Section 5: Evaluation, Grading, and Promotion
Evaluation Instruments and Procedures
Students will be evaluated using various methods. Please refer to the individual course outlines for specific information. Course outlines and course learning plans are made available to students during the first week of scheduled classes via MyCanvas.
Evaluation instruments for courses may include quizzes, tests, exams, skill demonstrations, lab activities, assignments, online activities, blended activities, practical tests and exams, and surveys.
MT Program Specifics
Clinic and Outreach Grading Criteria and Performance Indicator Information
Students will receive a pass/fail grade for all clinic and outreach courses. Students must attend and participate in all predetermined shifts / hours. Evaluation criteria are based on the standards of practice mandated by the CMTO and include attendance & punctuality, appearance & hygiene, uniform, equipment, language & communication, productive use of time, client greeting, post treatment protocol, charting, accepting constructive criticism, and overall attitude. Students must also have proof of up to date Preplacement Requirements, and must complete the Competency Self-Assessment Tool as a requirement for all clinical courses.
- Attendance & Punctuality
Students are expected to arrive 15 minutes prior to their shift, in uniform, with all required equipment, having taken care of any appearance or hygiene concerns, ready to begin. Offences may include arriving later than the 15-minute window, arriving on time but leaving to retrieve forgotten equipment, arriving on time but needing to change into uniform or trim/remove polish from nails. - Appearance & Hygiene
Uniform must be clean, in good repair, and include golf shirt, scrub pants, and closed toe athletic shoes. Students may only wear the uniform T-shirt in clinic if the supervisor has posted an announcement or email in advance of clinic. Health standards regarding cleanliness of equipment, hand washing, and personal grooming must be followed. Hair must be clean and tied up/back to avoid contact with client. Nails must be trimmed and clean of dirt or polish. Artificial nails are not permitted. Student must be free of odor including perfumes or colognes, body odor, and breath odor from food, drink, or smoking. - Equipment
The complete massage kit must be available for every clinic, containing equipment that is clean and in good repair. Items that must be brought to clinic every week include two pillows, two complete sets of linens, blanket, assessment tools such as BP cuff, stethoscope, and reflex hammer (bring only the tools they have received instruction on how to use), treatment lubricant (must be hypoallergenic, unscented, plant-based lotion, gel, or oil), bottle holster or similar (the bottle is never placed on the floor), and thermophore. - Language & Communication
While in the clinic, all communication should be client centered and treatment focused. A student working in any capacity (treating a client or performing another clinic duty), must use language and communication that is respectful of all people who may overhear. Examples of language and communication that may not be appreciated by a person within hearing distance may include swearing, joking, story telling, loud voice or laughing, and complaining. - Productive Use of Time
Focus must be on clinic related activities including client care, charting, cleaning, and assisting the supervisor. Students who do not have a client will be assigned a clinic activity. Offences may include working on other course assignments, checking or sending emails, texting, making phone calls, and using any form of Social Media. If a student must make an important call, they must inform the supervisor and leave the clinic space to make the call, keeping it as short as possible.
Appointment time must be managed effectively. Offences may include ending treatments early or running over time, performing assessments that are unnecessarily extensive or not thorough enough, skipping the necessary assessments for a client who arrives late, or extending the appointment time without supervisor approval. - Client Greeting
Clients should be greeted with an introduction of the student, and with body language that is open and approachable. The greeting must be made in a timely manner to demonstrate respect for the client’s time. - Post Treatment Protocol
Post treatment protocol includes following up on the results of the treatment, advising on home care, and remedial exercise. The appointment ends with the student walking the client to reception and asking them if they would be willing to complete a comment card. - Charting
Intake/Treatment notes must be complete, thorough and legible. All areas should be addressed for every appointment, including client goals. No areas on the form should be left blank. A mark through the area or “n/a” in the space will indicate that the student didn’t miss the item. Supervisors review notes and advise of any necessary corrections. Charting and corrections to charting must be completed by the end of the shift. - Accepts Constructive Criticism
Clinic supervisors are experts with experience in the profession. When they provide instruction to improve or correct skills, behaviours, or techniques, or when they recommend students try alternatives, students should respectfully follow these instructions. Students should accept responsibility for their own behaviours, actions, or errors and should, respectfully, discuss areas for improvement. - Overall Attitude
Students should demonstrate a genuine interest in becoming a health care provider, ready and willing to perform the required duties. Their focus should always be on the best interests of the clients. Students are assigned clients to provide equal access to direct client care opportunities. Offences may include attempts to switch clients in order to avoid treating, attempts to avoid treating due to illness (if a student is well enough to attend, they are well enough to treat, providing they follow universal precautions with respect to personal protective equipment), multiple offences within one clinic shift, and any behaviour the supervisor deems as poor representation for a massage therapist. - Preplacement Requirements
Students are required to have a cleared Health Passport before starting clinic in semester 3. After this time, students may be required to show proof of their up to date Health Passport at any time. Students who do not have an up to date Health Passport will not be permitted to attend clinics and outreaches, unless other accommodations have been approved. Attending Clinic or Outreach without an up to date Health Passport will constitute academic dishonesty. - Competency Self-Assessment Tool (CSAT)
Students are required to complete the CSAT once at midterm and again at end of term to meet the requirements to pass clinical courses.
Shift Critical Fail
There are several actions or behaviours that will constitute a critical fail for a clinic shift. If a student receives a critical fail for a shift, they will be required to complete make-up shifts . For the first three examples, two make up shifts will be required. For the last two examples, one make up shift is required.
- Supervisors will assign a critical fail of the shift if a student breaches client confidentiality. Students should only be discussing clients with the supervisor and anyone the supervisor includes in the discussion (i.e. case discussions, or discussion with another supervisor or faculty member)
- Failure to maintain boundaries and prevent sexual abuse – The CMTO standard clearly states that equipment that can take photographs or videos are not allowed within the treatment space. Supervisors may also refer to this standard with respect to any behaviours that do not meet the standard and apply make up shifts accordingly.
- Alcohol or drug use prior to or during the clinic shift. Students should be asked to leave.
- If a student repeats an offence of any of the grading criteria above three times, they will be required to complete a make up shift (three strikes).
- If a student accumulates 10 offences, they will be required to complete a make up shift
Course Fail
The following items will constitute a failure of the course.
- Absent for two clinic shifts or equivalent (three repeat offences or 10 total offences equals a missed shift) with no make up shifts completed. Incomplete grade may be issued if student has documentation, providing the student will be able to make up missed shifts within an acceptable time frame.
- Failure to meet the requirements for Professionalism will result in failure of the course, with a compulsory repeat of the course in order to qualify to move forward in the program and graduate.
OTA/PTA Program Specifics
EVALUATION INSTRUMENTS AND PROCEDURES
Throughout the Program and in different courses, a variety of evaluation methods are utilized to enable students to demonstrate abilities with various assessment methods and to enable faculty members and course instructors to assess students’ progress through different levels of learning. Please refer to the individual course outlines for specific information. Course outlines are made available to students during the first week of scheduled classes via MyCanvas.
Examples of evaluation methods used in the Program are:
- WEEKLY ASSIGNMENTS/REPORTS may consist of readings from articles or texts, with assigned questions to answer/discuss and/or to assist in preparation for demonstrating a skill or technique.
- ESSAYS – major assignments, will be used to evaluate the student’s written communication skills, knowledge base; ability to gather, analyze, critically appraise, integrate and synthesize information; problem solve and identify a plan for a particular patient/client (or patient/client population).
- MODIFIED ESSAY QUESTIONS (MEQ) – use a paper problem as stimulus for discussion regarding clinical (practical) reasoning and problem solving abilities. MEQs may also be used for examination purposes.
- WRITTEN EXAMS * may include:
a written response but could also include an oral component.
Multiple Choice and Short Answer questions to evaluate knowledge.
Clinical/Client problem questions to evaluate application of knowledge, analysis, skills, transfer of knowledge.
*Written exams may be done in class or online. - DIRECT OBSERVATION OF STUDENT PERFORMANCE. Faculty members will evaluate students in the performance of practical skills/techniques and professional behaviours throughout the Program. This method of evaluation may include one to one evaluation as well as the use of video recordings; interactions with clinical patients/clients, standardized patients and student role-playing.
- PRESENTATIONS. OTA and PTA students must be able to present themselves in an articulate manner and present information and ideas clearly and in an organized fashion to patients /clients, supervising therapists, other team members, class members and faculty. To facilitate the development of these skills, individual and group presentation skills will be evaluated throughout the Program. Outlines will be provided in class and presentations will be evaluated by faculty, and may also involve self and peer evaluation.
- PROBLEM BASED TUTORIAL EVALUATION (PBL). The performance of the tutorial group as a whole, and each individual within the group, is evaluated and feedback provided, on a regular informal basis, throughout each semester by both students and faculty.
- OBJECTIVE STRUCTURED CLINICAL EXAMINATION (O.S.C.E) – is a timed circuit examination (written and practical) with a series of stations designed to objectively assess knowledge or skill in specific clinical competencies.
- TRIPLE JUMP—is a timed three-step PBL examination used to evaluate problem-solving skills, critical thinking skills, research skill and the ability to synthesize new information using clinical reasoning skills. May be virtual or in person.
- OPEN BOOK EXAM– is a written exam in class or online, which encourages the student to consider course material as a whole. All note taking, handouts and related references can be used to answer the exam questions. Students must work independently during this exam.
- REFLECTIVE JOURNALS/LOGS are used to document an academic and/or fieldwork placement experience and help the student develop communication skills, the skills of self-reflection and action planning
- Practical Fieldwork Evaluation in CompTracker (see Fieldwork Education Handbook)
- ACTIVITY/TREATMENT EVALUATION (optional) completed by clinical/fieldwork placement supervisors provides the student with on-going feedback and contributes to the assignment of a grade for each clinical/fieldwork placement. (See Fieldwork Education Handbook)
- RE-TAKE OF ASSIGNMENTS/TESTS/EXAMS AS WELL AS SKILLS LAB PRACTICALS. It is the Program procedure that there are no retakes except under extenuating circumstances and remediation will be required. In preparing for retake lab practicals – only students registered with the OTA and PTA program will be permitted to practice in the lab for retake preparation. The grade for the re-take will be capped at the minimum required grade.
- Pending availability, the re-take of a course may be offered outside of the regular academic schedule at the discretion of the program.
RT Program Specifics
Online Learning
Professors may conduct some classes using the ZOOM platform for synchronous delivery of online learning. Students are expected to attend these classes during their regularly scheduled class time as they would for in-person classes. Students are expected to be present and ready to participate, with cameras on, for these classes.
Photo Release
By signing the Photo Release form in Career Ready, you give permission to Mohawk College to use your story and/or photo/video for print, electronic and visual use in perpetuity, to promote the College. Photography and video being captured may be used on social media and for other promotional purposes.
Engaged Learning
Throughout the program of study, many professors conduct classes with an active learning model focusing on student engagement. Active engagement requires pre-class preparation and in class/on-line attendance, in order to achieve academic success. Students will learn about real issues and concepts related to the course of study. Class time will provide students with more opportunities to learn from their peers through collaborative opportunities. Professors function as coaches or advisors, encouraging students in individual inquiry and collaborative effort. The professor becomes a source to students in how to better use resources, process information, and apply the core concepts to real life situations. Students should organize their personal schedules accordingly to ensure maximum class attendance.
Simulated and Experiential Learning
The Recreation Therapy program, uses an experiential learning approach to provide hands on learning opportunities throughout the two-year program of study. This approach requires flexibility in scheduling. Classes are delivered during the regular scheduled class time, as well as, delivered outside of classroom time in workshop formats and on-line. Students will be informed of the dates required for attendance at the beginning of each semester. Attendance is considered a basic requirement for learning. Often experiential learning assignments cannot be completed without attending the related learning session.
For lab classes in specific courses, attendance is required in 80% of labs for successful completion of all skills courses. Students who do not attend class will receive a zero for any co- related assignments, assessments or grades for participation, and/or marks may be deducted for lack of participation.
Students may be required to purchase workshop learning opportunities in order to participate. This requirement is equivalent to purchasing required text books for learning.
Course Resources
Students in the Recreation Therapy program will be required to purchase textbooks, on-line learning resources/texts and workshops to support course learning.
Presentation Expectations
Formal and informal oral presentations to individuals, and to small and large groups are an expectation of the profession, as well as an identified essential employability skill. Recreation Therapy students will be expected to present individually and in groups regularly throughout the program as presentations are a core component and course learning outcome in many courses. Students are encouraged to seek the necessary resources to strengthen their ability to verbally present information to an acceptable minimum standard. Professors are able to suggest college and external resources available to students. A student who is unable to present for whatever reason, will receive a grade of zero for that portion of the assignment as outlined in the assignment guidelines.
Group Work Expectations
Working in groups or teams is an expectation of the profession. Group work is a regular and expected component of almost all courses in the program of study. All students are expected to be reliable, committed, and contributing members of groups assigned for course requirements.
Group Contract:
For some assignments, students will be expected to create, sign, and follow a group contract established at the beginning of the group planning period, to support successful group activity. Professors may identify Group Selection Deadlines, Group Topic Deadlines, or Group Presentation Expectations. Students not adhering to these instructions, will not be allowed to move forward with the group project, and/or be subject to a grade of zero, for all or portions of the project work.
Peer Review:
Majority of group assignments will incorporate the use of a peer Review/evaluation. Students will individually assess each other’s contribution using a predetermined list of five (5) criteria: group participation; time management and responsibility; creativity/resourcefulness; communication skills; general team skills. It is expected that students will grade each group member honestly considering their contribution in each of the identified criteria. Grading is based on a review of the group member’s comments and the instructor’s review. At any time, an instructor may request an individual to submit their contribution to group work. The student can contact the instructor to discuss peer review grade if required. The instructor has the final grading authority.
Off Campus Activities
- Some activities that support course curriculum, occur outside of regularly scheduled class time. In most cases, students are made aware of these scheduled activities well in advance.
- Students are expected to make all necessary transportation arrangements for scheduled off-campus classes and practicum.
- Professors will indicate start and finish times for all off-campus activities, and students are expected to stay for the duration of the class.
- It is expected that students will conduct themselves accordingly when at off-campus activities. This includes appropriate dress, no smoking, cell phones turned off, and common courtesy to others.
- Some off-campus activities will be on a fee-for-service basis.