Teaching: New pathways and creative approaches
During the 1980s and 1990s, Elizabeth Hay and Lynne Reid assisted in the development and inauguration of the “New Pathway in General Medical Education” program at Harvard Medical School. The New Pathway was designed to restructure the first two years of medical school education, shifting from large lecture-hall style classes based around the rote memorization of facts, to case study-based learning that gave students an opportunity to engage in smaller groups with expert tutors.
Lynne Reid participated in tutorials aimed at educating medical school faculty in the tenets of the program. She also assisted with the evaluation of aspects of the program. Her collection reflects her passion for improving medical education, and her involvement in these tutoring sessions, which became a valuable component of the New Pathway approach.
Elizabeth Hay was known for her creative approach to teaching: her collection includes dozens of syllabi and other course materials which include illustrations and cartoons depicting microscopes, cats (she had a great fondness for cats, and kept many as pets), and other images intended to surprise students and keep them engaged. She also engaged students with hands-on work, teaching with models and working with students to fabricate their own models, such as the foam and papier-mâché models pictured to the right.