TSRC: 2015 LECTURE TEACHING A RESEARCH CLASS AT THE ASSOCIATE DEGREE LEVEL

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1 TSRC: 2015 LECTURE TEACHING A RESEARCH CLASS AT THE ASSOCIATE DEGREE LEVEL BY ELIZABETH KELLEY BUZBEE A.A.S., R.R.T.-N.P.S., R.C.P. LSC: KINGWOOD RESPIRATORY CARE DEPARTMENT

2 OBJECTIVES How does an undergraduate research course function? Problems and solutions How to grade a research class without formal lectures or exams Quick overview of research we have explored in this class

3 THERE ARE NO COMMERCIAL SPONSORS FOR THIS LECTURE

4 INTRODUCTION: we started the research class about 20 years ago. It has evolved and it will evolve because the WECM course description allows this evolution. The goal of this class is not to publish groundbreaking research. This is an associate degree program; all we need to do in this class to give our graduates the skills to: (1) locate and critically read papers in our field (2) set up and execute a bench study (4) analyze data by creation of MS excel files using simple statistics such as mean, SD and percent change (5) creation of tables and graphs and waveforms with MS excel and MS powerpoint (6) maintain an open mind about information that is out there and understand the important of independent bench studies of new equipment, and evidence-based medicine. (7) Learn without lectures notes and tests, but with informed reading of literature We want our graduates to go into the hospital ready and willing to continue to learn long after they have passed the NBRC exams.

5 EVOLUTION OF THE RESEARCH CLASS OVER THE LAST TWO DECADES: new technologies: as soon as any faculty member comes back from a conference with a new piece of equipment, we try to come up with a research project. The year the ezpap came out, we had two different groups study the effect of the device on systemic blood pressures of healthy persons and later we figured out how to use the Armstrong test lung to collect the pressure, flow and volume waveforms on this and other PAP devices. new NBRC matrix: as of this year, evidence based information based on the ARDS network & national asthma guidelines and new equipment such as insufflations /exsufflation devices are the new topics. This summer the class that didn t necessary get exposure to these items, will be assigned papers to review in order to cover these new topics before they graduate at the end of the semester. New teaching methods: we have used the class as a vehicle for reading papers only; we hosted at least one daylong RT conference on disaster planning with CEU that was open to the public but mostly we have used the class for independent research of bench studies and (less often) clinical research on campus with healthy volunteers.

6 HOW DOES AN UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH COURSE FUNCTION? PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS limited time limited money keeping them from biting off more than they can chew care and feeding of the IRB Balance of individual grades and group grades in such a manner that someone cannot graduate just be being in the room. Avoiding armed conflict in the classroom

7 LIMITED TIME I select the topic and the team members; I give them a half page of questions to answer to get them started on their background Before class starts they get the topic and their team assignment by I have between 3-4 teams each semester so that I have time to critique and get back to them Assignments are turned into drop boxes via d2l I avoid clinical studies to avoid submiting to the IRB at the school. This can eat up 7-8 weeks and leave too little time for data collection and processing. We usually do bench studies A clinical study in a hospital would involve a second IRB at the institution. This would be difficult to compete in one semester Before class starts they get the NIH website address for the human researcher certificate so this is done out of class. About 5-10% bring this certificate in the first day of class to earn 10% of their final grade.

8 LIMITED MONEY we work with equipment that we have on hand or that has been donated or loaned to us I select the topics based on equipment on hand. The students will have to work out a methodology that is based on measuring equipment on hand

9 KEEPING THEM FROM BITING OFF MORE THAN THEY CAN CHEW we spend a lot of time refining the research question and the hypothesis so that their data collection is limited to the biological question I have a strict schedule for writing the paper, it is done in steps: BACKGROUND, METHODOLOGY, DATA COLLECTION, RESULTS, DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS, then selection of TITLE and finally the ABSTRACT They get peer review from other students before I grade the rough draft of each part

10 CARE AND FEEDING OF THE IRB all student complete the NIH certification online course and the schedule is set up so that if we have to get IRB approval, I set up the meeting off campus on a date that I make public to the teams the teams have to complete the BACKGROUND and METHODOLOGY with detailed CONSENT FORMS ready for the approval. Because our IRB is formed with about half the faculty with none-medical background, I have to make sure that our clinical trials (on student volunteers) are pretty safe. When the students present their research models, I have to sit back and let them talk to the IRB

11 BALANCE OF INDIVIDUAL GRADES AND GROUP GRADES IN SUCH A MANNER THAT SOMEONE CANNOT GRADUATE JUST BY BEING IN THE ROOM FOR 10 OR 15 WEEKS. Each year, I have increased the worth of the individual grades (70%) and decreased the group grade (30%) in an effort to have grades reflect that student s application, rather than his luck in getting on a good team. This lessening of the group percentage opens up the possibility that the students participation in the oral report or in the final paper could be minimal, so that I have established guidelines that can fail a student for not showing up during finals week for the oral report and failure to turn in a reviewed and correct final version of the paper is mandatory with serious penalties for the entire team. This is also why the NIH certification has such drastic penalties for incompletion (F if not done by week 2-3.)

12 AVOIDING ARMED CONFLICT IN THE CLASSROOM I paste entire paragraphs from the LSC: college policies and procedures manual into my course syllabi, and establish a zero tolerance for verbal confrontation, bullying and other acts that can escalate. This includes before and after my class this includes in the classroom or in the hallway or parking lot following or preceding class. It includes . If I have to break up a conflict, everyone loses points. I don t investigate; everyone was at fault (except the person who came to my desk to break up the fight.) Based on the seriousness of the conflict, they may get placed on probation, even kicked out of class. If anyone wants to come to my office or me to vent privately about a team member, this is permissible. Anticipate when and where the conflicts are likely to occur: writing the background is problematic (possibly because it is the first team assignment), all editorial sessions are dangerous because the other team is dissecting their baby which is stressful for the new writer, and then during data collection when two teams have to share one resource such as the test lung.

13 MORE AVOIDANCE If one or two teams end up with a extra person, I put the weak link into the biggest team. Make it clear that if there is an issue, the team is to call me to their area so I can monitor and keep things calm. My decisions are final. Set up teams based on (1) grades in other classes (distribute the a, b and c students throughout the teams) but (2) separate persons with obvious history of conflict between them (3) take into consideration their personalities; who will dominate the group? Isn t always the smartest person (4) Separate the cliques and cartels; particularly persons who tend to lean on their friends Give the students the chance to give feedback on problem members if there is a problem. When this happens, give all teams the same assignment to give feedback for all team members to minimize finger pointing. Give students a chance to request to not work with someone before the research starts MOST important: I don t leave the classroom; I grade papers from the computer at the front of the classroom or I am ranging from team to team.

14 HOW TO GRADE A RESEARCH CLASS WITHOUT FORMAL LECTURES OR EXAMS

15 INDIVIDUAL GRADES: WEEKLY ASSIGNMENTS, NIH CERTIFICATION: THIS IS ALL DONE OUT OF CLASS each week, all students must read a paper from archives of the Journal for Respiratory Care in order answer the questionnaire. They complete about 6-7 of these reviews which are graded. Each student gets a different paper to review, so there can be no collaboration. They are allowed to cut and paste from the article as long as the page is cited. Late papers are zero Each week each student reads an article in the Journal for Respiratory Care Oct 2004 that discusses some aspect of research. They all read the same paper each week. Then they complete short answers or multiple choice questions. The d2l programs opens the key a hour after the drop box closes These papers form the basis for my grading instruments for each portion of the paper. They read this just before the team starts that step of the paper. Late papers are zero Each student goes on line to compete the NIH certificate which forms 10% and is mandatory with a stated deadline. Failure to compete this on time results in an F for the course.

16 ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION IS KEY FOR INDIVIDUAL GRADES ; RUBRIC 40% of the grade is the PARTICIPATION GRADE. Half of this 40% is attendance: (zero for absence, and 50% for tardies more than 5 minutes) If a team has been assigned to another faculty member as a facilitator, I will be in daily communication with that person, asking questions about attendance. Naturally, student who get their time in with this other person are not counted absent on class days.

17 RUBRIC The other half of the participation grade is a rubric which will be completed 2-3 times a semester. The rubric asks questions about the person s ability to work in a team; there are questions about respecting others, and showing active participation in the process. There are questions about each person s contributions to the team effort. This has some built in problems. I see two persons writing in class but I really don t know if the third person spent time at home working on his part. It is very subjective. I have suggested that I be cc on s between team members as a record of participation out of class. To stay on top of this participation grade, I keep a daily report sheet in which I make quick notes about who is doing what. These are scanned as backup documents for their grades.

18 TEAM GRADES: ROUGH DRAFTS, EDITING rough drafts of each step of the research are prepared and each team switches their paper with another team who collectively editors the paper based on my grading instrument. Everyone earns an Editorial grade. Some semesters, I can include input from an English class that works on APA format. As soon editing is done, the team corrects the paper and then sends it to me for a grade of the final version of the paper. The entire team gets the same editing grade and rough draft grade. assuming they were present. None-attendance on an editorial day has serious penalties with zeros in PARTICIPATION and in EDITING

19 FINAL VERSIONS OF THE PAPER AND ORAL REPORT After the rough draft is graded, the team have to fix the problems but the rough draft grade stays. The reward for correction is that the final version the entire paper is graded separately. The class is warned that failure to correct issues in the final version at the end of the semester will be dealt with more strictly than if they make new mistakes. All students must participate in the oral report and are subjected to questions from the other faculty members. Most semesters, I get 2-3 other instructors to ask questions during the oral report. Every person is expected to answer a question about any portion of the paper To make sure everyone on the team knows all aspects of the paper, everyone is expected to keep electronic copies of team work every day, so that if one person is absent, the rest can finish the work. I warn them that I can ask to access their notes at anytime.

20 PUBLICATION OF THE E-ZINE IS PART OF THE TEAM GRADE. Failure to be accepted for publication due to serious issues that affect validation results in an I for each member of the team until the paper is accepted, and then they will get a 75% for the course. I make a difference between problems that I identified in the rough draft weeks ago and problems that was identified by other instructors during the oral report during finals week. I don t worry about typos and grammar issues. The editor in chief (me) can fix these

21 RESEARCH QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE EXPLORED IN THIS COURSE. artificial airways: how long does it take for cuff pressures to stabilize? comparison of pressure produced by MOV/MLT Comparison of pressure measurement methods and MOV and MLT to keep oral secretion from falling below the cuff Movement of the end of the endotracheal tube in a model trachea disinfection for homecare issues: Effect of baby bottle sterilizer units to disinfect Pari-neb with microwave. Staph, E coli and Pseudomonas collecting waveforms on PAP devices: ezpap compared to Acepella, the lung flute and the Quake devices Wave forms of IS when patient exhales into the device with and without attached SVN collecting waveforms for BiPap machines with and without deliberate leaks How well does BiPap compensate for a leak? Exactly how is this done