Course Assessment Report
Professional issues in Massage Therapy (HA-205)
Gene Desepoli, LMT, D.C.
Winter 2013
1. Course Description
Prepares students to enter a career in massage therapy. Foundational business theory and skills
needed to build and maintain a practice in a variety of settings will be discussed, including
marketing strategies, networking and making appropriate referrals. Professional ethics and
management of more complex client/therapist situations will ne addressed.
2. Prerequisite Courses
HA-204 - Practicum 2 (co-requisite)
3. 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
4. Course Objectives/Expected Student Learning Outcomes
a. To understand the regulatory structure and oversight function of various administrative
agencies involved in licensing and regulation of the practice of massage therapy.
b. To gain a working knowledge of legal issues surrounding the practice of massage therapy.
c. To understand the various permissible forms of practice and the pros and cons of each.
d. To develop and implement a viable marketing plan.
e. To develop promotional material: business cards, brochures, etc.
f. To develop communication skills in the form of target audience presentations, press releases,
and professional correspondence.
5. Assessment Activities and Student Learning Outcomes
Students were assessed with a final written examination, which included questions related to
the course objectives listed above.
6. Data Collection instruments
The data collected was from the same final examination. A breakdown of the questions on
the examination that addressed each of the course objectives is as follows:
Questions on the Examination Related to Course Objectives
Course Objective
A
B
C
D
E
F
# of Questions
6
16
8
7
4
4
Question Numbers
6, 9, 17, 40, 42, 43
12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 23, 32, 36, 37, 38, 39, 44,
45, 46, 49, 50
21, 28, 31, 33, 35, 41, 47, 48
1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 20, 22,
3, 11, 19, 27
7, 8, 24, 34
7. Goals
The goal was to have the class score at least a 75% overall for each question on the
examination that related to a course objective. There were 21 students enrolled in the class
(n=21).
Results were:
Course
Objective
A
B
C
D
E
F
Total
Students
21
21
21
21
21
21
# of
Questions
6
16
8
7
4
4
# of Correct
Answers
111
256
154
138
82
82
Total
Answers
126
336
168
147
84
84
Overall
% Correct
88
76
92
94
98
98
Explanation: There was a total of 6 questions on the exam related to course objective A
(“understand the regulatory structure of various administrative agencies…”). Since 21
students took the exam, there was an overall total of 126 responses for all of objective A’s
questions. By tallying the total amount of correct answers for all of course A’s questions, a
percentage of correct responses was calculated for the students overall.
8. Analysis and Interpretation of Assessment Results
The results of the assessment suggest that students scored well in all areas (>80%) except for
questions related to Ethics/Laws (76%), which is item B in the listed Course Objectives.
9. Evaluation of the Assessment Process
The current examination adequately tests student knowledge of the course objectives. It will be
used again the next time that the class is taught and reevaluated at the time.
10. Resulting Action Plan
Will continue to use the same examination for the assessment. Additional “ethics/laws” quizzes
will be created and given to students to reinforce that material and to attempt to raise the
competency in that subject area.
In-class dialogue/discussion groups will be added to the course that cover various topics
concerning massage therapy ethics/laws.
11. See attached rubric/examination