Faculty development for curriculum change: Towards competency-based teaching and assessment

Abstract

Curriculum change, emphasizing competencies and the evolution of our understanding of competence, lies at the forefront of twenty-first century medical education. Teaching and assessing fundamental competencies to learners (e.g. leadership skills, health advocacy, professionalism) implies the incorporation of new content and emerging (and potentially unfamiliar) teaching and assessment strategies. Faculty development is essential, as it both supports and drives curriculum renewal and change. Using the available evidence, this chapter will explore what is known about the role of faculty development in the context of curriculum renewal, using competency-based education as an example. Three dimensions of competency-based education will be examined: contemporary competency frameworks and content areas; innovative educational and assessment approaches for these competencies; and diverse strategies for faculty development. A model that relates these dimensions will be proposed and a case study will illustrate best practices for providing faculty development to facilitate curriculum change.