Example of Applying Moderator Cards to a Teaching Activity

Worked Example of Applying Moderator Cards to a Teaching Activity

The following serves as a worked example for developing an uncertainty tolerance teaching activity using the resources in this handbook. This is based on the exemplar activity presented in Chapter 11: Foundational Medical Science.

As a clinical anatomy educator, my first encounter with learners are first year medical students in their second semester of university. This learner population has relatively low subject proficiency as it relates to both the discipline (anatomy) and the educational context (university). This learner population tends to be merit-minded, as inflexible assessment entrance exams made up a large portion of their assessments for medical school entry. Furthermore, scientific disciplines tend to form much of the pre-requisite knowledge for medical school entry, with many in this learner population having an objective worldview influenced by this background.

Below are the moderator cards applicable to this learner population:

Given these learner-sourced moderators, I decided to introduce career value of learning to manage the uncertainty as a doctor by re-telling a clinical case which illustrates how assuming ‘certainty’ led to patient harm. In addition, I decided an orientation to the learning environment would also be valuable. I introduce the uncertainty by setting a team-based task of working through a grey case. Knowing that the learners are most likely unprepared for adaptively responding to this uncertainty stimulus (given the learner-sourced moderators of this population), I build in further moderators which support learners’ uncertainty tolerance development. For these learners with lower subject mastery, the orientation includes clear role descriptions within the diverse teams, and an outline of how to engage in diverse teamwork as the group discusses and addresses the grey case.

Below are the moderator cards the educator introduced:

I also consider moderators at the institutional level. For instance, as I develop and review this activity I consider engaging with a community of practice of fellow educators interested in uncertainty tolerance teaching approaches to help me manage my own uncertainty in this educational context. The institution in which this activity is delivered has clear workforce performance standards, which value innovative teaching approaches such as this activity – further supporting the ability to deliver this uncertainty tolerance teaching activity.

Below are the moderator cards that need to be considered related to the institution:

This teaching activity relies on the assistance of a group of facilitators, who participate in training specific to grey cases. This training includes instruction on how to engage in intellectual candour – empathising with the learners’ experiences of frustration and discomfort when managing the uncertainty associated with the grey case while also explaining strategies that helped us address the uncertainty. Because there are multiple moderators supporting learners’ uncertainty tolerance, I decide to introduce the moderator responsible for knowledge by having an individual student within each group reporting out to the whole class the key elements of their discussions about the grey case. I decided to do this to help learners gain experience with being responsible for knowledge, a skill they will require in their future careers. This moderator is especially relevant once the learners gain experience with the grey case format across a unit of study by scaffolding uncertainty through the curriculum. The biggest challenge in assessment is related to the inflexible assessments we are required to deliver. Thus the uncertainty tolerance teaching activity is developed with flexible, formative assessment approaches in mind.

Below are the additional moderator cards introduced during the activity and to assess the uncertainty tolerance teaching activity: