Pragmatic Curriculum in Radiologic Technology Programs:
This research aims to demonstrate how using a pragmatic curriculum theory supports students across various degree levels in higher education. Building upon Null’s (2017) five commonplaces derived from Schwab’s scholarship, this research shows how a pragmatic curriculum theory applies in business, technical education, and health science settings. Despite contextual differences within the programs, there are shared learning outcomes that pragmatic curriculum theory can support. Through a historical document analysis of pragmatic curriculum theory, we found that continuity supports learners’ transitions, whether it be into a professional setting or their next educational endeavor. This presentation uses the “tool belt” of the new generation of students to our advantage.
Healthcare Education: Are Exit Exams Meaningful?
A fast-tracked radiologic technology program in Georgia can be completed in 16 months to meet student and market demands. Students graduate with an associate degree, receiving four semesters of rapid-paced and high-volume content. Toward the end of their program, students begin preparing for the high-stakes National Registry exam (NRE) that will grant them a license to work as radiology technologists. Within a fast-track healthcare education program, it is essential that formative assessment is used to continuously monitor students' developing abilities and knowledge. It is also essential that the summative assessments to determine program completion and degree conferral align with how students will be assessed on the licensing exam. The program assessment explored in this study is a cumulative exam intended to measure students’ learning throughout the program and determine if students will be endorsed by faculty to sit for the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) NRE. This exam is meant to assess the knowledge and cognitive skills deemed necessary to apply as an entry-level technologist in the field of Radiology. This study analyzed whether exit exam scores predict NRE scores. The ability to accurately predict score ranges on the NRE from the program exit exam would be an important program tool. This presentation will discuss the findings from this analysis and the implications for educators and program providers.
Metacognitive Study Skills
Metacognition, the ability to reflect on past performances, strategies, and retained knowledge, to make current decisions, has become increasingly popular within the educational sector (Acosta-Gonzaga & Ramirez-Arellano, 2021; Greene, 2021; Howlett et al., 2021; Medina et al., 2017; Moritz & Lysaker, 2018; Zhou, 2016). The upward trend in popularity is due to the increasing number of students lacking the skills necessary to succeed in higher education (Hughes & Petscher, 2016; McAlister & Mevs, 2012; Reeves & Stich, 2011, Willingham, 2009). A student that understands and utilizes metacognitive skills engages in self-monitoring processes (Flavell, 1979; Greene, 2021; Zimmerman, 2013). This presentation suggests utilizing metacognitive strategies to structure study skills. The intervention provides support for students so that they can be successful in their current program as well as their future educational endeavors.