Course Assessment Report
Pathology 1 (HA-220)
Gene Desepoli, LMT, D.C.
Fall 2012
1. Course Description
An introduction to the theories and mechanisms of disease. The course focuses upon the
pathological conditions most likely encountered in the scope of massage therapy.
Special attention will be given to precautions, contraindications and indications for
massage. Pathological conditions correlating to body systems within a holistic
perspective will be discussed.
2. Background Information
This course consists of a discussion of major pathologies by body region
(musculoskeletal, integumentary and neurological) with a focus upon hallmark signs and
symptoms for each disease. Students are required to become familiar with diseases that
are treatable using massage therapy as well as non-treatable conditions that require a
referral to another qualified health care practitioner.
3. Prerequisite Courses
BI-302 Anatomy & Physiology II
BI-331 Kinesiology
HA-104 Western Massage II
BI-325 Neurophysiology (or co-requisite)
4. QCC General Education Objectives
Students will:
- Communicate effectively through writing, listening and speaking
- Use analytical reasoning to identify issues or problems and evaluate evidence in order to
make informed decisions
- Integrate knowledge and skills in their program of study
5. Course Objectives/Expected Student Learning Outcomes
a. Understand the body’s inherent healing mechanism and how to promote and
support these processes naturally
b. Explain knowledge of the physiological changes of the body during disease and
massage treatments for these conditions when applicable
c. Understand and recognize pathologies relevant to body systems in order to develop
a complete understanding of a client’s condition and a holistic treatment protocol
for a particular condition
d. Develop a clinical impression relating to various conditions and determine
whether massage is indicated or referral is appropriate
6. Assessment Activities and Student Learning Outcomes
Students were assessed using both a midterm (formative) and final (summative)
practical examination.
7. Data Collection instruments
A rubric was created and given to the students at the start of the semester. The rubric
was identical for both the formative and summative assessments.
8. Goals
My goal was to have students achieve 80% proficiency on the formative evaluation
and an 80% proficiency on the summative evaluation. Proficiency is defined as
scoring at least a 3 on the rubric (3=proficient, 4=distinguished).
There were 15 students in the class (n=15) The percentage of students who achieved
proficiency is listed below. The letter next to each item corresponds to the course
objectives listed in number 5 above.
Item
Pathology (b)
Causes/Risk Factors
Signs and Symptoms (b)
Medical Treatment (c) (d)
Massage Treatment (c) (d)
Prognosis (a)
Formative
100%
93%
93%
100%
100%
100%
Summative
93%
93%
93%
87%
100%
100%
9. Analysis and interpretation of assessment results:
The results show that students achieved high proficiency in all areas. Student’s score
for the medical treatment item dropped to 87%.
10. Evaluation of the assessment process:
I am satisfied that students scored well on both the formative and summative
evaluations. In fact, these high scores may indicate the need to increase the difficulty
of the course, as students would benefit from more information that will be useful to
them in their future practice. One way to accomplish this would be to increase the
number of diseases discussed within each topic (musculoskeletal, neurological, etc.)
11. Resulting Action Plans:
In future classes, I will place more attention upon the medical treatment for each
disease. This is important because students need to be aware of treatment that their
patient’s may have received or will receive by other health-care practitioners.
12. See attached rubrics