The second in a series of six short articles for delegates who have attended the Oxford Medical Training Teach the Teacher Course for Doctors.
Top Tip #2: Teach for optimal learning.
Great teachers bear in mind how, where and when most learning takes place.
What’s changed since you attended the Teach the Teacher Course for Doctors?
You may have had experimented with new ideas, really put yourself out there and had some fantastic successes – or you may not. Some delegates won’t have even attempted to implement any of the ideas that they had during the two day event. Others will have been brave enough to try something different – only to find it all went wrong. What to do? Retreat back to the comfort of the old ways or soldier on in the belief that improvements are within your grasp?
On page 17 of Teaching Skills for Doctors, the book which you received at the course, we focus on the 70:20:10 principle:
- 10% of what is learned comes from courses and books
- 20% comes from interaction and discussion with other people
- 70% comes from stretching experiences in demanding jobs.
It’s possible to take this principle and conclude that there is little point in attending courses – other than to gather CPD points or tick the box. I’m sure you can recall plenty of events which you have attended which had minimal or no impact on what you think, do or are capable of. Come to think of it, why should anyone come to your teaching event if that is not where learning really happens?
Of course, there is a different way to interpret the 70:20:10 principle. For courses and teaching events to make any real impression the learners must be able to interact and discuss their ideas with each other. Better still if they include genuine stretching experiences which they can relate to relevant situations. The experiences must be carefully judged. Too easy or too comfortable and little learning takes places. Too stressful and the learner may panic, resulting in fight, flight or freeze reactions which inhibit and disrupt learning.
A well-structured teaching event happens within context, rather than in isolation. Great teachers know that much of the lasting development will take place in the following days, weeks and months. Learners reflect and talk to friends and colleagues to construct their own ideas. They test concepts then confirm or reject them as relevant or irrelevant to their world. Great teachers don’t just know this – they actually use it to their advantage.
Teachers can encourage discussion after the event, give assignments, recommend experimentation and use a variety of methods to re-engage the learner’s thinking – as we are doing here with our Top Tips for Great Teaching Practice.
Rather than leaving all of this to chance, Great Teachers put time and effort into designing their activities. They structure what needs to happen before, during and after the event to ensure the optimal learning experience.
We’ll write to you again within the next two weeks with our next Top Tip for Great Teaching Practice.
Stephen McGuire – Head of Development
