Authors

  1. Theeke, Laurie A. PhD, RN

Article Content

Meeting the learning needs of students in clinical environments can be challenging as faculties work with multiple students in time-restricted clinical environments that are task heavy. The 4 aces of effective teaching (outcomes, clarity, engagement, and enthusiasm) can serve as a framework for clinical instructors.1 The first ace, outcomes, mandates a clear focus on learning outcomes, which set the basic expectations and emphasize academic objectives. In clinical settings, this could include setting goals for each clinical day in addition to the overall course goals. The second ace, clarity, emphasizes clear instructions without ambiguity while presenting material in multiple ways so that students can engage with course material using different senses, helping them to relate new concepts to those already learned. The third ace, engagement, encourages the creation of opportunities that require students to spend time actively learning while doing, requiring frequent engagement with course material and concepts to enhance learning. The fourth ace, enthusiasm, may be most important and includes both instructor enthusiasm for teaching and student enthusiasm for learning. Enthusiasm is elevated when faculty focus on student positive achievement, so acknowledging students with feedback when they are doing things the right way can build enthusiasm.

 

Reference

 

1. Bulger SM, Mohr DJ, Walls RT. Stack the deck in favor of your students by using the four aces of effective teaching. J Effective Teach. 2002;5(2):1-7. https://uncw.edu/jet/articles/bulger/. [Context Link]