Baker & Eley-Sanders to Present “Strategies to Recognize & Address Implicit or Explicit Bias in Small Group Teaching “

The IAMSE 2021 Spring webinar series will explore strategies for inclusive teaching. Recognizing that unconscious bias is a crucial and contributory step in this endeavor, this series will begin by exploring how to recognize unconscious bias and create diverse, inclusive and equitable content for both the basic science curriculum and the clinical learning environment. The second session in the series will feature Charlotte Baker and Karen Ely-Sanders from Virginia Tech Carillion School of Medicine.

Strategies to Recognize and Address Implicit or Explicit Bias in Small Group Teaching 
Presenters: Charlotte Baker DrPH, MPH, CPH and Karen Ely-Sanders MS, EdD
Session: March 11, 2021 at 12pm Eastern Time

Health science education is undergoing a revolution towards utilizing small group teaching settings to provide students with opportunities to apply basic science principles to clinical cases. These sessions may include traditional problem-based learning, clinical skills groups, case-based applications and other approaches. Inherent in these approaches is the important educational value of individual socialization. In an inclusive learning setting, diversity among students and faculty working together in close proximity heightens and enriches the learning experience. However, the existence of implicit and even explicit bias can sabotage the learning environment by disenfranchising individuals. As medical learners and educators, we have the shared goal of fostering an inclusive learning environment. To that end, this webinar will highlight real-world examples of bias and micro-aggressions that could occur in the small group setting. These examples will not only be demonstrated and discussed, but subsequently followed by constructive strategies faculty and students can use to address bias in the learning environment. Using role play and interactive discussions, this webinar will help equip faculty and students with the tools needed to foster a welcoming, healthy, and productive learning environment.