This document outlines learning activities to develop evidence-based practice (EBP) capabilities. It describes 8 EBP capabilities: Ask, Acquire, Appraise, Aggregate, Apply, Assess, and provides example learning activities for each. The activities include surfacing assumptions, mini-critical appraisal of texts (mini-CATs), evidence maps and gaps, developing implementation plans, and logic models. The goal is to help students identify problems, search and appraise evidence, develop solutions, and evaluate outcomes.

1. Alessandra Capezio & Patrick L’Espoir Decosta
Title
EBMgt Learning Activities

2. Outline
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• Share our EBP capabilities framework.
• Example learning activities to support the
development of EBP capabilities.

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Developed by Alessandra Capezio & Patrick L’Espoir Decosta
Design: Camilo Potocnjak-Oxman

4. Learning Outcomes
1. Describe Evidence-based practice (EBP) in Management and its basic
principles and its core and functional capabilities.
2. Identify problems that require decision-making based on knowledge of
research fundamentals and EBP principles and capabilities (ASK)
3. Establish the search strategy to acquire the best available evidence relevant to
the problem (ACQUIRE)
4. Ascertain the methodological appropriateness, quality, and trustworthiness of
evidence (APPRAISE)
5. Integrate different types of relevant evidence towards finding solutions to the
problem (AGGREGATE)
6. Generate and implement best solutions to the problem with due consideration
of their social and ethical implications (APPLY)
7. Evaluate feedback obtained on applied solutions for necessary adjustment
(ASSESS)
8. Generate insights and decision-making awareness through self-reflection
(ASSESS)
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5. EBP Capability Cognitive processes Learning activities - example
Ask  Metacognition
 Problem identification
 Causal analysis
 Question specification
• Surfacing assumptions activity
Acquire  Information retrieval
 Apply search strategies
 Assess methodologically
appropriateness of methods
as per source
• Mini-CAT
Appraise  Methodological
appropriateness
 Methodological quality
• Mini-CAT
Aggregate  Probabilistic reasoning • Mini-CAT
• Evidence maps and gaps
Apply  Conditional thinking
 Apply contextual knowledge
• From evidence to practice
• Implementation plans
• Logic models
Assess  Critical reflection
 Close metacognitive loop
• Decision post-mortems
• AARs
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6. Surfacing assumptions
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• Assumed
problem
• Organisational
consequences
• Underlying
cause(s)
• Causal
mechanism(s)

7. Example: Open-plan offices
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8. Open-plan offices - Assumptions
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• What is the claim being made regarding
open-plan offices by senior managers?
• What is the assumed problem?
• Consequences of open-plan offices?
• Assumed causal mechanism(s)?
• Is there any evidence to support claim?

9. 1. Start with a statement/strong belief/claim that a
manager has or senior managers have about a
particular problem or practical issue. Could start with a
case.
2. Formulate a question to establish what is known in the
scientific literature about the problem/practical
issue/opportunity.
3. Students search for at least 5 scientific studies in teams
(prioritising meta-analysis or systematic reviews) and
rate the trustworthiness of the studies, distil the key
findings and implications for practice.
Mini-CATs
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10. Based on our evidence, how sure can you
be that the assumed cause has led to an
observed effect? How do you know? How
trustworthy is your evidence??
Critical appraisal of evidence
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11. Critical appraisal of evidence
11Source: CEBMa

12. Evidence maps or gaps
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13. • Students take the findings of a meta-analysis or
systematic review, mini-CAT, CAT, evidence map, and
develop an implementation plan based on the findings.
• Students need to pay particular attention to the practical
implications.
• Students need to address the following questions:
 How would you apply these findings to practice?
 What would be some important considerations or
boundary conditions in implementation?
From evidence to practice (1)
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14. 1. Stage 1 of applying evidence to practice: Identifying evidence-based
solutions
 What can be done by organisations to manage the problem?
 Are there studies that support the effectiveness of these interventions?
2. Stage 2 of applying evidence to practice: feasibility, risks, and
boundary conditions
 Does the evidence for your interventions have ecological validity or
applicability in the context?
 What barriers and constraints (including operating constraints) exist to
implementing these interventions?
 What are the most feasible interventions?
3. Stage 3 and 4 of applying evidence to practice: decision,
implementation, assessment
 Complete the logic model overleaf and identify any appropriate outcome
measures.
From evidence to practice (2)
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15. Logic model template
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Project/Interventions:
Goal:
INPUTS ACTIVITIES OUTCOMES
What we
invest
Implementation:
What we do
Participants
short-term
results:
Learning
intermediate
results: Action
long-term
results:
conditions
OUTCOME MEASURES: Assess & evaluate performance and achievement of program
objectives
Assumptions Internal & External Challenges