Implications of the New Standards for Curriculum

and Evaluation

in theDoctor of Audiology

ProgramDepartment of

Communication Sciences & Disorders

University of South Floridawww.usf.edu

USF Au.D. Program Developed by:

Theresa Hnath Chisolm (Director-Audiology)Patricia Blake-Rahter, Ph.D.Patricia Carr, M.S./Au.D. candidateSandra Graham, Ph.D. (Clinic Director)Arthur Guilford, Ph.D. (Dept. Chair)Raymond Hurley, Ph.D.Jennifer Lister, Ph.D.Nancy Patterson, M.S./Au.D. candidateKaren Richardson, M.S./Au.D candidateRobert Zelski, Au.D.

USF Au.D. program

Admitted 4 Student Cohort GroupsFall 1999

Master’s level Clinical Faculty Current Practitioners in the Community

Individualized Programs

Students in MS program who transferred to Au.D. program

First Year Au.D. students

Reviewed Curriculum

Whether or not the objectives and content of our current didactic and clinical courses were sufficient to prepare the students to meet the competencies specified by the New Standards?

“Mostly, but we could do better”

Example: No specific mechanism to meet - D4. Demonstrate the knowledge and

skills of determining the need for cerumen removal.

Assumption students learn through clinical experiences

Needed skill to do well in clinical courses

“Mostly, but we could do better”

Some students participated in “Cerumen Management” certification program at Bay Pines VAMC

These students would meet D4 Assure Competency D4 was met by all students Participation in the certification program A formal component of Clinical Practicum in

Year 2 of Au.D. program

Other Curricula Changes resulted from our

realization that …..

Depth of Course Content LimitedPrimarily due to need to cover “so

much” within 2 years of MS programAs a faculty we identified courses

whose content was in need for more “in-depth coverage”

Courses Changed

Example MS: Advanced Hearing Science Auditory Anatomy & Physiology Psychoacoustics

Courses Added Developed Several New Courses“Mathematical Foundations”

Semester I, First Year Linked to several competencies

B13. Demonstrates the knowledge of physical characteristics and measurement of acoustic stimuli

Courseware developed by Kewley-Port & Eddins

Courses Added

Another example relates to Competency….B20. Demonstrates the knowledge of laws, regulations,

policies, and management practices relevant to the profession of Audiology MS: Topics were primarily addressed in

Practicum Meetings Added:

History & Scope of Audiology, Year 1, Semester I

Business - Year 3, Semester II

Changes to Clinical Course Sequence

In the MS Program…….3 Semesters of Clinic at USF2 Semesters of Externship

Clinical Course Sequence AuD

Year 1 3 Semesters of Clinical

Laboratory Bridge gap between “didactic”

courses and Clinical Practice

Clinical Course Sequence AuD

Semester 1Academic Course: Psychoacoustics -

• Clinical Lab: Conduct Pure Tone testing• Related to topics such as Psychoacoustic

Methods, MAP, MAFAcademic Course: Anatomy & Physiology -

• Clinical Lab: Conduct immittance testing• Related to topics such as middle ear anatomy

and physiology

Clinical Course Sequence AuD

Year 2: In-house practica - 2 days/week (MS-4-6 hrs/week)

Year 3: Clerkships = Externships - 3 days/week (MS-2 days/week)

Year 4: Full time experience over two contiguous semesters

Clinical Course Meetings

MS program: Practicum meetings associated with Clinic I,

Clinic II, etc.AuD program:

Grand Rounds - IntroducedAll students/faculty meet on Biweekly basis

•Case presentations or Journal Club•Opportunities for Learning•Opportunities for Formative Assessment

In evaluating and developing the Au.D. curriculum…..

re: Jay Lubinsky’s earlier talkUse of a Cyclical approach by

introducing and re-introducing knowledge and skills

Use of Contextualization, wherein knowledge and skills are presented and gained within a set of cirucumstances

Opportunities for Synthesis or the “process of putting knowledge and skills together”

Exemplified by Course Sequencing

Hearing Aids Sequence In year 1, prior to courses/clinical practica Didactic course “Mathematics” –

• (e.g., foundation for understanding digital processing)

Didactic course: “Audiological Intervention”• Overview and Introduction to Hearing

Aids

Hearing Aids Sequence

Summer Year 1 – Didactic course “Hearing Aids I: Technical Aspects”

Fall Year II – Didactic course “Hearing Aids II: Evaluation and Fitting”

Fall , Spring, Summer of Year 2 – In-house clinic in which students evaluate and fit patients with hearing aids

Hearing Aids Sequence

Fall, Spring, Summer Year 3 – Off-site clinic clerkships provide more experience with hearing aids

Year 3 – Didactic course “Advanced Hearing Aid Seminar”

…..and Hearing Aids are also discussed in….

Grand RoundsOpportunity for integration of knowledge

and demonstration of critical thinking skills, problem solving, & decision making skills related to hearing aids

Grand Rounds is part of

Developing our Formative Assessment

“Good teaching is inseparable from good assessing” (Wiggins, 1992)

Research on Human Learning: Optimize learning, ASSESSMENT

approaches should promote reflection, construction of meaning, and self-monitoring of learning

– (e.g., Moscovici et al., 1996)

Formative Assessment

Formative Assessment is ongoing and periodic

Involves monitoring students’ acquisition of knowledge and skills specific to goals and objectives defined within Academic Courses Laboratory Courses Clinical Practicum Assignments

Formative Assessment

STUDENT PORTFOLIO Student Managed Faculty Monitored and Assessed Begin the Portfolio as a part of course

“History & Scope of Audiology” Completed at end of Year 4 Portfolio Evaluation becomes part of …..

Summative Assessment

Measuring the end result of the educational training process

Allows student to demonstrate mastery of Knowledge Clinical Concepts Clinical Skill

Student PortfolioInitial Components

Biographical Sketch Self-rating of Development of Proficiency in the

Competencies Section for Representative Sample of Work Section for Feedback on Clinical Experiences Section for Faculty Feedback Section for REFLECTIONS

Student Portfolio

Biographical Sketch Section Student expresses his/her personal

commitment to graduate education Discusses why he/she chose the profession

of AudiologyRequires “Reflection” and

introspection

Student PortfolioSelf-rating of Competency Proficiency

Rate perceived level of competence on a 5-point scale

Beginning and End of Semester I and then at end of each academic year

Faculty member/student review “Opportunity for Self-Monitoring”

Student Portfolio Section: Representative Samples of

Student WorkStudents select examples of tests,

papers, other assignments throughout the semester/year to provide support for the demonstration of progress in acquisition of the various competencies

“Opportunity for self-monitoring”

Student Portfolio Clinical Feedback Section

Contains Several Components• Semester I

– Reports on Clinical Shadowing Experiences– Activity designed to provide students with early

real-world knowledge and experience about practice of Audiology in variety of settings

– Reports on “what was learned” in each Grand Rounds meeting

Student Portfolio Clinical Feedback Section also includes s

copies of each semester’s Clinical Competency Checklist

Always used but needed to updateTask coordinated by Karen

Richardson Professional Research Project (Au.D.

requirement)

Given our curriculum and the need to assess progress towards meeting the competencies...

What level of Clinical Proficiency should be expected at the End of 2nd and 3rd Years of Program?

Conducted Focus Groups of Faculty and Practicing Audiologist from community

Student Portfolio Faculty Feedback

Faculty meet to discuss students progressWrite a short report, relating evaluation to

progress student is making in meeting the competencies

• Mid-term Semester I• Annually

Student meets with Faculty Advisors (One Academic and One Clinical) to discuss report

Student Portfolio REFLECTIONS

End of Semester I and annually thereafterStudent writes an essay in conjunction withUp-dating Competency Self-RatingStudent describes educational experiences that

support the changes made in the self-ratingWe believe this allows the student to demonstrate

the “construction of meaning” across a variety of experiences

Student PortfolioAdditional Sections

Scholarly InformationPresentations at Professional MeetingsPublicationsProfessional Research Project

Professional DataWorkshops/conferencesResume

Student PortfolioServes two purposes:

Mechanism for Formative Assessment of progress towards meeting competencies

As one component of Summative Assessment in which the student provides evidence of achieving the new competencies

In summary…….Implementation of New Standards

Focus on when and where students gain knowledge and experience to meet the new competencies

Continuous student evaluation by the Faculty as a whole

Awareness of the need to document progress as the student becomes a

Doctor of Audiology