Communication and the process of educational change.

In this chapter, the authors describe the role of communication in the process of curricular reform at the eight schools that participated in The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's "Preparing Physicians for the Future: Program in Medical Education." The collective experience of these eight schools suggests that despite its general neglect in the discourse on educational innovation, good communication is a decisive element of any successful reform initiative. The authors focus this chapter on effective communication patterns for supporting educational reform. First, the authors discuss a four-stage model of change--recognizing the need for change, and planning, implementing, and institutionalizing change--and describe the role of communication in each of them. They outline the communication strategies needed to promote a sense of ownership among all participants; structures and mechanisms for supporting positive communication; and common lessons learned by all schools about successful communication.

Medical education change: a detailed study of six medical schools.

This article reports a comparative case study of six selected USA medical schools, undertaken to identify factors that facilitate or obstruct innovation in medical education. The findings suggest that the culture of each medical school results from a combination of intra-institutional and external factors. Together these forces influence substantially the fate of educational innovations. The institutional culture influences critical elements such as educational philosophy, leadership and resources provided in support of innovation. Equally important, the culture shapes the level and type of change a school considers and implements. The findings also suggest that the availability of resources and the creative impetus present in schools giving priority to research can benefit the educational goals and facilitate educational change.