Online classes for dental educators launched

Apr 19, 2009

The American Dental Education Association (ADEA) and the Academy for Academic Leadership (AAL) will launch the ADEA/AAL Institute for Allied Health Educators as an online program this year, the ADEA announced.

The institute is a professional, online development program designed to prepare faculty in allied dental education for successful academic careers, according to the ADEA.

Over the past two years at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry, 61 allied health educators have participated in the program.

To give participants maximum flexibility and convenience, the online format will be divided into multiple, standalone phases, with several evening sessions and independent study exercises.

The first phase is the Teaching Foundations Program, and other thematic phases will follow. Educators enrolled in this program, whether beginners or seasoned faculty in need of a midcareer boost, will gain experience with key classroom and clinical teaching practices.

The Teaching Foundations Program will include the following:

Teaching effectively in the classroom and the clinic
Using case-based learning to enrich curriculum
Best practices for planning courses
Understanding students' learning styles
Generational diversity in health professions education
Working productively with struggling students
Creating portfolios for assessment

Phase I program dates:

Session 1: July 8, 2009
Session 2: July 15, 2009
Session 3: July 22, 2009
Session 4: July 29, 2009

All online sessions are held from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Eastern time.

Sixteen hours of ADA CERP credit are available for this course. The registration fee of $395 includes all four sessions and materials. Individuals may register for the 2009 Teaching Foundations Program by completing the application online at the AAL Web site. Paper applications may also be downloaded and mailed to AAL.

For more information about the program, contact AAL at [email protected] or 404-350-2098.