L. James Nixon
James Nixon is an assistant professor of internal medicine and pediatrics at the University of Minnesota. He directs the internal medicine clerkship, the pediatric clerkship, and an elective in advanced physical diagnosis for medical students. He is currently in the process of completing his master’s degree in health professions education at the University of Illinois at Chicago. His special interests include computer-assisted learning cases for teaching medical students.
Teaching Activities
Interests
Nixon's teaching interests include:
- clinical teaching;
- practice-based learning and improvement (evidence-based medicine);
- instructional methods; and
- assessment methods.
University Courses
He has taught or administered the following University of Minnesota courses and programs:
- MED 7500-1: Internal Medicine Clerkship, Director;
- MED 7602: Advanced Physical Diagnosis, Director;
- PED 7501: Pediatric Clerkship, Director;
- Physician and Society, Master Tutor; and
- Preceptor for residents and student in clinic and in the hospital.
Research Activities
Interests
Nixon's research interests include computer-assisted learning cases.
TEL Publications and Presentations
Nixon, L. James. "Meeting LCME Criteria with Ease: Using Computer Assisted Learning Cases." Paper presented at the Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine Meeting, Portland, OR, October 2005.
Fellowship Project
Computer-Assisted Learning Cases in Medicine
Teaching Challenge
Nixon is the director of the required internal medicine clerkship. The clerkship learning outcomes are based in large part on the Core Medicine Clerkship Curriculum Guide produced by the Society of General Internal Medicine and Clerkship Directors in the Internal Medicine. This guide reflects a national consensus about the goals and objectives of the medicine clerkship. The goals and objectives focus on problems and medical conditions in internal medicine that every physician should be able to manage, regardless of chosen specialty.
However, it is often difficult to ensure that students in a clinical setting admit patients with the appropriate diagnoses to support their learning. In addition to caring for these patients, students should receive appropriate instruction from their preceptor to understand these clinical experiences. Content areas that are particularly difficult to teach on the wards include topics such as complementary and alternative medicine, geriatrics, women's health, palliative medicine, medically underserved populations, medical error prevention, teamwork (systems based practice), and the lifelong learning skills of practice-based learning and improvement. Unfortunately, given the variability in preceptor interest, expertise, and case mix, it isn't possible to ensure that every student has the ideal learning experience in the clinical setting.
Technology Solution
Nixon will develop a Web-delivered, case-based curriculum for the medicine clerkship that will enable students to work through the cases at their own pace. Direct links to online full text journals will enable students to explore answers to questions that arise as they work through the cases. The ability to work through cases wherever and whenever they have time is of particular importance to students in the medical clerkship who are at multiple locations and on a variety of call schedules. An online curriculum will help to achieve comparable experiences through simulated cases and similar delivery of didactic material. While the Web-delivered, case-based curriculum will initially address these issues for the medicine clerkship, ultimately these same principles can be applied to other clerkships.
Consultation Areas
Nixon is able to consult with faculty members about the following educational technology topics:
- creating and using digitized case studies;
- using personal digital assistants (PDAs), WebCT, and PowerPoint to support instruction; and
- developing Web sites.
Contact Information
- Office: PWB 14-124 C
- Telephone: (612) 626-5230
- E-mail: nixon007@umn.edu
