Instruction

FY 24 At a Glance

156 customized sessions,
a 3% Increase from FY 23.

160 live classes with
2,031 total attendees.

11 live classes offered in
partnership with CTSI RCR,
with 343 attendees.

4-day lunchtime R Bootcamp
with 100+ attendees.

500+ educated on the NIH
Data Management and
Sharing Policy.

4,066 views & downloads for
asynchronous videos,
a 10% increase from FY 23.

706 requested consultations,
a 42% increase from FY 23.

817 participants in consultations,
a 33% increase from FY 23.

500+ UPMC Residents &
Fellows completed the HSLS
orientation module.

Flexible and Engaging Learning

We offer flexible learning opportunities through a variety of formats, including live classes, self-paced learning modules, customized sessions, and both individualized and group consultations. Our instruction is continually updated with new topics to address evolving challenges and advancements in health sciences education and research.

New or revised topics for FY 24 included:

  • All of Us Genomics
  • Data Management
  • Evaluating Generative AI
  • Evaluating Journals
  • Health Misinformation
  • Partek Flow
  • Protecting Privacy Online
  • Refining Research Questions
  • Research Data Sharing
  • R and Python Programming

Additionally, we collaborated with external partners to provide instruction sessions on BioRender and LabArchives software tools.

Over the past year, we have implemented several initiatives to improve accessibility and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in our instructional programs. Individual consultations with instructors helped establish clear guidelines for creating accessible learning materials.

Additionally, we launched the Learn @ HSLS class catalog, allowing patrons to easily explore our instructional offerings—both live classes and self-paced learning modules—by category, subcategory, and topic.

To enhance engagement through personalized learning, we introduced the HSLS Self-Paced Learning Canvas site, which features nine new learning modules. We further expanded our offerings with seven additional modules for the Open Scholarship and Research Impact Challenge, in collaboration with the University Library System.

We also implemented a new feature enabling health sciences students and faculty to access relevant HSLS Resource Guides from their Canvas course sites. Since launching in October 2023, 627 courses have utilized this feature, contributing to a 50% increase in engagement with these resource guides.

AI Literacy

Many HSLS instructors pursued continuing education on artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance their expertise and integrate AI into information and research literacy instruction. This year, we offered Evaluating Generative AI for your Research Workflow, which includes a researcher-friendly rubric for assessing new generative AI tools. Customized sessions are being requested for the coming year, including for CTSI’s Responsible Conduct of Research training.  

Additionally, our librarians have taken leadership roles in AI education within the profession, delivering the plenary lecture Generative AI Challenges for Health Sciences Libraries and Librarians at the MAC MLA conference in October.

All of Us Research Data

We developed and implemented educational programs for Pitt researchers focused on studying All of Us research data. These programs explored health factors unique to specific populations and emphasized interventions to advance health equity. We also introduced strategies to enhance skills in Python and R programming for analyzing All of Us data.

Health Misinformation

HSLS took significant strides in combating health misinformation, emphasizing our role in both educating Pitt students and engaging with the broader Pittsburgh community. We launched a multimedia exhibit and hosted an innovative escape room experience, designed to raise awareness about health misinformation. These initiatives were embraced by faculty from the Disinformation Lab, Public Health and SHRS programs. Based on this success, we received an Innovation in Education Award from the Provost’s Advisory Council on Instructional Excellence to develop a new escape room, “The Case of the Charming Clinician: An Instructional Medical Misinformation Escape Room for Health Sciences Students,” aimed at enhancing information literacy among health sciences students. 

Building on last year’s Seed Grant project, “Disrupting Health Dis- and Misinformation in the Patient Care Setting,” we piloted interactive self-paced learning modules for sophomore-level BSN students across our Pittsburgh and Johnstown campuses, equipping them with essential skills to address health misinformation. These resources will be incorporated into the curriculum for future Pitt BSN students at these campuses.

In addition to our academic initiatives, we conducted educational sessions for community members at Carnegie Public Library branches, covering critical topics such as identifying health misinformation and recognizing visual deception in the age of AI.

UPMC

We supported clinical care and physician training by collaborating with program coordinators to increase awareness of our resources and services for GME residents and fellows. We also partnered with the UPMC Medical Education Transitional Year (TY) residency program, providing evidence-based research guidance for first-year residents working on a required patient safety project.   

Additionally, instructors developed a health literacy module for UPMC’s advanced practice providers (APPs), which will be integrated into the annual training for all newly hired APPs.