Laboratory Educator Institute

Kyleigh Ellis, 2017-18 Region VII Student Representative

Achieve teaching and academic excellence with the new ASCLS Laboratory Educator Institute. This online institute assists with professional development in critical areas that include education/teaching, administration/leadership, clinical practice, and research. The institute includes training for educators in all medical laboratory programs or settings - community college, university-based, hospital-based or at the clinical site, including courses for program directors.

The institute will:

  • Provide educators with skills and knowledge to effectively develop and implement courses and provide assessments.
  • Develop more effective laboratory science educators and program administrators.

Each session is approximately 60 minutes and has been developed by ASCLS education experts. P.A.C.E.® credit is available upon successful course completion.

The institute was developed due to changes in the education environment. Over the last eight to ten years, attendance at the ASCLS Clinical Laboratory Educators’ Conference (CLEC) has shown a turnover as long-time educators retire and younger laboratory professionals step in to new educator roles. During the review and update of the Entry Level Curriculum (ELC), it was discovered that while many new educators have the content expertise for teaching within Medical Laboratory Technician and Medical Laboratory Science programs, many of them need instruction on educational theories and techniques.

New medical laboratory educators expressed interest in receiving training on basic and advanced instruction on writing educational objectives, creating learning activities, and designing high-quality examinations and assessments. The institute will supplement the annual CLEC and the ELC with readily available education modules.

The Committee on Education Programs and Initiatives (CEPI), a subcommittee of the Education Scientific Assembly (ESA) of ASCLS, is taking the lead in the development of Laboratory Educator Institute with the assistance of the Product Development Committee (PDC).

Currently available courses include:

  • Writing Instructional Objectives - Part 1: The Quick Start Guide
  • The Affective Domain in Laboratory Education

Courses coming soon:

  • Writing Instructional Objectives – Part 2: Advanced
  • How to Write Multiple Choice Exam Questions
  • Creating and Using Rubrics
  • The Nuts and Bolts of Assessment and Evaluation: It’s Not Just about the Outcomes

To purchase courses, visit www.ascls.org/EducatorResources. If you have questions or suggestions for additional courses, contact Joan Polancic, CEPI member, at joan.polancic@dhha.org.