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Development of the Teaching Gero Videos

The Teaching Gero Videos are composite dramatizations of actual teaching situations recorded by social work faculty nationwide. The John A. Hartford Foundation funded these videos for use during the Hartford Scholars Annual Teaching Institute at Stanford University. Some of these teaching scenarios were then selected for posting here on the Gero-Ed Center website. Dr. Georgette Stratos, Co-Director of the Stanford Faculty Development Center at Stanford University’s School of Medicine, was a consultant on this project. 

The comprehensive steps involved in generating these vignettes are as follows:

  1. All Hartford Scholars and participants in Hartford Geriatric Social Work Curriculum Development Initiatives were surveyed on-line regarding teaching situations that they find challenging.
  2. Based on those responses, a team of three faculty reviewers identified the most frequent teaching challenges.
  3. Faculty survey respondents were contacted to assess their willingness to be videotaped teaching, with the understanding that their identity would remain confidential. Twelve faculty agreed to videotape their teaching, but only six submitted usable tapes.
  4. Although all faculty were teaching required courses at the generalist practice level, some of the scripts selected do not necessarily capture the gero content in the course.
  5. As reenactments of actual teaching interactions, the vignettes contain examples of effective and less effective teaching. As in real life, none are “perfect” scenarios.
  6. Each of the tapes was carefully reviewed and rated to identify segments to be reenacted by “actors” to trigger discussion relevant to each of the teaching challenges.
  7. These selected segments were transcribed. In addition to verbal actions, non-verbal behavior, PowerPoint slides, and handouts were transcribed as well.
  8. The faculty reviewer team read the transcripts in order to select portions that illustrate particular teaching challenges, and to write verbatim scripts approximately 3-5 minutes in length.
  9. University of Washington faculty and students were recruited to re-create the actual teaching interactions. Keep in mind that they were actors adhering to scripts in these situations, not demonstrating their own teaching competence.
  10. Videotaping of faculty and student actors by University of Washington TV staff took place over two days, followed by extensive editing and review by Dr. Stratos from the Stanford Faculty Development Center.
  11. Fourteen vignettes are utilized at the Hartford Scholars Annual Teaching Institute at Stanford University. Based on feedback from Scholars participating at the 2009 Teaching Institute, five vignettes were selected for the Gero-Ed Center website.