FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Donna Olmstead, 800-444-2778, Ext. 1320
May 22, 2002
ASRT FOUNDATION AWARDS GRANT AT ANNUAL CONFERENCE TO STUDY
EDUCATIONAL STRATEGIES TO DEVELOP CRITICAL THINKING
College textbooks are full of answers, but seldom hold the custom-fitted solutions that real life demands in radiology departments.
Successful, quality patient care often relies on R.T.s’ abilities to adapt knowledge from the classroom and textbooks to creatively solve problems.
This ability to synthesize information is one aspect of critical thinking. Michelle Miller, M.Ed., R.T.(R)(M), is searching for educational methods and programs that are most effective in developing these skills. The ASRT Education and Research Foundation awarded Ms. Miller a grant of more than $8,000 at the ASRT Annual Conference to pursue her research, which is also her doctoral dissertation. She is pursing her advanced degree in educational technology at Champlain College in Burlington, Vt.
“I would say either at the technologist or the student level, anytime we are assessing the condition of the patient and determining how our procedure should be adjusted to accommodate that particular patient, we are using critical thinking,” said Ms. Miller. “Positioning, setting techniques, patient care and communication – these are all ways we use critical thinking to achieve the best quality care.”
“This kind of information will advance educational standards for radiologic technology programs. Ms. Miller’s proposal convinced the review panel not only of the worthiness of her topic, but also her abilities as a researcher,” said Sal Martino, Ed.D., Foundation chief operations officer. Research proposals are reviewed without the author’s identification by the Foundation’s research and grants advisory panel, which makes recommendations to the board of trustees. Ms. Miller’s research grant award was the first research project approved for the 2002 fiscal year.
Through a survey of radiography programs around the country, Ms. Miller gathered information to determine critical thinking instructional practices. She will compare the information and classify how consistent it is with approaches that researchers suggest increases the ability to think critically. Based on the survey information, Ms. Miller chose sites for case studies to perform in-depth analysis of course plans and curriculum.
During the site visits she administered a standardized test that measures critical thinking skills in students, who are near graduation. Measurements of critical thinking include the clarity of thought, often expressed in writing and the ability of the student to use precise language to communicate both specific and general arguments about the topic, she explained.
The initial analysis is of programs leading to associate degrees, the most common educational level for radiologic technologists.
“How do instructional practices focused on critical thinking relate to the quality of critical thinking outcomes? This study proposes to contribute to the collective answer to that question,” Ms. Miller wrote in her proposal.
Ms. Miller recently conducted site visits. She said she selected schools for further study that showed the greatest variety of activities to stimulate critical thinking. For example, some schools ask students to write proposals for adding new equipment or changing protocols or to devise and conduct original experiments.
“It really takes a lot of support from the faculty to create an environment that is safe, where students are encouraged to ask questions and test their critical thinking skills rather that just assimilate and repeat information,” she said.
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