Clearer Connections: QEP Student SelfReflective Journaling

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Clearer ConnectionsQEP Student Self-Reflective
Journaling
Irene Mueller, Ed.D, RHIA Mary Teslow, MLIS,
RHIA Natalie Moore, HIA Senior School of Health
Sciences Health Information Administration QEP
Pilot Program
FEEd 2008
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Objectives

• Value of reflective journalingas a learning
  strategy
• Self-SOAP method
• HIAs evolving experience
• Benefits for students and faculty
• Student point-of-view
• Strongly recommended, additional QEP benefit

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Reflective Journals

• Becoming a common meansof increasing learning by
  helping writers
• Examine habitual patternsof thinking and acting
• Articulate experience and knowledge, thereby
  increasing understanding
• Acknowledge strengths and weaknesses
• Begin considering ways to improve performance.

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Writing is Learning

• "Writing is learning" motto of the
  writing-across-the-curriculum movement.

Writing helps learnersto know whether or
notthey understand something. Zubizarreta, 2004
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HIA Background

• Student self-reflective journalsused for several
  semesters
• General instructions were given
• Less than satisfactory results
• Journals were
• Overly vague
• Overly personal responses
• Little integration of course content with
  experiential learning activities

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Journaling Early Samples

• Too vague, non-specific
• I went to my facilities today and did my tours.
  It was interesting and overwhelming at times
  but, overall, it went just fine.
• Today I did the management assignment. It was
  cool to see what managers have to deal with.
• I applied two skills today, teamworking
  andcommunication.

HandoutPage 2
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Journaling Early Samples

• But, some showed promise
• Organizing one's time throughout the day and
  prioritizing tasks is also a task that many
  people my age lack. Often the "fun" assignments
  are done first although they may not need to be
  done until the late afternoon, whereas a "not
  fun" task may be due by noon, but is not done
  first.

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Discovering Self-SOAP Notes

• We found an article in the PT literature that
  uses the SOAP format for student self-reflection
  in the clinical setting.
• Enhancing critical reflection of students using
  the self-SOAP
• Students need for feedback during transition
  from classroom to professional setting.
• Citation is in the handout.

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Well Suited to HIA Education

• Documentation is a key skill
• Business processes, budget justification,
  personnel actions, project management,reports,
  etc.

Experience of workis not enough in itself. It
is the learning that comes from itthat is
important. Harvey, Geall Moon 1998
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Self-SOAP Notes

• Standard healthcare documentation method adapted
  for self-reflection
• Subjective
• Objective
• Assessment
• Plan
• Also connects / integrates professional content
  with personal context

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Value Right from the Start

• Adaptation
• Model revised for HIAactivities and
  self-assessment
• Student Instruction
• Easily accomplished
• Return on investment
• Immediate
• Unexpected
• Students and Faculty

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Good First Results

• Early results very promising
• Seniors
• AHIMA website
• Recruitment Haunted Moore Hall
• Off-campus PPEs (clinicals)
• Juniors
• Blood drive
• Fitness assessment
• Business Etiquette Dinner
• But

HandoutPage 2
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Early Self-SOAP

• I am very glad that I got the chance to explore
  the AHIMA Career Assist and Job Bank web sites.
  These sites will be very helpful now, as well
  asin the future.
• I was able to navigate through the web sites and
  look at different jobs that were available. I
  applied research skills to help me better
  understand which jobs would go along with my
  degree.
• I enjoyed this activity so much it kind of gave
  me some idea of what I want to do in the future
  and what jobs may be available. I was so
  overwhelmed, in a good way, to find that there
  are so many positions that would accommodate my
  degree.
• I will definitely begin using the two web sites
  from this day forward. I learned so much and now
  I'm happy that I spent the 35 to become a member
  of AHIMA.

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Need to Become More Obvious

• Answer student questions
• Why do I need to do this?
• Added contextual elements
• Background
• Purpose
• Additional prompts
• Provide feedbackin grading process

HandoutPage 3
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Next Adaptation

• Based on ltactivity or experiencegt, assess your
  potential in lta specific skillgt
• Subjective
• (I felt .., I enjoyed., I disliked..)
• Objective
• (I did ., I saw, I observed.)
• Assessment
• (I did best at, I could have been better at)
• Plan
• (To improve my success in a similar activity, in
  the future I will..)

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Try a Self-SOAP

• Handout
• Samples andResources
• Self-SOAP practice
• Consider a course experiencein Spring 08
• Create your own Self-SOAP note
• Handout, page 1

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Examples of HIA Activities

• Business Etiquette Dinners and Receptions
• Allied Health Career Day
• Haunted Moore Hall project management and
  teamwork
• Red Cross Blood Drive sponsorship
• HSCC 101 fitness assessment data recorders
• Personal Health Record(MyPHR) presentations

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Self-SOAP

• Subjective (I felt ..) At the business
  reception, I felt very intimidated at first by
  the employers and by the people who worked for
  the career services department. As the night went
  on, I felt more and more comfortable with
  everyone including my classmates. We tried to
  make the best of the learning experience and I
  learned an immense amount about what the
  professional world will be like. I did feel very
  confident when a specific employer remembered
  my name.

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Self-SOAP

• Objective (I did ..)I made sure to smile and
  to shake hands with everyone I met at the
  reception. I also shook hands while leaving the
  group to ensure that at least my face was
  remembered. I think a smile can go a thousand
  miles, so I was sure to smile a lot. I said my
  name clearly and loudly before each conversation
  began and I think that helped them remember my
  name better.

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Self-SOAP

• Assessment (I did best at,I could have been
  better at ) I did my best at introducing
  myself at the business reception. There were some
  people in the room that no one remembered, and I
  was glad that I was not one of them. I could have
  been better at learning how to hold the plate,
  napkin, and glass. It took me a long time to
  figure out which hand to shake with and which
  hand to not shake with.

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Self-SOAP

• Plan (To improve my success as a HIM
  professional, in the future I will..) In the
  future to improve my success as an HIM
  professional, I will pay more attention while
  directions are given about hand shaking and how
  to hold the plate/napkin/glass. I will also try
  to learn more about how to properly eat the food
  or how to properly turn down food if it is not
  wanted.

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Meet the Author

• Students Perceptions
• Diary vs. Journal
• Reflection (me-time)
• Value
• HIA Program
• Leadership Training
• Applied in any content, context
• Professional, Personal, Community

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Benefits

• Students report a better understanding of the
  intentof the activities
• Improved
• Specificity, objectivity, and completeness of
  journal responses
• Critical thinking and justificationof
  point-of-view

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Benefits

• Students increased sense of personal
  responsibility for improvement
• Role models professional practice and supports
  success and effectiveness when entering the
  profession

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Faculty Return on Investment

• Faculty gained better insight into the
  effectiveness of activities
• Value added assignment method that met multiple
  educational goals
• Student skills developed with repetition and
  practice

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Faculty Return on Investment

• Met many of our goals
• Improved writing, critical thinking, making
  connections
• Faculty also saw improvement in the area of
  personal responsibility with the Plan element and
  prompt.

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Unexpected Benefit

• Intervention Strategy
• At-risk students required to complete in-depth
  Self-SOAP note
• Focused on personal responsibility and why their
  performance has not met Program Standards
• First step in remediation contract

HandoutPage 5
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Program Standards

• Faculty developing policiesand procedures
• Role modeling workplace
• Self-SOAP notes provide a standard for journaling
  
• promotes consistency, student familiarity with
  the process, writing practice, and preparation of
  a professional product

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Self-SOAP the QEP

• Added value at WCU
• Helps meet several goals
• Provides potential artifactsfor the Educational
  Briefcase

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WCU Quality Enhancement Plan

• 2007 SACS accreditation
• 10 year cycle, reporting at year 5
• QEP topic (Undergrad Only)
• Synthesis A Pathway to Intentional Learning.
• Coordinated by Dr. Carol Burton
• Asst. VC, Undergraduate Studies
• QEP Committees
• Irene served on SACS
• Mary serves on Technology

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QEP Framework

• Fosters synthesis across disciplines
• coordinating curricular and co-curricular
  experiences
• to facilitate students development of a clearer
  purpose at the university

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Outcome Impact

• The outcome of the plan will be
• Students who are intentional participants in
  their own learning
• Will impact
• Academics, faculty and advisors
• Residential Life
• Service Learning
• Student Leadership
• Career Planning/Education

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HIA QEP Pilot Program

• Current Issues
• Integration / Connections
• Critical thinking
• Improve writing skills
• Program Standards
• Professional expectations
• Professional behaviors
• Professional products

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HIA QEP learning goal focus

• In the Junior Year, students will
• Connect the academic and student life components
  of their experience
• Refine their learning plan

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HIA QEP learning goal focus

• In the Senior Year, students will
• Communicate the connections between their
  university experiences and their future education
  and career plans, and
• Review and revise their learning/career plan.

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QEP-related Activities in HIA

• Should meet several goals, including
• Related to healthcare
• Application of professional behaviors and
  attitudes
• Application of interpersonal communication
  skills, and
• Experience working in teams

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QEP Education Briefcase

• An e-portal through which students will interact
  with faculty, advisors, and career counselors it
  is the literal manifestation of the students
  learning plan
• Microsoft SharePoint
• Pilot Programs 2008-09
• Starts with Fall 2009 freshmen
• Students own their Briefcase

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eBriefcase Artifact Examples

• Research Papers
• Myers-Briggs Personality Type
• Technology assignments
• Resumes, evolving over time
• Perfect Interview responses
• Performance evaluations
• Self-SOAP note reflection

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Reflective Journals Redeaux

• Becoming a common means of increasing learning
  and professional development, by helping writers

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Strongly Recommended

• We strongly recommendSelf-SOAP notes for college
  students at all levels
• Deepens student self-reflectionand goals for
  personal improvement
• Provides practice to improve writing
• Increases their ability to make connections
• Method for QEP

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Questions?

• How would you grade your note ?
• Assessing yourSelf-SOAP
• Other uses?
• Questions?

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Clearer ConnectionsQEP Student Self-Reflective
Journaling
Irene Mueller, Ed.D, RHIA Mary Teslow, MLIS,
RHIA Natalie Moore, HIA Senior School of Health
Sciences Health Information Administration QEP
Pilot Program
FEEd 2008