBL that faculty would refer to as they observe TBL sessions in MSI and MBB systems.  Others could be developed on topics that faculty need.

It was suggested that the weekly newsletter TICKER add links to faculty development resources.

22. System Leaders need to develop a common threshold of consistency across systems (organization, administration, expectations) but also allow flexibility for faculty to try new approaches.  Examples of the necessary consistency are systems are administered, required attendance, policies about assessments, how materials are made available online, expectations of students behavior (e.g., during patient interviews, during group activities).

MCM and Microbes have created successful approaches to a variety of common situations/problems that leaders of upcoming systems should study and adopt as appropriate. 

Because of the heavy workload of running a system, leaders and faculty need to get as much as possible ready long before the system starts.

23. System Leaders need to meet with Educational Support to understand what must be delivered and the applicable deadlines.  Faculty need to work with Educational Support as early as possible in planning their sessions.

Faculty and leaders commented that there is no such thing as completing work on sessions too early.

24. The schedule, mentor lists, and room assignments must be worked out for the period when CPD will teach two classes of students at the same time (beginning approx. Aug. 1).   Such planning must be the norm from now onward.

1. Work out with other systems the coverage of urology topics (renal and bladder trauma, congenital problems, tumors, anatomy and clinical aspects of ureters and bladder).