Therapeutic Recreation
Detailed Assessment Report for
2006 - 2008 Therapeutic Recreation, bachelor
MISSION
To provide the undergraduate student an education and professional preparation, encompassing competency in knowledge, skills, and ability to successfully enter the Therapeutic Recreation profession.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Outcome/Objective 1:
Demonstrated knowledge, skills, for TR practice
Full Description:
GOAL 1: To graduate students with entry-level competencies for the therapeutic recreation profession. OBJ. 1.1: Students will demonstrate attitudes, knowledge, and skills necessary for safe, effective, and creative practice as a therapeutic recreation specialist.
A Student Learning Outcome? Yes Associated General Education Outcomes:
- 1: Ethical and Moral Choice
- 2: Oral Communication
- 3: Written Communication
- 4: Critical and Creative Thinking
- 5: Information Literacy
- 6: Integrate Multiple Perspectives
Strategic Plan Initiatives:
- 4b : Knowledge and skills intellectual inquiry
- 4c: Curricula reflects global diverse and tech society
- 4d: Acquire discover and apply knowledge responsibly
Institutional Priorities:
- U-1: High-quality, student-focused, undergraduate and graduate education
- U-3: Build partnerships and collaborations
- U-4: Promote inclusion, equity, and intercultural learning
- U-5: Encourage vibrant campus culture with atmosphere of inquiry and learning
- U-7: Enhance image and visibility
Related Measures:
- M. 1: Student portfolios - REC 404
- M. 2: National Certification Exam
- M. 3: Final Internship Evaluation
- M. 4: Student Evaluation of TR curriculum
- M. 5: Advocacy for persons with disabilities
Related Actions:
- A. 1: Monitor scores on the NCTRC certification exam
- A. 2: Reveiw content and assignments for REC 310
- A. 3: Review student comments for curriculum weaknesses
Outcome/Objective 2:
Ability to apply research and prog. eval. methods
Full Description:
GOAL 1: To graduate students with entry-level competencies for the therapeutic recreation profession. OBJ. 1.2: Students will demonstrate the ability to apply research and program evaluation methods as they relate to therapeutic recreation and leisure services.
A Student Learning Outcome? Yes Associated General Education Outcomes:
- 4: Critical and Creative Thinking
- 6: Integrate Multiple Perspectives
Related Measures:
- M. 3: Final Internship Evaluation
Outcome/Objective 3:
Reflections/documentations of personal growth
Full Description:
GOAL 2: To graduate students who are reflective thinkers and agents of change. OBJ. 2.1: The student will provide reflection of their educational experience documenting personal, academic, and professional growth.
A Student Learning Outcome? Yes Associated General Education Outcomes:
- 3: Written Communication
- 4: Critical and Creative Thinking
Related Measures:
- M. 1: Student portfolios - REC 404
- M. 5: Advocacy for persons with disabilities
Outcome/Objective 4:
Ability to advocate and advance profession
Full Description:
GOAL 2: To graduate students who are reflective thinkers and agents of change. OBJ. 2.2: Students will demonstrate the ability to advocate and advance the therapeutic recreation profession.
A Student Learning Outcome? Yes Related Measures:
- M. 3: Final Internship Evaluation
- M. 5: Advocacy for persons with disabilities
- M. 6: Involvement in TR Organizations
MEASURES
Measure 1:
Student portfolios - REC 404
Measure Full Description:
These are turned in as part of the capstone course (REC 404) each winter semester. Teresa Beck will collect information and analyze. Findings used for course revision, effective teaching methods, advising (academic and professional), effective communication.
Related Outcome(s)/Objective(s):
- Obj. 1: Demonstrated knowledge, skills, for TR practice
- Obj. 3: Reflections/documentations of personal growth
Target Level:
Students will be able to identify a minimum of three areas of growth (personally or professionally) as a result of the TR curriculum
Findings:
Students met this performance, listing many more than the minimum of three. Following is a list of areas of growth that tended to be common among the students: creativity, synthesis of information, reading comprehension, writing skills, team work, time management, establishing priorities, confidence, responsibility, decision making skills, critical thinking skills, communication and interpersonal skills, developing values regarding life, culture, and the global community, ability to advocate for self, becoming open to new experiences, and appreciation of diversity.
Target Level Achievement: Met Further Action Planned? No
Measure 2:
National Certification Exam
Measure Full Description:
National Certification Exam - score reports are received once each year, but covers three testing periods during that year. Teresa Beck will collect information and analyze. Findings used for curriculum design and course revision.
Related Outcome(s)/Objective(s):
- Obj. 1: Demonstrated knowledge, skills, for TR practice
Target Level:
The pass rate on the NCTRC Certification exam will be 95%
Findings:
Latest report for the therapeutic recreation certification exam is for testing years 2004, 2005, and 2006. Graduates of the 2006/07 academic year will not be taking the certification exam until January or May 2007. However, current passing rate is 96% compared to the national passing rate of 73%. Areas that students appear to have difficulty (performance is below the minimum level of comptency) are background information (30%)and organizing and managing services/advancement of the profession (24%).
Target Level Achievement: Met Further Action Planned? Yes
Measure 3:
Final Internship Evaluation
Measure Full Description:
Final Internship Evaluation (completed at the end of their 15 week, 600 hour placement in a clinical setting). Most students complete their internships in the summer, so evaluations received end of August. Teresa Beck and Kari Kensinger will collect information and analyze. Findings used for course revision, amount of time spent on topics in each course.
Related Outcome(s)/Objective(s):
- Obj. 1: Demonstrated knowledge, skills, for TR practice
- Obj. 2: Ability to apply research and prog. eval. methods
- Obj. 4: Ability to advocate and advance profession
Target Level:
Students will complete internship with a minimum of 80% competency
Findings:
8 students completed internship during the summer of 2007. Competency of completion ranged from 92% to 98%. Clinical supervisors have noted that an area of weakness with students entering their internship is goal writing and application of certain intervention techniques
Target Level Achievement: Met Further Action Planned? Yes
Measure 4:
Student Evaluation of TR curriculum
Measure Full Description:
Student Evaluation of TR curriculum - Completed at the end of their internship so students are able to evaluate how well the curriculum prepared them for this last placement. Teresa Beck will collect information and analyze. Finding used for course revision, teaching methods, course content.
Related Outcome(s)/Objective(s):
- Obj. 1: Demonstrated knowledge, skills, for TR practice
Target Level:
Students will identify a minimum of two areas in the curriculum which were most helpful or need improvement for preparing them as entry level practitioners.
Findings:
Areas which students identified as most helpful were the volunteer hours, first placement of 300 hours, program plan, treatment planning, and presenting at Student Scholarship Day. Areas which students wish they more experience was more volunteer hours, more group leadings, and more experience with writing treatment objectives on "real" people instead of case studies.
Target Level Achievement: Met Further Action Planned? Yes
Measure 5:
Advocacy for persons with disabilities
Measure Full Description:
Advocacy for persons with disabilities - Achieved as an outcome of some assignments, volunteer work. fieldwork/internship placements, and Therapeutic Recreation Club activities. Teresa Beck and Kari Kensinger will collect and analyze. Findings used for TR Club advising and mentoring, course content revision, agencies for volunteer work.
Related Outcome(s)/Objective(s):
- Obj. 1: Demonstrated knowledge, skills, for TR practice
- Obj. 3: Reflections/documentations of personal growth
- Obj. 4: Ability to advocate and advance profession
Target Level:
Students will be able to identify a minimum of four professional experiences where they advocated for persons with special needs
Findings:
All students met the target performance of 4 advocating experiences, with most students exceeding that number Advocating for persons with special needs is paramount in our profession. Students will advocate among their peers and family, but typically do not in a professional sense to stores, restaurants etc. Two assignments are developed for the student to start them on this performance. One is an accessibility report where they must go into the community to a building (store, restaurant, fitness club etc.) and do the measures, write up a report and share the finding with the manager of the building with suggestions as what the manager could do to make the building more user friendly to persons with special needs. The second assignment students write a "mini" grant to the Student Community Action Fund (Michigan Campus Compact)requesting money for a specific project that an agency has identified for them. This year no requests were funded due to the lack of funds, but in the past, 3-5 student requests have been funded. The other advocating experiences occur during their fieldwork or internship and are documented in their bi-weekly reports.
Target Level Achievement: Met Further Action Planned? No
Measure 6:
Involvement in TR Organizations
Measure Full Description:
Involvement in Therapeutic Recreation Organizations to establishing networking skills and importance of their in advancing the profession (National, state, local, and university engagement). Teresa Beck and Kari Kensinger will collect and analyze. Findings used for career advising and mentoring, TR Club advising.
Related Outcome(s)/Objective(s):
- Obj. 4: Ability to advocate and advance profession
Target Level:
Students will attend a minimum of two professional activities throughout their three years in the therapeutic recreation program
Findings:
Students attended a minimum of 2 professional activities, with some students attending as many as 5. All students attended one state conference. Two students attended and presented at a national conference.
Target Level Achievement: Met Further Action Planned? No
ACTIONS
Action 1:
Monitor scores on the NCTRC certification exam
Full Description
Will monitor the background and organizing and managing services area of test scores on the National Certification Exam for Therapeutic Recreation for the next test cycle to determine further action that may need to be taken in terms of course content and assigments
Related Objectives:
- Obj. 1: Demonstrated knowledge, skills, for TR practice
Related Measures:
- M. 2: National Certification Exam
Person/group responsible for the action Teresa Beck - Director of Program Target date to implement the action September 08 Priority High
Action 2:
Review content and assignments for REC 310
Full Description
Internship supervisors have commented an area of weakness of students entering their internship is in goal writing and application of certain interventions. REC 310 is the course that teaches the foundation of these skills
Related Objectives:
- Obj. 1: Demonstrated knowledge, skills, for TR practice
Related Measures:
- M. 3: Final Internship Evaluation
Person/group responsible for the action Teresa Beck and Kari Kensinger Target date to implement the action May 09 Priority High
Action 3:
Review student comments for curriculum weaknesses
Full Description
To follow up with student comments regarding their comments on areas of improvement on course content and activities.
Related Objectives:
- Obj. 1: Demonstrated knowledge, skills, for TR practice
Related Measures:
- M. 4: Student Evaluation of TR curriculum
Person/group responsible for the action Teresa Beck and Kari Kensinger Target date to implement the action September 08 Priority High
ANALYSIS
Strength
The students graduating from the Therapeutic Recreation Program are very competent upon entering the field. This has been demonstrated by their scores on the national certification exam in which their scores were significantly higher than the national average. While the exam measures their knowledge base, their final internship measures the application of their knowledge and skills. Again, students demonstrated a high level of competency while working in a "real" setting with "real" patients/clients. Another strength that was shown is that our program does more than just prepare students for a "profession". Students emerge from our program with skills and traits that transcend all areas of life. They also graduate with the skills, knowledge, and attitudes to help them be active members of their community.
Attention Needed
One of the top areas to be addressed will be reviewing the current content, assignments, and teaching methods used in the REC 310 course which lays the foundation for treatment plan writing and knowledge/application of interventions. The areas on the certification exam in which the students tend to exhibit some weakness need to be reviewed. The first area of background is most likely weak because that information is covered in their first course and certain information is "lost". We will need to see how we can do a better job of weaving certain concepts through the curriculum. The management area again needs to be reviewed in terms of content and assignments.
Page last modified August 12, 2011
