As a hands-on instructor, have you ever asked yourself, “I taught it, but did they learn it?” Have you ever struggled with developing evaluation tools relevant to the hands-on field? This course shifts focus from teaching to learning. It advocates for a learner-centered, competency-based classroom where quality evaluation is crucial. The course uses Bloom’s taxonomy as a guide for developing learning outcomes and the assessments to measure student success. A variety of evaluation tools and rubrics are introduced. Authored by Angie Myer, former massage educator/administrator and content specialist for the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA), the course also introduces national standards in the field. It uses the COMTA Competencies and the Entry-Level Analysis Project (ELAP) learning outcomes as examples. The course objectives are aligned with the Alliance for Massage Therapy Education (AFMTE) Teacher Competencies, but the course can be applicable to beginning or veteran instructors of any hands-on field.

Module 1: Learning vs. Teaching with Mr. Bloom

• The teacher understands that ongoing observation of learners across the full range of their experiences provides crucial information for assessment and for the guidance of each learner's process.
• The teacher understands how to prepare learners for assessments.
• The teacher is committed to providing timely and effective descriptive feedback to learners on their progress.
• The teacher is committed to using various assessments and assessment data to identify learner strengths and challenges in order to promote learner development.

Module 2: Assessing COMTA Competencies & ELAP Outcomes

• The teacher aligns instruction and assessment with learning objectives.
• The teacher knows when and how to evaluate learner progress as it relates to standards for completion of a course or program.
• The teacher understands and designs the types and purposes of assessment and how to design, adapt, or select appropriate assessments to address specific learning goals and individual differences, and to minimize sources of bias.
• The teacher knows how to analyze assessment data to understand patterns and gaps in learning, to guide planning and instruction.

Module 3: Hands-On Work

• The teacher understands the positive impact of effective descriptive feedback for learners and knows a variety of strategies for communicating this feedback (e.g., oral, visual, tactile, written).
• The teacher knows what a rubric is and how it’s utilized.
• The teacher develops and utilizes rubrics in the evaluation process.
• The teacher models and structures processes that guide learners in examining their own thinking and learning to help them develop personal goals for professional success.
• The teacher is discerning and non-judgmental when observing learners.
• The teacher embraces the active engagement of learners to review and communicate their own individual assessment process.

Module 4: Beyond the Exam: Meaningful, Real-World Assessments

• The teacher understands and designs the types and purposes of assessment and how to design, adapt, or select appropriate assessments to address specific learning goals and individual differences, and to minimize sources of bias.
• The teacher utilizes appropriate technology to assist learners in their development and assessment.
• The teacher engages learners in multiple ways of demonstrating knowledge and skill as part of the assessment process.