Medical information is rapidly expanding and accessibility to information through technology has become commonplace. To combat information overload with the help of technology, it is vital that medical universities equip learners with self-directed learning skills. So as schools revise and create new curricula, they must now provide new ways for students to understand information — on top of grappling existing content.
The Self-Directed Learning strategy asks students to learn information outside the classroom with the use of technology, but with all changes, this presents both challenges and opportunities for faculty and students.
The College of Human Medicine at Michigan State University and Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell invite you to participate in a series of sessions about Self-Directed Learning in medical school curricula. Each session begins with a presentation and includes time for discussion. The goal is to engage one another in a conversation across institutions nationwide. You may sign up for individual sessions or all four.
Sign up for Self-Directed Learning sessions
Session 1: Basics of Self Directed Learning
Tuesday, April 24th, 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Facilitated by Samara Ginzburg, MD, Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell
This session is designed for faculty and staff at Medical Schools that are thinking about, or in the early stages of implementing a self-directed approach toward student learning. This session will provide some examples of self-directed learning in medical education and describe some of the practical structures that need to be in place for it to meet the LCME standard on self-directed and lifelong learning.
Session 2: Preparing and Supporting Faculty in Curricula with Self Directed Learning
Tuesday, May 8th, 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Facilitated by the Office of Medical Education Research and Development at MSU
This session is designed to support faculty as they implement a curriculum with a significant self-directed learning component. Session conversations will focus on how to implement teaching practices and active learning strategies to support students in synthesizing their learning.
Session 3: Preparing and Supporting Students in Curricula with SDL
Tuesday, May 29th, 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Facilitated by Amy Ward from the office of Academic Achievement at MSU
This session is designed to support advisors, mentors and faculty members in providing support to students in a curricula with self-directed learning. This session will explain a cognitive framework students can use to organize their learning, as well as provide specific, research based strategies to practice within that framework.
Session 4: Assessment in SDL
Tuesday, June 19th, 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Facilitated by Samara Ginzburg, MD, and David Elkowitz, DO, at Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell
This session is designed to support faculty and administrators as they tackle issues of assessment in curricula with self-directed learning. Challenges to assessment of self-directed learning as well as some strategies for how to assess both the content acquired through and the process of self-directed learning will be discussed.