An honorary teacher at the University of Sheffield has received national recognition by becoming a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Dr Martin Talbot, from the University of Sheffield's School of Medicine & Biomedical Science, and Consultant Physician at the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, received the honour for his sustained commitment to professionalism in te
aching and learning.
The Senior Fellowships, which are part of the Academy's Professional Recognition Scheme, recognise outstanding champions of teaching and learning in higher education.
Dr Talbot has been a medical teacher, examiner and educational administrator for 30 years and has contributed to many national bodies, including the Royal College of Physicians and the General Medical Council. His enduring interest is face-to-face teaching where his approach is informed by humanistic psychology and learner-centred methods.
Much of Dr Talbot's teaching is based upon individual or small group work, often using the 'onion skin' approach used by the medieval physician-teacher, Avicenna. In this, a problem is presented in a non-judgemental and supportive atmosphere to the most junior learner and then 'cascaded up' to increasingly senior learners until a consensus is reached. His individual supervision technique is informed by his research at the Open University and the Institute of Education into mentoring, and makes use of counselling techniques.
Dr Talbot has gained two Masters Degrees in Education and is an Associate of the Institute of Education, a member of both the Association for Medical Education and the Academy of Medical Educators. He is currently contributing to the development of an e-learning module on educational evaluation for the World Federation for Medical Education.
Dr Talbot said: "I am, of course, pleased to have been awarded this recognition by the Academy. However, I have been fortunate in working over the years at Sheffield University with colleagues committed to providing the best learning experience for our learners. In the School of Medicine, the student experience forms the basis of a lifetime of professional practice development, which is ultimately reflected in the best of patient care. It continues to be an enormous source of personal satisfaction to be involved in developing this experience."
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