[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/evans_chair.jpg” caption=”Anthony Levinson, left, and John Evans. Photo credit: Chantall Van Raay”]The creation of an endowed chair in educational research and instructional development will stimulate and support innovation within McMaster University's renowned health professional education programs.

The chair will ensure that new learning technologies are integrated into the curriculum and also tested for their effectiveness through research.

The John R. Evans Chair in Health Sciences Educational Research and Instructional Development is named for the first dean of medicine who played a pivotal role in the development of McMaster's innovative medical school. The chair is supported with a
$1 million gift from Alcan Inc., where Evans previously served as chair of the board.

Anthony Levinson, 35, is the inaugural holder of the new endowed chair, and director of E-learning Innovation, in the Undergraduate Medical Program. The McMaster-trained psychiatrist and assistant professor has been incorporating electronic learning technologies into the new medial curriculum to be implemented in September with the incoming students of the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine.

The curriculum will draw on new learning technologies to strategically enhance and reinforce the self-directed and small group learning that is the hallmark of McMaster's medical program.

Peter George, McMaster president and vice chancellor, said that Alcan's gift represents a fabulous opportunity to build on Evans' pioneering efforts and provides resources to research new ways to teach that are just as revolutionary and exciting as problem-based learning (PBL) was in the 1960s.

“Once again McMaster will be setting the stage to transform the way medical schools and other health sciences programs around the world approach teaching and learning. This is a fabulous opportunity for McMaster to maintain the lead in health sciences education.”

“I am very excited about the opportunities that the John R. Evans Chair will bring in support of the design of new Web-based technology that will supplement the best approaches for combining classroom and clinical knowledge in problem solving.”

John Evans said: “It is a real privilege for me to renew my association with McMaster University and its dynamic Faculty of Health Sciences. I am indebted to Alcan and the University for making this honour possible.”

Levinson said there is great potential for new technologies to enhance health sciences education, but there is also the risk of 'side effects' and we need to study the effectiveness of these technologies and their ideal design and use.

“It is crucial to adopt a learner-centred approach, rather than a technology-centred approach. We need to have a better understanding of how people learn with different technologies, so that we can create the most effective resources to improve the learning of the professionals of tomorrow. Ultimately, our hope is to improve the health of society through better education.”

The new medical school curriculum places greater emphasis on ensuring its graduates have a solid grasp of fundamental mechanisms that impact health, and will be rolled out for first year students after more than two years of intensive planning. It has been developed by a large team of faculty members from many disciplines, led by Alan Neville, assistant dean of the medical school program, and professor Geoff Norman, assistant dean of the Program of Educational Research and Development for the Faculty of Health Sciences.

John Kelton, dean and vice-president of the Faculty of Health Sciences and dean of the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, said the revamped curriculum will use the newest, most effective techniques to train tomorrow's doctors.

“We've always been on the revolutionary edge at the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine: PBL is used at least in part at more than 200 medical schools worldwide and our students are considered among the best trained. We're leading the way again with these new developments, and Dr. Levinson's work will provide significant enhancements.”

Susan Denburg, associate dean, academic of the Faculty of Health Sciences, said Levinson's creative energy and appreciation of the potential for use of electronic media will bolster all educational undertakings in the Faculty's health professional programs. Levinson is working with colleagues in all of these programs.

“He is an excellent collaborator and a stimulus for innovation in the faculty.”

She said the MD curriculum change is the first significant change in many years.

“This curriculum renewal led by a committed group of faculty and students from within and outside the MD program, has involved scrutiny of every aspect of the program – nothing was sacred,” said Denburg. “While it remains true to the tenets of problem-based learning, it will set a new standard for evidenced-based curriculum development.”