Description

Recent changes to undergraduate and postgraduate medical education place increased onus on doctors to teach well. This article presents some top tips for teaching in the context of education theories which underpin their use. Guidance is given on how to plan lectures and how to write learning objectives which are demonstrable and observable. The strengths and weaknesses of different teaching methods are discussed in the context of Blooms Taxonomy of Learning Objectives and deep and surface learning strategies. The structure of teaching sessions is discussed, touching on activation of prior learning, use of advanced organisers, pacing of teaching and incorporation of interactive methods. Maslows hierarchy of needs, Festingers Theory of Cognitive Dissonance, Knowles Andragogy, Kolbs Cycle of Experiential Learning and Sch??ns model of Reflective Practice are then discussed in turn, with practical tips based upon each. These discussions should provide colleagues not only with useful tips for teaching practice but also with a working knowledge of educational theories which are increasingly seen as mainstream knowledge by junior doctors and medical students.