HP 211 Curriculum Design for HPEd (MEMG)

One significant contribution of essentialism in health professions education is its emphasis on transferring core competencies and fundamental knowledge and skills crucial for patient care and safety. Despite numerous innovations and new technologies, foundational knowledge, such as aseptic techniques, must be consistently taught and reinforced, as it remains vital for ensuring patient safety. When revising or updating the curriculum, outdated practices can be improved or replaced, but fundamental knowledge should never be forgotten or discarded. This is where the principle of essentialism plays a crucial role.

Thank you for your discussion on Perennialism and Essentialism. To answer the questions on Essentialism, as mentioned during the discussion, Essentialism focuses on the basic or core knowledge students should learn to become competent individuals. Addressing complex challenges while being rooted in a solid foundation of the core concepts and principles of health professions education will benefit us, educators. A solid foundation in these core competencies will equip us to address complex challenges while remaining true to our principles and discerning what truly matters.
The curriculum of Medicine somehow demonstrates Essentialism, during 1st year, basic science courses were taught and as we progressed with the remaining years, our knowledge in these basic science courses was integrated into the clinical courses. Having an understanding of the basic concepts allows medical students to address the root cause and better understand the complexity of diseases.

Thank you for this discussion.
Perennialism emphasizes on universal truths and concepts like medical ethics, while essentialism focuses on the core knowledge and skills. In health professions education, these theories stress the mastery of fundamental medical principles and clinical competencies which are needed for healthcare practice. They advocate for a structured curriculum where students acquire a solid foundation on fundamental subjects like anatomy, physiology, and procedural skills. Philosophical challenges may exist like rote learning over critical thinking. To address this, a curricula can incorporate PBL and case-based discussions.

Thank you for this discussion.
The philosophy of Perennialism plays an important role in developing curricula by emphasizing the importance of timeless knowledge and critical thinking skills. Incorporating this into a curriculum is essential for fostering intellectual growth through engagement with enduring ideas. It will not only emphasize mastery of foundational knowledge but also cultivates a habit of inquiry among students. Health professionals gain not only practical knowledge but also a deeper understanding of human nature and ethical considerations. This is essential for nurturing competent professionals who prioritize quality patient care while upholding the integrity of their vocation.

By focusing on essential competencies required for effective health profession practice, educators can ensure that learners acquire the foundational knowledge necessary to navigate complex clinical environments. This will not only prepares students for their future roles but also provides a sense of accountability and professionalism that is vital in healthcare settings.
On my formative years, Essentialism help me in focusing on core subjects that provided me with a strong foundation for critical thinking and problem-solving abilities that help me now on my profession.

Thank you for the video presentation on Perennialism and Essentialism. I believe, we all experienced this teacher-centered philosophical foundation of learning and benefitted from its strengths. Though rigid, as it seems, it has nurtured the development of mental discipline, and solid moral compass. Despite the rapid changes in technology, teaching methods, and learner attitudes, there are some Perennialism principles that remain relevant today such as the value of ethics and compassion, reading classic literature, exploring on ancient philosophers and focus on core subjects such as math, science, and history. Though, Essentialism may have similar attributes with Perennialism, it is distinguished for its "Back-to-basics" principles in order to deal with the real-world problems. The current challenges in education, especially technology and learner attributes, essentialism may help us focus on what is important and navigating the "how's".
Aside from what Dr. Paul mentioned, are there institutions with pure essentialism and perennialism curricula?

Thank you for your presentation. What I learned from the lecture is that in order improve critical thinking, perennialist curriculum design focuses on timeless knowledge and universal truths, with a particular emphasis on science, literature, and philosophy while essentialism promotes teaching core courses that are thought to be fundamental to all students, encouraging them to acquire the information and abilities that are needed for them to be productive members of society. The focus of both systems is different, with essentialism emphasizing practical, basic learning and perennialism leaning toward intellectual development. Both emphasize structured, teacher-led training.

Perennialism was a heavy influence on my early teaching philosophy because it was the environment I grew up with at home. My dad believed in the Great Books curriculum, and I remember him and his brother quoting classical literature when talking to us even when we were very young children. I have a copy of the SJC Annapolic reading list in my bedside table, and up to now, I still aim to read at least 10 from the list every year. I think perennialism gets a bad rap because it creates a very insular learning atmosphere. One of the main complaints from SJC alumni is that after they graduate, they have no one to talk to about all the great ideas they learned. and of course today, having a "teacher-centered" curriculum seems to go against progress in education. I still think that some aspects of perennialism can have a place in modern education, especially in health professions education. Classic art and literature can give learners a lot of insight into the human condition and the progress of civilization. It can give them a socially broad perspective that can in turn help them become better health professionals.

With the evolving medical education and type of generation now, perennialism may not be appropriate since it favors a fixed and unchanging curriculum. Perennialism is somewhat traditional since it emphasizes more of classical ideas. Perennialist classroom may seem to be rigid since its intruction- based where teachers deliver information through lectures using a disciplined and organized format in which all students are taught in the same way. Though there are lessons to learn from this philosophy, but we also need to adapt with changes like being student centered approach.
Essentialism supports a more flexible curriculum that can adapt to changes in society but still prioritizes core subjects.
Perennialism may not be appropriate in medical education since it evolves through time.

Thank you for the clear discussion and examples.
To answer the question, incorporating essentialism in healthcare education would be beneficial since it prepares us professionals for the immediate demands of our practice by equipping us with knowledge and practical skills. In my formative years of learning as a Physiotherapist including mandatory subjects such as anatomy and physiology and other core subjects through a structured approach, ensured that we had a strong foundation for our practice.
In the same way, using perrenialism, through teaching ethics and moral compass in our practice, prepared us to be not only technically skilled but ethically sound professionals.

Perennialism and essentialism are necessary in curriculum design/development. Perrenialism in a sense that the learners should have strong foundation of the time tested truths and basic sciences that will be the cornerstone and building blocks of their learning process. Example, in the health sciences or medicine: the normal anatomy, histology, physiology, biochemistry. having a strong foundation of these basic sciences, these basic sciences, being universal and timeless will make acquisition of knowledge and understanding of other medical subjects easier. knowing the "normal" will pave the way in understanding the "abnormal" so that we can do something about the abnormal. Understandably, learning these time tested truths (example Biochemistry) cannot do away completely from a perrenialist approach/ teacher-centered approach. In current medical practice, the trend is evidence-based medicine and treatment guidelines are available that we can follow in managing our patients, however, we know that guidelines are just guidelines. having strong foundational knowledge equips us in "doing away" and breaking-off from these guidelines during times when patients do not respond as expected from the guideline-based/evidence-based management, and thus, the management of patients will rely on our knowledge of pathophysiology pharmacology etc. Esssentialism, another teacher-centered approach focuses on the core knowledge and skills. These two philosophies, being teacher-centered, are associated with the terms "old", "traditional" thus may connote a negative undertone in today's word. But the "old" and "traditional" having endured the test of time speaks of something. And thus, in modifying a curriculum I still believe that these "traditional philosophies" be considered. Identify, pick-up and capitalize on their strengths and use it in a way to complement the modern student-centered approach. It will be up to us to make these "traditional" approaches flexible and adaptable in the current times.