American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and DanceNational Convention

Session 331Charlotte, NC

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Susan M. Radius, PhD, MCHESProfessor & Program Director

Meghan M. Bailey, MS, CHES Lecturer & Internship Supervisor

Theresa K. Jackson, PhD, MPH, CHES

Public Health ScientistArmy Institute of Public Health

Susan M. Radius, PhD, MCHESMeghan M. Bailey, MS, CHES

Theresa K. Jackson, PhD, MPH, CHES

The following personal financial relationships with commercial interests relevant to this presentation existed during the past 12 months:

◦ No relationships to disclose

◦ To explore the relationship between students’ academic performance and internship outcomes

◦ To evaluate extent to which students are gaining exposure to selected NCHEC competencies

◦ To guide recommendations for undergraduate curricula and internship programs

Evaluations

◦ Midterm & Final

◦ 53 questions related to professionalism, personal attributes, organization skills, and communication skills

Two indicators assigned for each NCHEC competency

NCHEC Area Evaluation Indicators

1. Assess needs, assets, and capacity for health education

•Access, use, and evaluate reliable health resources•Uses knowledge of learning styles

2. Plan health education

•Develops goals and objectives prior to beginning project•Establishes priorities for completion of responsibilities

3. Implement health education

•Demonstrates teaching skills•Uses effective and appropriate strategies to meet objectives

4. Conduct evaluation and research related to health education

•Read and interpret research information•Develops/selects appropriate evaluation plans

5. Administer and manage health education

•Grant writing skills•Participates effectively in groups as a leader

6. Serve as a health education resource person

•Knows how and where to refer clients•Responds appropriately to questions from clients/students

7. Communicate and advocate for health and health education

•Demonstrates promotional and publicity skills•Demonstrates culture, gender, and racial sensitivity

Cumulative GPA

Majors’ course grades

Internship Evaluation Indicators Pearson p-values

II. Develops goals and objectives prior to beginning project

.215 .015

II. Establishes priorities for completion of responsibilities

.183 .038

IV. Develops and selects appropriate evaluation plans

.242 .026

V. Participates effectively in groups as a leader

.222 .024

VII. Demonstrates promotional and publicity skills

.201 .039

No statistically significant associations

Internship Evaluation Indicator Pearson

p-values

II. Establishes priorities for completion of responsibilities

.200 .023

II. Develops goals and objectives prior to beginning project

.180 .042

III. Uses effective and appropriate strategies to meet objectives

.227 .01

IV. Develops and selects appropriate evaluation plans

.214 .051

IV. Read and interpret research information .202 .034

V. Participates effectively in groups as a leader .207 .036

VI. Responds appropriately to questions from clients and students

.180 .044

VII. Demonstrates promotional and publicity skills .221 .023

Overall evaluation .177 .046

Internship Evaluation Indicator Pearson p-values

III. Uses effective and appropriate strategies to meet objectives

.173 .05

IV. Develops and selects appropriate evaluation plans

.222 .043

VII. Demonstrates promotional and publicity skills

.203 .037

Internship Evaluation Indicator Pearson p-values

IV. Develops and selects appropriate evaluation plans

.279 .01

V. Grantwriting skills -.025 .01

Internship Evaluation Measure Pearson p-values

II. Develops goals and objectives prior to beginning project

.176 .047

II. Establishes priorities for completion of responsibilities

.246 .005

III. Uses effective and appropriate strategies to meet objectives

.189 .032

Overall Evaluation .171 .053

Internship Evaluation Measure GPA

207 315 425 430 432

II. Develops goals and objectives prior to beginning project X X X

II. Establishes priorities for completion of responsibilities X X X

III. Uses effective and appropriate strategies to meet objectives X X X

IV. Develops and selects appropriate evaluation plans X X X X

IV. Read and interpret research informationX

V. Participates effectively in groups as a leaderX X

V. Grantwriting skills X

VI. Responds appropriately to questions from clients and students X

VII. Demonstrates promotional and publicity skillsX X X

Overall evaluation X X

I. Access, use, and evaluate reliable health resources

II. Uses knowledge of learning styles

III. Demonstrates teaching skills

VI. Knows how and where to refer clients

VII. Demonstrates culture, gender, and racial sensitivity

Would you consider hiring?

Agency supervisors

◦ Generous evaluators

◦ Biased; self-fulfilling prophecy

◦ Misinterpret evaluation items

◦ Different interpretations of indicators across diverse sites

Students

◦ Self-select placements in areas of strength

◦ Maturity

◦ Self-select major

Faculty

◦ Number of course instructors

◦ Easy vs. more rigorous graders

Courses

◦ Upper-level vs. lower-level abilities

◦ Cumulative GPA includes transferred grades

Not all NCHEC competencies represented on instrument

Instrument inconsistent in ability to capture qualities of interest

Selected NCHEC indicators may reflect other or >1 competency

Not all courses relate to success in internship measures

Not all competencies relate to success in courses

Despite quantity of significant correlations, no strong correlations emerged

Professionals & Agencies◦ Agencies should continue to evaluate transcripts

as part of the hiring process in health education.

Academic Institutions◦ Professional preparation programs may need to

adapt to address NCHEC competencies in a practical way.

◦ Internship experiences should complement other health education experiences – including the classroom.

Share evaluation with preceptors, faculty colleagues and students

Consider internship assessment tools that are more reflective of NCHEC

Cultivate preceptor understanding of program, NCHEC, etc.

Communicate to students that doing well can help to excel as health educator

Communicate to students that grades are NOT everything

Encourage faculty to incorporate NCHEC-related activities in coursework

Dr. Susan RadiusProfessor and Program Director

sradius@towson.edu

Meghan BaileyLecturer

mbailey@towson.edu

Dr. Theresa JacksonPublic Health Scientist

US Army

For more information, please visit:

http://www.towson.edu/healthscience/healthed/internships/