With over half of the new dental faculty coming to academia from private practice and a large number of new faculty departing each year, the ADEA/AAL Institute for Teaching and Learning (ITL) Program for Dental School Faculty is a professional development program designed to prepare dentists and dental educators for successful academic careers. The overall program goal is to help participants, designated as ITL Scholars, refine teaching skills that will enhance the quality of their interactions with students and develop other skills that will facilitate confidence, job satisfaction, and professional growth in the academic environment. The Institute is a collaborative effort of the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) and the Academy for Academic Leadership (AAL).

Since 2006, over 200 dental educators and practitioners from across the United States and Canada have successfully completed the ITL program (participant comments). Scholarships to the ITL are offered by the:

• American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
• American Academy of Periodontology Foundation
• American Association of Orthodontists

For more information about scholarship opportunities, please contact these organizations.

What is the ITL?

ITL Scholars receive hands-on experience with key teacher tasks such as evaluating student competence, presenting lectures, planning courses, constructing tests, small group learning, working with difficult students, guiding students with questions, and providing feedback. ITL Scholars also explore cognitive theories, learn strategies to enhance motivation, review research on educational best practices, explore student learning styles, analyze the characteristics of today’s Gen Y learner, and complete teaching self-assessments. Sessions on academic career planning, quality of faculty work-life, getting started with research, writing manuscripts, strategies for getting published, and issues, controversies, and future directions in dental educations are also included in the ITL.

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Who should attend?

New dental school faculty, both part- and full-time, private practice dentists who have an interest in teaching, dentists in the Federal Services, foreign-educated dentists, and students in postdoctoral programs will find the ITL an invaluable experience for building a successful career as a dental educator.

For private practice dentists who wish to transition to a full- or part-time faculty position, the ITL provides the opportunity to learn about teaching best practices, the academic environment, and career opportunities. The ITL assists individuals in gaining the knowledge and skills necessary to enter and succeed in the dental school environment.

For the new faculty member, the ITL is a unique program to gain competencies in teaching and other academic skills in the context of career planning. The ITL is designed to assist new faculty in establishing a personal and professional strategy for lifelong careers as dental school faculty.

ITL faculty will provide a learning experience to participants so that they reach a new and innovative level of excellence in the didactic, scientific, clinical, and laboratory aspects of dental education.

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What will I learn?

The full ITL program (two-phase, 6.5 days, with distance education modules between phases) allows Scholars to explore the 13 themes listed below. The curriculum is designed to enable ITL Scholars to have learning experiences and attain specific learning objectives identified for each theme.

Click here to review the specific learning objectives for the two-phase ITL program.

ITL Themes for Two-Phase, 6.5 Day Program Academic career planning, including transitioning from private practice into academia Case-based learning Clinical teaching best practices Classroom teaching best practices Course planning and instruction design Critical thinking Dental education issues, controversies, and future directions Evaluation of students’ performance in the classroom and the clinic Learning environment, including sources of stress and concern for students Personality and learning styles, including working with the Gen Y student Principles of learning (research on cognition and other factors that influence educational quality) Research and publication Working productively with difficult students

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Special ITL Features

ITL programs take place in dental schools, which provides a real-life context for the learning experience. This setting also allows ITL Scholars to interact with dental school faculty from the collaborating institution in order to learn about career planning and share insights about life as a dental educator. Learning experiences for the ITL Scholars are designed to create a dynamic and enjoyable atmosphere and include a mix of large- and small-group activities, including investigation of issues by teams of ITL Scholars; problem-solving exercises; observation and critique of teachers in action; opportunities for practice teaching with peer feedback; individual and group projects between phases to reinforce key concepts; small group decision-making related to educational issues and problems; and presentations by Scholars.

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When and where does the ITL take place?

The ITL program consists of 6.5 days of learning experiences divided into two phases that are conducted approximately two months apart. ITL Scholars complete between-phase activities to reinforce and augment program content.

The dates and locations of the 2009 ITL programs are as follows:

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How do I apply?

Tuition for the 2009 ITL programs is $4950; this fee for the two phases covers all instruction and educational activities, all materials, and most meals. You may apply for the 2009 ITL programs by completing the online application or download the application form.

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Questions?

If you have questions, please contact the Academy for Academic Leadership at info@academicleaders.org or 404-350-2098.