Educational Research

Promoting innovation and quality in medical education is a key function of the department of Medical Education, Research and Evaluation (MERE). MERE provides support and guidance to faculty and staff at Duke-NUS to promote evidence-based medical education, with the goal of enhancing the knowledge and practice of physicians and physicians in training. MERE evaluates our existing programs and suggests quality improvements to improve our curriculum delivery. We support a growing community of medical education researchers by providing consultancy on various aspects of pedagogic research, program development and evaluation. We also help facilitate the translation of pedagogic research findings into educational practices.

Getting started in Medical Education Research

The department of Medical Education, Research and Evaluation (MERE) provides support to faculty and staff who are interested in conducting educational research. We aim to create opportunities for faculty and staff to discuss and learn more about educational research, by organizing forums and seminars. We also provide a staged consultancy service to assist with all phases of the research process. In particular, we can advise and support educational researchers in the following areas:

• Turning ideas into research questions
• Accessing and reviewing the educational literature
• Selecting appropriate study designs and methods
• Writing the research proposal
• Exploring funding issues
• Obtaining IRB approval
• Collecting and collating data
• Analyzing and interpreting data
• Reporting and disseminating the research
• Translating research findings into educational practices

Singapore Medical Education Research Forum (SMERF)

The Singapore Medical Education Research Forum (SMERF) is a regular forum for exchange of scholarly ideas and activities in medical education. A wide range of presenters, from Duke-NUS and other institutions, share insights and explore the academic side of teaching and learning medicine. The goal of this forum is to provide a supportive environment for discussing and receiving feedback on education projects. We welcome educators who are at any stage of the research process. Examples of activities appropriate for SMERF include but are not limited to: presenting new project ideas in order to look for collaborators or get advice on moving forward; presenting a draft project protocol with the goal of asking specific questions on research design or methods; receiving feedback on draft manuscripts; or, practicing a presentation for an upcoming conference.

If you would like to attend SMERF or find out more about educational research at Duke-NUS please contact educational.research@duke-nus.edu.sg.