ATMS UPDATE
The 2021 ATMS Education Provider Symposium : The impact of the pandemic on teaching and learning
Airdre Grant , Sandra Grace , Peter Berryman and Brad McEwen
The 2021 ATMS Education Provider Symposium for natural medicine educators took place online in September 2021 . The Symposium focused on the disruptions of the global pandemic on teaching and learning , particularly face-face learning . 1-3 The theme developed in response to the needs of this extraordinary time and the impact of COVID-19 . The pandemic has significantly affected every aspect of life , particularly student clinical training . 1-3 Lockdowns , deep cleaning , social distancing and mask wearing have been commonplace in our lives now for nearly two years . The dramatic shift to an online environment has had huge ramifications on the way we teach , deliver and assess training . 3
ATMS is deeply aware of how the consequences of the pandemic have affected students and educators . During these past two years we know that educators still had students enrolled in courses , some of whom were in their final stages of study trying to finish clinic hours to complete their training . We knew everyone was looking for ways to help their students .
The way we teach and learn has been changing for some time . Technology now holds a much stronger role and this was dramatically implemented and sped up in the pandemic . Technologies such as Telehealth , Artificial Intelligence , simulations , Zoom , virtual classrooms , Teams , and more , all play a much more significant role in the way we practise and teach . The integration and impact of these tools is interesting as it shapes the landscape of practice and of education into the future . There are elements of this which bear consideration :
Practice : Practitioners of natural medicine have a reputation for listening closely and attending to their clients in a way that extends beyond the technical . How has that changed with a technological interface ? What about the subtle elements of a consultation ? How do we reconfigure ‘ presence ’ in an online setting ? Can a supervisor assess student abilities to see the unseen , and hear the unspoken ?
Teaching : How do we teach manual therapies in an increasingly online world ? How do we maintain integrity in a system where we may not physically see our students ? How do we assess their competence in the critical areas of touch , pressure , and feel ?
The Symposium showcased three educators who spoke of their experiences : Graeme de Goldi ( Founder and Director of the Melbourne Institute of Massage & Myotherapy ), Patricia Cooper ( Head Teacher at Randwick College , TAFE NSW ), and Catherine Smith ( Program Director for two of the Bachelor of Health Science programs at Torrens University Australia ). Each presenter described the challenges and strategies they employed during the pandemic .
After the presentations , the Symposium participants went into virtual breakout rooms to discuss and consider these thorny issues . Each group produced 2-3 constructive strategies or suggestions . These strategies and suggestions were brought back to the main Zoom room , where a lively discussion followed . The response from our community was rich and helpful . Some of the strategies and suggestions included :
Student support
• Media Skills : Students need online training for virtual classrooms , including teaching them to become comfortable on video . Make learning the technology easy , so active learning can be fun .
• Classes could be live broadcasts when appropriate and possible .
• Provide access to recordings of lectures and tutorials . Providers could have a platform where students can access recordings at any time .
• Hard copies are sometimes still needed to enhance learning experiences for students .
• Students studying tactile therapy need contact , which they do not get online .
• Remember to maintain presence and keep in touch , so there is active supported engagement for students and clients .
• Interactions through study groups is important . Providers could encourage private FaceBook study groups for students .
• When able to do so , set up rooms at your college to allow students to be together and watch live streaming lectures if possible so that they can interact with their peers .
Staff support
• Teachers may need to be upskilled for online teaching , including becoming comfortable on video . Make learning the technology easy , so active learning can be fun .
222 | vol27 | no4 | JATMS