Scholars Collaboration

Turning Education Ideas into Scholarship and Action
______________________________________________________________________________

WHY A SCHOLARS COLLABORATION   |   PROGRAM GOALS   |   PROJECT FUNDING PRIORITIES

BENEFITS TO FACULTY & STUDENTS   |   EXPECTATIONS   |   SESSION TOPICS
______________________________________________________________________________

FEBRUARY 2009 – December 2009

The Scholars Collaboration in Teaching and Learning (SCTL) is a competitive program for faculty, 1st year and 4th year students at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine who 1) wish to develop skills as Medical Educators and Scholars as one of their career goals and 2) have innovative curriculum projects they would like to develop and implement in the WR2 curriculum.   Faculty, 1st year and 4th year students work as a team beginning in the spring semester (February – May) to develop project plans and scholarly expertise in the field of medical education.  The 1st year students then continue as funded summer education scholars, working on their projects for 8 weeks with their faculty mentors.  In the fall semester that follows, the faculty and student scholars (now 2nd years) continue their collaboration as projects are implemented, evaluated and prepared for publication.

Faculty and student scholars will be selected based on criteria that measure their commitment to medical education.  Selection of faculty Scholars will also be based on the quality and relevance of the proposed medical education projects submitted with their applications.  Student applications need not include a project proposal.  Student applicants may, if they wish, invite a faculty member to share in writing a project proposal and submit a joint application.
 

The Scholars Collaboration creates an environment where faculty and students with a committed interest in medical education come together.   They work with medical education experts to implement projects, learn educational theory, explore new teaching methods, and develop skills in curriculum innovation.  The Scholars Collaboration is a program that seeks to develop and enhance skills in medical education for current and future faculty and to create a supportive environment where faculty and students learn from each other and help turn ideas into action.

RETURN TO TOP

• Create a community of scholars, composed of faculty and students
• Provide dedicated time and support for scholarly activities, self-reflection, team building and feedback
• Enhance scholars’ understanding of teaching, learning and assessment and the theories that support them
• Enhance scholars knowledge and skills in curriculum development and evaluation
• Foster educational scholarship by transforming ongoing educational activities into scholarly products
• Assist participants in reframing their belief about how students and faculty can help each other develop as educators
  

RETURN TO TOP

SCTL seeks applicants with project proposals that would enhance teaching and learning of the basic and clinical sciences in the Western Reserve2 Curriculum.  Go to the SCTL website to review past projects.  http://casemed.case.edu/curricularaffairs/scholars/faculty.html  (Click on the faculty scholar’s name.  You will then be able to link to the abstract, poster or project description.) 

High priority areas for SCTL 2009 include the following:

• Peer teaching programs
• Resident/fellow as teacher
• Medical humanities
• On line curriculum resources
• Development of the Area of Concentration Program for WR2

(12 weeks of linked elective rotations integrating basic science and clinical experiences during the 3rd and 4th years of the WR2 curriculum and intended to result in an area of expertise)

• Design of Block One Part 2:  The first block of WR2, “Becoming a Doctor,” introduces students to the social, environmental, and cultural aspects of health and disease.  In year four students will have a two week capstone around the time of the residency match that returns to the core themes of “Becoming a Doctor.”
• Development of a Health Advocacy and Leadership curriculum:  One of the curriculum goals for WR2 was leadership and civic professionalism.  As we continue in the ongoing development of WR2, this important theme needs design and implementation.
  

RETURN TO TOP

Faculty Benefits: 

• Professional spending stipend of $1000 for participation in the SCTL program.
• A funded student scholar for summer 2009 to collaborate with you on your curriculum project.

Student Benefits:

• 1st year student scholars:  education stipend of $1000 ($500 per semester) that can be used for educational expenses or tuition and $2500 eight week Summer Student Fellowship in Medical Education
• 4th year student scholars $500 education stipend for spring 2009 semester

Mentoring: 

SCTL program faculty along with faculty and student scholars serve as mutual mentors throughout all aspects of the program and beyond.

Unique Credential:

SCTL is a unique program because it includes both faculty and students.  It is an important credential for Promotions and Tenure for faculty and a unique credential for residency applications for students.

MEETINGS:
The Scholars Collaboration meets Wednesday evenings from 5:30 – 8:30 pm every other week for 10 weeks in the Spring 2009 semester and for 8 weeks in the Fall 2009 semester.  A SCTL journal club/project discussion group will be held weekly during the 8 week summer project block for student scholars and for any faculty who can attend.  Each student scholar will present an update on his/her project as well as lead a journal club discussion.

RETURN TO TOP

EXPECTATIONS

• All scholars – faculty and students - commit to full participation in the program sessions.  Project groups composed of faculty and students have dedicated time during each SCTL session to work on the development of their group’s project.  This collaboration depends on full team participation.
• Each Scholar (faculty and students) attends a minimum of 80% of sessions to qualify for the professional spending stipend.
• Each SCTL faculty scholar serves as a summer mentor for the 1st year student scholar with whom he/she is collaborating. 
• The Summer Student Fellowship in Medical Education is an 8-week, full time commitment for SCTL student scholars to further the medical education projects of the 2009 SCTL program.  Each scholar will lead one medical education journal club discussion and present an update on his/her project.
  
  

  RETURN TO TOP

u How People Learn u Experiential Learning and Learning Styles u Defining Project Outcomes u Writing Effective Learning Objectives u Learner-centered Teaching u Team Building and Small Group Learning Methods u Educational Strategies and Instructional Methods u Educational Research and Scholarship	u Instructional Design u Step-back Consultation u Mentoring and Leadership u Program Evaluation u Educational Theory u Piloting Your Project and Revising u Abstracts, Posters and Educational Scholarship RETURN TO TOP