Learn Massage SA

THEME 4 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Ready or not, here I come!

2009-11-07T05:18:00.000-08:00

Recent massage therapy graduate, Orali Alcock reflects on her experience in professional practice one year on from passing the Allied Health Professions Council of South Africa's (AHPCSA) registration exams.

So you’ve finished your studies, dealt with the necessary legalities such as registering with the AHPCSA and you’re ready to offer the world your services as a Therapeutic Massage Therapist. You may have found rooms to practice from, or made the choice to do travel massage or opted for working for someone in a spa environment.

Yet your practice is not blossoming. The different avenues you have tried haven’t panned out – so what next?

Well, to develop a long term plan and a sustainable strategy it is useful to first understand the process that you have been involved in (perhaps unknowingly) during the past year - the transition from student to professional practitioner.

To contextualise what is meant by transition in this article I use the following definition quoted by Brown and Olshansky in their article “From limbo to legitimacy: A Theoretical Model of The Transition to the Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Role”:

...a point of reference from which a person’s life course takes a new direction requiring adaptation or change in restructuring behaviours and roles appropriate to the new directions. In addition to a change in behavioural response and new roles, this new direction in the life course also requires change in responsibilities, goals, identity and feelings about oneself in general.

A theoretical model designed by Brown and Olshansky describes four stages in the transition process:

1) laying the foundation,

2) launching,

3) meeting the challenges and

4) broadening the perspective.

Although the model was developed for nursing practice, in my opinion, it is relevant to all health care professionals if not all professions. In this article I have adapted it to my experience as a massage therapist.

In Stage 1 the newly registered therapist is laying the foundations for their new career.

This include the following:

• recuperating from studying and writing exams, spending time with friends and family, catching up on personal interests;

• negotiating the bureaucracy-waiting for exam results, registration;

• looking for a job, compiling a cv, writing letters of introduction and building a network of references, negotiating rates and benefits with employers;

• setting up practice, doing marketing and promotion, identifying suitable working partners among groups of health professionals;

• and of course worrying.

It is an anxiety provoking time in which the new therapist has to deal with both loss (their student life is over and with it the safety net it provided) and apprehension about the future and going it alone.

In Stage 2 the new therapist launches his or her career.

This is considered the most turbulent and difficult part of the transition process. It is an emotionally charged time when the novice practitioners have to confront their feelings of anxiety while trying to get through the day. Having too much time on their hands no longer feels like a vacation.

Making matters worse is that niggling feeling of being an impostor, of being inadequate.

Stage 3 involves meeting the challenge, building competence, gaining confidence and acknowledging system problems.

In Stage 4 new therapists start to broaden their perspective. They develop system savvy. By recognising their own strengths and affirming themselves, they up the ante.

Imposter phenemonon

The main focus of this article is on Stage 2 , a time fraught with anxiety and feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt. You feel like a “fake” or an “impostor”, not “being real”. You are insecure about your role, skills and knowledge base.

The impostor phenomenon is often experienced by recent graduates and is described by Brown and Olshansky as a:

...collection of feelings of inadequacy that persist even in face of information that indicates that the opposite is true. It is experienced internally as chronic self-doubt, and feelings of intellectual fraudulence.

Every therapist will recognise this situation. All of a sudden you are consulting a new patient, not as a student, but as a fully-fledged and registered health professional. Now you are the authority, not your lecturer or supervisor. There is no one to ask, to consult with, to provide a safety net. You now carry the ultimate responsibility.

And that, while you feel you are still struggling to do basic things like developing treatment plans; when you are still not sure how to prioritise and allocate sufficient time to address specific problems? When you are feeling the pressure to produce results and that your skills and knowledge are not enough or good enough.

Combine these feelings with a lack of profession-specific work fitness as well as getting the business side of the practice up and running and the outcome is high levels of anxiety, tiredness and fatigue. It becomes almost impossible to stay positive and motivated and to get things done.

These experiences are typical of someone starting out in a health care profession. You are not alone. However, the phases differ in duration from person to person.

Another factor that makes it particularly challenging for new massage therapists is that this profession has not yet been properly assimilated into the broader health care network. As a result there are no positions available in the public health care sector where new therapists could gain experience and develop skills before establishing a private practice. There are also no specific mentorship or internship programmes.

So unless the individual makes a point of building and maintaining networks, it can be a time of intense loneliness.

Talk, Read and Do

• Remind yourself that you have a qualification, and that you have passed a professional exam to be able to practice legally in South Africa. Passing the AHPCSA exam says that you already have the required knowledge to be a Therapeutic Massage Therapist, to be a professional health practitioner.

• Keep in touch with your former class mates. Talk to them about your feelings and the challenges you face. They are all going through the same process.

• Find more experienced colleagues and ask them about their experiences. Perhaps they will be willing to offer guidance and assistance. Join or start a support group that meets regularly where you can discuss your questions and successes.

• Talk to other professionals. They underwent the same processes when they first entered the job market.

• Talk to friends and family. Their insight and experience may surprise you. Ask for encouragement.

• Reflect on the situation. Self-awareness is hugely important. Knowing what it is that you are experiencing is the first step to putting it in context and managing it.

• Read your textbooks at leisure. (something a student has most probably not had the time to do thus far). It will help you deepen your knowledge and understanding without the pressure of exams and projects.

• Read online resources about starting a practice, the challenges of starting out, how to run a business etc.

• Read online professional journals and websites.

• Borrow books, journals etc. from colleagues and use the time to broaden your knowledge.

• If you are not flooded with paying patients immediately, find an organisation where you can volunteer your massage services a few hours a week. Not only will you gain experience and confidence while giving back to the community, it is the ideal way to integrate your practice into the community. The more you massage, the more experience you gain, the easier it gets to fill the professional role - so keep working even if it is initially for free. (It does however make business savvy to give a way your time to potential paying patients!)

• Enjoy this time. Soon you will wish for these idle hours in which to plan, read, write and study (yes, it never ends!) at your leisure.

• Have patience and compassion for your own experience.

Persevere and have faith in yourself.

Your time is now!

Orali Alcock practises in Paarl, Western Cape. She runs a private practice and is employed as a massage therapist at the local Hospice as part of their palliative care team. This article first appeared in the August 2009 issue of InTouch, the Massage Therapy Association of South Africa magazine

References
1) Brown and Olshansky “From limbo to legitimacy: A Theoretical Model of The Transition to the Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Role”,
2) Peter Wong Horng Hien, P, 2008. Presentation by Assistant Director, Nursing (Clinical) on Role Transition in Psychiatric-Mental Health: Advanced Practice Nursing 66.219.50.180/NR/rdonlyres/.../PeterWongCanada.pdf

THEME 3: EXAM WRITING SKILLS: Application - Using the knowledge gained in Levels 1 and 2

2009-10-18T09:47:00.001-07:00

Bloom’s Taxonomy Level 3: Application

Using the knowledge gained in Levels 1 and 2

The third level of Bloom’s taxonomy has to do with using previously learnt information or knowledge and applying it in familiar as well as new situations to solve problems.

It goes beyond recalling facts (level 1) and showing insight (level 2).

Level 3 learning outcomes require an even higher level of understanding. It is the first step in moving from theory (knowledge) to practice (skill).

Action required:

When asked to apply knowledge, the student is expected to put to use information in response to real-life contexts. Information acquired in levels 1 and 2 has to be used to solve problems and produce results.

Applying knowledge often involves practical skills. Knowing that becomes knowing how as you put theory into practice. That way students become active participants in their own learning.

At this level Therapeutic Massage students become competent in a variety of skills expected of a health professional:

1. Profession-specific skills – massage techniques, stretching, bolstering, assessment skills (observation, palpation etc.), interviewing skills.

2. Business skills – setting up a business.

3. Administrative skills – setting up a practice, establishing recording and filing systems.

4. Professional skills – cognitive skills including critical thinking, problem-solving, planning, strategic thinking, clinical reasoning and pattern recognition.

5. Affective skills – team work, interpersonal communication skills, self-regulation.

6. Work-based skills – computer literacy, professional communication skills, information literacy skills.

7. Academic literacy skills – e.g. doing research, academic writing skills, presentation skills.

Objectives:

The student must be able to:

1. Demonstrate the use of knowledge in new and in familiar situations.

2. Apply rules, methods, concepts, principles, laws, and theories to new situations.

Given all the pertinent data, you are required to recognise which set of principles ideas, rules, equations, or methods should be applied.

3. Solve problems

Once the principle is identified, you recall the appropriate knowledge (levels 1 and 2 skills) to solve the problem.

4. Implement solutions to problems

In the next step the solution to the problem is put into effect.

5. Carry out a procedure

Theory and practice also come together when the student is asked to demonstrate an established or correct method of doing something. This can be done either practically, verbally or in written form.

Key words:

Typically questions testing application will start with the following verbs:

Apply
To put to use.

To make use of something to achieve a result

For example:
Apply the principles of intelligent touch as described by Andrade and Clifford in Outcome-Based Massage to illustrate the concept of evidence-based massage therapy.

Apply skin rolling technique.

Practice
To do something, especially exercises, repeatedly in order to improve performance.

Demonstrate

To explain or describe how something works or how to do something.

For example:
Demonstrate the following massage techniques: effleurage, pettrisage and friction.

Demonstrate the correct way of draping for a pregnant patient.

Assess

To examine something in order to judge or evaluate it.
For example:
Visually assess the patient to establish the presenting postural pattern.

Determine
To decide or settle something conclusively. To find out or ascertain something, usually after investigation.
For example:
Predict the expected outcome of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation(PNF) on a muscle.

Predict
To say what is going to happen in the future, often on the basis of present indications or past experience and or knowledge.
For example:

Taking into account the principles of myofascial release technique, predict the results of its application on the fascial and the nervous system.

Relate
To find or show a connection between two or more things.
For example:
Relate the massage techniques listed in Column A to the statements in Column B:

Column A Column B

a. Effleurage 1.Vertical focus

b. Pettrissage 2.Rhythmical kneading

3. Gliding movement

4. Warm up muscle before deeper work

Report
To give information about something that has happened.

To give detailed information about research or an investigation
For example:

Report your findings following a physical assessment of the patient.

Report on the latest findings regarding the benefits of massaging cyclists immediately after a sports event.

Show
To explain, demonstrate, or prove something in a logical way.

For example:

Use examples to show ways in which a patient may use gestures to convey information about areas of discomfort and pain.

Show the attachment sites for the following muscles: …

Sources:
http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/researchskills/dalton.htm

THEME 3: EXAM WRITING SKILLS:- Comprehension - Understanding ideas and concepts

2009-09-19T02:47:00.000-07:00

Bloom’s Taxonomy Level 2: Comprehension

Understanding ideas and concepts

The second level of Bloom’s taxonomy has to do with understanding ideas and concepts. It goes beyond simply recalling memorised facts but requires students to show insight and evidence of really grappling with the subject matter to grasp the meaning.

Action required:
In short students are required to UNDERSTAND the information, INTERPRET the facts and TRANSLATE it from one form to another. These learning outcomes go one step beyond simply remembering of material. It requires that the student construct meaning from oral, written, and visual messages through interpreting, exemplifying, classifying, summarizing, inferring, comparing, and explaining.

Objectives:
The student must be able to:

1. Understand subject matter
To explain facts, concepts, terminology, principles etc. related to anatomy, physiology, pathology, pathophysiology, theory of massage therapy, professionalism, ethics, jurisprudence etc.

2. Interpret verbal and written material
To explain the meaning or significance of the subject matter

3. Interpret charts and graphs

4. Interpret verbal, visual and palpatory information
To explain the meaning or significance of observations e.g. during pre and post-treatment consultations with patient, visual assessment and palpation assessment.

5. Predict consequences or effects.
To estimate the future consequences implied in data and to justify methods and procedures. For example: To explain why a particular massage technique will result in lengthening or shortening a muscle.

6. Translate knowledge into new contexts
To apply knowledge gained in lectures on anatomy, physiology, pathology, pathophysiology to massage practice.

Key words:
Typically questions testing comprehension will start with the following verbs:

Compare
To examine two or more things in order to discover similarities and differences between them. (Note that this key word requires you to look at those aspects that are similar AND those that differ)
For example:
Compare the structure and function of the upper limb girdle and the lower limb girdle
Compare the aetiology of the osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Compare the roles and functions of the Allied Health Professions Council of South Africa and a professional association.

Contrast
To compare different things or arrange them in a way that highlights their differences.
For example:
Contrast the signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Contrast Type 1 diabetes 1 and Type 2 diabetes.
Contrast the effects of mechanical massage techniques and reflexive massage techniques.

Please note: The next two verbs, distinguish and differentiate are very similar but not identical.

Distinguish
To be aware of or recognise the characteristic feature/s that demonstrate/s that one thing is different from another without going into specific details.
For example:
Different areas of the human body reflect different tactile sensitivity. Distinguish between taboo areas and charged areas on the body.

Differentiate
To indicate precisely and in detail the differences between two or more things.
For example:
Differentiate between mechanical massage techniques and reflexive massage techniques.

Explain
To give an account of something with enough clarity and detail to be understood by somebody else. To make the meaning of something clear.
For example:
Explain why it is important for a massage therapist to establish a personal and a professional support system.
Explain the difference between the terms massage technique and massage therapy.
Explain the effects of rocking on the body.

Classify
To assign things to categories. To order, organise, pigeonhole, arrange or class things.
For example:
Classify the following muscles according to function.
Classify massage techniques according to the effects on the body.

Describe
To give an account of something by giving details of its characteristics. To label or typify something
For example:
Describe the physical and postural changes a massage therapist has to consider when treating a patient during the third trimester of pregnancy.
Describe the structure of a neuron in the human nervous system.

Give examples
For example:
Give examples of superficial reflexive techniques.

Illustrate
To provide explanatory pictures to accompany a printed, spoken, or electronic text.
For example:
Draw a diagram to illustrate the Krebs cycle.
Draw a flow chart to illustrate the process of synaptic transmission.

To clarify or explain something by giving examples or making comparisons.
For example:
Provide examples to illustrate situations when it is appropriate for a massage therapist to terminate a treatment prematurely.

Predict
To say what is going to happen in the future, often on the basis of present indications or past experience.
For example:
Predict the expected outcome of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation(PNF) on a muscle.

Associate
To connect one thing with another.
For example:
Associate the terms in Column B with the statement in Column A.

Cite
To mention something or somebody as an example to support an argument or help explain what is being said.
For example:
Cite examples of research studies that illustrate the benefits of massage for premature babies.
Cite examples of connective tissue techniques.

Levels of comprehension questions

Questions assessing comprehension may be simple or may require more explanations and interpretation.

For example:
Simple: List the different superficial reflexive techniques and explain the principles of each technique.
Extended: Compare the indications of superficial reflexive techniques with the indications for connective tissue techniques.

Simple: Label the muscles of the rotator cuff.
Extended: Label the muscles of the rotator cuff and list each muscle’s 1) antagonist, 2) agonist and 3) synergist.

Examples of activities testing knowledge

Paraphrase/ Restate in your own words
To restate something using other words, especially in order to make it simpler or shorter but showing understanding of the subject.

Summarise
To make a condensed version. To give a shortened version of something that has been said or written, stating its main points.
For example:
Summarise Per Henrik Ling’s philosophy of massage.

Discuss
To talk about a subject with others. To consider a topic in speaking or writing
For example:
Discuss the importance of self-care for a massage therapist.

Provide a brief outline of …
To give the most prominent or important aspects of something.
For example:
Provide a brief outline of the history of massage from antiquity to the present.

Prepare a flow chart
To illustrate the sequence of events.
For example:
Prepare a flow chart to illustrate the direction of blood flow through the heart.

Sources:
http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/researchskills/dalton.htm
http://www.corrosion-doctors.org

THEME 3: EXAM WRITING SKILLS - Beyond Tomorrow: Fundamental Principles For Achieving Academic Excellence

2009-09-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

ISBN no: 9780620437301

Title: Beyond Tomorrow: Fundamental Principles for Achieving Academic Success

Author: Bello Braimoh

Publisher: Bello Braimoh

Publication date: May 2009

Edition: 1ST - 2009

Pages: 119

Price: Between R100 and R130

Available at: Kalahari.net and Van Schaik Online Bookstore

Extract from: HealthSciencesReview web.wits.ac.za/NR/...723F.../HealthSciencesReviewJune2009.pdf

Beyond Tomorrow: Fundamental Principles for Achieving Academic Excellence, was launched on 6 May 2009. This is a timely book, given the fact that 50% of students who enter institutions of higher learning in South Africa leave without qualifications. Beyond Tomorrow is specifically written for university and college students and those preparing to enter higher learning. This powerful but simply written book is authored by Wits Lecturer, medical scientist, poet and motivational speaker, Braimoh Bello and the foreword is by the former Minister of Education, Ms Naledi Pandor. Braimoh teaches GEMP students and postgraduate students in the School of Public Health.

Although many books have been written on how to achieve success in different facets of life, few have shown students how to strive for and achieve success in the form of academic excellence.

The author writes: ‘I wrote this book because of my own experience at university. Even though I studied under difficult conditions, I literally progressed from an average student who was on the verge of failure to a top student. Also, I realised that excellence does not belong to “geniuses”, it belongs to those who know and apply success principles. In fact, Albert Einstein, the most intelligent man of the last century was considered an “imbecile” at an early age.’ In this book, the author shares inspirations and practical principles that have helped him and many other students achieve excellence in their studies and life.

THEME 3: EXAM WRITING SKILLS : Knowledge - Showing mastery of subject matter

2009-09-12T07:51:00.000-07:00

Mastery of Subject Matter

The first level of Bloom’s taxonomy has to do with mastering subject matter. Knowledge represents the lowest level of learning outcomes in the cognitive domain. The majority of the short questions in a written assessment is usually pitched at the knowledge level e.g. multiple choice, true or false, select the most appropriate answer, match the terms in column A to the definitions in column B. However this does not mean level 1 questions are simple or undemanding. So do not underestimate them and read the instructions carefully.

Actions required:

Students are required to recognise, observe, remember or recall previously learnt information without necessarily understanding, using, or changing it. You are only required to bring the appropriate information to mind. In order to do that you have to be able to memorize some information.

Objectives:

Questions are asked to test whether you have gained specific information from a lecture or a course. Information may range from specific facts to complete theories.

The student must be able to:

1. Recall knowledge of specific facts.

For example: Per Henrik Ling is associated with 1) Shiatsu 2) Chinese massage 3) Swedish massage 4) Shamanic massage

2. Recall knowledge of common terms / terminology.

For example: Have you memorized the names and actions of specific muscles? Do you know the signs and symptoms of TB? Do you know the difference between transference and counter-transference?

3. Recall knowledge of the main ideas, concepts and principles.

For example: Can you define the term therapeutic? And informed consent? What about proprioception?

4. Recall knowledge of methods and procedures.

For example: Do you know the steps required to deal with bodily fluid spilt in the therapy room?

5. Recall ways and means of dealing with specifics (conventions, trends and sequences, classifications and categories, criteria, methodology).

For example: Do the know how to write up a bibliography? Have you memorized the different types of connective tissue?

6. Give an outline of a topic

For example: Can you name the different parts of the autonomic nervous system?

Key words:

Typically questions testing knowledge will start with the following verbs:

Name

To provide the word, term, or phrase by which something is known and distinguished from other things.

For example:

Name the muscles of the rotator cuff.

Name three introductory techniques that a massage therapist can employ.

Identify

To recognise somebody or something and to be able to say who or what he, she, or it is. To consider two or more things as being entirely or essentially the same.

For example:

Identify the muscles of the rotator cuff.

List

To arrange a series of related words, names, numbers, or other items one after the other.

For example:

List three reasons why a massage therapist uses a lubricant.

List the procedure to follow when blood or any other bodily fluid has been spilt in the therapy room.

List four possible survival mechanisms that abused patients might present with.

Enumerate

To name a number of things on a list one by one.

For example:

Enumerate the muscles of the rotator cuff.

Enumerate five basic principles of draping.

Locate

To find or pinpoint where something is.

For example:

Locate the muscles of the rotator cuff on the diagram provided / by pointing to the muscle’s location on the human body.

Select

To choose something from among several others. The types of questions that fall under this category include:

Underline the correct word or phrase.

For example:

The Allied Health Professional Council issues registration numbers OR practice numbers OR licence numbers to health care workers.

Depth of pressure is the result of the use of upper body strength OR leverage and leaning on the body.

Multiple choice questions - you have to select the appropriate answer from the several options provided.

For example:

The legal age for a patient to consent to a Therapeutic Massage treatment, is: 1) 14 years 2) 16 years 3) 18 years 4) 21 years

In medical terminology, the prefix poly- means around OR many OR surrounding.

Recall

To remember something or bring something back to mind.

For example:

Recall the muscles of the rotator cuff.

The South African primary health care system is based on the following system: 1) biomedical 2) alternative 3) allopathic 4) biopsychosocial

Practice numbers to health care workers is issued by: 1) Board of Health Care Funders 2) Medicine Control Board 3) Allied Health Professional Council 4) Massage Therapy Association

Describe

To give an account of something by giving details of its characteristics.

For example:

Describe the rotator cuff.

Describe the emotional benefits of touch.

Describe the procedure that a massage therapist has to follow when cleaning up body fluid spills such as vomit and blood from massage bed and floor.

Define

To state or describe something exactly. To identify something by a distinctive characteristic, quality or feature. To give the precise meaning of a word or expression.

For example:

Define professional touch.

Define the term entrainment.

Define myocardial infarction.

Label

To attach a label to something as identification or to describe something using a particular word or phrase.

For example:

Label the bones identified in the diagram.

Match

To find something that makes a suitable accompaniment.

For example:

Match the term with the definition that best describes it.

Record

To put something into a form in which it can be stored e.g. to write something down, save on a computer or film it. To make a note of something for future reference.

For example:

After completing the visual assessment of the patient, record you observations.

(Note that the question does not require you to interpret the information but merely to write down what it is that you had seen.)

State

To express something in spoken or written words. To assert, articulate or express something.

For example:

State why a massage therapist is required to get informed consent from a patient.

State a function of the thyroid gland.

Levels of knowledge questions

As stated before, knowledge questions can be simple or may require more detail.

For example:

Simple: Label the muscles of the rotator cuff.

Extended: Label the muscles of the rotator cuff and list each muscle 1) antagonist, 2) agonist and 3) synergist.

Simple: True or False? The terms alternative health therapies and complementary health therapies can be used interchangeably

Extended: Is the statement true or false and justify your answer? The terms alternative health therapies and complementary health therapies can be used interchangeably

Simple: True or False? The terms alternative health therapies and complementary health therapies can be used interchangeably

Extended: Is the statement true or false? Justify your answer. The terms alternative health therapies and complementary health therapies can be used interchangeably

Examples of activities testing knowledge

For example:

Make a list of the main events in the history of massage as a profession in the West.
Make a timeline of events indicating the history of massage since antiquity.
Make a chart showing the flow of blood through the heart.

Sources:

http://www.teachers.ash.org.au

http://www.corrosion-doctors.org

THEME 3: EXAM WRITING SKILLS - Levels of Knowledge

2009-09-06T12:14:00.000-07:00

Students often complain that although they are sure that they knew the answer to an exam question, the examiner awarded them only average or very low marks.

On the other hand, lecturers remark that students forfeit marks because they do not answer what is asked in an assessment.

Yes, they say, students manage to fill the blank spaces with words and sentences but the answers do not reach the set outcome. Students might demonstrate content knowledge but they do not follow the instructions as stated in the question. Students rather fixate on WHAT they need to answer (information) and do not pay attention to HOW they are required to answer it (format or structure).

Before tackling any question or assignment, it is as important to make sure you know exactly HOW you are supposed to answer a question as it is to know WHAT subject knowledge the question / assignment wants to assess.

Why is it Important to Pay Attention to the Structure or Format of a Question?

It is essential that you know what the format or structure the answer should be presented in because it:
1. Guides you towards the expected outcome or the objective you are expected to reach.
2. Assists you in allocating just enough, not too much and not too little time to answering a question. For example: It takes a lot less time to list the types of muscles compared to describing the form and function of each muscle.
3. Tells you what type of question you are dealing with. Different types of questions assess different levels of knowledge.

Levels of Knowledge

There exists a number of classifications or taxonomies that categorize different levels of knowledge. A taxonomy of learning behaviours classify the goals that need to be achieved in the learning process.

One of the best known classifications is Bloom’s taxonomy. In the 1950s a committee led by educational psychologist Benjamin Bloom, identified three domains of educational activities namely:

1. Cognitive or mental areas – knowledge and development of intellectual skills.

2. Affective or emotional areas - attitudes

3. Psychomotor or manual or physical skills - practical skills.

After the each training session or at the end of the course, the student should have acquired a combination of new general and profession-specific skills, knowledge, and attitudes.

For example a massage therapy student will have to demonstrate:
1. Cognitive skills such as knowledge of anatomy and physiology, massage, nutrition etc.
2. Attitudes such as professionalism and ethical behaviour gained through the study and practice of counselling, jurisprudence, community service and academic literacy etc.
3. Skills including massage skills, business skills, computer skills, research skills, professional writing skills etc.

Cognitive Domain

The cognitive domain involving knowledge and the development of mental or intellectual skills, consists of six major categories. It starts with the simplest behaviour and concrete levels of thinking and moves to the most complex and abstract levels of thinking. The one category must be mastered before the next one can take place.

Bloom’s categories are: 1)

1. Knowledge - remembering or recognising something previously encountered without necessarily understanding, using, or changing it.

2. Comprehension - understanding the material being communicated without necessarily relating it to anything else.

3. Application - using a general concept to solve a particular problem.

4. Analysis - breaking something down into parts.

5. Synthesis - creating something new by combining different ideas.

6. Evaluation - judging the value of materials or methods as they might be applied in a particular situation.

Different levels of knowledge are assessed by means of different types questions and as explained earlier the answer to each type of question requires a specific structure. Each of these levels of knowledge will be discussed in detail in future posts.

How do You Know which Format to Use for a Particular Question?

Usually the clue can be found in the first word of the question.

A question typically starts with a verb, an action word. It tells you what to do. It is therefore important to understand the exact meaning of the verbs used in a question. Is explain the same as describe? Is separate the same as categorize?

In the next post we will look at Level 1 of the cognitive domain in detail.

1) Teacher Education http://educ-reality.com/benjamin-bloom-and-his-taxonomy/

THEME 1 ACADEMIC & PROFESSIONAL LITERACY: Communication For Science ISBN-10: 0195781503

2009-08-30T02:36:00.001-07:00

Communication for Science, is one of the books in the Oxford University Press Communication Series. It is published specifically for undergraduate South African students and focuses on their language and learning needs.

It has proven useful as a resource to establish academic literacy skills in Therapeutic Massage training before. The book is available from most major academic bookshops. It can also be ordered directly from the publishers.

From Oxford University Press Southern Africa website:

Author: J. Wright, G. Hangone
Price: R199.95
ISBN-10: 0195781503
ISBN-13: 9780195781502
Publication date: January 2003
Origin: OUP Southern Africa
Binding: Paperback

Description
No matter what field of expertise they choose to master, students know that the abilities to read an article well and comprehend the main points, to present a dynamic and effective oral report, and to work with groups, are essential to their success. The same skills are essential to every individual in a professional environment.

Communication for Science, one of the books in a Communication Series published for undergraduate South African students, has been extensively trialled in a technikon environment, with specific focus on students language and learning needs. In course-specific and general discussion and exercises, it takes a practical look at topics including communicating in a business environment, reading and writing reports, holding effective meetings, carrying out research, using a library and understanding a catalogue system, and compiling a bibliography.

Communication for Science provides a springboard to academic achievement by equipping students with these tools.

Contents
1. Introduction
2. Written Assignments
3. Reading and Vocabulary
4. Oral Presentations
5. Workplace Communication

THEME 1 ACADEMIC & PROFESSIONAL LITERACY: Expanding Your Academic Vocabulary

2009-08-22T11:04:00.000-07:00

One of the ways in which humans express their thoughts, ideas, emotions etc. is through language whether oral or written. Language then can be described as a system of communication that encodes and decodes information. Each language, including academic language, has its own set of conventions, vocabulary, grammar, syntax.

Language as symbols

Language consists of a set of symbols that members of a group learn to interpret in order to communicate with one another. We refer to the building blocks of a language, namely words as symbols because it only represents the actual object or experience. When words are transcribed into written language symbols such as hieroglyphics, the alphabet, or signs, are used.

Vocabulary

The collection of words used by a particular person is called his or her vocabulary.

Typically someone’s vocabulary does not represent all the words of that particular language. We distinguish between a person’s active vocabulary and his passive vocabulary. If you are able to use the word even though you can not clearly explain it or you know the meaning, its use and its definition, we say it forms part of your active vocabulary.

Words that are considered part of your passive vocabulary would be:

* the ones you have heard of but you cannot define as well as

* the ones you recognise but only because you can infer its meaning from the context or the tone of voice.

Vocabulary and reasoning

In Western philosophy, the system of thought that underlies academic and scientific language, the spoken and written word is closely associated with our mental faculties, reason or logic. In Ancient Greek philosophical terminology, the word logos was used for both language and for reason. Linguistic vocabulary is synonymous with thinking vocabulary. 2)

Vocabulary and communication

The more extensive your vocabulary, the better you are able to express yourself and the more effective you will be able to communicate with others. Very often and sometimes mistakenly, people are judged based on their vocabulary. Any foreign person who has just started learning a new language will tell you that they are often considered uneducated or stupid because they are not yet able to express themselves adequately. They don’t necessarily lack the mental capacity, they lack the words to express it. The same often applies to students coming to grips with academic language.

Learning and Vocabulary

A lot of research has been done into the relationship between students’ academic progress and their academic vocabulary ability.

It is well known that a positive correlation exists between academic background knowledge or long term memory and academic achievement. Students who have a large amount of academic background knowledge about a topic learn new information on the same subject easier and quicker than those who do not. 3)

The reason is that the brain looks for places to file or categorize information. The broader the background knowledge the more the brain extracts information from learning content and categorizes this information. 4) For information to be stored in the long term memory to create background knowledge, it has to find a category in the brain to link it to. The more categories exist the easier the linking process is.

How is this linked to vocabulary? New research has shown that academic vocabulary is one of the strongest indicators of how well students will learn subject area content. 5) As academic knowledge consists segments of information, concepts and ideas that are represented by words and phrases, one can conclude that the better your vocabulary, the more categories are available in your brain and the better you are able to learn.

Vocabulary development is a vital part of all content learning. “If you don't have vocabulary for a content area, you don't know the content area ..” 6)

Vocabulary and Reading

Another important reason for increasing your vocabulary is that vocabulary size has been directly linked to reading comprehension. 7)

Vocabulary learning tips

This list of ten strategies to improve your vocabulary has been adapted from the list provided on the Sheppard Software website. 8) For the full article visit http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/vocabulary_tips.htm

1. Vocabulary Learning Tip One: Read, Read, Read! Most vocabulary words are learned from context. The more words you're exposed to, the better vocabulary you will have. While you read, pay close attention to words you don't know. First, try to figure out their meanings from context. Then look the words up. Read and listen to challenging material so that you'll be exposed to many new words.

2. Vocabulary Learning Tip Two: Improve your context skills. Research shows that the vast majority of words are learned from context. To improve your context skills pay close attention to how words are used.

3. Vocabulary Learning Tip Three: Practice, practice, practice. Learning a word won't help very much if you promptly forget it. Research shows that it takes from 10 to 20 repetitions to really make a word part of your vocabulary. It helps to write the word - both the definition and a sentence you make up using the word - perhaps on an index card that can later be reviewed. As soon as you learn a new word, start using it.

4. Vocabulary Learning Tip Four: Make up as many associations and connections as possible. Say the word aloud to activate your auditory memory. Relate the word to words you already know. For example, the word LEVATOR SCAPULAE refers to the muscle that attaches to the scapula and the skull and its purpose is to lift the shoulder or to put it in scientific language to elevate the shoulder. You can remember LEVATOR SCAPULAE by linking the first part of the muscle name to levitate or ‘to go higher’. You can also link the word LEVATOR to elevate in the same way as an elevator in American English moves up a building’s lift shaft. Or imagine the magician using magic tricks to get his supine assistant to levitate.

5. Vocabulary Learning Tip Five: Use mnemonics (memory tricks). For example, for the bones of the lower limb: “Help five police to find ten missing prisoners.” (hip, femur, patella, tibia, fibula, tarsals, metatarsals, phalanges). 9) Such funny little word pictures will help you remember what words mean, AND they are fun to make up. Also, find out which learning style suits you best. Everyone learns differently!

6. Vocabulary Learning Tip Six: Get in the habit of looking up words you don't know. If you have a dictionary programme on your computer, keep it open and handy.

7. Vocabulary Learning Tip Seven: Play with words. Play Scrabble, Boggle, and do crossword puzzles. These and other word games are available for the computer, so you are not dependent on a partner to play. Also, try out the Franklin Electronic Dictionary that features built-in word games.

8. Vocabulary Learning Tip Eight: Use vocabulary lists. There are also many interesting word sites on the Internet, many of which will send you a word a day by email.

9. Vocabulary Learning Tip Nine: Take vocabulary tests. Playing games, such as the ones on www.sheppardsoftware.com, that test your knowledge will help you learn new words and also let you know how much progress you're making.

10. Vocabulary Learning Tip Ten: Get excited about words! Come to appreciate the sometimes-subtle differences between them. Do you know the difference between something that denotes something else and something that connotes something else? If not, go look it up. Learn to say what you really mean and discover the joys of being able to express yourself in writing. Your future can depend on how rich your vocabulary is. A good vocabulary will make a difference to your academic success. It will also determine the quality of your communication. Let building your vocabulary be a lifelong proposition. Until you have a word for something, it does not exist for you. Name it, and you have made your reality richer.

References:

Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language
Stahl, Steven A. Vocabulary Development. Cambridge: Brookline Books, 1999. p. 3. "The Cognitive Foundations of Learning to Read: A Framework", Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, p. 14.
ASCD http://www.ascd.org and Marzano, Robert J. Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement.
Eric Jensen, Brain Based Learning
ASCD http://www.ascd.org a
http://www.tulsaschools.org/employees/tr/TeacherHandbook_06-07/BuildingAcademicVocab.pdf
Stahl, Steven A. Vocabulary Development. Cambridge: Brookline Books, 1999. p. 3. "The Cognitive Foundations of Learning to Read: A Framework", Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, p. 14.
Sheppard Software http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/vocabulary_tips.htm
Mnemonics Guide: http://www.eudesign.com/mnems/bones.htm

THEME 1 ACADEMIC & PROFESSIONAL LITERACY: Use It and Master It - Strategies to Develop Professional Language

2009-08-17T08:23:00.000-07:00

We all know the saying about the body: If you don't use it you lose it. Well the same applies to language skills. The best way to learn a language is to use it as often as possible.

This applies to any language whether it is Xhosa or Finnish or the language of anatomy and physiology.

Here are a few general strategies to follow to become fluent in the language of your profession:

1. Practise talking and writing using the formal or academic register whenever appropriate. Use it when doing a presentation in class, when writing up a case history, when writing an essay even when you are explaining some aspect of the work to a class mate.

2. Use language accurately and precisely. Using the correct grammar and spelling not only makes a better impression it also helps to clarify your reasoning.

3. Use the correct scientific vocabulary and terminology e.g. gastrocnemius rather than calf muscle. That way you are not only learning the language but you are also learning through language.

4. Make sure you understand the precise meaning of each word and phrase. If you are not sure that you know EXACTLY what the word means, consult a dictionary or the glossaries in your text books.

5. Develop your own dictionary of useful and often-used scientific terms and add new words, terms and phrases as they arise or are introduced.

6. Be aware that in scientific and academic language words may have different meanings to everyday use. For example when using the word argument in academic language we do mean to have a quarrel. Rather it refers to your line of reasoning.

7. Also note that scientific terms have different meanings in different contexts. For example when the word manipulation is used in massage it has a very different meaning to when a psychologist uses the word.

8. Write scientific definitions and concepts in your own words or draw or collect visual images to help improve your understanding of the terms encountered.

9. If you are a second-language English speaker, look up the meaning of the words and concepts in your own language also. Education theory shows that it is easier to grasp abstract concepts in ones home language.

10. Clarify and consolidate your ideas by talking to others about the topics you are studying. One of the best ways of learning is by teaching. Make sure you use professional language so that you also get used to the sound and rhythm.

11. “Think and speak’ the words and phrases when applying theory to practice. For example identify the muscles while practising massage skills or explain to yourself exactly what technique you are using, why you have selected it and what you want to achieve by using it. Not only will this help you to combine theory and practice, you will also get used to formulating your ideas using the appropriate language.

THEME 1 ACADEMIC & PROFESSIONAL LITERACY: Language for Thinking and Meaning

2009-08-15T03:52:00.000-07:00

In its broadest sense, literacy involves using language for thinking and meaning. It is helpful to understand literacy as having three different aspects (Green 1996).

Operational literacy is competency in the language, especially written language.

Cultural literacy is learning a discourse or culture: how to communicate in the language of a specific group of people or a subject. Understanding what to say and how to say it in Science, or understanding how to read a poem well in English, are two examples. Each subject is like a different country with a different culture. The culture of the Bachelor of Education differs from that of the Bachelor of Economics.

Critical literacy is understanding how knowledge is made and how it can be transformed. Reading newspapers in an informed and critical fashion is an example. Knowing how to look for beliefs and assumptions behind written texts is another.

Academic literacy is a combination of all three aspects.

Green, B. 1999, 'The new literacy challenge', Literacy Learning: Secondary Thoughts, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 36-46.

Source: Academic Literacy, University of New England, Australia

THEME 1 ACADEMIC & PROFESSIONAL LITERACY: Language Learning & Learning Through Language

2009-08-13T08:48:00.000-07:00

So you chose to study massage because you like using your hands and you want to help people.

Yet now you find that it is the reading and writing that is tripping you up. It is as if you are required to learn a foreign language. It may sound like English but definitely not the English you and your friends speak.

Well you are absolutely right. Studying massage is about getting to know the human anatomy and physiology. And yes it is about mastering different massage techniques and styles. But it is also about learning a new language.

In fact acquiring any new competence, from hairdressing to psychology, from motor mechanics to biochemistry, involves learning the language of that particular job or profession. So in addition to the theoretical content and the skills we need to practice as massage therapists, we also have to learn the language of massage therapy.

As a health professional you will be required to communicate with a variety of different groups. It is important that we should be able to make ourselves understood but also that we understand others.

1. Communicating with the patient - We use spoken and written languages when interviewing a patient and when explaining a procedure to a patient and we use it in such a way that we enable the patient to give informed consent.

2. Communicating with the public - It is through language that we introduce massage to the wider community in presentations, articles, promotional material and press releases.

3. Communicating with colleagues – Massage therapy, being a health profession, means that we share the same lingo as other health professionals. We all ‘speak’ the language of anatomy, physiology and pathology. But we also share a particular vocabulary and terminology with other physical therapies such as physiotherapy, chiropractics and osteopathy.

4. Communicating officially – From time to time a massage therapist will be required to write official reports for organisations and institutions that are not related to the health profession e.g. a patient wants to claim from the Road Accident Fund and needs you to explain why massage is the treatment of choice.

5. Communicating the massage knowledge base - Language is also the tool therapists would use on the road of lifelong learning and continued professional development. The therapist’s ability to communicate his or her knowledge in the form of presentations, research reports and journal articles is as important as the knowledge base itself.

So you can see that although massage therapy is largely a knowledge and skills-based profession, it is important that a therapist also develops his or her language skills. Research has shown that students whose language skills are sub-standard tend to be weak in science subjects.

Language is usually classified according to its origin:

1. natural or everyday language

2. professional language (special purpose subsets of natural language)

3. symbolic language (signs and symbols e.g. the yield sign, body language and gesturing, visual language)

This classification is also related to linguistic registers.

What is a linguistic register?

Linguistic registers indicate the level of formality and form that we adopt when communicating in different situations. For example: we use a different linguistic register during a job interview as compared to asking a friend a favour. Also the register we adopt when speaking to a patient will differ from the one used when chatting to pals in a pub. The use of the appropriate register thus depends on the audience, the topic, and the purpose for the communication Learners as well as professionals must know how and when to move from one register to the next.

Joos (1961) describes five styles in spoken English:

1.Frozen – for example printed unchanging language such as Biblical quotations.

2.Consultative – Usually it is a two-way conversation e.g. talking to a boss/supervisor/teacher, lawyer, doctor, counsellor. It often involves asking for assistance.

3. Casual - Talking with friends often in slang to create an in-group, writing drafts before the formal draft (because it “gets the information out” on the paper). The word choice is general and the conversation is dependent upon non-verbal assists e.g. gesturing, facial expressions etc. Interruptions are common.

4. Intimate - Private communication with body language as important or more important than words. It is the language of lovers and people who know one another very well.

5.Formal or academic – This language register is characterised by one-way participation and no interruptions. It uses specific words and definitions, adheres strictly to grammar, uses complete sentence structure and follows particular language and layout rules. This is the standard for work, school, and business, used in interviews, academic language in the classroom (lectures, instruction) and public speaking. Formal registers are usually characterized by a set of specialised and technical vocabulary that is used by a specific occupations or professional group for particular purposes.

Just as we do not use the same language when speaking to our friends and to elderly aunts and uncles, a massage therapist has to adapt to his or her audience. In other words we have to select the most appropriate linguistic register for the situation. When speaking to patients a combination of consultative and formal registers is suitable – not too casual but also not to prim.

It takes confidence and experience to be an engaging public speaker or writer. The same applies to a newly qualified massage therapist learning over time to develop the right balance of professionalism and empathy with patients.

On the other hand when talking or writing to colleagues, when referring a patient, in peer group discussions, journal articles and when disseminating research findings, a massage therapist adopts a formal linguistic register. He or she uses professional language.

What is professional language?

As we said earlier, acquiring a new competence such as massage therapy also involves learning the language of that particular job or profession. Professional language is used by a group or profession and often consists of terminology, concepts and definitions that are not necessarily understood or used by other people.

So besides needing basic language and composition skills, a massage therapy learner also has to learn the shared language of the group or as it is called in academic circles, the discourse community. He or she also has to learn to select selecting the appropriate register or genre for different audiences.

Professional language is sometimes disapprovingly referred to as jargon and health professionals in particular are often accused of using unfamiliar words and phrases when speaking to patients. This not only alienates them but can also be an impediment to good health care. It is clear that is such a case, the therapist has selected the incorrect linguistic register and obviously using jargon should be avoided without compromising accuracy and a professional demeanour.

As said before, one of the reason why professional language can be difficult to understand is the specific word usage and terminology used. In the health care domain it is based on scientific language.

Where do massage therapists learn to use professional language?

The process doesn’t start the day you receive you registration number telling you that you can start practising.

No, the acquiring professional language starts the day you enroll for a massage therapy course. That is because professional language is the same as academic language. It is the language used by students to do their course work. It is used in textbooks, in lectures and it is the language that students are expected to use when doing reports and written assessments. Academic writing is also based on scientific language.

What is scientific language?

Science has a language of its own and this language has particular rules of composition and expression. A lot of the scientific names used are based on Latin and some Greek. The function of scientific language is to create a universal language to:

* Give names to subjects, objects, processes etc. Just think of all the muscle names, the pathologies etc.

* Communicate ideas

* Report observations

* Formulate theories

* Frame and investigate processes

* Set boundaries for meaning that are exact and accurate.

What are the characteristics of scientific language?

Scientific language and academic language share the same characteristics. It:

* Is objective, measured and fair and tends to be impersonal

* Is precise, explicit and consistent.

* Uses and introduces technical words with specific meanings.

* Gives scientific meaning to words which may have a different usage in everyday language.

* Is a vehicle for logical argumentation or reasoning.

* Is formal because it is more precise and stable.

* Is more suitable for the expression of complex ideas.

* Assumes that the listener / reader has background knowledge of the topic. But if that is not the case, all information embedded in the text, has to be revealed upfront.

* Is cautious and responsible.

* Builds arguments based on the strength of evidence available and acknowledges all sources of information. Strict referencing rules apply.

* Is analytical and critical.

* Is explanatory rather than descriptive.

* Follows established conventions.

Why do students have to master academic/scientific language?

Students need to master academic language:

1. to assimilate the material presented to them in anatomy, physiology and pathology modules;

2. to communicate effectively in a professional way and

3. to think in a scientific way.

This blog wants to serve as complementary resource for students of massage therapy to contribute to your academic and professional success and ultimate assimilation into the profession of Therapeutic Massage Therapy in South Africa.

In Part 2 of this section on Learning language and learning through language, we look at ways to master academic writing.