Courses

Format Description

A course is designed to emphasize learning experiences that actively involve participants and include the opportunity for informal exchange with the faculty. Offered in four-hour (half-day), six-hour (full-day), and eight-hour (full-day) sessions, a course either reviews basic concepts in a special subject area or presents advanced material on a circumscribed topic. Participants must purchase tickets to attend.


Course submissions for the 2009 Annual Meeting in San Francisco will open on May 13, 2008 and must be completed in its entirety by August 28, 2008.
 

Course Guidelines & Instructions

 

Checklist of  Requirements:  

  1. Course Title (limited to 150 characters including spaces)
  2. Topic Selection - Please choose the topic from the dropdown menu that best encompasses the overall discussion of your entire presentation. See the list of topics here.
  3. APA Component or Allied Group - If your course is presented in collaboration with an APA Component or Allied Group, please choose the group from the dropdown menu.
  4. Status - New course, repeat course, revised course.
  5. Duration - Four (4) hours,  six (6), or eight (8) hours.
  6. Recommended Number of Participants - Class size appropriate for the content and instructional method(s).
  7. Content Level - Basic, intermediate, or advanced.
  8. Prerequisites if intermediate or advanced.
  9. Room Needs - Specify desired room configuration; indicate if breakout room(s) are needed.
  10. Format - Methods used to teach: e.g., lecture, role-play, videotapes, small-group discussion, etc.
  11. Faculty - Provide the names and email contacts for all faculty and co-chair, if applicable.
  12. Educational Objectives (limited to 500 characters)– Learner-focused educational objectives describe the abilities and/or attitudes (learning outcomes) that complete the sentence, “At the conclusion of this presentation, the participant should be able to (e.g., demonstrate, recognize, diagnose, treat, etc…).” Be as specific as possible. Do not say what you are going to teach, say what you want participants to learn.
  13. Abstract (limited to 2,000 characters including spaces) - The abstract is a concise description of the specific purpose, content, methodology, results, and importance of the proposed presentation. State specific findings and inferences explicitly. Conclude with a sentence that provides a strong summary for the abstract. Include a statement regarding commercial support if applicable.
  14. Handout Materials - Course directors must prepare handouts to be given to participants enrolled in their courses. Participants expect to receive comprehensive handouts that cover all material presented in sequential order and will be asked to evaluate them. A copy of all slides should be included in the handouts. Below are additional items which should be included as handout materials. All of these items must be submitted online during the submission process using the "FTP" function.  If your course is selected for the program, you will have an opportunity to update your slides and all handouts at a later time.
  • Time Schedule/Agenda – Include the descriptive title of each presentation, the presenter, and the time allotted for each presentation and discussions.
  • Audiovisual Equipment - Indicate the equipment needs for you and other course faculty.
  • Outline of Each Faculty Member’s Presentation - Include a systematic listing of the presentation’s most important points.
  • Self-Assessment Questions and Answers - Course proposals must include self-assessment questions and answers to evaluate the learning outcomes (educational objectives) of the participants. Questions must be written in multiple choice format. Submit eight questions and answers for a four-hour course and 12 questions and answers for a six- pr eight-hour course.
  • Background Articles - At least three relevant, complete journal articles which should also be included in the list of literature references.
  • Slides – Provide a preliminary electronic copy of all PowerPoint slides to facilitate note taking. Please also include a disclosure of any financial interest to your audience at the beginning of your slide presentation.
  • CV for each faculty member - No more than two pages in length.
  • Literature References – Each proposed course must list at least eight (8) relevant literature references for a four-hour course and at least twelve (12) relevant literature references for a six- or eight-hour course. Follow the American Journal of Psychiatry style (see examples on the AJP web site (http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org) where earlier articles are available free.
  • Revision Statement - If the course is a Revision of one given last year, a letter must be included to indicate how the revision addresses participants’ comments, criticisms, and suggestions.

Note: Entries lacking any of the required elements by the established deadline can not be forwarded to the Scientific Program Committee for review and consideration per the standards and requirements for offering continuing medical education (CME) credits for scientific sessions.

 

Thank you for your interest in participating in the APA Annual Meeting. For additional information about this format, email Desta Wallace.