posted on April 12: $1M endowed gift supports health sciences education research

Research into health sciences education embarked on a new journey of discovery Thursday with the support of a $1-million gift from Alcan Inc.

The endowed gift, which will be matched by the University, will create the John R. Evans Chair in Health Sciences Education Research. The chair is named in honour of John Evans, the founding dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences. Evans held the post from 1965 until 1972.

During that time, Evans was instrumental in cementing the concept of problem-based learning (PBL) where students learn through pre-assigned clinical problems, discussion and debates in small group settings and address real-life situations. The PBL approach to learning has been adopted at several academic institutions and is now an integral part of the curriculum in medical schools and health care programs worldwide.

“The creation of the John R. Evans Chair in Health Science Education Research is a pivotal occasion for health sciences at McMaster,” said President Peter George. “There are many of Dr. Evans's disciples scattered around the world. The John R. Evans Chair will further enhance his legacy.”

In accepting the donation, President George said that Alcan's gift will enable McMaster to make educational breakthroughs in how technology and computer-based learning are integrated with clinical experience to produce better doctors and health care professionals.

John Kelton, dean and vice-president of the Faculty of Health Sciences , said the creation of the chair will help the Faculty “reinvent Dr. Evans' McMaster method and update it.”

Kelton said most of the medical education curriculum will be electronically-based in the future.

The chair will be a senior specialist in learning technology, added Susan Denburg, the Faculty's associate dean academic.

“McMaster stands on the brink of another medical education breakthrough,” she said. The chairholder's research will focus on how students develop reasoning skills to make them experts and what role computer learning technologies can and do play in this process.

Alcan Inc. president Travis Engen said his company's contribution is in recognition of Evans' business and community service. Evans is Alcan's retiring chair of the board, having served from 1995 to 2002.

“Alcan has had a long-standing commitment to the area of education and health,” said Engen. “We have always valued these types of activities in our community investments as they relate directly to our employees and their families, as well as the communities in which we do business.”