New committee appointed for the TEL SIG

Following ASME’s update to the Terms of Reference for groups, the Technology Enhanced Learning Special Interest Group (TEL SIG) is pleased to announce that it has appointed a new committee. Their role is to lead and co-ordinate the Special Interest Group, along with the other members of the SIG, to ensure that it meets a need in the ASME Membership and contributes to scholarship in medical education more widely. Here is a quick intro to the new committee:

Terese Bird, Educational Designer, Leicester Medical School

With an academic background in Mathematics, Computer Science, Education, and TEL research, I joined Leicester Medical School in 2013 to lead the one-iPad-per-student programme. I believe educational innovations should be researched to examine efficacy and I have done so with the iPad programme and the many other initiatives at Leicester such as offline digital assessment, 3D printing for anatomy study, and virtual reality for clinical learning. I particularly enjoy working on research with undergraduate medical students, who have boundless energy and ideas, and who are the true stakeholders in medical education. For me, coming along to ASME was a natural step; I haven’t missed attending and presenting at ASME conferences since my first in 2015.

Looking forward, technology may provide special support to teach hugely mushrooming student numbers in medicine. Therefore, technological decisions for medical education should be made informed by evidence and by those who care about medicine and not just corporate interests. This is why I would love to help lead the TEL-research discussion in medical education, through the ASME TEL SIG.

When not working on such erudite thought experiments, I enjoy discussing and teaching Biblical theology alongside my husband, encountering the great outdoors and cool museums especially with our grandchildren, and repeatedly trying and failing to make authentic Chicago pizza in our Leicester kitchen.

 

Dr Colin Greengrass, Academic Director for Technology Enhanced Learning and Senior Lecturer in Pharmacology at RCSI Bahrain

I have been working in medical education for the past fifteen years principally within the Gulf region.

I have widely consulted on curriculum design within this region and I am, at present, the Academic Director for TEL here at RCSI Bahrain. My role was pivotal in equipping our campuses for online learning and assessment activities during the pandemic, which perhaps has indeed let the genie out of the bottle for good – TEL is here to stay!

I approach Med Ed from a neuroscience perspective, applying cognitive constructivist principles wherever I go!  My main areas of interest within Med Ed and TEL, are in scaffolding learning within a TEL environment, curriculum design based on interaction with diagnostic reasoning scaffolds, metacognitive processes in collaborative learning including IPE, and individualised monitoring of performance in collaborative learning environments. I also have a recent interest, as perhaps we all do, in how we can leverage (and try to control) the use of AI in medical education.

I have been a member of ASME since 2009.

Interests/activity outside of work? I’m from work to home every day with lots of little kiddies at home. The lights of my life!

 

Dr Lisa Quinn, Associate Professor in Medical Education, Leicester Medical School

I originally trained as a clinician, but have worked full time in medical education for the last 10 years. My current role is predominantly in teaching and assessment within the early years of UG medical education and as Deputy Programme Lead for the Masters in Clin Education. I am interested in the benefits (and potential pitfalls) of using technology to enhance student learning, and the role of tech in supporting assessment and feedback practices.

I have been involved with ASME SIG for a number of years and very much look forward to taking an active role as part of the Committee.   I am a regular attendee at the ASM conferences, which always offer great opportunities to share practice, while meeting lots of enthusiastic people with a keen interest in education.

Outside of work, I am owned by two rescue dogs, love mini-breaks away in my tiny caravan, and am (re-) learning to play the guitar.

 

Dr Jane Williams, ePortfolio and Professional Development Lead, MB ChB, University of Bristol

I have been involved with the use of technologies to support medical and more recently health sciences education at UG and PG level for over 30 years. Whilst I am interested in exploring and evaluating all things involving the use of digital tools to support learning and assessment, my core interests are students as agents of change and the professional development of students in preparing them for medical practice. I have been involved with ASME for many years, regularly attending the ASM and meeting other TEL colleagues and practitioners, and is definitely one of the highlights of my year, forming a major part of my own staff development. I have been a past chair of the ASME TEL SIG.

Outside of work, I am an obsessional plant collector and spend endless time in my garden. I also enjoy tap dancing (a form of drumming), yoga and walking the Southwest Coastal Path.

 

Mr Tim Vincent, SIG Chair and Senior Learning Technologist, Brighton and Sussex Medical School

With a background in medical sciences and then medical education at the Royal College of Physicians, I currently lead a small team supporting the effective use of digital technologies in teaching and learning and manage several digital resource projects. I also enjoy teaching on our postgraduate medical education programme and contributing to education research and academic texts.

I have been involved with the ASME TEL SIG for many years and attended and presented at ASM conferences. I greatly value the diverse network of colleagues that ASME provides and continue to benefit from the experience and passion of fellow medical educators. I feel it provides true value in sharing experiences and ideas, galvanising and encouraging the medical education community, nurturing the development of evidence-based educators, and the potential to influence practice and policy.

Outside of work, you may find me engaged in various activities such as running the home, running various church activities (including drumming), or running on the Sussex Downs!

The role of the TEL SIG

The recent rapid escalation of digital tools (e.g. online teaching, AR/VR, artificial intelligence) has entrenched the role of technology-enhanced learning in medical education and increases the demand for digital capabilities in both educators and learners. However, there remains a paucity of robust evidence base for pedagogical practice with digital methodologies – a typical challenge in education but more so with such a rapid proliferation of activity. We see the primary role of the TEL SIG to drive rigorous research methodologies and support the medical education community in the implementation of evidence-based practice in this area. We oversee the TEL strand at the ASM conference and offer prizes to promote sound research in TEL and we have occasional online meetings to co-ordinate events and share expertise.

We are actively seeking any ASME Members with an interest in digital education research to get involved with the TEL SIG. Sign up by contacting Tim Vincent via tel@asme.org.uk.

Alternatively, you can sign up to receive occasional communications about the TEL SIG by logging into your ASME Membership account and ticking the box next to Technology Enhanced Learning under Membership Preferences.