INNOVATIVE TEACHING TOOLS IN MEDICINE

Purpose: To create innovative teaching tools in medicine
Introduction: Teaching any subject with vast spectrum of knowledge is a difficult task. At our institution, we developed many innovative ways of delivering the knowledge of nephrology ( a field of medicine) and allowing it to be a creative and fun experience.

Methods: We have developed following tools that are unique and useful in delivering the same message that a traditional lecture would give.

1. Nephrology Crosswords/Anagrams. These are designed by a fellow and faculty member keeping a specific topic of nephrology in mind (peritoneal dialysis, natremias). Active learning is seen and fellows are searching for answers to the clues and trying to solve the puzzle. It provides a nice review of the topic for them that can supplement the traditional lecture format.

2. Role Playing: Fellow and resident driven teaching tool. For example, each participant plays the role of an assigned immunosuppresive agent, with a brief introduction followed by discussion and debates ( staying, of course, in character). This tool is extrapolated further to involve disease states, devices and techniques depending on the topic of discussion.

3. Nephrology Blogs : We have created a blog nephronpower.com in 2009 with goal to further medical education by publishing interesting nephrology cases, journal clubs, quizzes and current news in Nephrology. Contributors to the blog include fellows, academic and private nephrologists from USA and around the world. Nephron Power gets over 100 site visits per day with average 200 page views per day from all over the world.

4. Creative Writing: Creative writing exercises encourage learning through reading in an entertaining way. For example, a case based discussion occurs in “Detective Nephron”, a comical strip that we have developed as a reading tool. This allows for a “Sherlock Holmes-Watson” and “Dr. House, M.D.” variant of teaching nephrology. This usually consists of a case presentation and teaching of an interesting nephrology-related case that leads to a final diagnosis at the end after “detective work”. It is written in dialogue form with humor but also allows for teaching pearls to be highlighted in a fun to read manner.

5. Concept Maps: Concept maps are links between major concepts. They include labeled arrows, linking phrases and major concepts. Learners construct knowledge while doing this exercise. When the educator has a learner create a concept map, they learn about the knowledge base of the learner(s) and the topic of discussion can be tailored to the group. Sample Nephrology oriented concept maps that we created can be found at http://www.nephronpower.com/search/label/concept%20maps. A website is available to create concept maps at http://cmap.ihmc.us/.

Results: We also conducted an online survey comparing the current traditional teaching methods with above mentioned innovative teaching tools. Survey was open to all students, residents, fellows, nephrologists and other physicians. More than 80% of the people said that incorporating these innovative teaching tools will increase the interest and increase recruitment to the field of Nephrology. Only 50% thought that the current teaching methods were adequate.

Conclusions: In addition to traditional teaching methods, there is a clear need and role of creative teaching tools in nephrology.