Flipping the Script to Optimize Learning with ATu
With the transition to the entry-level Master’s degree for athletic training, educators have been forced to condense the knowledge and skills of a 3+ year educational experience into two short years. Additionally, with the inclusion of immersive clinical experiences, classroom and laboratory learning time has been further concentrated. While the benefits of immersed clinical experience are known and valuable, it forces educators to make optimal use of the limited in-person experiences, and ATu is here to make our lives better.
One of the biggest challenges for graduate educators is balancing the integration of past knowledge (sometimes delivered by another institution or educator with unknown quality) with new content and layered situated learning to maximize retention. Accomplishing all this is a difficult feat regardless of time constraints, however, is exacerbated through the expedited nature of the timeline of graduate work. It requires graduate educators to be innovative and leverage technology solutions to facilitate out-of-classroom learning, which maximizes the value of in-class time.
Envision the following:
1. Prior to class
Prior to class, students are provided a link to the ATu portal to review specific range of motion, palpation, and common orthopedic tests for the body region they will learn about.
2. Night before
Students complete a brief, 10 question quiz due the night before class with low stakes (either ungraded or worth minimal points) as a “keycard to the classroom”.
3. Start class
Educators quickly review the common errors in their quizzes, and start class with a targeted review of those common sticking points
4. During class
Educators then spend classtime with a targeted psychomotor demonstration and practice time, and supplement with real-life scenarios and clinical integration
5. Simulation Learning
Students complete a simulated experience at the end of the body region, to integrate all their knowledge on a simulated virtual patient. This encounter is graded automatically, can be completed multiple times, and students submit their certificate of completion with an affiliated grade to your LMS.
Think about how engaging that experience is! Classroom time is optimized for focused practice, clinical integration, and pearls of knowledge from experienced AT educators. This is VALUE added to the educational experience, and can truly transform the student experience.