University of Maryland Graduate School

Monthly Pearls

• December 2020 | Service Learning in PA Education

  • Service learning is an educational method in which students engage in service projects designed to solve real problems within communities as part of their experiential learning opportunities.   

    To read more about the importance of this educational approach, view this article from Clinical Advisor: https://www.clinicaladvisor.com/home/meeting-coverage/aapa-2019-annual-meeting/pa-students-to-benefit-from-service-learning-interprofessional-education/#:~:text=Service%20learning%20in%20the%20form,at%20the%20American%20Academy%20of 

    To learn more about how a group of PA students are serving their community, view the following article: 

    https://www.salus.edu/Colleges/Health-Sciences-Education-Rehabilitation/Physician-Assistant/Service-Learning.aspx

• November 2020 | Interprofessional Education (IPE)

  • Interprofessional (IPE) learning experiences are essential for equipping future PAs with the skills needed to effectively engage on healthcare teams and deliver value-based care. The Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) website provides a robust collection of IPE educational and research-related resources, links to training opportunities, and pre-recorded webinars. You can visit the IPEC website here: https://www.ipecollaborative.org/about-ipec.html

• October 2020 | Well-being 
  • Well-being is vital for all PA providers. The American Academy of PAs provides information on Burnout within the PA profession as well as resources for focusing on enhancing well-being. Checkout the following AAPA joint task force factsheet on burnout: well-being here: https://www.aapa.org/download/65288/

• September 2020 | Simulation in the PA Community

• July 2020 | Adaptive Teaching in the Face of COVID-19 
  • This Inside Higher Ed article summarizes research on student satisfaction with online education during the emergency transition to online learning. Students were much more engaged and satisfied with courses that  incorporated some evidence-based best practices, such as live Q and A sessions, real-world examples, and frequent assessments.
  • The University of Maryland, Baltimore's Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning created a short video to help faculty think about balancing synchronous (real-time) activities, like Zoom conferences, with asynchronous (not real-time) activities in a learning management system like Blackboard or Canvas.
  • PAEA has provided Tips for Online Teaching. Their Digital Learning Hub is a rich repository of resources as well.
  • The University System of Maryland's Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation has compiled a list of online teaching resources.

• June 2020 | Diversity, Equity and Inclusion 

• April 2020 | PA Education: A Primer

• March 2020 | Feedback Part 1, Feedback Part 2

Best Practices for Giving Feedback in an Active Learning Environment

• February 2020 | Evolution of learning theories & Current application to adult learning

The Evolution of Learning Theories: The theories behind designing learning experiences for competency-based education.

• January 2020 | Designing a Learning Event

Designing a Learning Event: Understanding the importance of learning outcomes from the top down.