Faculty Support

The Instructional Designers on the Curriculum Team can help


  • Review independent learning objectives and session objectives
  • Provide guidance on how to write objectives
  • Identify and adopt instructional methods and guidelines (SOPs)
  • Search Dana Library resources and online sources e.g., MedEd Portal, and suggest appropriate content and in-class materials based on learning objectives
  • Curate and create independent learning materials such as
    • A PDF with chapter excerpts, your notes, and preferred images, correctly referenced
    • Online videos, including customized playlists of Osmosis videos
    • A narrated slide presentation (Ed Tech can provide training and equipment and the Curriculum Team can edit)
    • An interactive eLearning module
  • Create RQ or I/GRAT questions by using key words and independent learning objectives that you can then curate into a 7- to 10-question readiness quiz with annotated correct answers
  • Curate formative quizzes from question banks subscribed to by LCOM, including Osmosis
  • Recommend best practices for facilitating an active learning session
  • Assess alignment between Independent Learning objectives and quiz questions
  • Curate and design in-class materials (such as a PowerPoint with case slides) or simply help create faculty and student versions of in-class sessions
  • Help update pre-session and in-session materials to meet the accessibility (ADA) needs of Larner students. The UVM Center for Teaching and Learning has some helpful guides to making your documents accessible to all learners.
  • Update materials to reflect current guidance on anti-bias language and images based on the work of Dr. Amy Caruso Brown
  • Observe and offer feedback on sessions

For an optimal outcome, faculty should meet with an instructional designer as early as two months prior to their session. Faculty may choose to work with us for all or part of their sessions. We will try to accommodate all timelines.

At our initial meeting, we will create a timeline so that we can help faculty prepare and deliver the best learning session possible. 

Download Template Slides

The Curriculum Team has compiled student and faculty feedback to create a PowerPoint template for in-class sessions. The slides offer suggestions for consistent structure, pacing, and activity types based on actual sessions. Faculty can download, explore, and repurpose the slides for their own sessions.

Students have shared with us that they feel many sessions run too slowly. Timers are a visual reminder and keep sessions moving at an appropriate pace. This presentation offers several timer styles of various duration. These timers can easily be copied and pasted into a PowerPoint you are building.

Download In-Class Template

Download Timer Slides

If you need help modifying a timer, building a new PowerPoint, or converting an existing presentation to a new template, please reach out to activelearning@med.uvm.edu.

Contact the Curriculum Team Instructional Designers to discuss an upcoming session.

Student spinning wheel in active learning classroom

Gateway to Faculty Resources

Log in to the Active Learning Commons site for up-to-date Standard Operating Procedures for each active learning modality, as well as other faculty resources:

  • An overview of the redesign process
  • Guidelines for writing learning objectives
  • SOPs for active learning modalities
  • In-class teaching strategies
  • Examples of independent learning materials that the Curriculum Team can help produce
  • Tips for in-class facilitation

Osmosis Partnership

LCOM has partnered with Osmosis to provide faculty with a library of content to assign as independent learning material. Students have access to useful study and collaboration tools in addition to videos, questions, and flashcards.

Explore the content library by logging with your UVM or UVM Health credentials. 

Osmosis is offering compensation to faculty and residents who serve as content reviewers. Request more information by filling out this form.

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