Educational Scholarship at SMHS

An Introduction to Educational Scholarship

Educational scholarship in medical education is a dynamic field that extends beyond traditional research paradigms. It encompasses a broad range of activities aimed at advancing teaching and learning in healthcare professions. Ernest Boyer's model of scholarship  provides a comprehensive framework, categorizing scholarly work into four domains: discovery, integration, application, and teaching. This model has been widely adopted in academia, recognizing that scholarship includes not only original research but also the synthesis of information across disciplines, the application of knowledge to real-world problems, and the systematic study of teaching and learning processes. For medical educators, engaging in educational scholarship offers opportunities to improve curriculum design, enhance teaching methodologies, and ultimately contribute to better patient care through improved educational outcomes. By embracing educational scholarship, medical educators can contribute to the advancement of their field while simultaneously enhancing their own professional development and career progression.

Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship (TLAS) can assist with:

• Identifying areas of interest and gaps in knowledge
• Formulating clear and answerable research questions
• Determining an overview and appropriateness of specific methodologies relevant in Medical Education and Health Sciences
• Determining resources about research design and analysis
• Providing assistance and information on the IRB Process and Requirements

• Monthly TLAS Faculty Development Sessions:  Trainings provided on the second Wednesday of each month August-May via zoom on topics related to teaching, learning, and scholarship
• Teaching Learning and Scholarship Lending Library: A curated library available available for faculty and staff to check out on the 4th Floor in Educational Resources (E438)
• TLAS Teaching Academy: An intensive summer program provided to a cohort of faculty at SMHS where participants take part in faculty development workshops, online modules, and 1:1 coaching and mentoring to create an independent learning project to be used with students, faculty, and staff in your department for publication

Internal Funding Opportunities

• UND Funding Opportunities: A website that addresses funding and development opportunities at the University of North Dakota
• Grant Forward: A search engine dedicated to helping institutions and individuals find grants to fund their research

External Funding Opportunities

• Government Grants
• National Science Foundation Grants
• AAMC Grants for Medical Education
• National Institute of Health (NIH Grants)

Writing for Publication

• Guidelines for Writing Scholarly Articles
  • UND Lib Guide - Best Practices for Communicating Your Research
  • Ten Simple Rules for Writing Research Papers (Zhang,W)
  • How to Publish a Scientific Article (University of California-Berkeley Library)
  • 5 Practical Tips for Writing an Academic Article
  • Writing for Impact: How to Prepare a Journal Article (Ibrahim, A, et al.)
• Tips for Selecting Appropriate Journals
  • UND Lib Guide - Publishing Strategies
  • Effective Publication Strategies: 12 Tips for Selecting the Right Journal for Your Research and Scholarship (AAMC)
  • How to Choose a Journal to Submit an Article (Elsevier)
  • How to Select a Journal for Your Research (Ramia, J.)
• Resources for Improving Writing Skills
  • UND Writing Center
  • One Month of Writing Improvement (University of Oxford, Centre for Teaching and Learning)
  • Ten Tips for Effective Research Writing (University of Waterloo)

Presentations & Conferences

• National and International Conferences on Educational Scholarship
  • Educase
  • Anthology Together
  • AMEE
  • HIMMS
  • Medical Library Association
  • AAMC Group on Educational Affairs (CGEA)
• Guidelines for preparing effective presentations and posters
  • Tips for a Great Presentation (UC Riverside School of Medicine Faculty Development)
  • Seven Tips for Creating Powerful Oral Presentations (Harvard Medical School)
  • Creating Effective and Engaging Presentations (University of Michigan Medical School)

Journal & Publication Databases

• SMHS Library Website: Links to relevant journals and databases
• Chester Fritz Library
• Scholarly Commons & Open Access Resources

Institutional Repository

• 2023 TLAS Teaching Academy Repository
• Scholarly Commons Deposit Form

Learning Management Systems

• Blackboard
• Leo

Statistical and Qualitative Analysis Software

• Qualtrics
• SPSS
• PowerBI
• RStudio

Institutional Polices & Resources

• University of North Dakota Policies for SMHS
• Faculty Handbook
• Lab Safety Manual
• Research Compliance and Ethics
• Institutional Review Board
• Tips for Researchers

Best Practices Resources

• A Six Step Approach to Developing an Educational Research Plan (Brody School of Medicine)
• Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Projects (SoTL)
• Educational Research: A Practical Guide (Queen's University)

SMHS faculty and staff who are interested in and motivated to prioritize teaching, learning, and educational scholarship are invited to work through our leveled TLAS badging programs

TLAS offers two faculty-development and teaching/learning-focused badge programs. If you feel you have met the criteria for any of these, please contact adrienne.salentiny@und.edu or andrea.guthridge@und.edu with a list of activities and evidence toward badge completion! 

Educator-Scholar badges focus on activities around teaching, learning, instructional design, and educational scholarship. Criteria for each of the three levels are available:

• Educator-Scholar Level 1
• Educator-Scholar Level 2
• Educator-Scholar Level 3