Review Assessment Report

Part 1: Contact & Program Identification

Report Year and Contact Information
Academic Year	Modified By	Date Modified
2022-2023	[email protected]	2023-10-17T03:24:35.146Z

School	Name of Program	Courses
HWPS	Diagnostic Medical Sonography AAS Degree	BIOL 2210,BIOL 2225,DMS 1115,DMS 1120,DMS 1125,DMS 1130,DMS 1193,DMS 1520,DMS 1525,DMS 1530,DMS 1590,DMS 1593,DMS 2020,DMS 2030,DMS 2090,DMS 2093,DMS 2110,DMS 2193,DMS 2290,DMS 2690,DMS 2999,PHYS 1230

Part 2: Program Summary

Provide a high level review of the program to include highlights, successes, challenges, significant changes, and significant resources needed to support the program
This past year we completed the creation of template shells for each course within the program. Several instructors worked with IIS consultants to standardize certain course shell elements according to CNM standards (eg: Start Here Module, listing objectives within modules, etc). This work will continue in the coming year. Faculty members within the program are continuing the work of reviewing our question pools to ensure they are up to date, correctly keyed, appropriately challenging, well written to avoid confusion or assumptions, and free of duplications. A few courses are being modified to take a more “flipped” classroom approach by providing recorded lecture videos for students to view prior to class so that we may engage in more interactive activities that achieve higher levels of comprehension and application. Through these processes we, as field experts, are developing our teaching skills by coming to understand and appreciate elements of Quality Matters and a Universal Design.

Provide a high level review of the program to include highlights, successes, challenges, significant changes, and significant resources needed to support the program

This past year we completed the creation of template shells for each course within the program. Several instructors worked with IIS consultants to standardize certain course shell elements according to CNM standards (eg: Start Here Module, listing objectives within modules, etc). This work will continue in the coming year. Faculty members within the program are continuing the work of reviewing our question pools to ensure they are up to date, correctly keyed, appropriately challenging, well written to avoid confusion or assumptions, and free of duplications. A few courses are being modified to take a more “flipped” classroom approach by providing recorded lecture videos for students to view prior to class so that we may engage in more interactive activities that achieve higher levels of comprehension and application. Through these processes we, as field experts, are developing our teaching skills by coming to understand and appreciate elements of Quality Matters and a Universal Design.

Part 3: Data Review

	2020-2021	2021-2022	2022-2023
Annual number of graduate awards is greater than 10	16	13	19
Number of declared majors	428	507	555
Average Class Size	24.5	23.9	24.4
Annual Average Class withdrawal rate is 30% or below (SAGE 35%)	17%	13%	14%
Annual C-Pass rate for coursework is 60% or above	65%	71%	71%
Average class fill rate at 60% or above capacity within a term or over a year	82%	71%	72%
Graduate Transfer to 4-year Schools	n/a	n/a	n/a
Full-time Faculty Coverage by Section	68%	64%	31%

Summarize how your program met or did not meet the target measures based on the data above
The Diagnostic Medical Sonography program consistently exceeds target thresholds.

Part 4: Program Learning Outcome Analysis

Learning Outcome	Population or Course(s) Assessed	Description	Summary of Assessment Results
1. Obtain, review, and integrate pertinent patient history and supporting clinical data to facilitate optimum diagnostic results	DMS 1590, DMS 2090, DMS 2490, DMS 2290, DMS 2690	In-class Activities Capstone Project	This outcome is still being enacted and assessed. This fall we have incorporated more in class activities that involve developing and interpreting patient charts to inform how students perform the ultrasound exam and then student present their histories and findings to an instructor. The anticipated outcome is that this practice will provide students with experience and confidence that will boost their performance in the capstone project in the spring, and in the field, where they will perform these tasks more independently. I have observed improvement in students’ ability to draw connections between symptoms and diagnoses, within the past seven weeks.
6. Act in a professional and ethical manner	DMS 1193, DMS 1593, DMS 1590, DMS 2193, DMS 2090, DMS 2490, DMS 2093, DMS 2290, DMS 2690	Clinical Practicum Evaluation Homework Assignments	In an attempt to get more regular and timely feedback on student professional performance, line items have been added to all clinical competencies assessing professional behaviors such as patient care, interactions with patients and medical staff, timeliness and attendance. A homework assignment that had previously been conducted in the final term has been incorporated into the coursework for the second to last term to enable more time for self-assessment, action, reflection and feedback. In the past year we have received fewer complaints from clinical receptors concerning professional behavioral issues.
3. Record, analyze, and process diagnostic data and other pertinent observations made during the procedure for presentation to the interpreting physician	DMS 1590, DMS 1593, DMS 2193, DMS 2090, DMS 2490, DMS 2093, DMS 2090, DMS 2690	In-class Activities Capstone Project Other	In order to provide students with more experience and practice in the interpretation and communication of patient data, more in-class activities have been incorporated into the curriculum of the concepts lab courses. Examples of such activities include: using mock exams to complete technologist worksheets as a group, having students complete worksheets on the exams they perform in lab, and incorporating worksheets and exam presentations into the mini-capstone project. As we visit clinical sites, the program director and clinical coordinator have been explaining to clinical preceptors what skills our accreditation requires students to practice in the clinical setting and discussing how we can support them in this endeavor.

Interpretation of Assessment findings
Improvement is student performance in some of the aes being assessed has been observed, however because some of our actions involved reorganizing the order/timing of activities, we are still in the process of testing the new methods. Assessment of the efficacy of our efforts will take place during the spring 2024 Term when students work independently on their Capstone projects in which they apply all of the skills learned throughout the program. We have received a significantly lower number of complaints from clinical partners regarding students’ professional behavior, but we recognize that each cohort is different and several years of assessment will be needed to assess the efficacy of our actions across a diverse student population (multiple cohorts). Student confidence in performing the tasks of a working sonographer has increased significantly, and student feedback on the new activities has been positive.

Interpretation of Assessment findings

Improvement is student performance in some of the aes being assessed has been observed, however because some of our actions involved reorganizing the order/timing of activities, we are still in the process of testing the new methods. Assessment of the efficacy of our efforts will take place during the spring 2024 Term when students work independently on their Capstone projects in which they apply all of the skills learned throughout the program. We have received a significantly lower number of complaints from clinical partners regarding students’ professional behavior, but we recognize that each cohort is different and several years of assessment will be needed to assess the efficacy of our actions across a diverse student population (multiple cohorts). Student confidence in performing the tasks of a working sonographer has increased significantly, and student feedback on the new activities has been positive.

Part 5: Additional Action Plan in Support of Student Learning (If Appropriate)

Upcoming Year	Changes Planned for the upcoming year	Data Motivating this change
2022-2023	No change anticipated. We need to complete the actions we have begun including complete self-reviews of all program courses, continue working on the question pools, and evaluate student performance in the capstone project subsequent to having engaged in the modified clinical and lab activities.	Insufficient time has passed since these goals were created and acted upon to be able to assess student outcomes (courses are only offered once per year in this cohorted program). The data will be more accurate when compiled and compared across several cohorts.
2022-2023
2022-2023

Please select all of the following that characterize the types of changes described in the above action plan

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