Duckworth on Education: Answers You Need to Know

EMS educators, excited to share what they know, will often dive right into sessions by presenting an exciting case study, a shocking statistic, or even an amusing anecdote. These can all be excellent ways to begin a teaching session, but they tend to suppress interactivity and communication. If used too often, they set up teaching sessions as less about the student improving their performance and more about the educator indulging theirs.

Another approach is to kick off class with questions designed to get students interacting while at the same time gathering information to help you customize each class for the students in it. Background questions such as, “Who are you?” “Where do you come from?” and “Why are you here?” are commonly used, but they are far from the only options. EMS educators can up their game by considering the following:

What are your goals for this session/class?

It is important to recognize this question as different from “Why are you here?” This question asks the student to be reflective and far more specific. Students whose participation is required may not have thought much about this question. Even those attending of their own free will may have difficulty articulating an answer. This question gives the EMS educator the opportunity to be the “guide on the side.” Educators can help students tease out what they really want to get out of the class, even if they aren’t initially sure. Educators typically have training in creating learning objectives, while students do not. As students tell you what their goals are, consider writing down their answers as you help them be as specific and measurable as possible. Use these answers to improve your class by aligning them with its established learning objectives.

How does this topic impact your work?

This includes questions such as, “How does this topic impact your day-to-day life?” “How does this topic impact the lives of your patients?” and “How does this topic impact the lives of patients’ close friends and families?” Students often look at what is taught as simply a means to meeting some kind of requirement. Perhaps the students are completing class to maintain employment or be eligible for a new job opportunity or raise. While there is nothing wrong with those sources of motivation, we are not making widgets here. Our goal as EMS educators is to help students improve their abilities in the art and science of emergency care. The more effectively you help students see how the course content makes a real difference in people’s lives, the more attention, motivation, and performance outcomes improve.

Are you at a beginner, intermediate, or advanced level in this topic?

Alternatively, this can be framed as awareness, operational, or technician levels. While asking a student how well they think they’ve mastered the topic you’re about to teach is highly subjective, it is still incredibly useful. Students who feel they are beginners will need a good foundation and more solid steps as they go. Students who feel they are already experienced high performers will expect new information and unique perspectives. Finding you have both categories of students in the same class can be a particular challenge that can sometimes be solved by mixing newbies and masters together, while other times it is better to separate them into their own focused sessions.

How are we currently dealing with this topic, and how will education make things better?

The most important questions EMS educators can ask can sometimes open giant cans of worms. Be prepared for students to toss out answers you don’t want to hear, including, “Everything is fine the way it is,” and “This class is a waste of my time,” or “Things can be better, but this class won’t make a difference.” Some students may give you positive and actionable answers. Others might give answers that are purposefully antagonistic or provocative. It can be a lot for an EMS educator to handle. The important thing to keep in mind is that students may be reluctant to volunteer this information but will still be thinking it, so you’re better off having it out in the open even if it doesn’t feel great to hear. The good news is that even antagonistic students often feel better simply getting things off their chest. These discussions will eventually need to be refocused to keep class on track. Be careful that when you refocus the class, you don’t make students feel like you asked for their opinion, only to shut them right down.

Besides this class, what do you need to make this work?

Support? Equipment? Environmental conditions? Work policies? Work practices? EMS education should be transformative, but EMS educators can’t always give students everything they need. When we try to teach students a new tool or technique, they will be disengaged if they believe barriers will prevent them from actually using it. Time permitting, frank discussions of such barriers can be extremely helpful, especially if they are accompanied by actionable ways to overcome them. No one should expect EMS educators to solve all the problems of the world, but being an effective guide on the side includes pointing students toward effective and actionable next steps at the end of class.

Questions, along with good listening, make a great beginning (or even middle or end) to any EMS education program. You might not always get the answers you want to hear, but you will almost certainly get the answers you need to know.

Rommie L. Duckworth, LP, is a dedicated emergency responder and award-winning educator with more than 25 years working in career and volunteer fire departments, hospital healthcare systems, and public and private emergency medical services. He is currently a career fire captain and paramedic EMS coordinator.