Evaluation: Allied Healthcare Readiness Pilot Project ...



Saddleback CollegeIntroduction to Allied Healthcare Readiness Pilot Project: Fast Track to Student SuccessMarch 2012 - January 2014Component: Professional Communications/Academic ReadingFaculty: Cheryl Altman, Professor Emeritus Reading Irene Renault, Professor and Co-Chair Reading Department SUMMARY OF PROJECT:The Professional Communications component to the readiness project was designed to prepare students with the necessary skills to organize, evaluate and assimilate knowledge in college level textbooks found in the Allied Healthcare field. The readability levels of college textbooks typically range from a 12.0 to 15.9 grade level. Therefore, the materials used in the Professional Communications component of this program were excerpts from short passages to entire textbook chapters, from a range of Allied Health texts, providing students with a meaningful contextualized learning experience. The materials and study skills strategies presented for the pilot project are universal in nature; they are the same skills required of students in order to be successful in all academic classes be it in high school, college, or healthcare programs. Our goal was to introduce students to reading comprehension, critical thinking, and study skills that are essential for success in college as well as in the Allied Health field and to develop content literacy by introducing medical terminology. As part of the program, students, also, completed a career research project. They attended 8 class sessions over a two-week for approximately 1? hours each session. The Reading faculty created a completely contextualized learning experience addressing academic reading skills by using exercises, group activities, Power Points and assignments developed from textbooks currently used at Saddleback College such as Phlebotomy Essentials by McCall & Tankersley, Hematology in Practice by Ciesla,and Emergency Care by Limmer and O'Keefe. Student Learning Objectives:By the end of the project students had been introduced to and demonstrated knowledge of:1. Locating essential information from a textbook reading which included recognizing major/minor details, understanding the central point or main idea, and recognizing the main pattern of organization.2. Annotating a textbook3. Mapping information4. Taking Cornell Notes from a textbook and lecture 5. Developing listening and note taking skills6. Summarizing information7. Enhancing memorization and concentration strategies8. Enhancing critical thinking skills by reading and applying information found in charts, graphs and anatomical diagrams. 9. Developing test taking strategies10. Increasing knowledge of Latin and Greek roots found in medical terminology11. Enhancing writing skills through journal writing12. Researching, outlining, writing and orally presenting information focused on a career of interest in allied health.Inventory of materials developed:1. Power PointsAcademic ReadingConcentrationMain Idea/DetailsPatterns of OrganizationCornell NotesCritical Thinking/ApplicationAids to RecallMedical Terminology: roots, prefixes, suffixes; body parts; doctors and types of illnesses they treat; and a Jeopardy game using learned vocabulary.2. Assessments for Pre and Post EvaluationsReading AssessmentMedical Terminology/Word Parts AssessmentLearning Style InventoryWriting SampleStudent Evaluation of program3. Practice Exercises and HandoutsMain Idea and Details practice Patterns of Organization/Signal WordsSQ3R with Textbook Chapter “Vital Signs”Cornell Notes exercise with template from simulation sessions with phlebotomy, medical assisting and vital signsJournal AssignmentsWord Parts assignments and exercisesMnemonics exercisesGraphics and diagram exercisesGroup Mapping AssignmentCareer Research Project OutlineCareer Research Project Cornell Note TemplateOrientation Session:Students took an assessment tool developed by the Reading Faculty. The assessment had four sections:1. Vocabulary: Twenty-five vocabulary items were presented which required students to identify Latin based word parts used in the medical field as well as medical terminology. Vocabulary items were presented in context.2. Comprehension: a criterion-based reference test was developed using allied health texts which included 20 multiple choice items. Each passage was followed by a specific question that addressed identifying the main idea, finding the major details, making use of inferences and identifying the meaning of words used in context.3. Learning Evaluation Survey: students were presented with 15 questions referring to their study skills practices. Questions ranged from focus on listening skills to reading textbooks to taking notes. At the end of the program, student responses were evaluated for any changes in their self-assessed study skills techniques.4. Writing Sample: (given to take home and then turn in 1st class session)Summary of Sessions and Sample LessonsSession One: Stages of Reading: Preparing to Read Material Instruction began with an introduction to active reading and the reading process focusing on specific strategies to use: 1. Before reading a textbook (previewing, predicting, questioning)2. During textbook reading (asking questions, reacting, relating, annotating)3. After reading the chapter (review, Cornell notes, mapping, memorization, thinking). Students previewed a range of textbooks from Allied Health and completed a type of scavenger hunt finding relevant textbook sections (glossary, index, appendix, etc.). The emphasis here being that the textbook is a major tool for learning and it is essential to use. The session ended with students introduced to Medical Terminology and analysis of a medical term "pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanokoniosis” which lead to an introduction of Latin and Greek roots, prefixes and suffixes used in the Allied Heath fields. Students worked in groups to examine word parts found in Chapter 10 of Intro to Healthcare and Careers. Students were given instructions on how to create concept cards for learning new terminology; students were given index cards and designed cards for study-review using the word parts found in the Lippincott textbook, Intro to Healthcare and Careers – an outside of class assignment. The cards were to include the word, word parts and their meaning, along with the word used in context. Additionally, students were presented with journals and journal writing. The focus of each journal entry was a self- reflection on the day’s sessions: what did students recall learning, what was helpful , what questions were unanswered, what was important? Session Two: Strategies for Learning in Allied Health: SQ3R and Connecting Stages of ReadingThis session began with the review of medical terminology and further assistance with understanding word parts and structural analysis. Students viewed a PowerPoint demonstrating how medical terms are broken down into roots, prefixes and suffixes. The group then worked in the Lippincott customized textbook to create additionally word part concept cards. Some essential points stressed with the use of concept cards was how these cards aided recall and memory if students drew simple illustrations for each new term or derivative.Next, students applied new textbook study-reading strategies to a chapter on “Vital Signs" taken from the EMT textbook. Students practiced the SQ3R strategy by previewing the chapter, and then anticipating and predicting what the reading was going to be about. For each subsection of the chapter, students established a purpose for reading by creating questions from the subheadings and then read to find the answers from the content. At this point, students, also, received instruction on how to set up an outline from the textbook chapter headings. The next activity was to read and annotate the chapter. Students were given a section of the chapter to outline in a “jigsaw” type strategy and were asked to complete a template on their assigned section. The note taking technique of Cornell Notes was introduced and students then created Cornell notes from their outlines. As practice with this system, students created Cornell Notes during the next application workshop session in the afternoon. The last part of Session 2 concluded with the introduction of 10 new vocabulary terms emphasizing word parts in Anatomy. Session Three: Strategies for Annotating an Allied Healthcare Textbook, Identifying the Main Idea and Major Details Session 3 introduced students to recognizing the main idea or central point in Allied Health textbooks and follow-up by annotating the essential information. A Norman Rockwell painting was examined where students identified the message of the painting and the details that communicated this message. The connection was made that writers just like artists include details that are essential to a central message, major details, and minor details that add interest to the picture or to writing. Students then read a passage on “Blood Smears” and “Glucose Tolerance tests”, annotating and noting main ideas and details and responding to questions. Students then applied textbook reading strategies to the chapter on “Vital Signs" from the EMT textbook. Students, additionally, received instruction and a demonstration on the Cornell Note taking system for textbook reading and were assigned an additional section to annotate and create Cornell Notes.The practice activity was having students divided into groups to create a set Cornell Notes with those students who had been assigned the same section of "Vital Signs.” The group then posted their notes on large poster paper and shared their work orally with the rest of the class. To Students shared the Cornell Notes that were taken in the previous days’ application session.Session ended with Vocabulary skill development, focusing on words in Context. Students played a game of Simon Sez to further increase word knowledge and retention of medical terminology. Session Four: Academic Thought Patterns of Organization in Allied Healthcare Reading; Connecting Organization and Mapping Students received instruction on common Patterns of Organization found in Allied Health textbook readings (Listing, Definition, Sequence, Compare/Contrast, Cause and Effect); students viewed a PowerPoint demonstrating how signal words and the author’s organizational thought patterns can assist comprehension. Examples were used from Allied Health textbooks including the chapter on "Vital Signs." A presentation on mapping as a method of recording information was made - connecting this skill with recognizing the organization of the details. Prior readings were re-examined as examples of each type of organizational pattern. The second half of this session focused on teaching medical terminology. Students viewed a PowerPoint on interfacing the types of doctors who treat various body parts. Emphasis was once again placed on the Latin and Greek roots, prefixes and suffixes in each term. Students were engaged in groups to fill-in missing information on an activity sheet.Session Five: Practice with Organizing Content of Allied Healthcare Textbook ReadingsThe comprehension component of this session was a continuation of employing thought patterns of organization passages for practice with mapping. Students viewed a PowerPoint on how to use mapping strategies with allied health readings. They then practiced, in collaborative groups, by designing maps on poster paper for additional passages. These maps were hung around the classroom for sharing – “Words on Walls.” The Career Research Project and essential tools for research were introduced. Students were asked to examine the various career options in Allied Health and to choose one area to focus on by session eight. Students completed activities for the week’s review of medical terminology.Day Six: Critical Thinking and Application in Allied HealthThe topic of developing critical thinking skills and application of information was addressed along with the skills of reading graphic illustrations, charts and diagrams in Allied Health. A Power Point on critical thinking and application was presented. Students then used I-pads to complete exercises on reading graphics and applying the information contained in them. The diagrams analyzed included the respiratory system, the ear and layers of skin.To increase awareness of academic writing standards, students were introduced to MLA (Modern Language Association) format. The session ended with practice in Medical TerminologyDay Seven: Strategies to Improve Concentration for Learning in Allied HealthcareIn this session, emphasis was on the importance of concentration. Students viewed a PowerPoint on the topic and were asked to rapidly read two contemporary news articles; one was of high interest and one of low interest. Students then had to compare their retention of the information from each article.Article #1 was concerned with texting while driving; student comprehension was high. Article #2, demonstrated that though a topic might be extremely important, retention was low when reading about the U.S. economy. Factors that contribute to and improve comprehension were discussed. Strategies regarding active reading and concentration were then applied to a reading from an EMT text on "Obstructed Airways." The instructor demonstrated in a “think aloud” the strategies of an active reader to improve concentration using this passage and then checked for student recall of the details. Retention of this information was high. Students practiced the “think aloud” strategy with a 400-word timed reading of passages in Allied Health. Once again, this session ended with an activity related to Medical Terminology.Session Eight: Strategies to Improve Memory in Allied Health Researching a Career In Allied HealthThe focus on the first part of this session was to give students strategies for enhancing their memory skills. A Power Point on mnemonics was presented focusing on acronyms and acrostic sentences. Students were then able to practice creating mnemonics with a partner. Topics used included blood draw vials and the order they should be used, parts of the body, and the various sounds involved in obstructed airways. Students worked in groups and then shared the acronyms and acrostic sentences they created on poster paper with the class. The second half of the session, students took a “field trip” to the Reading Center using the computers to research the career they had chosen to explore in the field of Allied Health. Students gathered information in Cornell Note formats. Subtopics of the research included discovering what one does in the career, the personal characteristics and qualities required for the job, the education requirements, the expected salary and the job outlook. Instruction was given on how to this organize information for writing and for the oral report.Additional Session: Session Nine and Ten1. Post assessment testing and wrap up2. Student Evaluation of Communications’ Component3. Sharing Career Research Reports PowerPoints and Additional Handouts can be found on our WEBSITE: additional ideas and videos for strengthening student success –Visit the Saddleback College Academic Reading Center Website: ................
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