New program pulls back curtain on education

Teaching is a lot like running. Before you can run, you need to know how to walk. Before you can teach, you need to first understand how people learn. This is the vision behind the Health Professions Educator Graduate Academic Certificate Program at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis.

With the nation facing an ongoing nursing shortage along with a lack of nursing faculty, the need to prepare the next generation of health educators steadily grows. This graduate certificate program prepares students to serve as educators in the health professions, particularly nursing.

“We’re moving away from the concept of ‘teaching others the way I was taught,’” says Elizabeth Rice, associate dean for clinical education and practice. “This program highlights the work that goes into being a good teacher.”

The three-quarter course begins with pulling back the curtain on education.

“We focus on the use of active learning activities, as well as technologies, to support diverse students and changing classroom and clinical environments,” Rice adds. “We spend a lot of time on lesson plans that emphasize specific learning styles and needs so graduates have a tool kit to draw upon.”