Learning Communities and Nuclear Medicine Technology Education

2632 Objectives Learning communities involve students taking at least two courses together for the purpose of increasing academic skills and knowledge.(1,2) Nuclear Medicine Technology (NMT) programs by default have incorporated the concepts of learning communities informally; however, with the changes in higher education the formal process allows for better assessment and strategic outcomes for students and the program. This information is essential to institution accreditation, but also for programmatic accreditation. This project examined the courses taken in the first semester of a mixed baccalaureate and post-baccalaureate NMT program that formalized a learning community. Methods Students entering the professional portion of the NMT program in the Fall 2015 semester took 3 courses and a clinical internship together. The didactic courses included procedures and technology, instrumentation, and radiation biology and protection. The three faculty members responsible for the individual courses collaborated to design a common project to formalize the learning community approach. The students were instructed to examine an assigned clinical procedure and create a poster session on all aspects of that procedure including indications, disease states, and alternatives. The students were also asked to include all pertinent information related to instrumentation and radiation biology and protection. Students were organized in groups of two to work on the project. This allowed for the development of team dynamics and time management skills. The project was intended to develop critical thinking skills and allow the students to demonstrate connections between all three courses. One rubric and one grade was issued for the project, which was calculated as 5% of each individual course grade. Results Each group presented their poster project in front of the three faculty members at one time. Each faculty member asked thought-provoking questions related to procedure modifications or other factors that may affect the procedure, along with questions specific to the physics and operation of the instrumentation. Radiation biology and protection concepts were also incorporated into the questions. Each faculty member individually graded the poster, presentation, and ability to answer challenging questions. The three separate grades were averaged to assign the grade applied to each course for the project. Conclusions Research on learning communities has proven to have increased academic success related to students’ knowledge, self-image, retention, and outcomes.1,2 Incorporating the concepts of learning communities into the NMT program did enhance the connection of the material from one class to the next, which is ultimately what is required in the clinical setting. Having the formal process not only allowed the faculty to witness students critically think through the material at a higher-level, but also allowed them to see students blend the material and articulate the “how” and “why” of the procedure. This practice promotes deep learning as opposed to surface learning, which supports a shift from basic regurgitation of information to true content mastery and professional excellence.