Bold Changes
A Collaborative, Outcomes-Based Approach to RA Training
Presented by
Dawn M. Snyder
Oregon State University
Overview of the Session
 Context and why we decided to change training
 Outcome development process
 Implementation
 What we learned
 Question and answer
Why we decided to change training
 Context
 Our experiences as resident directors
 The blessing and the curse of having recently received
your master’s degree
 Embracing the moment
Outcome development process
 Starting point
 Laying the foundation
 Assessment
 Curriculum/content development process
Starting Point
 Three basic questions for learning outcome and
curricula development and assessment.
 What do you want students to learn or be able to do?
(Learning Outcomes)
 How will you know they have learned what you wanted
them to learn? (Assessment)
 How can they best learn these things or learn how to do
these things? (Curricular/Content Development)
 These questions need to be asked in this order
Laying the foundation
 University, divisional, and departmental mission, vision, and
goals
 ACUHO-I standards
 RA learning outcomes and EBI data
 Resident Director competency document from UMass-Amherst
 Interaction Model outcomes
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Academic Success and Engagement
Community
Responsibility
Respect
Identity
Leadership
Assessment
 RA competency tool
 Self-evaluation
 Formal evaluation by supervisor
 EBI data
 Outgoing formal and informal evaluation
Curriculum and content development
 Wiggins and McTighe’s Backward Design Model
 Brainstorming essential information, activities, and
presenters for each outcome
 Themes
 Gap analysis
 All sessions mapped back to at least one learning
outcome, often more
Implementation
 Collaborative
 Developed communication, helping, and confrontation
skills workshops
 Worked with people outside our unit and department
 Used outcomes and content themes to format schedule
 Learning styles
What we learned
 Things don’t go as planned and change is hard
 Communicating expectations to partners and presenters
is a key part of success
 RA were very receptive to new approach
 Focus, focus, focus
Any questions?