MASSAGE THERAPY TECHNOLOGY (Certificate Program) Plan for Assessment of Student Academic Achievement

Transcription

1 MASSAGE THERAPY TECHNOLOGY (Certificate Program) Plan for Assessment of Student Academic Achievement From the Mission of Hocking College Hocking College is an innovative, experience-based technical college that nurtures learning and learner success. Mission of Academic Affairs Unit Nurtures learning and learner success. Mission of Massage Therapy Program To prepare individuals for entry-level careers as Massage Therapists and to provide students and graduates with opportunities for advancement and professional development. Central Objective Recipients of the Massage Therapy Certificate will be well prepared for entry-level employment.

2 Success Skills The following general outcomes are life and work skills cultivated in all students. 1. Communicates effectively. 2. Demonstrates math skills. 3. Demonstrates learning,critical thinking and problem solving skills. 4. Maintains professional skills and attitudes. 5. Practices human relations skills. 6. Demonstrates knowledge of science and the environment. 7. Demonstrates community, cultural, and global awareness. 8. Maintains a code of ethics. Program Outcomes The following outcomes express additional, particular skills, behaviors, and attitudes cultivated in students seeking the Certificate in Massage Therapy. 1. Demonstrates basic assessment skills of the musculo-skeletal system. 2. Demonstrates a variety of effective general massage techniques. 3. Demonstrates proficiency in providing patients with a full-body therapeutic massage. 4. Competently performs therapeutic, treatment-based massages for patients with specific musculo-skeletal disorders. 5. Demonstrates professional attitude and demeanor. 6. Demonstrates sensitivity to the needs of a diverse range of patients. 7. Demonstrates effective documentation and record keeping for the business of massage therapy. On August 21, 2008, the Massage Therapy Program invited a panel of internal and external guests to participate in an Outcomes Based Education (OBE) ReVISIONing learning work session. This process helped us determine what our students are doing out there that we are responsible for in here by examining the roles and responsibilities of our graduates. The following outcomes were identified: Assesses and performs appropriate massage therapy treatments. Develops client relationships. Maintains a safe environment. Demonstrates professionalism and maintains professional ethical behaviors. Demonstrates office management and business skills. Documents patient care.

3 Interacts with other health care providers and the community. Practice life-long learning in profession. The Success Skills and Program Outcomes combine to form a single set of skills, behaviors, and attitudes determined desirable for entry-level practitioners in Massage Therapy, for graduates transferring to four-year institutions, and for educated citizens.

4 Criteria for Assessing Student Academic Achievement 1. The aggregate score for each Program Outcome evaluated by graduates of the Massage Therapy program on a survey will be 3.0 or higher (on a 4-point scale), indicating the graduates' satisfaction with their Hocking College preparation for entry-level work. Number of graduates: Number of responses: Program Outcomes Overall Aggregates * Source of information: Hocking College Graduate Surveys ** For a complete listing of the Program Outcomes see page 2 of this report. No graduate data was available this reporting period. Unfortunately, none of the graduates completed the survey for the previous reporting period. Does this analysis support conclusions drawn from other assessment data analyzed for ? Please elaborate. No data was available for analysis

5 2. The aggregate score for each Success Skill evaluated by graduates of the Massage Therapy program on a survey will be 3.0 or higher (on a 4-point scale), indicating the graduates' satisfaction with their Hocking College preparation in life/job skills. Number of Responses Success Skill** Overall Aggregate * Source of information: Hocking College Graduate Surveys ** For a complete listing of the Success Skills see page 2 of this report. No data was available for analysis. Last year, one hundred graduates from twenty-eight (28) programs of study evaluated the Success Skills on an electronic survey indicating satisfaction with their Hocking College preparation in life /job skills. The overall aggregate of 3.93 exceeded the goal of 3.5 or higher (on a five-point scale). In addition, all of the individual Success Skill aggregates were rated above goal.. Does this analysis support conclusions drawn from other assessment data analyzed for ? Please elaborate. No conclusions were drawn due to a lack of data specific to the program.

6 3. Seventy percent of the Massage Therapy graduates or certificate recipients responding to a survey or reporting informally to faculty will report employment in the field or pursuit of additional education within one year of program completion. * Total number of graduates or certificate recipients: Number responding to survey: Number employed related to technology: Number employed unrelated to technology: Number seeking employment: Number continuing education: Number continuing education & employed: Not in labor force "Unknown" * Source of information: Hocking College Graduate Survey No graduate data was available for this reporting period. Does this analysis support conclusions drawn from other assessment data analyzed for ? Please elaborate. This is the only criterion that addresses employment and/or continuing education information.

7 4. Seventy percent of first-time test takers who sit for the licensure exam administered by the Ohio Medical Board will pass both sections of the exam. Date of State Board Exam Total applicants: 18 New applicants: 18 Applicants passing both sections: 18 New applicants passing both sections: 18 Number passing the massage section only: 0 Number passing the science section only: 0 Number failing both sections: 0 Number of applicants returning for re-examination, and passing: 0 The first-time pass rate for Hocking College graduates was1005% (18 out of 18 first-time applicants). The state average for first-time attempts was 67% passing, putting us 33% higher than the state average. Our goal of a 70% pass rate for first attempts was clearly attained. The overall pass rate for Hocking College graduates on the licensure examination was also100% since we had none re-taking the exam. The state average for this exam was 57%, putting us 43% higher than the state average. The overall pass rate includes not only the results for first attempts but also the results for those individuals retaking the exam. Compared to the previous year, the pass rate for those attempting the test for the first time increased from 75% to 100% while the overall pass rate increased from 76% to 100%. NOTE: The first-time pass rate is considered to be the official pass rate of the school Program change planned for as a result of this analysis: No changes are planned as a result of this analysis. This Criterion will be changed to read as follows in our Plan: The criterion will remain the same.

8 5. The aggregate score for each item on the client satisfaction/feedback forms (completed during the winter quarter clinical) will be 2.0 or lower (on a 5-point scale), indicating good to excellent work. Data gathered for : Following each treatment in the student clinic, which is held the last quarter of the program, patients are asked to evaluate their personal experience of the student and the treatment they received for nine specific criteria as well as their overall impression. A rating of "1" indicates excellent, "2" indicates very good 3 indicates good, and a "4" indicates that the patient felt improvement was needed, 5 indicates Poor. Number of client evaluations 200 Areas of Evaluation* Aggregate 1. Listens attentively/expressed self clearly Inquired about musculoskeletal problems Exhibited confidence/competence and acted professionally Personable, caring, made you feel comfortable Demonstrated knowledge of the body Seemed trustworthy and acted responsibly Possessed a good quality touch and applied appropriate pressure Prompt, organized, and well-prepared Practiced good hygiene Overall impression 1.24 Overall Aggregate 1.19 The numbers are slightly higher (worse) in some catagories and lower (improvement) in others, but overall the score is slightly higher- meaning the performance is further from the ideal froma a score of 1.0. First let me say that that all the gains and losses are small, probably too small to really indicate any significant trend. Secondly let me point out that we clearly met our goal of scoring below 2.0. Having said all that I do think it is worth noting that the category Possessed a good quality touch and applied appropriate pressure, dropped from 1.22 last year to 1.35 this year. Even though the change it not really all that significant I always look at this category as a particulalry useful indicator of performance because I believe it is one to which patients can most easily relate. It is a topic that is often stressed in class but one which too often falls on deaf ears of students who are too afraid (or in some cases too obstinate /lazy) to apply the deeper pressure which many patients prefer. It is a category that has typically been one of our weakest links. The score is admittedly still quite satisfactory in the big picture but one that I hope to see improve in the future. Program change planned for as a result of this analysis: No program changes are planned as a result of this analysis This Criterion will be changed to read as follows in our Plan The criterion will remain the same.

9 6. The aggregate score for each item on the client satisfaction/feedback forms as completed by a licensed Massage Therapist during the student s final quarter will be 2.0 or lower (on a 5-point scale), indicating good to excellent work. Following each treatment in the student clinic, which is held the last quarter of the program, patients are asked to evaluate their personal experience of the student and the treatment they received for nine specific criteria as well as their overall impression. A rating of "1" indicates excellent, "2" indicates very good 3 indicates good, and a "4" indicates that the patient felt improvement was needed, 5 indicates poor. Number of client evaluations Areas of Evaluation* Aggregate 1.Listens attentively/expressed self clearly Inquired about musculoskeletal problems Exhibited confidence/competence and acted professionally Personable, caring, made you feel comfortable Demonstrated knowledge of the body Seemed trustworthy and acted responsibly Possessed a good quality touch and applied appropriate pressure Prompt, organized, and well-prepared Practiced good hygiene Overall impression 1.30 Overall Aggregate 1.25 Due to a mandate of the Ohio Medical Board, each perspective graduate must perform a full-body massage on at least one licensed massage therapist (LMT). We have decided to report the feedback scores from these licensed therapists in a separate table since we feel that these responses will be a truer reflection of our students performances. This is the fifth year that we have included this separate analysis and as might be expected the scores, while still quite good, were slightly lower than those provided by the general public. I would expect the scores given by the LMTs to reflect more scrutiny. The lowest score was1.41, for the area of Possesed a good quality touch and applied appropriate pressure, while showing some improvement over last years score of 1.49, but gieven that is is also the lower scores given by the general publicit clearlyindicates an area that needs more attention. On a more positive note the aggregate score of 1.25 is a little higher than last year s score of All in all we were well within the range of our goal of scoring lower than Program change planned for as a result of this analysis: No program changes are planned as a result of this analysis This Criterion will be changed to read as follows in our Plan: The criterion will remain the same.

10 7. Eighty percent (80%) of the students completing the Massage Therapy program who are enrolled in the Massage Integration Seminar (MT 240) will score 75% or higher on the comprehensive anatomy and physiology exam. Number of students taking the exam: 23 Number of student scoring 75% or higher: 12 Percentage scoring 75% or higher: 52 Looking at the raw data for this assessment isolated from all other factors would seem to paint a negative picture of a class that was not ready to take the state board exam. However, in light of their actual performance on the board exam, with all 18 passing, softens this data considerably. I will say, then, that on the down side we clearly fell short of reaching our goal of having 75% of the class pass the comprehensive exam. With only 12 students passing the exam it means we failed to reach our goal by a margin of 23%. The silver lining in this case is the fact that the real point of this test is to demonstrate the students readiness for the board exam and all of the students who took the board exam (18 out of the 18) passed it. This warrants a few comments. These results give me cause to question if the class test is not the best indicator of board exam success. I should point out that this test counts for 60% of their grade in this class and there are two other important tests, one covering skeletal landmarks and another covering muscles; and these two scores make up the remainder of the grade. What should probably be mentioned here then is that they all did pass the course. Though all three tests are important I chose to use only the more comprehensive test as my indicator because it is longer (100 questions, as is the state board exam) and covers a wide array of topics concerning anatomy and physiology. That said I should mention that over 30% of the A&P portion of the board exam concerns muscles. This leads me to wonder whether I should consider using the cumulative score for this class instead of just the comprehensive test. Additionally I should point out that the comprehensive test used for this assessment is given in March and the students have several more months to prepare for the actual board exam; and a lot can happen in that time. It might also be that those who did not do well on the class test became more motivated to prepare for the board exam. It might be that my class test is somewhat more difficult than the board exam. I should note that I have received student feedback that this may be true though they also say they are grateful for being overly prepared. Program change planned for as a result of this analysis: No program changes are planned as a result of this analysis. I may reconsider using only the comprehensive test to measure for board readiness and consider using the number of students pass the course since that would include all three tests. This Criterion will be changed to read as follows in our Plan: The crite

11 8.The aggregate score for each Program Outcome evaluated by sixth quarter students of the Massage Therapy program on the 6 th Quarter Survey will be 3.5 or higher (on a 5-point scale), indicating the second year students satisfaction with their Hocking College preparation for entry-level work. Number of evaluations: Program Outcomes* Overall Aggregate * For a complete listing of the Program Outcomes see page 2 of this report. Aggregates No data was available for this reporting period Program change planned for as a result of this analysis: No changes are currently planned at this time as a result of this analysis This Criterion will be changed to read as follows in our Plan: The criterion will remain the same.

12 9. The aggregate score for each Success Skill evaluated by sixth quarter students of the Massage Therapy program on the 6 th Quarter Survey will be 3.5 or higher (on a 5-point scale), indicating the second year students satisfaction with their Hocking College preparation for life/job skills. Data gathered for : Number of students: Success Skills* Aggregates Number of Responses Overall * For a complete listing of the Success Skills see page 2 of this report. No data was available for analysis Program change planned for as a result of this analysis: No program changes are planned as a result of this analysis This Criterion will be changed to read as follows in our Plan: The criterion will remain the same.

13 10. The aggregate score for each item evaluated by graduates of the Massage Therapy program on the Exit Interview Survey will be 3.5 or higher (on a 5-point scale), indicating the second year students satisfaction with their Hocking College preparation for entry-level work. Number of evaluations: Program Outcomes* Overall Aggregate Aggregates Overall satisfaction with the Program * For a complete listing of the Program Outcomes see page 2 of this report. No data was available for analysis Program change planned for as a result of this analysis: No program changes are planned as a result of this analysis This Criterion will be changed to read as follows in our Plan: The criterion will remain the same.