Radiology educators frequently find themselves working next to medical students at a view station or in a procedure room. Often the clinical workload is substantial, and relatively little time is available for direct student teaching. In such a context, much of the student’s learning is largely observational, listening as radiologists dictate cases and interact with residents, fellows, and referring physicians. Yet it is important that students benefit from the attention of radiology educators. If not, they may leave the radiology department having learned little and even feeling that they have been largely ignored. How can radiology educators ensure meaningful educational interactions during the clinical workday without setting aside large chunks of time specifically for teaching?
One way is to arrive every day with a set of strategies and techniques that make meaningful educational interactions possible in even very short periods. We have developed such a set of approaches, each of which generally requires only a few minutes. At the beginning of the day, between cases, as interruptions in workflow occur, and at the end of the day, the 2-minute educator can draw as appropriate from this set of options to promote learner-educator interaction and foster enhanced learning. This may happen only once or multiple times per day, but each time it does so, it helps to make the most of what otherwise might be a missed educational opportunity.
Having such a standard set of approaches can lower the “energy of activation” of teaching. If an educator has no standing set of strategies and techniques to draw on, other demands on time and attention can make it difficult to devise new teaching opportunities on the spot. With this approach, however, the educator has a preexisting menu from which to choose, based on the particular circumstances at hand. Moreover, each approach can be adapted and customized as appropriate to meet the needs of individual learners. These are starting points for an educational encounter, not rigid formulas. Finally, this approach can be employed not just by faculty members but by residents, fellows, technologists, and other radiology educators. Here are seven such strategies.
1: Make a connection
Get to know learners. A variety of questions can be posed. Where did they grow up, what college did they attend, what did they major in, what was one of the best classes or learning experiences they have ever had? Did they bring any notable life experiences to medicine? What do they find most exciting about medical school? Have they identified a field or fields in medicine that they intend to pursue? In a one-on-one or small group setting, it is always important to connect personally with learners, and getting to know each learner as a person enables educators to adapt their approach to the interests and needs of each. Moreover, this goes a long way toward establishing a friendly learning environment.
2: Explore what the learner knows
To teach a new topic most effectively, the educator should build on the learner’s prior knowledge . Hence it is important to assess the learner’s level of knowledge and experience with the subject matter. Students may range widely in this regard, from a surprising degree of familiarity to essentially no knowledge of a given topic. If we are teaching concepts that are too basic or too complex for the learner, we are likely to squander the teaching opportunity. To avoid this, we need to ask learners questions. For example, “Tell me what you know about the appropriate imaging workup of suspected “stroke,” or “what” are the typical imaging features of stroke on noncontrast head computed tomography scan?” Once you know the learner’s level of background knowledge, you can optimize your time by focusing on the most appropriate next knowledge step.
3: Establish a learning contract
Another valuable approach is to establish something like a learning contract . Having gotten to know learners a bit, the next educator-learner interaction can focus on the learner’s objectives. Why are they in the radiology department? Are they considering a career in radiology? Are they attempting to learn about particular aspects of radiology that they think will be useful in another field? What would they most like to learn? Helping learners identify their objectives is beneficial as a stand-alone motivational tool, and it also helps the educator to tailor teaching more appropriately. In general, education is most effective when it is focused on what learners most want or need to know.
4: Connect to emotions or experiences
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5: Encourage collaboration and responsibility
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6: Promote patient management
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7: Provide performance appraisals
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Conclusion
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References
1. Mann K.V.: Thinking about learning: implications for principle-based professional education. J Contin Educ Health Prof 2002; 22: pp. 69-76.
2. Pratt D., Magill M.: Educational contracts: a basis for effective clinical teaching. J Med Educ 1983; 58: pp. 462-467.
3. Zull J.: The art of changing the brain. Edu Leadership 2004; 62-1: pp. 68-72.
4. Bowen J.: Educational strategies to promote clinical diagnostic reasoning. N Engl J Med 2006; 355: pp. 2217-2225.
5. Neher J.O., Gordon K.C., Meyer B., et. al.: A five-step “microskills” model of clinical teaching. J Am Board Fam Pract 1992; 5: pp. 419-424.