Content
Unit content can take a variety of forms depending on your access to, and aptitude for, the technical components of development. The basic format can be text-based, audio, or audiovisual. Voice-over slides (or Prezi) can be effective, and video is typically a more engaging format for a significant portion of learners. Also, these formats are not mutually exclusive, one section of a unit may be text-based and could be followed by a video component. The choice of format should be driven by your assessment of the best mechanism to aid learners' absorption of the content.
We are happy to discuss alternative content structure approaches with you (email us to get started).
Assessment
Assessment can be both formative - built into a unit (ala case questions) to help shape and reinforce knowledge - and summative - an overall measure of learning after the activity is concluded. The latter is an AMA-required element of enduring materials; the former is a good practice to engage and guide learners.
A typical summative approach is to use one or series of multiple-choice or similarly structured questions to assess learner knowledge gleaned from the activity. This is the easiest to construct and probably the one most liked by your learners, who have developed and honed that particular skill throughout their years of education. But this isn't the only mechanism, and assessment approaches can be tweaked based on the overall objectives of the unit and/or the program into which it is built.
We are happy to discuss alternative assessment methods with you (email us to get started).
Architecture of A Case-Based Unit
- Case-based
- The case-based approach is typically more engaging, so use it whenever possible
- We like to include a minimum of two cases; many of our activities include several cases
- Tie cases directly to your learning objectives for the activity
- If you choose to use just one case, it is recommended that you insert questions throughout the case
- Questions
- Incorporate at least three questions into the body of the course per hour of content
- Include a post-test. The questions should reflect the course’s learning objectives (i.e., the “take away” information)
- Length
- The content should be long enough to take at least 15 minutes to complete
- The overall unit can be structured for any length in 15-minute increments
- The typical word count for approximately one hour of content (without bibliography) is 2,500 – 3,500
- Tables and graphics are encouraged but not required - but a picture is worth a thousand words as the saying goes.
- References should be used throughout the unit and must be provided as a list at the end
Architecture of A Case-Based Unit
- Along with other possible methods for structuring content, the basic military approach can be beneficial as an overall approach: Tell 'em what you're gonna tell 'em; tell 'em; tell 'em what you told 'em
- Learning Objectives - include a minimum of three learning objectives per hour of content
- Clearly establish goals that should result in “closing the gaps” that have been identified in your target audience. What should your participants be able to do (or do better) after completing the course?
- Should be clear, specific and measurable
- Show what changes are anticipated
- Provide the means by which to evaluate the activity’s effectiveness
- Introduction to the course: provide a clear and concise introduction to the course
- First case or if you are using only one case, then first part of the case
- Question One
- Answer to Question
- Discussion of Answer - should be succinct and relate to the learning objectives
- Second case or second part of case
- Question Two
- Answer to Question
- Discussion of Answer
- Etc. for as many case questions that you want to include
- Summary or conclusion
- Post-test
- Include 4-6 questions
- Questions should be different from the questions included in the body of the course
- References
Tips for Writing Questions
- If you are including numbers in your answers then they should be in order from smallest to largest. Please see example below.
- HbA1c should be < 5%
- HbA1c should be < 6.5%
- HbA1c should be < 9%
- Try to avoid “none of the above” or “all of the above” answer options.
- Avoid “duh” questions. Research where the misconceptions are and test on those to reinforce the evidence. Physicians are great test takers, make the test challenging!
- Try to avoid negative questions (i.e. – “is not”) that can be confusing and force the participant to read the question several times.
- Try to avoid true/false questions or yes/no questions.
- Pilot test the questions among colleagues to assure clarity.