Larner College of Medicine News & Media

Continuing the Conversation Prompted by The Washington Post: The New England Journal of Medicine Offers Perspective on Active Learning

August 24, 2017 by Michelle Bookless

Doctors from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School join the exploding current conversation about active learning prompted by the Washington Post's highlight of the UVM Larner College of Medicine in "Medical school without the 'sage on a stage.'"

Medical students participate in active learning at the UVM Larner College of Medicine. Photo by Andy Duback

(AUGUST 23, 2017) In an August 23, 2017 "Perspective" piece in The New England Journal of Medicine, doctors Richard M. Schwartstein, M.D., and David, H. Roberts, M.D. responded to the recent explosion of conversation about active learning, prompted by The Washington Post's highlight of the UVM Larner College of Medicine in the article, "Medical school without the 'sage on a stage'.

The two doctors apply principles from cognitive science as they dissect the difference and benefits of self-directed learning versus "traditional lecture" based learning while also warning against "zealotry with respect to pedagogical approaches." They write, "In our daily lives as clinicians, we aim to create a culture of continuous quality improvement. We should strive to create the same culture in our educational lives." Read the full perspective here.