Competency based curriculum
This CEE course was very helpful in defining the sometimes very abstract learning environment of the lab/shop. Learning the 5 levels of the competency based curriculum is very beneficial to me as in instructor. The levels act as guidelines to ensure the students are gaining the most out of the laboratory learning experience.
Courtney,
I am glad you find the course useful. I hope you have the opportunity to apply what you have learned soon.
Ron Hansen, Ed. D.
In our program, we have used competencies for the last 2 years to evaluate the students who are out doing their clinicals and externship rotations. I have found that it allows both the sites and the students to see where they are lacking in their skills/knowledge and what they have mastered. Since we require them to be repeated often it allows the students to see their progress too. It's a great system.
Allyson,
Sounds like good progress has been made. How do you help the students with the skills they are lacking before and during their clinical and and externship rotations?
Ron Hansen, Ed. D.
Our students have an integrated clinical before their externship. During that time either myself or the PD will spend additional time on those areas that the student(s) are having trouble with on their clinical sites. After they go to their externships, we ask the technicians on site to concentrate more on those areas until the extern student becomes more comfortable with that skill. It seems to work pretty well.
Allyson,
The involvement and cooperation of the technicians at the externship sites is a wonderful strategy.
Ron Hansen, Ed. D.
I teach a phlebotomy class and it's mostly hands on competency based learning. I find integrating lecture with physical hands on work leading to technical competency is really the only way to teach this type of class. To answer the question above, if the skills are lacking we help the student by having them repeat another 5 weeks of the clinical skills training. If they go to the job site and are found wanting, they return to class and repeat the skills lab for 5 weeks. If they return to the internship site a second time and are still lacking the necessary skills we unfortunately must terminate their enrollment.
jon,
How often do you find a student requiring termination under this process? Have you identified any common characteristics with this type of termination? If so, how have you used that information to inform curriculum revisions?
Ron Hansen, Ed. D.
Agreed completely. In the medical field we teach so many things that are hands on skills rather than memorization and repetition of info from a textbook.
