Short Courses

The following Short Courses are part of the forthcoming BCH CEEI Certificate Program in Foundations of Health Professions Education Research. These Short Courses may be taken independently or combined to achieve a Certificate.

Please note that Short Course development is ongoing.
This page will be updated as Short Courses become available.
Register Here

Course Director

Donna Luff, PhD, Director of Educational Innovation & Scholarship, Professional Development in Education (PDE), Center for Educational Excellence & Innovation (CEEI)

Course Faculty

  • Katie Dillon, MLIS, BCH Medical Librarian
  • Kristina Dzara, PhD, MMSc, Assistant Dean, Scholarly Teaching and Learning Director, Center for Educator Development, Advancement, and Research (CEDAR), Associate Professor, Family and Community Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine
  • Kathleen Huth MD MMSc, Pediatrician, Complex Care Service, Boston Children’s Hospital, Program Director, Complex Care Fellowship, Co-Director, BCH Academy for Teaching and Educational Innovation and Scholarship
  • Jill Manning de Sousa, MPH, IRB Operations Manager, Boston Children’s Hospital
  • Susan Kornetsky, MPH, Senior Director, Clinical Research Compliance, Boston Children’s Hospital
  • Michael C. Monuteaux, ScD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Assistant Director, Biostatistics and Research Design Center, Senior Epidemiologist and Biostatistician, Division of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital

Overview

Health professions education research requires skills that bridge clinical expertise, educational theory, and rigorous research methodology. This four-session virtual short course equips health professions education researchers—whether new to the field or looking to refine their approach—with practical strategies for navigating critical stages of the research process. Learn how to work effectively with Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) for educational studies, conduct focused and efficient literature searches, integrate relevant theoretical frameworks into your study design, and collaborate productively with biostatisticians. Through interactive discussions and activities to apply your learning, you will leave with tools to enhance the quality, rigor, and impact of your education research.

Course Objectives

By the end of the Short Course, you will be able to:

  1. Identify and apply strategies for navigating common challenges in health professions education research.
  2. Synthesize scholarly literature to inform study design and interpretation.
  3. Integrate appropriate theoretical frameworks to guide research questions and design.
  4. Collaborate more effectively with IRBs, librarians, and biostatisticians to strengthen the quality and rigor of your education research.

Course Logistics

The course meets four times on Thursday, November 6, November 20, December 4, and December 11. All sessions are 12-1pm via Zoom. Learners are expected to attend all sessions and complete any pre-readings and short assignments between sessions. Learners will receive feedback on each short assignment. Sessions will provide opportunities for facilitated discussion and skills practice.

Session 1 (Nov 6): Effective Literature Searching

Faculty: Katie Dillon, BCH Librarian

Session Objectives:
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

  1. Identify ways to collaborate effectively with librarians on searches
  2. Formulate a focused and answerable research question using appropriate frameworks
  3. Develop a targeted literature search strategy using key databases and tools.
  4. Evaluate search results to build a strong study rationale and design.

Session 2 (Nov 20): Applying Theory to Health Professions Education Research

Faculty: Kristina Dzara, PhD, MMSc

Session Objectives:
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

  1. Articulate the role of theory in strengthening health professions education research design, analysis, and interpretation.
  2. Identify appropriate theories relevant to health professions education research questions.
  3. Utilize a theoretical framework to guide the design of a health professions education research study.

Session 3 (Dec 4): Working with the IRB in Education Research

Faculty: Kathleen Huth, Jill Manning de Sousa, Susan Kornetsky, Donna Luff

Session Objectives:
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

  1. Describe IRB processes as they relate to education research.
  2. Identify common pitfalls and challenges in IRB applications for education research.
  3. Apply strategies to identify studies that require IRB review

Session 4 (Dec 11): Working with a Biostatistician

Faculty: Michael C. Monuteaux

Session Objectives:
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

  1. Describe the role of the biostatistician in education research and the stages of a study where their expertise is most valuable.
  2. Formulate clear study questions and analysis plans to facilitate collaboration.
  3. Utilize strategies for ongoing communication and troubleshooting throughout the data analysis process.

Join the waitlist!

Registration is closed for Fall 2025. Join the waitlist to hear about the next offering.

Course Faculty

Donna Luff, PhD, Kelsey Miller, MD, EdM, and Laura Chiel, MD, MHPE

Overview

This workshop is designed to enhance your scholarly writing skills for health professions education research in a supportive and collaborative small group environment. We will focus on development, refinement, and dissemination of scholarly publications. Each session is interactive and builds upon the previous session to guide you through the writing process from initiation to manuscript submission.

Course Objectives

By the end of this Short Course, you will be able to:

  • Develop a writing plan and timeline
  • Appraise your scholarly writing skills, including areas of strength and growth
  • Dissect the process of academic manuscript drafting and revision
  • Navigate common journal submission processes
  • Assess different avenues for publication
  • Apply frameworks for furthering your own writing development and skills.

Course Logistics

The course meets four times, bi-weekly, on Wednesday, September 17, October 1, October 15, and October 29. All sessions are 12-1pm via Zoom. Learners are expected to attend all sessions and complete any pre-readings and short assignments between sessions. Learners will receive feedback on each short assignment. Sessions will provide opportunities for facilitated discussion and skills practice.

Join the waitlist!

Registration is Closed for Spring 2025. Join the waitlist to hear about the next offering.


Access to Boston Children’s Hospital’s Teaching Certificate programs is restricted to members. Please login to view available courses. If you are a Teaching Certificate program member and have not received your login credentials, please contact MedicalEducation@childrens.harvard.edu.

Overview

This course is designed to provide you with a foundational understanding of the uses and practice of qualitative research in health professions education. The course emphasizes practical skills in designing, conducting, and analyzing qualitative research, equipping you to employ these techniques in your scholarly activities.

Course Objectives

By the end of this short course, you will be able to:

  • Define qualitative research and describe its uses in health professions education
  • Determine the most appropriate methodology for your research questions from among common approaches to qualitative research
  • Determine an appropriate method of qualitative data collection and apply best practice guidance to data collection
  • Apply foundational qualitative data analysis principles
  • Assess the rigor and quality of qualitative studies

Who Should Attend?

This Short Course is designed for health professions educators who are new to qualitative research, as well as those with some experience in qualitative research but little prior training in the field.

At this time, this Short Course is open to all BCH Academy Members and BCH Clinical Fellows, at no cost.

Course Logistics

The course meets four times on May 1, 15, 29 and June 12. All sessions are 12-1pm via Zoom. Learners are expected to attend all sessions and complete pre-readings and short assignments between sessions. Learners will receive feedback on each short assignment. Sessions will provide opportunities for facilitated discussion and skills practice.

Session 1 (May 1): Understanding Qualitative Research in Health Professions Education

By the end of the session, you will be able to:

  • Define qualitative research and identify key differences from quantitative research
  • Describe the role and importance of qualitative research for health professions education scholarship
  • Recognize different approaches to qualitative research
  • Identify research questions amenable to qualitative research
  • Understand ethical aspects of qualitative research

Activities in this session will include exploration of main approaches to qualitative research with examples from HPE literature and assessing research questions suitable for qualitative study. You will have the opportunity to write or revise your own research questions and consider what qualitative research approach might be most suitable for your study idea(s).

Session 2 (May 15): Designing Qualitative Research Studies

By the end of the session, you will be able to:

  • Recognize different methods of qualitative sampling
  • Consider appropriate approach to sampling for different research studies
  • Describe common qualitative data collection methods and their application
  • Identify key skills and responsibilities of the qualitative interviewer
  • Draft interview questions following best practice guidelines

In this session, we will explore qualitative sampling strategies and the main methods of qualitative data collection, with a deep dive on interviewing questions and conduct. You will practice essential interviewing skills and develop example questions for an interview guide.

Session 3 (May 29): Analyzing Qualitative Data

By the end of the session, you will be able to:

  • Understand steps and tools in qualitative data management
  • Describe common data analysis techniques
  • Apply initial coding techniques
  • Recognize variation in qualitative data analysis by approach
  • Consider the use of AI in qualitative data analysis

This session will focus on fundamental techniques in qualitative data management and analysis, as well as concepts of saturation. You will practice initial coding, using a sample data excerpt, and examine how analysis might progress depending on the qualitative approach used. You will gain tips and strategies for analysis, including on the developing use of AI.

Session 4 (June 12): Presenting Qualitative Research

By the end of this session, you will be able to:

  • Describe key criteria for assessing rigor in a qualitative study
  • Identify ways to demonstrate rigor in write-up, including the role of data selection and display
  • Assess the uses and limitations of qualitative research quality checklists
  • Identify ways of communicating qualitative research findings for maximum impact

In the final session, we will focus on writing up qualitative research and demonstrating rigor. Activities will include review of common qualitative research quality “checklists,” responding to reviewer comments, and examples of integrating insights from qualitative studies into educational practice. You will reflect on overall learning from the course and create personal goals for the future.  

Continuing Education

This course will offer CE credits for physicians, nurses, physician assistants, social workers, psychologists, pharmacists, registered dieticians, and dentists.