Atlanta (PRWEB) November 08, 2017 -- The American Dental Education Association (ADEA) and the Academy for Academic Leadership (AAL) held the 2017 Institute for Teaching and Learning (ITL) at the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center in Atlanta on August 17–19 and October 16–18, 2017. An intense professional development program for early- and mid-career health professions faculty, as well as private practitioners who are interested in academia, the program’s purpose is to help participants become master educators.
The 2017 ADEA/AAL ITL class included 57 participants. “A quality educational experience is only possible through informed teaching and active learning,” said Richard W. Valachovic, D.M.D., MPH, President and CEO of ADEA. “Master educators are united in their quest for pedagogical excellence.”
Program statistics speak volumes—97 percent of ITL graduates report a positive or highly positive experience with the program. There are now 675 ITL alumni since the program launched in 2006.
“We know from participants directly and from the educational research conducted by our instructors that the curriculum stays current and is doing what it is supposed to do,” said N. Karl Haden, Ph.D., President and CEO of AAL. “We are preparing faculty with the teaching skills they need to understand and effectively communicate with today’s students.”
Of the ITL experience, Dr. Jared Cardon, the Keesler Endodontics Program Director at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, explained, “It refined my whole outlook on teaching. I was introduced to a vast array of educational principles that will benefit my students forever. I am so excited to get back to work and implement so many aspects of the training I received. This course has inspired me to achieve educational goals for the rest of my life.”
In two phases over six days, the program also included a between-phases assignment. Participants refined their teaching skills, enhanced the quality of their interactions with students, and developed other skills to increase their confidence, job satisfaction, and professional growth in the academic environment. They learned from experts in pedagogy, curriculum development, and higher education administration and leadership.
In addition to learning from the award-winning ITL instructors, participants networked with dozens of colleagues—an ITL feature that was highly valued by program participants. Professor Laura Manning-Lee, of the University of Detroit Mercy Department of Periodontology and Dental Hygiene, described the collaboration as “interactive round table activities that will spark or reignite the desired leadership role within each ITL scholar."
To date, a total of 246 tuition scholarships have been provided for individuals to participate in the ITL. Next year’s ITL will be comprised of a four-day onsite session from August 27 to 30, 2018, with additional online support and interaction. For more information, please visit http://www.aalgroup.org/ITL or call 404-350-2098.
About ADEA:
The American Dental Education Association (ADEA) is The Voice of Dental Education. Its members include all 76 U.S. and Canadian dental schools, over 800 allied and advanced dental education programs, 66 corporations and more than 20,000 individuals. The mission of ADEA is to lead institutions and individuals in the dental education community to address contemporary issues influencing education, research and the delivery of oral health care for the overall health and safety of the public. ADEA’s activities encompass a wide range of research, advocacy, faculty development, meetings and communications, including the esteemed Journal of Dental Education, as well as the dental school application services ADEA AADSAS®, ADEA PASS®, ADEA DHCAS® and ADEA CAAPID®. For more information about ADEA, visit adea.org.
About AAL:
AAL is a collaborative of scholars, educational specialists, and leaders who have, for more than a decade, assisted institutions and organizations to strengthen their unique value to the people they serve. AAL achieves its mission through professional development and consulting services. AAL’s clients and partners include universities, associations, and corporations worldwide. More information about AAL and its clients, programs, and consulting staff can be found at aalgroup.org.
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Allison Battista, Academy for Academic Leadership - AAL, http://www.aalgroup.org/, +1 (404) 528-2355, [email protected]
SOURCE Academy for Academic Leadership - AAL
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