ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTIONS

Evidence-Based Teaching Project Overview:

  • The Evidence-Based Teaching (EBT) Project represents the specific application of course content to the practices of the learners; therefore, it is expected that learners’ projects will represent a departure from key aspects of their current teaching practice, to achieve the goal of improving their effectiveness as evidence-based teachers in the health professions.
  • This project is subdivided into components (see below) which learners submit in sequence in order to facilitate timely feedback from the course faculty. This will help ensure the maximum effectiveness of each learner; therefore, timely submission is expected of all learners.
  • Each learner will select a topic and learners for classroom, seminar, clinical or faculty/staff development instruction (as appropriate to his/her own current teaching in the health professions). He or she will use the Evidence-Based Teaching (EBT) Project Plan to develop the change to his/her current teaching practices; the course faculty will review and provide feedback on the plan prior to implementation. The EBT Project Plan will include topic (the overall focus of the teaching), learner needs assessment (what each participant’s own learners already know related to this topic), learning objectives (what the participants’ learners will know/be able to do as a result of the teaching), content outline (what will actually happen in the teaching over what period of time), instructional strategies/media (evidence-based ways to enhance the learning), plans for evaluation of learning (levels of mastery of participants’ learners) and plans for learners’ evaluation of the teaching. Based on course faculty’s feedback on the EBT Project Plan, learners will refine and more fully develop each separate component of the overall project. (See description, weight and due date of each component below.)
  • The course faculty will, whenever possible, observe and provide feedback on the actual delivery of the EBT Project.If the project implementation is observed by a colleague or preceptor, that person will be asked to complete the Feedback form.
  • The learners will complete the EBT Project Final Report and Presentation using course rubrics. The final report will include a substantive self-evaluation by each learner of his/her own learning and development as an evidence-based teacher in the health professions over this semester.
  • The course faculty will use the EBT Project Evaluation rubric to evaluate the written report and PowerPoint (or other presentation tool) used for in-class presentation.
  • The learners in the course will use the course peer review rubric for providing feedback to classmates on their EBT Projects and will each respond to feedback received.

Evidence-Based Teaching Project Components:

Evidence-Based Teaching Project Plan and Objectives (10% of course grade – DUE Feb. 14)

The teaching project plan should be clearly stated and should include the following:

  • project topic/title with brief rationale
  • learner objectives
  • brief content outline and duration
  • description of learners and number anticipated
  • setting and length of presentation(s) [when known, include the date, time and location of the presentation(s) so that faculty can plan to attend the class]
  • planned teaching strategies/media
  • plans for evaluation of learning
  • plan for learners’ evaluation of teaching

NOTE that specific tools for needs assessment, final evaluation or learners’ feedback are not needed at this time. A general description of each is sufficient.

Learner Needs Assessment (5 % of course grade – DUE Feb. 28)

The learner needs assessment is designed and implemented in order to determine your learners’ current knowledge/skill level and the gap between that current level and the anticipated outcome(s) of the EBT Project. Describe the strategy you will use fordocumenting your learners’ background in the topic of your project; include the tool you have created/are using (with source, if not original) and how results will be scored/evaluated.

Literature Review (15% of course grade – DUE Mar. 13)

The literature review may focus on (a) the content to be presented and/or (b) teaching strategies/media to be used. Create abstracts for at least three evidence-based articles using APA format. Each abstract should be approximately 150-250 words. The literature review will include a rating of the quality of evidence provided by each source (tool provided). You will upload your completed literature review to the course website for all to access, after responding to course faculty feedback as appropriate.

Instructional Strategies/Media (5% of course grade – Mar. 20)

Describe the instructional strategies/media to be used in the EBT Project and relate each of them to the learner objectives. Specify how these strategies/tools are an evidence-based departure from your customary teaching practices, and predict what different results you hope to see demonstrated by your learners.

Evaluation Items and Rubric/Scoring Tool (10% of course grade – Mar. 27)

Create an evaluation tool and design a rubric/scoring tool that can be used to measure your learners’ attainment of the objectives. In addition, create a tool for your learners to provide specific feedback on your teaching and the quality of their learning experience.

EBT Project Final Report (20% of course grade – DUE Apr. 17; Presentation DUE Apr. 24 (Group A) or May 1 (Group B); Self-Evaluation DUE May 1)

  • Overall: Shows evidence of having applied course faculty feedback

regarding previously submitted project components toenhance

quality of the EBT Project

  • Topic stated, with rationale for its importance; objectives clearly

stated and measureable10%

  • Content outline logical and consistent with objectives; timing clear20%
  • Teaching strategy(ies)/media correctly used and appropriate for

learners, content and objectives; rationale clearly stated, with

citations from literature review as appropriate10%

  • Test questions/evaluation method appropriate for learners,

content and objectives; scores received by the learners, reported as

group data10%

  • Appropriate evaluation tool developed for learner feedback;

summary of feedback to the teacher10%

  • Presentation of EBT Project to class20%
  • Self-evaluation of learning throughout this project, including goals

for continued professional growth as an evidence-based teacher20%

Total (20% of overall course grade): 100%

Peer Review (5 % of course grade – DUE Apr. 24)

Use assigned tool to evaluate the EBT Project of an assigned classmates.

Response to feedback from Peer Review (5% of course grade – DUE May 1)

Respond to the peer review provided by the assigned classmates.