. 2023 Jun 14;4(3):265–281. doi: 10.34197/ats-scholar.2022-0009PS

Table 1.

Considering audience and scope

Important Considerations to Make Regarding a Chalk Talk’s Audience
Teaching learners who are peers to the facilitator Ask: What questions have I recently asked, read about, or developed a new understanding of during my own clinical learning experience? Teaching learners who are junior to the facilitator Ask: When I was at their stage of training, what concept(s) did I personally find difficult to understand? Ask: On what topic(s) did I require additional teaching, reading, or explaining? Teaching learners who are senior to the facilitator Ask: What new and potentially unfamiliar guidelines or studies have recently been published that may be beneficial to review? Ask: What uncommon diagnoses or procedures have been encountered together while on service that may be beneficial for the whole team to discuss and review? Teaching to a mixed group of learners Ask: What content will be new for certain learners, and what will be a review for others? Ask: What expertise of senior learners can be leveraged to move the chalk talk along but also engage the junior learners? Ask: What information presented will engage each learner, and could learning objectives vary by the level of the learner?

Important Considerations to Make Regarding a Chalk Talk’s Audience

Teaching learners who are peers to the facilitator

Ask: What questions have I recently asked, read about, or developed a new understanding of during my own clinical learning experience?

Teaching learners who are junior to the facilitator

Ask: When I was at their stage of training, what concept(s) did I personally find difficult to understand?

Ask: On what topic(s) did I require additional teaching, reading, or explaining?

Teaching learners who are senior to the facilitator

Ask: What new and potentially unfamiliar guidelines or studies have recently been published that may be beneficial to review?

Ask: What uncommon diagnoses or procedures have been encountered together while on service that may be beneficial for the whole team to discuss and review?

Teaching to a mixed group of learners

Ask: What content will be new for certain learners, and what will be a review for others?

Ask: What expertise of senior learners can be leveraged to move the chalk talk along but also engage the junior learners?

Ask: What information presented will engage each learner, and could learning objectives vary by the level of the learner?

Important Considerations to Make Regarding a Chalk Talk’s Topic/Scope
Diagnosis-focused topics Ask: For a particular diagnosis, what aspect is often most challenging for learners? Is it the pathophysiology, workup, management, etc.? Ask: Are there diagnoses on the differential that are also worth highlighting and giving space to during a longer chalk talk? Procedure-focused topics Ask: What evidence exists and may be important to review about best practices for procedures? Ask: What are rare but lifesaving procedures that should be reviewed by discussing indications, supplies, or process? Ask: What are the often neglected but important pieces of a procedure that we do not often receive teaching on (e.g., postintubation sedation plans)? Trial-focused topics Ask: How would this trial change practice patterns when caring for similar patients? Ask: Would a discussion of the methodology and conclusions drawn in a trial be beneficial to the team and their conceptualization of that trial or future trials in clinical practice?

Important Considerations to Make Regarding a Chalk Talk’s Topic/Scope

Diagnosis-focused topics

Ask: For a particular diagnosis, what aspect is often most challenging for learners? Is it the pathophysiology, workup, management, etc.?

Ask: Are there diagnoses on the differential that are also worth highlighting and giving space to during a longer chalk talk?

Procedure-focused topics

Ask: What evidence exists and may be important to review about best practices for procedures?

Ask: What are rare but lifesaving procedures that should be reviewed by discussing indications, supplies, or process?

Ask: What are the often neglected but important pieces of a procedure that we do not often receive teaching on (e.g., postintubation sedation plans)?

Trial-focused topics

Ask: How would this trial change practice patterns when caring for similar patients?

Ask: Would a discussion of the methodology and conclusions drawn in a trial be beneficial to the team and their conceptualization of that trial or future trials in clinical practice?

Before selecting a topic for the chalk talk, it is essential to define the audience and the audience’s stage of clinical development/learning. Considering the questions above and any further questions inspired by the suggested list presented here may aid in the successful selection of a teaching topic best suited for the intended audience of learners. After identifying the characteristics of the audience, consider the topic of the talk, which may be, but certainly is not limited to, a pathophysiology, diagnosis, procedure, or trial-focused topic. Initial questions are provided that may guide the process of determining a talk’s scope within a given topic.