Finding More Creative and Effective Ways to Teach Neurology: Alexandria Reynolds, PhD
The undergraduate program director at the University of South Carolina discussed outdated teaching methods used in neurology, and the need to provide different hands-on approaches to students. [WATCH TIME: 5 minutes]
WATCH TIME: 5 minutes
"I do think we can be more creative in how we approach, say, 75% of the course. Having students get an opportunity to gain hands on experience, to be able to understand the material and digest it, and then be able to give them an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge instead of just using a multiple-choice test."
In recent years, there have been more robust and systematic attempts to understand how to effectively educate individuals in medical school. The ever-changing scientific research landscape forces educators in the neurology field to be attentive, adaptive, and flexible with their courses.
Traditionally, scientific conferences have been common gathering areas for clinicians to express changes to how certain subjects are taught or portrayed. At the recently concluded 2023 SLEEP Annual Meeting, a session focused on the current best practices for equitable teaching, the ways to increased equity and inclusion within the classroom, and how to develop policies and procedures for equitable grading. In the talk, Alexandra Reynolds, PhD, discussed a universal design for learning, stressing that clinicians should recognize diverse learning needs, and incorporate multiple means of engagement, representation, action, and expression.
Reynolds, an undergraduate program director at the University of South Carolina, believes it’s hard to completely do away with traditional teaching practices, but that there are more creative ways clinicians can effectively reach their audience. Following the conference, Reynolds sat down to discuss the potential outdated teaching methods currently being used in neurology, and the approach educators should begin to take.
