Robert Fleischmann, PhD

W. Robert (Bob) Fleischmann, PhD, is currently a Professor Emeritus at Central Michigan University College of Medicine (CMU). Dr. Fleischmann had a distinguished academic career as an internationally recognized research scientist, teacher and innovative curriculum designer. He has received several awards for teaching excellence as a lecturer, laboratory instructor and problem-based learning facilitator. At the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, he participated in an experimental interactive learning track for the first two years that was based upon problem-based learning cases. At the University of Minnesota, he developed and directed the Foundations in Critical Thinking course, which employed problem-based learning cases that were aligned with the didactic portion of the curriculum. At CMU, he was Director of year one and year two and was given the responsibility for the design, development and implementation of an integrated first- and second-year curriculum that featured problem-based learning cases, team-based learning and interactive lectures. He also developed a method of combining problem-based learning cases and team-based learning. In addition, Dr. Fleischmann served two terms as interim Chair of the Foundational Sciences Discipline at CMU. He is the author of numerous problem-based learning cases and has trained faculty members to write problem-based learning cases and to facilitate problem-based learning groups. 

The interactive lecture

Learning requires an interaction. The active learning process takes account of how much information people remember as well as the techniques needed to optimize the retention of information into long-term memory. The greater the amount of interaction, the higher the level of retention (e.g., the retention rate for a lecture is five percent). In addition, use of clinical cases is a good strategy to help students realize what information that don't have at the beginning of a lecture as well as what they have learned thereafter.

At the end of the professional development byte, you will be able to:

  • Apply strategies to make a lecture interactive

Watch this professional development byte:  The Interactive Lecture

Resources

  1. Kendra Cherry. What is short-term memory and how long does it last?
  2. Richard C. Mohs. How human memory works. Science.
  3. Nelson Cowan. What are the differences between long-term, short-term and working memory?
  4. Stacey T. Lutz and William G. Huitt. Information processing and memory: Theory and applications.

Dr. Fleischmann has disclosed he has no relevant financial relationships.