On Tuesday, June 19, dignitaries and media gathered at Hôpital Montfort for the official launch of the new uOttawa-Institute du savoir Montfort Research Chair in Medical Education, filled by Dr. Eric Dionne.
An ambitious and unique approach
The result of a partnership between Francophone Affairs of the uOttawa Faculty of Medicine, the uOttawa Faculty of Education and the Institut du savoir Montfort (ISM), this unique initiative focuses on interdisciplinarity for the betterment of education and learning assessment.
It will allow Francophone doctors, education specialists and students to join forces to grow and foster a groundbreaking research program in education seeking to better understand assessment processes which will help optimize educational processes from initial education up to continuing education. With these advances, we are hoping to achieve notable and positive outcomes for physicians and, in turn, for their patients.
The Chair will focus his research in four main areas:
- The development and validation of observation and measurement tools in a pedagogical and clinical context to enable valid and faithful interpretation of data generated by learners
- The development and assessment of educational, teaching and development activities and analysis of how they can promote learning
- The study of the integration of information and communications technology (ICT) in medical education to determine whether it is in line with best practices in education
- The measurement and assessment of learning and skills through simulations related to the numerous stimuli and information arising from such an environment
Led by an educator, not a physician
Dr. Eric Dionne holds a Master's degree and a PhD in Assessment and Evaluation from Université de Montréal. He is an associate professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa and is also affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine where he is a researcher at the Centre d’appui pédagogique en santé and the Department of Innovation in Medical Education (DIME).
Dr. Dionne has also been a researcher at the Institut du savoir Montfort since 2014, and is a member of the executive committee of the Observatoire sur les pratiques innovantes en évaluation des apprentissages where he is in charge of the medical education area.
His research interests revolve around modelling test scores and developing and validating data collection tools to evaluate learning in the context of teaching and continuing education. He is also editor-in-chief of the periodical Mesure et évaluation en éducation which shares scientific knowledge in French in his field of expertise.
It is interesting to note the unconventional partnership of an educator with no professional background in health and a Research Chair in Medical Education. This unique undertaking by the three partners will make it possible to examine the major areas of education research through a new lens and explore different avenues of health professionals.
Major projects in the next five years
A research chair of this size, unlike any other in the Franco-Ontarian community, will undoubtedly facilitate the three partners' reach via French publications while allowing medical students to get involved in research.
Dr. Dionne will also be active in seeking funding for several projects in the Chair's four main areas of research. Several medical education research projects are currently underway, including:
- Two projects that have obtained internal funding
- Four projects that have obtained external funding
- Two submitted projects awaiting external funding
The Chair was funded by the Consortium national de formation en santé (CNFS) — University of Ottawa Chapter, whose research is geared toward improving the health of Francophone minority communities as well as optimizing training programs in order to promote the health of Francophones.
