About Us

Background

In 2003, the Institute of Medicine defined competencies required of today’s health professionals that must be incorporated into the curricula of health professions educational programs. Students must be able to:

• Provide patient-centered care;
• Work in interprofessional teams;
• Employ evidence-based practice;
• Apply quality improvement;
• Utilize informatics.

So, the focus of teaching is changing – from merely conveying knowledge, to helping students acquire and manage knowledge and develop clinical practice decision-making skills. To do this, faculty members may benefit from opportunities to enhance their teaching skills, and to integrate competency-based educational programs into their curricula.

AHC Learning Commons Staff | Advisory Group | Facilities

Our Vision for the
AHC Learning Commons

The AHC Learning Commons will become the central interprofessional site for contemporary health professions teaching and learning experiences as well as a center of research that promotes that scholarship of teaching and learning across the health sciences.

The AHC Learning Commons staff helps health professions faculty design effective teaching methods that encourage students to think critically and solve clinical problems, while applying informatics and evidence-based practice skills. Specifically, staff members assist faculty to select and design effective teaching methods that may include small group learning, videoconferencing, Web conferencing, on-line learning, or the use of technology such as PDAs. In the Learning Commons, faculty, students, and residents learn how to search for and evaluate health care information using contemporary types of hardware and software.

Who We Are

The AHC Learning Commons is supported by a partnership of the University of Minnesota AHC Office of Education and the Bio-Medical Libraries.

The AHC Office of Education promotes excellence in learning through the support of AHC educational programs. The Bio-Medical Libraries enhance the teaching, research, and service activities of the University of Minnesota and play an integral role in the Academic Health Center’s quest to improve health by facilitating timely access to information needed by library clients on campus, throughout Minnesota, and nationwide.