Medical Teacher, Vol. 14, No. 4, 1992

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Bulletin boards for faculty development

FRANCINE P. HEKELMAN, PAMELA B. GLOVER & SIM S . GALAZKA, Department of Family Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

SUMMARY Within the faculty development program of a Department of Family Medicine at a major research university, bulletin boards offer an alternative method for communicating new information, reinforcing knowledge previously acquired, and stimulating faculty to think about new ideas. This paper describes a jive-step strategy for integrating bulletin boards into a faculty development program.

Introduction The bulletin board has existed as a method for disseminating information for years and continues to be an effective teaching device for instructors who recognize its advantages. Bulletin boards can provide an interesting instructional alternative for conveying knowledge to large numbers of individuals in an organization (Cooper, 1975). As a standard part of most educational environments, the bulletin board provides a readily available opportunity for enhancing and enriching instruction and education (Tiemann, 1966). Effective application of the bulletin board as a method of instruction is dependent on the educator’s initiative, imagination and ingenuity in the design process (McCune & Meyer, 1959). One advantage of using bulletin boards as an instructional method is that the learner assimilates information at his or her own pace. In addition, bulletin boards can reinforce key concepts introduced in other educational activities, and can be used to sensitize learners to new concepts. Bulletin boards deliver “fast food” information that is content-dense, but quick to consume. The disadvantages, however, are that learners must be motivated to read bulletin boards. In addition, constraints on space and reading time demand that presentation be limited to key concepts. Finally, it is difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of bulletin boards because they are usually experienced individually. This paper describes a method for developing bulletin boards as an instructional

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medium for conveying information important to faculty and staff development. The paper is based upon the experience of the Department of Family Medicine at Case Western Reserve University. A five-step strategy for using the bulletin board as an instructional method is presented.

Using bulletin boards as an instructional method

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There are five steps involved in developing instructional bulletin boards: (1) obtaining the commitment required to implement the program, (2) defining educational content areas and objectives appropriate for the bulletin board, (3) developing a design to convey information and meet the educational objectives, (4) constructing the bulletin board, and (5) evaluating achievement of instructional objectives.

Step one: obtaining a commitment. The first step in developing the bulletin board is to obtain a commitment of space and materials as well as skilled individuals to construct the board. The location of the bulletin board is an important consideration in order for the message to reach the target audience. If, for example, the board is intended to communicate information to students, it should be located in an area used in their dayto-day activities. It is also important to ensure that the necessary supplies and equipment for artwork and lettering are available. Materials such as mounting boards, colored paper, markers, pens, colored pencils and dry-transfer lettering should be considered. The costs of implementing a bulletin board program fall into two areas: supplies and materials for constructing the bulletin boards, and facultylstaff time. Step two: dejning content areas and objectives. The purpose and content of the bulletin board depend upon the intended audience. This is akin to developing the goals and objectives for a lecture. The purpose of an instructional bulletin board is likely to fall into one of three categories: (1) communicating new information, (2) reinforcing previously acquired knowledge, and (3) stimulating new ideas.

In order to define the content areas and objectives, the target audience must first be determined. Variables to be considered include the educational level of the learners and their interest in the proposed topic.

Step three: design. Bulletin boards can “summarize the main ideas of an instructional activity” (Schafer, 1981). The most critical decision to make in planning a bulletin board is what information to include and what to omit. Regardless of the audience or the topic, a bulletin board should not be used to communicate more than two or three main ideas. The dimensions, elevation and viewing distance of the display space will affect a bulletin board’s design. For example, a small bulletin board that will be viewed up close can afford more detail and text area than a larger one that will be viewed from a greater distance.

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The presentation of the content may be formal or informal, technical or casual, uniform or varied. The look should be appropriate to the audience, purpose and topic. For example, a display of children’s letters reacting to a physician’s visit to their classroom could incorporate colors and illustrations that would be inappropriate on a bulletin board presenting research findings. In general, designs that are balanced or symmetrical tend to look more formal. Arrangements that are asymmetrical or that incorporate unusually shaped elements or angles tend to look informal and spontaneous. Whatever the purpose, bulletin boards are meant to be viewed by people who are walking by. They should attract attention and make people stop to take a longer look. An effective headline, the use of color, illustration or a repeated motif may serve this purpose. Finally, the balance between text and illustration is important. Because the viewer has a minimum amount of time to absorb the information, the text should be presented in a clear, succinct and logical manner. Text should provide adequate explanation in a minimal amount of space.

Step four: implementation. Before translating a bulletin board into its final form, it is wise to reconfirm the measurements of the display space. This is especially important when taking a poster to a conference or meeting. A change in the size or background of a display space may have a great effect on the design and diminish the effectiveness of the message (see Fig. 1).

Board A

Board B

Board C

FIG. 1. The bulletin board elements designed for board A appear lost on board B and overcrowded on board C.

Because bulletin boards are read from top to bottom and from left to right, just as a printed page is read, the arrangement should follow those parameters. Headlines should be large enough to read. For example, headlines with 2- or 3-inch letters are appropriate on 3’ X 4’ to 5’ x 6’ board. Captions in smaller type may support an illustration or a block of explanatory text. Typewriter-sized lettering (10 or 12-point type) is too small to be legible on a bulletin board. Hand-drawn lettering may give a look of casualness or immediacy to a presentation but, in general, lettering done crisply and clearly will give the best effect (Wood, 1982). The use of a microcomputer with a laser printer can be invaluable in this process. Illustrations may include drawings, photographs, charts, graphs, actual objects or a combination of techniques. Charts and graphs should follow the same rules used to produce good slides (Hodges, 1989).

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Stepjive: evaluation. Feedback and evaluation of bulletin boards is difficult, yet it is an essential element in the design process. One approach is to build an evaluation card system into the display of each bulletin board. This method provides feedback about board content, but it is limited by the readers’ initiative and willingness to complete the evaluation card. Other methods include surveying the target population after the board has been in use for a period of time. The following example provides a perspective on how bulletin boards were used in the faculty development program at Case Western Reserve University.

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CASE REPORT: Experience in Bulletin Board Development at CWRU

Supported by a Bureau of Health Professions faculty development training grant, the Department of Family Medicine at Case Western Reserve University is the only department in the medical school and the university with a systematic and structured faculty development curriculum. The mission of the program is to enhance the professional growth and development of family physician faculty. The program is staffed by a full time Ph.D. educator, a half-time education technologist, and a halftime secretary. These individuals report to the Vice-chairman of the Department. Within the faculty development program of the Department of Family Medicine at Case Western Reserve University, the bulletin board is used as an instructional method for communicating new information, reinforcing knowledge acquired through other faculty development activities, and stimulating faculty to think about new ideas. Thirty-five faculty are located at three residency teaching sites and the medical school in this academic department. Bulletin boards are seen as a method for sharing and reinforcing professional development information. A verbal and financial commitment from the residency directors and the division director for predoctoral education was obtained for bulletin board space and the purchase of bulletin board supplies. Because the bulletin board experience at Case Western Reserve University was designed within the faculty development program, the target audience was the faculty at the school of medicine and at the three clinical teaching sites.

FIG. 2. Instructional bulletin board on using Family Circle technique.

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Fig. 2 is a bulletin board designed to communicate information to faculty. This bulletin board is entitled, “Using the family circle technique to teach behavioral science principles to residents.” The text blocks explain what Family Circle Technique is, what its benefits are, and the process for implementing the technique in a family practice setting. Handout materials provide more detailed information. Topics for bulletin board presentations center on the domains identified by the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine Task Force on Faculty Development (Bland et al., 1986). The domains include: teaching, research, administration, written communication, family medicine and professional socialization. The bulletin boards take about 2-3 days of staff time per bulletin board from conception of the idea to actually installing the finished design. S.G. (third author and physician vice-chairman), F.P.H. (first author and educator) and P.G. (second author and education technologist) develop the idea. Production of the board rests with the education technologist who possesses graphic design and desktop publishing skills. Bulletin boards are changed every 6 to 8 weeks. The cost for all art materials is about $250.00 a year. This does not include costs for photography, which varies with the number and size of photographs used, or for computer equipment and software, which were already in place in the department.

FIG. 3. Instructional bulletin board reinforcing information on providing constructive feedback.

Fig. 3 depicts a bulletin board designed to reinforce concepts acquired in a seminar on constructive feedback in clinical teaching. The bulletin board focuses on providing medical students and residents with constructive feedback in a one-on-one encounter. The cartoon figure features a humorous interaction between a resident and preceptor regarding a patient write-up. Fig. 4 presents new ideas about research in family medicine. The department provides seed money for faculty research projects annually. This bulletin board pictures the seed money recipients and briefly describes their projects. Its purpose is to inform faculty about colleagues’ efforts and stimulate research in this program.

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FIG. 4. Bulletin board announcing grant award recipients.

The bulletin board program has stimulated additional uses. For example, the faculty at one of the residency education sites decided to develop and implement a health promotion bulletin board. In addition, elements from existing bulletin board projects have been incorporated into a Family Medicine Month display that has a hospital-wide audience at another site. The net effect has been to increase the visibility of the Department within the respective institutions. The lack of formal, written feedback has been a problem with the bulletin board program. Evaluation cards are placed in an envelope at the bottom of each bulletin board soliciting information such as the viewer’s perception of the overall appearance of the board, relevance of content, purpose of the message and benefit of the handout materials. Viewers are also asked to indicate if they would like further information on the topic, to identify areas that need clarification and to suggest ideas for future bulletin board topics. While the evaluation card system is incorporated into every bulletin board, faculty members rarely fill out the cards. Alternatively, faculty provide verbal feedback to the board developers and through faculty meetings have suggested future topics appropriate to this technique. A survey instrument was developed and distributed to faculty members asking them such items as relevance of the topics and whether or not the boards attracted their attention and/or stimulated their thinking.

Conclusion Bulletin boards have instructional uses in both classroom and clinical settings for communicating information, reinforcing concepts previously introduced in faculty development offerings and stimulating ideas. Bulletin boards contribute to learning by appealing to the senses, concentrating information into a concise form, and introducing new concepts. The step by step approach to designing bulletin boards has proven to be effective in implementing this instructional method. Selecting subject matter appropri-

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ate for the audience is a dynamic process, responsive to the needs and interests of the family medicine faculty. Because of the abbreviated nature of information presented on bulletin boards, they enhance and enrich good teaching rather than substitute for it.

Correspondence: Francine P. Hekelman, Ph.D., RN, Department of Family Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.

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REFERENCES BLAND,C.J., STRITLER, F.T., SCHMITZ, C., ALVISE, J. ?L HENRY,R.C. (1986) Final report on a model curriculum to prepare family medicine physicians to assume the role of new faculty members in either university or community-based educational programs. (HRSA Contract # 240-84-0077) (Springfield, VA, National Technical Information Service.) COOPER,S. (1975) The bulletin board as a learning resource, Journal of Clinical Education in Nursing, 6, pp. 51-55. HODGES,E. (1989) Scientific illustration: a working relationship between the scientist and artist, Bioscience, 39, pp. 104-111. MCCUNE,H. & MEYER,R. (1959) The bulletin board-an effective teaching aid, Nursing Outlook, 7, pp. 532-533. SCHAFER,L. (1981) Making bulletin boards an instructional art, Science and Children, October, pp. 32-34. TIEMANN, E. (1966) Educational Displays and Exhibit (The University of Texas, Visual Instruction Bureau, Division of Extension). WOOD, P. (1982) Scientifrc Illustration (New York, Van Nostrand Reinhold).

Bulletin boards for faculty development.

Within the faculty development program of a Department of Family Medicine at a major research university, bulletin boards offer an alternative method ...
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