Managing the tension: From innovation to application in health professions education

Abstract

Innovations in education are essential for solving problems and introducing new ways of thinking. However, implementation of these innovations must take several factors into consideration, including the context, the environment, the stakeholders, the technology needed, the cost, the pace of implementation, appropriateness, and available resources. When these factors are not balanced and considered, tensions arise. This paper describes tensions in five major educational domains, namely curriculum, instruction, assessment, accreditation/regulation, and faculty development. For each of these domains, the typical problems are described, and solutions are presented to manage the tension.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no declaration of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ara Tekian

Ara Tekian, PhD, MHPE, is Professor, Department of Medical Education, and the Associate Dean for the Office of International Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.

Ronald M. Harden

Ronald M. Harden, MD, was formerly Professor of Medical Education and Director of the Centre for Medical Education, Teaching Dean and Postgraduate Dean at the University of Dundee, Scotland. He is currently General Secretary of the Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE) and is the Editor of Medical Teacher.

David A. Cook

David Cook, MD, MHPE, is professor of medicine and medical education, associate director, Office of Applied Scholarship and Education Science, and consultant, Division of General Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota.

Yvonne Steinert

Yvonne Steinert, PhD, is Professor of Family Medicine and Health Sciences Education, the Director of the Institute of Health Sciences Education (formerly the Centre for Medical Education), and the Richard and Sylvia Cruess Chair in Medical Education at McGill University in Montreal, Canada.

Daniel Hunt

Dan Hunt, MD, MBA, was Assistant Secretary; Liaison Committee on Medical Education; Senior Director of Accreditation Services, Association of American Medical Colleges, Washington, DC, USA.

John Norcini

John Norcini, PhD, is President Emeritus, the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER), in Philadelphia, PA, USA.