Report on the African Teaching Tools Workshops

WORKSHOPS From September 12-16, 2011, the African Regional Committee (IBRO), the Society for Neuroscience, and the National Academy of Sciences (USA) held the 4th Teaching Tools Workshop at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana.This was part of a series of teaching workshops to introduce a variety of materials for junior faculty in the African continent to assist in teaching neuroscience.In many countries, a lack of trained neurologists, neurosurgeons, and neuroscientists prompted the organizers to provide junior faculty members an overall framework, and the materials needed, for the day-to-day teaching of neuroscience in African countries.Neuroscience, in the view of the Teaching Tools Workshop organizers, includes basic science as well as clinical concepts.Neuroscience and related disciplines are subjects typically feared and shunned by students of medicine and science in Africa.This is partly because the material is difficult and introductory biology and psychology courses do little to prepare students for neuroscience.Furthermore, the neuroscience curriculum in many African medical schools is not consistent.With uneven neuroscience education for physicians and scientists, compounded by the persisting stigma of many neurologic and psychiatric diseases, inadequate diagnosis and treatment often occurs for these conditions.The Teaching Tools Workshop course and content are designed for junior faculty members currently involved in teaching on the African Continent in neuroscience/neuroanatomy/neurophysiology or a related discipline.This generally includes faculty at universities who have been teaching in a neuroscience related field for 5 years or less.The current education system in most African countries does not present integrated courses or programs for study of neuroscience, although there are a few exceptions.Topics in neuroscience are presented as components of other courses such as physiology, anatomy, or pharmacology.The Teaching Tools Workshops are designed to present stand-alone basic modules in the neurosciences to be used by teachers to