Dr. Sang E. Park, Associate Professor of Restorative Dentistry and Biomaterials Sciences and Associate Dean for Dental Education, is committed to ensuring that dental education at Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) prepares students for careers as dental practitioners while meeting the needs of its patients. Dr. Park has been instrumental in several curriculum redesigns, including the introduction of the Case Completion clinical curriculum in 2009. The most recent efforts of the Curriculum Redesign Task Force for the class for 2027 included a restructuring of the preclinical and biomedical curriculum, a strengthening of research components, and engagement of the Scholars in Dental Education program to ensure the curriculum reflects the needs of students and the values of the institution. 

In the Spring of 2023, a new curriculum redesign effort considered HSDM students’ recommendations. A day-long Curriculum Hackathon captured the voices of predoctoral students from across various class years. Students were assigned to four groups and asked to create their ideal curriculum which they presented to faculty judges at the end of the Hackathon. The students were expected to align their program design with the school’s mission and goals and to take certain barriers to change into consideration (for example accreditation requirements).... Read more about Incorporating student voices into curriculum redesign efforts

Aisha Yousafzai, Associate Professor of Global Health, launched the Early Childhood Development: Global Strategies for Implementation HarvardX course in 2021. This self-paced, asynchronous course is designed for practitioners of public health to learn about program and policy development and has enrolled over 31,000 students. Yousafzai has taught a range of course formats during her time at Harvard: residential, hybrid, online, and now an asynchronous HarvardX course. Each course type “requires its own thought process about the right pedagogy,” but Yousafzai believes that careful consideration of the various strategies available for each course and what works has enriched the learning environment across her courses. 

Three years ago, Scot T. Martin, Gordon McKay Professor of Environmental Science and Engineering and Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences, decided to “start from scratch” with his approach to teaching thermodynamics. In his course Thermodynamics by Case Study, he found that by focusing on every day, concrete examples (e.g., running, the function of the heart) and demanding an intense level of participation, he could help students unpack layer after layer to rediscover and truly understand the fundamental laws.