Danielle Bentley
PhD
Dr. Danielle Bentley is an Assistant Professor, teaching stream in the Division of Anatomy within the Department of Surgery. She is currently involved in the instruction of embryology (undergraduate and graduate level), anatomy dissection, as well as anatomy/embryology for health professions including medicine, radiation sciences, and kinesiology. She completed her master’s degree at Queen’s University in anatomical education before coming to the University of Toronto where her doctoral degree research shifted to the clinical sciences, specifically the use of exercise for cardiovascular disease prevention and treatment. Dr. Bentley then completed a post-doc in Knowledge Translation with the University Health Network focusing on implementation fidelity. Merging her previous experiences in anatomy education and clinical research, Dr. Bentley emphasizes the clinical applicability of basic anatomical concepts within each of her courses.
Research Synopsis
As an active education researcher and scholar, Dr. Bentley’s current program of research is focused on in-class components of courses, including both engaging teaching modalities as well as interactive assessments. The overarching objective of her research program is to support student learning with evidenced-based learning opportunities and meaningful assessments. Her research program is supported through peer-reviewed grants at both the institutional level and international levels.
In support of her overarching research program objectives, Dr. Bentley currently leads four independent research projects. Each project represents multi-year, multi-component work that is appropriately disseminated locally, nationally, and internationally. Her projects span the topics of anatomy laboratory examination pacing structure, two-stage collaborative testing, modified multiple choice questions to improve the testing effect of segmented assessments, and physical movements patterns to reinforce the instruction of musculoskeletal anatomy.
Selected Publications
Bentley DC, Faul J, Separi L, Rosner T. (2019). Does Two-stage Collaborative Testing Improve Recall and Retention of Anatomical Concepts? Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology 33: 605.3.
Bentley DC, Rosner T, Hum G, McCloy C. (2019). “This Is How You Do It, Right?!” Practical Suggestions for Designing and Implementing Education Research Projects with the Anatomy Classroom. Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology 33: 438.
Bentley DC (2018). Does A Self-Paced, Fixed-Time, Laboratory Examination Improve Anxiety and Performance among Undergraduate Students? Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology 32: lb511
Ruscitti R*, Thomas S & Bentley DC (2017). The Experiences of Students Without Disabilities in Inclusive Physical Education Classrooms: a review of literature. The Asia-Pacific Journal of Health, Sport & Physical Education, 8 (3), 245-57.
Bentley DC, DeZorzi C & Richardson N (2017). Movement Guided Learning as an Efficacious, Effective, and Evidence-based Teaching Strategy Within the Undergraduate Anatomy Classroom. Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology 31: 388.1.
Bentley DC, Robinson A & Ruscitti R (2015). Using Guided Inquiry and the Information Search Process to Develop Research Confidence among First Year Anatomy Students. Anatomical Sciences Education, 8(6): 564-73.
Bentley DC (2014). Inquiry Guided Learning Projects for the Development of Critical Thinking in the College Classroom: a pilot study. Collected Essays on Learning and Teaching, 7(2).
Bentley DC & Pang S (2012). Yoga Asanas as an Effective Form of Experiential Learning When Teaching Musculoskeletal Anatomy of the Lower Limb. Anatomical Sciences Education, 5(5): 281-86.