Curriculum Tracking
The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
The Curriculum Tracking Form is a preclinical science evaluation tool that is completed by volunteer students (called "trackers") for each lecture, small group session, and lab to record the aging content elements, time spent (in minutes), and evaluation/quality of the content of the presentation (via a numeric 1-5 rating and trackers' comments). Students complete pre-printed tracking forms prepared for each class and submit these for analysis to the evaluation team. Minutes of aging content are recorded with the mean and range of minutes and rating. Students' evaluation comments and suggestions are collected for distribution to course directors to maximize continuous quality improvement. "Dose" Methodology describes the process used at Brown University.
The overall educational objective is to measure the amount of aging content in the curriculum and identify aging-relevant content in pre-clinical courses that is successful and/or needs improvement. Also, 1. Program directors and course leaders receive prompt feedback about the amount and quality of aging-relevant material in each course. 2. Trackers provide practical suggestions for improvement. 3. Trackers are stakeholders who know that their input impacts the curriculum directly.
Using the course schedule, tracking forms are pre-printed for all classes. Interested volunteers are recruited each semester to participate through an email to the class, followed by an informational session to describe how forms are filled out and returned via campus mail to program evaluators. We recruit 2-4 conscientious students per MS1 and MS2 class as trackers and provide an honorarium of $125 for students who successfully complete the semester's tracking.