Assessment of Aging and Disability Concentration in a Master’s Program

A concentration in aging and disability is an alternative concentration in our Master of Health Administration (MHA) program. Students to take both of their electives in this area as well as completing their residency in a post-acute care setting. To ensure students meet the learning objectives, the following assessment plan. First, a curricular map of the areas”” of competency within our program are outlined and then the content and areas of assessment are considered based on whether the competencies are “Introduced”, “Reinforced,” and “Mastered.” Next, the key assignments in each course within the concentration were aligned with the Program Objectives for the MHA Program. Another assessment strategy involves the competencies of the on-campus residency. A comparison of the competencies of the residency for those students who conducted their residency in the acute care setting to those competencies of the residency for the students who completed their residency in a post-acute setting. A final method for assessment is a review of the evaluations and the final paper for the residency. The residency is a capstone project in which students conduct analysis based on the operations management factors within the facility.

Crisis response to COVID-19: Elements for a successful virtual event transition

Rapid onset of the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a crisis response among academic institutions to provide continuity of learning, in an alternate structure, as on-ground campuses across the country closed. This led to a myriad of virtual and online learning formats for collegiate programs. Ironically, it also altered plans among existing online programs scheduled for in-person, on-campus residency requirements. Complying with newly imposed institution regulations, a small private university in southwestern Pennsylvania was required to move their traditional on-ground Doctor of Nursing Practice residency to a virtual platform. Leveraging online tools and creating a new format was needed to effectively meet program requirements. Success of the residency was dependent upon a straightforward information technology program with adequate support and detailed student resources. Residency structure from the existing on-ground program was combined with online tools to successfully adapt the event into a virtual format. Feedback provided by students and faculty was reviewed to streamline and improve future transitions. The advent of COVID-19 created an opportunity for the nursing program to learn how to transition a key educational on-ground event to a successful virtual one. Although crisis response is common in the clinical setting, adapting to meet critical needs is also essential to the academic environment. Rapid response with forming a virtual residency has provided a foundation for continued growth and refinement of on-ground events being moved to an online platform during a time of crisis. Critical elements for transitioning to the virtual environment are summarized.

Begin with the End in Mind: Designing and Implementing an Effective System for Evaluation and Feedback of Learners in Regional Medical Campus Residency Settings

Developing an evaluation system within a medical education program can be daunting and confusing. The authors present a step by step approach, incorporating education theory, recent trends, and the many facets required by accreditation organizations.

THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON’S MASTER OF ENGINEERING IN PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE (MEPP) PROGRAM: THE ROAD TO QUALITY ONLINE GRADUATE ENGINEERING EDUCATION

This case study explores several key design strategies behind the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Master of Engineering in Professional Practice (MEPP) program. Since its full-scale launch in 1999, this demanding graduate engineering degree program has achieved a graduation rate of more than 99% and has received major awards for instructional quality from the Sloan Consortium, the U.S. Distance Learning Association, and the University Continuing Education Association. This paper examines several key elements of the program’s design and practical lessons learned through the program’s first six years, during which 140 students have graduated from the two-year degree program. Distinctive elements of the program include: the program’s cohort design; integration of weekly Webconferencing with asynchronous Web-based tools; optimization of course content and format for experienced, mid-career adults; and an annual on-campus residency. Program details are available at http://mepp.engr.wisc.edu.

Student Persistence in College: A Review of Research

This article features a review of the published research in selected areas of student persistence. The results of major studies in the areas of involvement in campus life, ethnicity, gender, age, on-campus versus off-campus residency and membership in fraternities and sororities are summarized. The areas selected indicate interests of the authors and are not necessarily the most significant factors in student persistence.

A Technological Revolution in Higher Education

This article examines the impact of key information technologies on the future of higher education. Rapid growth and advancement in the areas of telecommunications and human-computer interaction are leading to a fundamental change in how, what, and who we teach at our universities. In the near future, students will be able to “attend” class and exchange ideas with other students without leaving the comfort of their living rooms. Technologies such as computer-mediated communications, electronic publishing, intelligent tutoring systems, groupware, multimedia, intelligent agents, videoconferencing, video-on-demand, and virtual reality are maturing and converging to create “virtual classrooms.” Virtual classrooms free students and faculty from having to be in the same place at the same time, making the traditional four years of campus residency unnecessary. Administrators who ignore the implications of these technological trends risk the very existence of their institutions.