I teach clinical, anatomy and physiology classes. However, anatomy and physiology is the foundation of medical studies. I am anxious to incorporate the t-shirt assessment, shower cap brain anatomy, and spaghetti muscle exercises into my anatomy and physiology classes. It’s a strong learning strategy for visual and tactile learners. These strategies will make a significant impact on understanding anatomy. I have found that using acronyms with a story tied to it for remembering aspects of anatomy and physiology are helpful.
I create scenarios from experience for teaching students to handle problems, complaints and mistakes that arise in practice. I typed and laminated the scenarios and have students randomly draw from a bag. The students have to role-play how the situation would be handled. This leads to some great class discussions on proper ways to resolve problems, and how to deal with HIPAA or ethical issues. This has become a very successful way of getting my students to use critical thinking, triaging, and problem solving in actual pharmacy practice.
Dr. Cheryl, I am so glad you have found some new tools and activities from the course. Enjoy!
Michele Deck
Vickie, thank you for sharing your successful approach to real world scenarios. Your students are lucky to have you use this activity because it will improve their skills when they are in the job world.
Michele Deck
Event cards are a great way to get the student thinking during a lab competency. They need to rely on their brain and not their book.
We have not used any of the creative teaching strategies. I think that our staff members should use event cards in the senior phase because they make the students think through real-world situations. The teachers can assess their teaching skills and the students critical thinking skills. I think that it is a great idea for our students to use gestures/signs to communicate with professionals in the field when they go on their externships.
Event cards they are very helpful when you are trying to assess the students level of critical thinking skills they have and what do they still need to work on.
Laura, creating and using event cards can simulate real world job events in a safe environment for learners.
Michele Deck
In the past I have made up cards with names of meds on them and passed them around in post conference having the students pronounce them correctly. If they get it correct they may keep the card. I have found this to be a fun way to learn how to pronounce these dificult meds and it is very funny to hear how crazy some students pronounce some of them. We all get a good laugh and still learn in the process. At the end we count our cards and the winner gets a small reward. In the future I like the idea of the black out bingo especially. I have made scavenger lists with things on them such as Atrial fib and 4+ pitting edema for them to check off. They enjoy this also. I will use all the suggestions because I think they will all add to the learning experience.
In my x-ray position lab close as we come to a clinical setting we use a random draw on what x-ray exam they are going to position next, i also make up patients like the event cards and they have to demonstrate how they would handle the situation.
Jamie, this is a marvelous way to get your learners to think critically...nice job
Michele Deck
Set up a Mock clinic at the end of their clinical training to run through a day in the clinic from start to finish. So we had some students scheduling and admitting patients, we had patients with various problems, mock doctors , MA's to room the patient and preform any of the tests/procedures ordered by the mock Doctor. Then we would rotate. This way the students are practicing all of the skills they learned throughout their program before going on their externship.
Georgiajo, I'm so glad you are able to set up this simulation for your students to get some "real life" experience.
Michele Deck
I agree that a gameshow like playing jeopardy in class works because students see it more as fun than just a lecture and can remember funny moments.
I made cartoon characters out of the different equipment, i called my needles the sylvester needles after sylvester cat and my vials the tweety bird vials.
Jeopardy as groups has worked very nice as it serves as a distraction and fun learning activity for all. It’s a game with learning topics and students as a group need to come up with the answer then its revealed to all if its correct or not.
alma, it sounds like you not only ask students to play the game, but also to write the questions. This offers multiple visits to content.
Michele Deck
I play "pin the tail on the"; this exercise is used to identify all of the parts of the anesthesia machine, then state its function, and trace the flow of oxygen around the machine. I first have the students match the definition to the name of the part and create the cards. I then demonstrate by naming the part and "pinning" it to the machine. The students are given multiple opportunities to practice the skill. This is an important skill set for our students as anesthesia machines are often designed differently, so when faced with a new machine they will be able to do the same.
We teach dental assisting. One thing we do to help with critical thinking is with learning the set-ups for different procedures. They learn many different tray set-ups that can work alone or together. We give the student a scenario and they have to set up all of the appropriate instruments, chemicals, auxillaries etc. that are needed for that procedure.
Robin , this is an excellent critical thinking activity that simulates the real job.
Michele Deck
