CPD - Toolkits
Information contains within this CPD Toolkit includes CNSF Annual Congress, Guidlines, RCPSC, Planning Committee Templates, Practical Tips for Adult Educators
Annual Congress: Course Chairs & Speakers
In addition to delgates completing Specific Course Evaluation forms, Congress sessions and symposia are periodically audited, by CNSF Members, to ensure that the MOC Program standards of the Royal College Physicians and Surgeons of Canada are adhered to.
Based on delegate and auditor feedback we have provided information to assist Chairs and Speakers as you prepare your presentation for the CNSF Annual Congress.
Disclosure Forms and Statements
- Disclosure Form
- DISCLOSURE STATEMENTS (PP Presentations)
Writing Learning Objectives
Learning Formats
How to Use PowerPoint Effectively
Tips for Avoiding Death by PowerPoint (PDF)
- Too many words.
- Too much time on one slide.
- Too little time on one slide.
- Too many slides.
- Slides that are all words.
- Bullet points that leave out the articles.
- Gimmicky transitions and effects.
- Corny sound effects.
Tips for Better Presentations (PDF)
- Use color.
- Use contrast.
- Display bullet points individually.
- Add graphics.
- Audio--Music and Sound Effects
- Video
Course Notes in the Annual Congress CD
- Congress delegates appreciate receiving Course Notes provided within the CNSF Annual Congress CD.
- Please take time from your busy schedules to ensure you meet the Course Notes deadline.
Literature Reviews
- As a component of their Contuing Professional Development, Congress delegates indicate that they will conduct Literature Reviews as a result of attending Congress sessions.
- Please provide a Literature Review list at the end of your Course Notes for delegates to use as a starting point for their ongoing learning and/or Personal Learning Projects as a resuly of attending the Congress.
Course Evaluations: Speakers, Chairs, Content
- Specific Course Evaluation
- 2010 Subject to Change
- Auditor Template
Strategies to Evaluate if Learning Objectives Met
Please ensure that speakers incorporate strategies to evaluate whether or not learning objectives were met. Some examples include (not an exhaustive list):
- Encouraging participants to complete the CNSF Course Specific Evaluation form.
- Highlighting learning objectives at beginning and end of course, and encourage participants to reflect on what was learned.
- Providing a case study, exemplifying learning objectives, before and after session.
- Giving an informal Q&A exercise or quiz at the end of the session.
- Using clicker/touch pad audience response system during session.
Professional Development Committee
Scientific Program Committee
Guidelines
- RX&D-Guidelines for Transparency in Stakeholder Funding (2010)
- Pharmaceutical Advertsing Advisory Board (PAAB) (2009)
- Canadian Association of Medical Publishers
- CMA-Guidelines for Physicians in Interactions with Industry (2007)
- CMA-2007
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
Planning Committee Templates
To better assist physician organizations creating their CPD event we would like to suggest the following templates.
Feel free to adapt them to fit your CPD planning needs:
Agenda
- Sample (Word)
Minutes
- Sample (Word)
Committee Contact Sheet
- Sample (Word)
Needs Assessment
Learning Objectives
Learning Formats
Budget
- Sample (Excel)
CPD Activity Agenda
- Sample (Word)
Course Evaluation
- CNSF Specific Course Evaluation
- 2010 (in development)
- 2009 (Course)
- CNSF Auditor Template Tool
Sign-in Sheet
- Sample (Word)
Practical Tips for Adult Educators
Evaluation Strategies
Sample Evaluation Strategies which may be used with Adult Learners at the Annual Congress
Refer learners to the CNSF Course Specific evaluation form and encourage them to complete, not only the evaluation form, but the section which highlights:
- Because of this course my patients will benefit because ...
- This course affirmed my medical approach is up-to-date ...
- I become aware of a new idea/ idea relevant to my CPD ...
- I decided to pursue the following additional learning activities after the course ...
Highlight learning outcomes at the beginning of the course and reiterate learning outcomes at the end of a course allowing learners to reflect on what was discussed. At the end of the session include a Q &A for learners to question what they have learned or to seek further information. Using clickers (touch pads) ask questions throughout course to gain an understanding of learnings occuring and where further clarification may be required. Asking delegates what they have learned is . . .
- Learner Centred
- Teacher Directed
- Anonymous & Non-threatening
- Based on Course Goals [Learning Objectives/Outcomes]
- A Co-operative Effort
- Action Oriented
- Context Specific
- An Integral Part of Effective Teaching
from http://www.dit.ie/media/documents/lifelonglearning/adlearn_strategies.pdf downloaded on August 20, 2009
What do you want to evaluate in regards to learnings?
- Reactions
- Acquistion of Skills and Knowledge
- Changes in Learner Behaviour (use of Learning)
- Impact on Programs
Evaluating Professinal Development: A Framework for Adult Learners (May 1997)
Ten Practical Tips for Teachers
Adult Learners prefer lecturers who:
from http://www.dit.ie/media/documents/lifelonglearning/adlearn_strategies.pdf downloaded on August 20, 2009
- Are content experts
- Provide relevance
- Are well organised
- Don’t waste time
- Provide clear learning goals
- Consider learner interests
- Individualise instruction
- Use active learning
- Encourage self-directed learning
- Are supportive and non-threatening
Creating a Positive Learning Environment for Adults:
3 R’s of Adult Learning:
- Respect: respect the life experiences of learners, and connect them to learning.
- Relevance: help learners to understand why they are learning, and why it’s relevant.
- Responsibility: provide opportunities for learners to take increasing responsibility for their own learning.
from http://www.dit.ie/media/documents/lifelonglearning/adlearn_strategies.pdf downloaded on August 20, 2009
More Information About Adult Leaners
Characteristics
Below is a comparison of the learning characteristics of adult learners and youth learners. Of course, these are generalizations with exceptions occurring in each group of learners, but you may want to keep these differences in mind as you consider the learner population you expect in your online course. The design of your course would be influenced by your expected student population.
Adult Learners Youth Learners Problem-centered; seek educational solutions to where they are compared to where they want to be in life Subject-oriented; seek to successfully complete each course, regardless of how course relates to their own goals Results-oriented; have specific results in mind for education - will drop out if education does not lead to those results because their participation is usually voluntary Future-oriented; youth education is often a mandatory or an expected activity in a youth's life and designed for the youth's future Self-directed; typically not dependent on others for direction Often depend on adults for direction Often skeptical about new information; prefer to try it out before accepting it Likely to accept new information without trying it out or seriously questioning it Seek education that relates or applies directly to their perceived needs, that is timely and appropriate for their current lives Seek education that prepares them for an often unclear future; accept postponed application of what is being learned Accept responsibility for their own learning if learning is perceived as timely and appropriate Depend on others to design their learning; reluctant to accept responsibility for their own learning In summary, adult learners usually approach learning differently than younger learners:
- they are more self-guided in their learning
- they bring more, and expect to bring more, to a learning situation because of their wider experience - and can take more away
- they require learning "to make sense" - they will not perform a learning activity just because the instructor said to do it
from http://online.rit.edu/faculty/teaching_strategies/adult_learners.cfm as downloaded on August 20, 2009
Teaching Strategies for Adult Learners
This means that you may find certain teaching strategies more effective than others with your adult learners.
Adult Learner Characteristics Teaching Strategies Adults have years of experience and a wealth of knowledge Use your adult students as resources for yourself and for other students; use open-ended questions to draw out students' knowledge and experiences; provide many opportunities for dialogue among students Adults have established values, beliefs, and opinions Take time to clarify student expecatations of the course; permit debate and the challenge of ideas; be careful to protect minority opinions within the class Adults expect to be treated as adults Treat questions and comments with respect; acknowledge contributions students make to the class; do not expect students to necessarily agree with your plan for the course Adults need to feel self-directed Engage students in designing the learning process; expect students to want more than one medium for learning and to want control over the learning pace and start/stop times Adults often have a problem centered approach to learning Show immediately how new knowledge or skills can be applied to current problems or situations; use participatory techniques such as case studies and problem-solving groups Adults tend to be less interested in survey types of courses and more interested in straightforward how-to Focus on theories and concepts within the context of their applications to relevant problems; orient the course content toward direct applications rather than toward theory Adults have increased variation in learning styles (individual differences among people increase with age) Use a variety of teaching materials and methods to take into account differences in style, time, types, and pace of learning We hope you see that instruction designed for adults tends to be more effective if it is learner-centered than if it is instructor-centered. The instructor must maintain a careful balance between the presentation of new material and its applications, discussion and participation among students, and the quarter's calendar. Actually the instructor must wrestle with the paradox of establishing control by risking giving it up! By giving up tendencies to feel good about expertly delivering information to the students and to feel threatened by student challenges to the course plan, the instructor gains the kind of facilitative control that is most effective for adult learners. The following chart gives some more explanation.
from http://online.rit.edu/faculty/teaching_strategies/adult_learners.cfm as downloaded on August 20, 2009
Teaching Styles
No one model of instruction will be the best for all situations. Two contrasting models are shown below; one or both or a combination could be used in online courses:
Instructor-centered Learner-centered The learning objective is usually the transfer of knowledge, information, or skills from the instructor to the students. The instructor more or less controls the material to be learned and the pace of learning while presenting the course content to the students. The purpose of learning is to acquire and memorize new knowledge or learn new skills. The underlying philosophy is that students learn best not only by receiving knowledge but also by interpreting it, learning through discovery while also setting the pace of their own learning. Instructors coach and mentor students to facilitate their learning, designing experiences through which students acquire new knowledge and develop new skills. In general, student controlled learning (learner-centered) works best when the learners are relatively mature and possess significant related knowledge or where there is no particular sequencing of the material to be learned. Instructor control of the presentation of course materials (instructor-centered) is more appropriate when learners are less mature and lack necessary prior knowledge. Learners who are immature or lack necessary prior knowledge frequently make poor instructional choices if left on their own (e.g., they are unlikely to estimate correctly whether practice is needed, when sufficient mastery has been attained, etc.).
from http://online.rit.edu/faculty/teaching_strategies/adult_learners.cfm as downloaded on August 20, 2009
Thinking Styles
Here is a brief comparison of some different thinking styles of learners. Again, these are generalizations - some people use more than one style, but generally each person has a preferred style. Your online course will be most successful if you vary your style to meet the variety of thinking styles among your students.
Thinking Styles Characteristics Reflective Thinkers
- view new information subjectively
- relate new information to past experiences
- often ask "why?"
- examine their feelings about what they are learning
Creative Thinkers
- like to play with new information
- always ask "why?"
- make excellent troubleshooters
- create their own solutions and shortcuts
Practical Thinkers
- want factual information without any "nice-to-know" additions
- seek the simplest, most efficient way to do their work
- not satisfied until they know how to apply their new skills to their job or other interest
Conceptual Thinkers
- accept new information only after seeing the big picture
- want to know how things work, not just the final outcome
- learn the concepts that are presented but also want to know the related concepts that may not have been included
from http://online.rit.edu/faculty/teaching_strategies/adult_learners.cfm as downloaded on August 20, 2009
Learning Styles
Here are some of the main learning styles. Most people are predominantly one type of learner, but usually they can adapt to another style. Learners do tend to look for their preferred style in each learning situation because they associate that style with learning success. A online course that provides learning experiences for a variety of learning styles will increase the likelihood of learner success in the course.
Learning Styles Characteristics Teaching Strategies Visual Learners process new information best when it is visually illustrated or demonstrated
- graphics, illustrations
- images
- demonstrations
Auditory Learners process new information best when it is spoken
- lectures
- discussions
Kinesthetic Learners process new information best when it can be touched or manipulated
- written assignments, taking notes
- examination of objects
- participation in activities
Environmental Learners process new information best when it is presented in surroundings that match learner preferences (room temperature, lighting, seating, etc.)
- online learners can control their own learning environment to a larger extent than on-campus students!
from http://online.rit.edu/faculty/teaching_strategies/adult_learners.cfm as downloaded on August 20, 2009
