First stage

What are the educational “questions” that you would like to have answered? (For example: “what is an educational objective?”, “what does the word 'validity' mean with reference to an examination?”).

What are the educational “tasks” that you would like to take on? (For example: “organizing a nutrition course for student nurses” or “teaching how to interview a patient”).

What are the educational “problems” you would like to solve? (For example: “I am in charge of 600 students in different university years: how am I to organize field work in preventive medicine?)”

Now....... Try to draw up a preliminary list of your “questions”, “educational tasks” or “problems” for the coming 12-month period.

EXERCISE

Identification of your needs as an educator

Second stage

Would you like to find oat how much you know before studying the rest of the Handbook? One way of doing this is to try to answer the questions in a pre-test.¹

¹ This pre-test deals only with theoretical knowledge relating to group 2, page 2. You will have an opportunity of gauging how far you have achieved the group 1 objectives by doing other exercises which appear throughout the Handbook.

To do so, read straight away the questions on pages 1.73 - 1.76, 2.45 - 2.47, 3.93 - 3.96 and 4.87 - 4.90 and enter your answers on the answer sheet, page 10.

If your score is low in this pre-test, this should be a source of satisfaction, for it may show that you were right to start perusing this Handbook and that it will be worth your while continuing so that you can improve your weak spots.

The test will help you make a personal diagnosis of the teaching areas you need to bring up to date. Your aim in doing this test is not to find the right answer but simply to take note of the fact that you do not find it!

You may also rest assured that your score in the post-test will be another occasion for satisfaction for it will show an appreciable gain after you have used the Handbook.

If your score in the pre-test is high, you should choose areas which are still “uncertain” (those for which you did not find the correct answer) and go into the matter more thoroughly.

Answer sheet for pre-test

Figure

To check your raw score compare your answers with those given on page 5.34.

Identification of your needs as an educator

Third stage

To use this Handbook effectively for your own needs, it is proposed that you choose from among the following educational tasks or objectives (broken down into four main themes) the ones which interest you and in which you would like to achieve a degree of competence.

The time required for personal work (study of the text, practical exercises) on some of these tasks will be more or less long. Some call for a few minutes' work, others several hours to allow for study of the documents suggested (p. 14).

To guide you in this first choice, do not forget to take into account the “questions and problems” you listed on p. 8 and your weak and strong points (results of pre-test, p. 5.34).

Limit this initial choice to about 10 tasks, circling the numbers of those that seem most important for you on the list (numbered 1 - 40) appearing on pages 12 - 13.

It is natural that you should have some difficulty in making your choice at this stage, for you are not yet familiar with “educators' jargon”. Do not forget the Glossary (pp. 6.01 et seq.). Don't worry..... in any case there is no risk involved!

Moreover, you can always adjust your choice as your work progresses.

Once your initial choice has been made, tarn to p. 14 and follow the instructions given there: study the suggested pages and do the corresponding exercises.