The Yale School of Public Health’s Office of Academic Affairs launched its inaugural Faculty Journal Club on February 8, marking an exciting step forward in fostering interdisciplinary discourse among faculty and instructors. This initiative, guided by Director of Academic Affairs Mike Honsberger, aims to facilitate robust discussions centered on advancements in the science of teaching and learning. Attendees, representing a wide variety of school disciplines and departments, took an hour out of their day to talk about teaching with their colleagues.
“Just like the incredible research produced at YSPH, our teaching will only improve with more collaboration and sharing of ideas,” Honsberger said.
It was wonderful to meet with instructors of different types of courses and to brainstorm about methods to spark curiosity among our students.
Becca Levy
The debut event centered on the concept of “productive failure,” a strategic approach proven to enhance the depth of learning and promote knowledge transfer. In this strategy, students are asked to wrestle with a problem they have not yet been taught how to solve. After attempting to solve it, the teacher provides instruction on the correct approach to solving it. This contrasts with a more conventional strategy of teaching the new material first and then having students practice using the new material, typically in the form of homework problems or assignments. Productive failure has been demonstrated to foster metacognition and nurture curiosity.
Curiosity can be thought of as the result of the awareness of a gap in knowledge. It serves as the impetus for learning and innovation. This is as true for effective teaching as it is for groundbreaking research and community impact. YSPH strives to be a leader in curiosity. Metacognition is the awareness of one’s knowledge and knowledge processes. It is a predictor of academic achievement, enhanced learning and memory, and critical thinking. Metacognition can be strengthened through active self-reflection or by facing a problem that cannot be resolved with your current skills and knowledge.
“Productive failure is a strategy I’m excited to implement in future semesters as a tool used to challenge students’ preconceived ideas and biases,” said Olivia Kachingwe, assistant professor of public health (social and behavioral sciences).
Pedagogical strategies that can increase metacognition and curiosity not only lead to increased student academic success, but also eager lifelong learners. Instructors shared examples from their courses that foster curiosity and activate metacognition. During the session, instructors collectively explored avenues for further integration of strategies that target these cognitive enhancements within their respective courses.
“It was wonderful to meet with instructors of different types of courses and to brainstorm about methods to spark curiosity among our students,” said Becca Levy, professor of public health (social and behavioral sciences) and psychology.
The enthusiastic response from participants underscores the growing momentum behind discussions on teaching methodologies within YSPH. Since assuming the position of associate dean for academic affairs in 2023, Linda Niccolai, professor of epidemiology (microbial diseases), has been a strong advocate for innovative teaching at YSPH.
“These Journal Clubs are just one way the Office of Academic Affairs supports excellence in teaching at YSPH,” Niccolai said. “We also hold regular workshops and provide individual consultations. We are lucky to have Dr. Honsberger in this role. With his formal training in behavioral and cognitive neuroscience, his expertise in the science of teaching and learning is invaluable to educators at YSPH.”
The next Office of Academic Affairs Journal Club will be announced later in the Spring semester.
About the author: Mike Honsberger is the director of academic affairs at the Yale School of Public Health, where he is involved in all aspects of YSPH academic programs ensuring that the school continues to provide the highest standard of training for the next generation of public health leaders. Mike has an MA in Applied Cognitive Science from the University of Guelph (2006) and a PhD in Behavioural Neuroscience from McGill University (2011.)