Dr Margaret Bearman

Qualifications: PhD

Centre for Medical and Health Sciences Education
Building Two, Level One,
270 Ferntree Gully Road
Notting Hill, Vic, 3168

Tel: +61 3 9501 5530
Fax: +61 3 9501 5546
Email: margaret.bearman@med.monash.edu.au

Margaret Bearman began her academic career working in medical informatics at the Centre of Medical Informatics at Monash University. Her doctorate was awarded in 2001 investigating the emotional impact of virtual patients. Major computer-assisted learning developments include: the HIV Hypermedia Medical Education Package (1992-1994), What’s the Hype? (1994 – 1996), TechME – Technology in Medical Education (BMJ website of the week in 1999); and a series of on-line simulations and role-plays (2003 – 2004).

Margaret has been a part-time Senior Lecturer/Research Fellow at CMHSE since 2004. Since this time, her research focus has been on evaluating health professional education programs, including her current secondment to a national DEST-funded study into the success of medical school education in Australia. Current research interests in health professional education are: computer-based learning; use of narrative; communication skills (particularly pediatric communication skills) qualitative research methods in health professional education; and general evaluation of programs - particularly from an 'outcomes'/health services research perspective.

Margaret has two young children and has also: written a novel (Above the Water; Simon and Schuster 2002) and is writing a second; written and directed a prize-winning short film (Absence 1999-2001); and directed, performed and produced theatre.

Key publications that reflect my prior and current interests

M Bearman, G Bowes, B Jolly. Looking for the Child’s Perspective, Medical Education July 2005 (editorial).

M Bearman and T Bessell, Improving Australian pharmacists’ attitude to Internet use in community pharmacy practice, International Journal of Pharmacy Practice, 13 (2), pp 117-121, 2005.

M Bearman, Is Virtual the Same as Real? Medical Students’ Experience of the Virtual Patient Academic Medicine May;78(5):538- 45, 2003.

M Bearman, B Cesnik, M Liddell, Random Comparison of 'Virtual Patient' Models in the Context of Teaching Clinical Communication Skills. Medical Education 35(9):824-32, 2001.

M Bearman, Narratives and Case Histories: Implications for Computer-based Education, Proceedings of ASCILITE ‘97, Perth, December 1997.

M Bearman, M R Kidd and B Cesnik, Degrees of Freedom: Guided Learning vs Hypermedia, Proceedings of ASCILITE 1993, December 1993.