The-APS.org > The APS Education Online > Professional Skills Training

Course Development

Click the image above to enlarge
Click for graphic explaination

Frequently Asked Questions about the APS Professional Skills Training Project

If you have any further questions at any time, please contact APS Education.

APS has developed a framework, research base, and procedures for the development, evaluation, and dissemination of professional development resources and programs.

This framework, along with the previously developed programs and resources, provides a solid base from which to launch a new project focused on mentoring skills. The proven professional development framework includes the following components:

Goals for professional skills development, based on the APS/ACDP List of Professional Skills for Physiologists and Trainees
Effective pedagogy standards, based on the Six Stars for Student Learning
Course development process for creating effective professional development training materials
Dissemination routes for products and programs
Course materials and other developed materials

Course impacts

Evaluation activities focused first on gathering formative feedback on the initial courses. Formative feedback showed that participants felt that: each course activity and assignment was valuable, courses covered the topics in which students were most interested, instructors did an excellent job of presenting the material and leading the small groups, and the course had a significant impact on their skills.

As formative data has guided the course development, additional evaluation data is being gathered on more specific course impacts. Evidence of improved skills from student work and testing data are beginning to show the overall course impacts.

Collaborative partners

APS works with a variety of other life science disciplinary societies to develop these courses.

APS Protocol for Development of Professional Skills Courses

	Phase	Major Activities
	Phase 1: Inputs	Use the Professional Skills Listing and Trainee Needs Survey to identify needs for skills training in specific areas Identify & review existing research literature, materials, & resources online and in print Get input from Advisory Board at multiple points in the process
	Phase 2: Course Development	Select the major course topic based on documented needs of the target population Finalize specific course objectives, topics, and materials Develop draft course materials for field-testing, using proven materials where available
	Phase 3:Field-Test Course Materials &	Identify and train course instructors Conduct live and online courses to test the effectiveness of course content and pedagogy Coordinate additional courses and ancillary workshops at scientific meetings/ departmental seminars to test the effectiveness of course materials in diverse settings Evaluate the impact of the courses using data gathered through live courses Use ancillary workshop feedback to assess effectiveness of materials in diverse settings
	Phase 4: Revise Course Materials	Use the findings of the course & ancillary workshop evaluation, instructor feedback, & Advisory Board review to revise course materials for wide dissemination Develop a how-to manual to facilitate course replication
	Phase 5:Course Dissemina-tion	Offer final course materials as downloadable files and encourage other associations to link to these materials Work collaboratively with other professional societies to develop a schedule of future live/online courses and secure internal and/or external funding to provide support Offer ancillary workshops using course materials at APS & partner society conferences Continue to offer APS live and online courses