The Role of Collaborative Reflection in a Faculty Community: A Translational Sciences Education Case Study

• In Event: Roundtable Session 19
  In Roundtable Session: Studies of How Trainees Grow Into Professional Roles

Abstract

In a 15-month case study, this project explored how a faculty community advanced their understanding of a novel translational sciences curriculum implementation. Community of practice and distributed cognition theories undergirded the study. Data sources included observation of teaching and meetings, meeting agendas, interviews, and community artifacts. Results indicate that specific work episodes triggered collaborative reflection within the community. Collaborative reflection facilitated decision-making on instructional and pedagogical content and process and curricular content. Collaborative reflection promoted faculty learning in instruction, assessment, individual knowledge, and about students’ learning. A process of instructional development emerged emphasizing collective teaching observation and collaborative reflection and evaluation.

Author

• Christina M. Cestone, The University of Texas - Medical Branch at Galveston